A long way to Disney

My 30 days of walking experiment ended on Day 15. Sometimes you just hit a day that walking 10,000 steps is not feasible. I had a pile of work that day and a few meetings during my normal walking times. Then, when I got home and still had 7,000 steps to go. I had a choice, build paper dogs with my daughter or spend an hour and change walking laps. There was no way the 7 year old was going to be able to walk for an hour with me.

The 7 year old won.

Things I learned from this experiement.

* Walking will not solve all my problems. There is a release of endorphins when I walk that makes me feel great, but it is not the magic cure-all for everything going on.

* I learned that there is comfort in routine. That doing a little bit multiple times during the day adds up to one big goal. That knowing many different ways to do something will help you when roadblocks come up because you can easily do some creative problem solving. I learned I have more determination than I thought I did.

* I did lose a few pounds and stopped the steadily upward weight trend that I was having before I started the experiment. I just don't feel as hungry when I am walking like that. I also do a little less stress eating because my stress is getting burned off while walking.

* Distance adds up over time. 5 miles a day doesn't seem like much, but as of today, I have gone a total of 89.5 miles since starting this experiment. Only 1186.5 miles to go before I get to Disney. I need to be patient with myself. Little by little I will get there.

Summary:

I am not going to stop walking. It is totally worth it, but some days, I just won't hit 10,000. Doesn't mean I'm not going to try! I think I should start focusing on some other factors of a healthy lifestyle though. Much as I wish it was, walking is not the solution to everything. I also need to think about what's on the end of my fork. (ie. eating a plate of bacon from the work cafeteria for breakfast may not be the best idea.)

So, I'm going to try to start carrying my lunch more. Best part is, I have a blog. So, I have somewhere to plan and take pictures. Who doesn't like pictures of food or ideas for lunch at work?

Today's Motivation:

This was not a failed experiment. This was an experiment.

I tried something. I learned what worked and what didn't.  If nothing else, I learned that sometimes, I need to take a step back and give myself a break. And, I learned where I want to focus next. I love science! Failure is always an option!

Day 10 ... and walking

Setting a goal is kind of easy and fun. It's exciting to have a new project to work on. It's exciting to imagine meeting the goal and feeling fabulous and maybe getting a prize.

Meeting a goal is also exciting. You feel accomplished and successful and maybe you have something to show for what you did. Plus, bragging rights!

The middle of goal... the bit that requires the actual work. Let's be honest. That bit is not that fun. It's work! And really, it can be hard to stay motivated. I have managed staying motivated though and I am hitting my 10 day mark!! Woooo!!! I'm a third of the way through.

The thing that has helped me the most the last few days has been routine. I am getting used to thinking about how to get 10,000 steps a day, so no matter what I am doing I am planning my next walk. If I have to drive to work, I already have a plan of how I am going to fit little walks in during the day. If I walk to work and have to get a ride home, I know where to add steps in so I can still reach my goal. Making the 10,000 steps a part of my day instead of something that I just added on to my to-do list has helped keep my walking the last 3 days when life gets busy!

Stats!:

Distance: Monday was 6 miles, Tuesday was 6.5, and Wednesday was 6.5. Not bad distances really. That brings my total mileage to 53.5. I am on I-39 now just passing Lindenwood, IL. Not bad for 10 days.

Mood: Dragging a bit. After writing this entry and looking at my totals and seeing how far I have come makes me feel a lot better. I think I need to look at my map more often. I am tired. I have a lot of life going on right now. My feet are sore from walking, but I need to remember, I am getting somewhere. If nothing else, I am participating in science by experimenting and documenting my results and that just makes the geek in me smile!

Sleep: I am sleeping better. Still stress dreaming, but I am pretty sure that is not related to the walking. I may just need to add mediation to my bedtime routine. Also, some stretchy band exercises would be good. I sleep better when I have some core muscles, as strange as that sounds. We'll see how ambitious I get.

Today's Motivation:

If I want to make changes and I want them to stick, then I need to change my routine.

There's enough surprises that come up everyday that any plans I have to change my life will be derailed in 2-3 days if I the changes I make aren't just part of my daily routine. So, walking is part of my routine now. I can live with that.

