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June 2012

A New Journey

Day 10: All Uphill

Walking All Uphill

 

My kids are trying to kill me.

I am sure of it.

Yesterday my son took me out on the trail walk for a gazillion miles and then today Haley takes me on every possible mountain hill in the area.

Is it possible for 6.75 miles to be ALL UPHILL?!

Ya know what?

I can’t begin to thank them enough for caring that I am motivated to get out there every day and do it. I am truly blessed.

One step at a time…

16,724 steps taken today.
6.75 miles traveled today.

Haley and I took some absolutely killer hills today that registered as 28 floors climbed in the Fitbit. I may die.

Life is good.

 

Cricket Walker

A New Journey

Day 9: Getting Stronger

Salado Creek Greenway

 

I enjoyed an incredible trail walk with my son, Michael Sundvall today through Salado Creek Greenway North. It was DEFINITELY a workout for my legs! It was so nice to be able to enjoy nature for my walk! Thank you Michael!

I also found some new muscles (from the little hills) that had somehow escaped the pain before now!

What an incredible feeling. Yeah, I am getting stronger.

18,748 steps taken today
7.57 miles traveled today

Life is Good

 

Cricket Walker

A New Journey

Day 8: Whoah Grandma!

Korey

“Whoah Grandma! You walked how far? Without help? Dang!”

If we could see life through the eyes of a child, I think we would learn just about everything we need to know.

Have you ever watched a small child on a mission to accomplish something? Absolutely nothing will deter them.

If my grandson sees my cell phone, he is going to find a way to get it. It doesn’t much matter what is in the way, he will simply go through, around, or right over the top of anything in the way. If all else fails he just gives Grandma “that look” that says it all.

Yeah, life is good…

12523 steps taken today
5.06 miles traveled today
40 Laps water jogging

(sore foot today so spent more time in the water)

 

Cricket Walker

A New Journey

Day 7: Lessons Learned

Sunset

 

Don’t face the free weights area when the body builders are working out while you are on the treadmill. Yeah, I know they are hot but the