Day 7 - Still Walking

I wonder how many of these days are going to start out with, "I almost gave up yesterday." So, I almost gave up yesterday. I woke up feeling even worse and thinking that walking was NOT, in fact, the best medicine. I decided not to push it. If I got 10,000 steps great. If not, that was OK too and I would just start over.

Well, after church I was feeling better so the family and I went for a walk. By the evening I was feeling quite a bit better and my husband was willing to play a video game for me and I got the last 4,000 steps in while walking in place to the soothing sounds of Paper Mario Color Splash.

So, I am still going. I think the biggest thing I am learning as I do this is to not beat myself up. I am more likely to keep going if I give myself some guilt free down time. I have also found that the time I need to put into walking 10,000 steps is really not that much. If I walked for 2 hrs straight and then did nothing else the rest of the day, I would hit 10,000 steps. Broken into small chunks throughout the day makes getting 10,000 steps a doable thing.

Stats:
Distance: 5 miles on Saturday and 5.5 miles on Sunday brings that total to 34.5 miles. I think I am passing Winnebago now and headed to Rockford.

Mood: Content. I am pleased with myself for making it this far. I feel kind of ready for week two.

Sleep: No stressful dreams last night. That may be because some of the things I was worrying about are getting done, or it's because I am walking. We'll see.

Today's Motivation:

Paper Mario Color Splash.

Because a little distraction can go a long way when I am trying to stay motivated. We all have those things that we are willing to do as long as we are being entertained. I am willing to walk for quite a while as long I have something to amuse me. Be it audiobook or television or a friend. Here's to distraction.

Day 5 - The Inevitable

I woke up this morning after a restless night. My soft palate hurt and my nose was stuffed. Well, that explains why I was feeling so crappy yesterday. I'm not sure why, but usually within a week of starting an exercise routine, I come down with something. I have a theory on why this happens. Exercise stresses your body and lowers your ability to fight infection. Plus, any additional stress you already have in your life is going to be taking a toll as well. I'm sure there's actual scientific documentation to back this up, but I'll leave that to you guys to look up. Either way, I am 5 days into this and I am catching a cold.

This brought me to an interesting crossroad this morning. Do I call the 30 day experiment on account of catching a cold and spend the day laying on the couch or do I walk to work like I normally would and just push through it? I opted for somewhere in the middle.

I am just dealing with the start of a cold, so it reallyis not bad enough for me to stay home from work. And if I am well enough to go to work, I am probably well enough to do some walking. Walking a mile and a half in 44 degree weather with a wind chill just did not sound appealing though. So I drove to work. With some easy math though, I figured out I can still get 10,000 steps today, I just need to do it gently.

500 steps is not bad. It's a short walk. It takes five minutes. It gets your blood moving. It's not long enough for me to get out of breath, but I feel like I've done something. I figure that if I do 500 steps 20 times today I am good. That's like a little 5 minute walk every half an hour. That's doable and easy and I still have plenty of time to work and drink my Gypsy Cold Remedy tea with honey, take Emergen-C and cover myself in Thieves Oil. I am totally going to fight this cold!

I also found this article from WebMD. It's about the benefits of walking on your immune system and also, exercising when you have a cold - because I did do a little bit of research.

http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/cold-guide/exercise-when-you-have-cold#1

And, since I am continuing the experiment, that means I still get to tally up my stats!

Stats:

Distance: Just 5 miles yesterday, but I have now gone a total of 24 miles.

Mood: Optimistic. I have cold, but I am working through it. I would like to think that all this walking is boosting my immune system so the cold won't be as bad as it could be.

Sleep: Restless last night, but a Mountain Dew Kickstart this morning help with that.

Today's Motivation:

It sounds silly, but I am grateful to have 10,000 steps to walk today. It gives me something to do other than to sit and feel sorry for myself because I am catching a cold. That's a vicious cycle when it gets started. I feel sorry for myself and don't do anything and then I start beating myself up because I am not doing anything and then I feel more sorry for myself. Not a good place. Hippocrates was right. "Walking is man's best medicine."

Day 4 - Ugh

I am feeling a bit like death today. I woke up with a headache. My eyes feel dry and swollen. My nose is stuffed and I am just sore. I can't tell if this is a side effect of trying to get healthy or if I am just catching a cold. Since I can't tell, I'm going to keep walking till I figure it out. :)

That's actually pretty much how this morning went. I seriously debated just taking the car to work, but I couldn't figure out how I was going to get the 10,000 steps in today without a lot of extra work. Walking to work was much easier, plus I got a little bit of time to myself which was lovely. I am actually looking forward to walking home for the same reason.

Stats so far:
Distance: I went 6 miles yesterday taking my total to 19 miles. I think I might have gotten out of Freeport by now and I am on my way to Winnebago.

Mood: Crabby. My energy level is low. I am up a couple pounds and I am NOT having a good hair day. Most of this is probably completely unrelated to walking, but it's not helping.

Sleep: According to my Fitbit, I was restless like 16 times and slept for like 7 1/2 hours. I had some crap dreams last night too. You know the kind. An endless series of stressful situations. This my also be more related to my currently work/social life than walking, but also not helping.

Huh, so far, this is not saying much about this experiment, but I also need to remember that I have only been doing this for 3 days. Today is day 4 and I am only halfway through it. It may also be that walking is actually helping me cope better with life than if I wasn't. If that's the case, then I should walk on!

Based on the data. I can't tell if 10,000 steps a day is good or bad yet, so I'm going to keep walking till I figure it out!

Today's Motivation:

I am going to keep walking because I love having a little time to myself.

Day 3 - Still going!

It is really hard to hit 10,000 steps when you spend at least 9 hours of your day traveling in the car. It's probably a good thing that I spent 3 hours walking at the City Museum, because that was the most walking I got. I did hit 10,000 steps, but I really had to work for it. When we stopped for food our gas, I did a lap around the building. I walked up and down the aisles at the gas station. And then I got my last 700 steps by walking in place while my husband played a video game.

Total distance yesterday 5.08 miles. I am 13 miles closer to Disney now and a lot less sore than I thought I would be. I did a lot of climbing yesterday and I really thought I would have sore muscles. I definitely slept well last night though! I was even able to get out of bed this morning without hitting the snooze alarm, so that's a plus.

I even had the energy and desire to walk to work this morning. Note to self. Check weather forecast before leaving. The last few days, I have been able to comfortably walk without a jacket. This morning it was raining, which is fine because I love to walk in the rain. I didn't even think to check the temperature. Apparently it was about 38 degrees F this morning with a real feel of 24. Good thing I have a sweater at work I can wear home.

Today's Motivation:

So technically it's a two day streak now, but that in itself is motivating. I have made it through 2 of 30 days. I can't stop now! Only 1263 miles till Disney!!

Day 2

There are a lot of benefits I am hoping to see from walking 10,000 steps a day. So far though I just feel tired and sore. I should't complain.

It's only day 2 though and yesterday I walked 16,444 steps for a total of 8 miles. Disney, here I come!!

Today, I hit 7000 steps in 2 1/2 hours while climbing all over the City Museum in St. Louis. Maybe that's why I am tired?

Today's Motivation:

Following a seven year old around the City Museum.

It was exhausting, but totally worth it! I am completely motivated to keep walking now. I would like it to be less exhausting the next time I go.

Starting Fresh: Day 1

I am starting a month long experiment today. I have been out of the habit of walking. I have actually just been out of the habit of even hitting 10,000 steps, let alone doing my epic walks and I have been struggle to even find the motivation to get started again. I feel different. I don't feel as good as I used to when I was walking. I am having a harder time controlling how I eat. I have less energy. I don't sleep well! Did walking really make that much difference?

Now is the time to find out!!

Today, I am starting 30 days of walking. I want to hit at least 10,000 steps everyday for 1 month and see what difference it makes. No drastic changes in my eating habits. I am not going to count calories. If I see a powdered donut and I feel like eating a powdered donut, I shall eat that donut. If I see it and don't feel like it though, I am not going to eat. Will walking change my tastes? I know yesterday, when I only went about 4500 steps, I happily devoured a bag of Doritos, some sour candy, a bowl of Ramen, and 2 Zebra cakes. So, I do have a baseline to do this study!

I am also curious how far I can actually walk in a month. Google maps told me today that it is 1276 miles from downtown Freeport (my favorite place to walk!) to Disney Caribbean Beach Resort in Florida. How close can I get in a month? I do like a good challenge. :)

Today's motivation:

Me. Because I am worth walking for! Here's to 10,000 steps!

It's cheesy, but it's true. I started walking like crazy because of my friend, Sarah, but now I love it! I love the way I feel. I love the things I see. I love getting out no matter the weather.

Back in Step

Finally, the weather broke and Ash and I got out for a walk today. I was so excited I almost didn't know where to start. I thought about looking at the amazing buildings downtown. Or checking out the park district. I had more fun though just looking for randomness that happens when everyone is out on a beautiful day.

This old cash register seen on this flat bed truck for instance.

Or Senor Taco! Seriously, I want him to be my mascot!

Or this reminder that amidst all the craziness, there is still an element of peace.

I love this rock at the edge of downtown. It looks so formal and then there's the pretzel in the corner that reminds us we are still Pretzel City.

This was actually my favorite thing from the walk today. A building came down in downtown recently. I was amazed to see some bits of wallpaper stuck to the building. I couldn't help, but think how long they have been there and really how lovely the pattern along the top is. There is hidden beauty even underneath the most broken down facade.

I love walking just as much as these bears love pizza!

Total distance: 6 miles
Total time: 2 hours 12 min
Pace: 22 min/mile

A little slow, but I have to get started again somewhere. :)

Because life happens

My schedule changed a few months ago. At first it was just an annoyance. I made a few simple adjustments in my life, but as time went on it was getting harder and harder to keep up with my new schedule and still spend as much time on the things that I loved. I just didn't see a good way to do both. Instead of adapting, I started to feel bitter. I cut down on walking, which I loved, because it wasn't fitting into my schedule the way I wanted it to. I stopped caring about what I was eating and making lunches. I just kind of shut down.

Two months and a hysterical meltdown later and I realized I was not doing things right. It's time to reboot and find a happy medium between my schedule and my life. The biggest thing that helped me today was a half hour of yoga with my mom, so it's time to start fitting yoga in again. That really helps with stress! And little by little, I can work in the rest.

So tonight, I am ending the day with a little yoga. I couldn't find my normal DVD, so I went to Youtube, the next best thing. Tonight's video - PM Yoga with Rodney Yee (Total time - 10 min):

It took me a little bit to get into this video. About half way through though I realized that it was a flow routine and I should just go with the flow. (Yeah, I went there.) I really started to have fun with it then. It ends kind of abruptly though, so I think I might look for something with more of a cooldown/shavasana ending. Looking forwarded now to seeing what's out there and finding what works for me.

Today's Motivation:

I forgot how much I need a time out by myself at the end of the day. Laying flat, legs up the wall, or just propped up on my bed, I need to take time everyday to just breath.

Things to see on a rainy day

The weather here in Freeport has been subzero for almost the last two weeks. I have a very high cold tolerance, especially with snow pants, but even I must draw the line. The worst part is, the days have been beautiful apart from the temperature. Sunny and clear. Looking out the window, all I wanted to do was walk. Stepping outside told me otherwise.

So yesterday, when the temperature rose, I couldn't stay in any longer. I walked to work in the morning, which was a bit treacherous since ice, snow, and water were all coexisting quite happily with an outside temp of 34 degrees and a real feel of 20. Amazingly, I did not fall on my butt on the way to work! (I may have to keep a change of clothes in my locker just in case if I plan to keep this up.) Lunch time was perfect though. 39 degrees. All the ice had melted and there was a steady rain with almost no wind.

Don't get me wrong. It was not a pretty day. The sky was grey. Everything was wet. And it was still a little cold, but being outside walking was amazing. There are some things you can only see in the rain.

I love the concentric circles the rain makes as it hits the puddles. It doesn't matter the shape or size of the drop. It always makes a perfect circle when it hits the water. I also love how the water reflects the sky making the world seem like a much bigger place.

A rainy day is the only time my parent's dog stays close to me on a walk. I think she likes the umbrella more than I do.

Everything glistens on a rainy day. The rain gives everything a beautiful sheen...

And the rain drops cling to branches like diamonds. 

I love watching the moving water. It cleans the dirt out of the cracks and pushes everything away. The rain also helps you see inclines you might not have noticed before. The smallest hills suddenly become raging rivers. Though they be but little, they are fierce.

And lastly, something that you will probably only see on a rainy day. A pair of socks drying on a radiator. Don't mind the grey. These are one of my favorite pairs and they don't get white anymore. I can't begin to tell you how lovely they were to put on when they were warm and dry!

Today's Motivation:

This poem is attributed to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I was reminded today that we need rain as much as we need the sun. A perfect day is up to us to make.

Walking for Cookies

Today I was wondering how many calories I burn while walking. You know, just a rough estimate. I have a habit when I am doing a lot of exercise to assume I can eat whatever I want to because, hey, at least I'm exercising. It usually doesn't work out like that. I almost always consume more calories than I ever burned while exercising.

Well, today I found out that you can estimate about 100 calories per mile of moderate walking. For me it's actually a little more because of my weight, but honestly it's better for me to estimate on the low end. That means in 9 mile walk, my body could burn about 900 calories. Cool. Also good to know because it means I cannot come home and consume a whole Little Caeser's Pepperoni pizza like I really want to after walking that far.

Here's the downside about having this reference for walking though. Girl Scout cookie season has started and now I am measuring my walks in Girl Scout cookies.

For example:

Walking to work in the morning = 3 Peanut Butter sandwich cookies (Do-si-dohs)

Walking my parents dog = 2 Caramel Delites (Samoas)

A 5k = 10 Shortbreads (Trefoils)

An epic hike = About 21 Thin Mints... Score!!

Maybe not my most productive train of thought, but you know, sometimes it's whatever motivates you.

Today's Motivation:

With a Daisy Girl Scout in my house selling cookies this year, I think I'm going to be using these calculations quite a bit. All joking aside though, I'm grateful for the perspective. Exercise is important, but knowing how much I am putting into my mouth is really what is going to help me in the long run... or walk.

Do it anyway.

I was looking for advice today on what to do when you don't feel like exercising. Not that that ever happens to me. Never.

Well, that was a fun fantasy. The reality is, not feeling like going out happens a lot more frequently than I would like it to. It's not that I am nursing an injury, or I'm feeling tired. I'm just feeling obstinate. I don't want to do something good for me! I want to lay around wrapped in a blanket and make life as easy as possible.

Making life as easy as possible is OK every once in while. The problem is when it becomes a habit. Been there. Done that. Don't want to go back.

Challenges are good. Yes, they can also be annoying and occasionally frustrating, but they also shape us and help us to improve. So here's some of my favorite pieces of advice to get moving when it's not what you want to do.

1. Baby steps - Start by just putting on your workout clothes and then your sneakers. Sometimes that is enough to get you motivated. If not, at least what your wearing gives you a good range of motion and you will be more inclined to move more.

2. Music - I made a mix of songs on my Ipod to exercise to when I was training for my first Disney race. Now everytime I hear those songs, I just want to start running! I love them and I love moving to them. They can get me going even on my worst days. I highly recommend "Me First and the Gimmee Gimmees."!

3. Support - Call the person who is most likely to talk you out of your slump not the one most likely to talk you into it. My friend Sarah is the person most likely to motivate me into getting out... partly because she is still sending me the countdown of weeks I have left to prepare for the Princess Half-Marathon. Terror is motivating.

And finally the best piece of advice I got today came from Ben Folds:

Do It Anyway, baby!!

So now I am working on a new playlist for the Princess. So far I have:

Do It Anyway - Ben Folds

Check Yes Juliet - We the Kings

I Feel Better When I'm Dancing - Meghan Trainer

Shut Up and Dance - Walk the Moon

When Can I See You Again - Owl City

Work This Body - Walk the Moon

I Will Survive - Me First and the Gimmee Gimmees

Build Me Up Buttercup - Me First and the immee Gimmees

Leave a comment a let me know what I am missing.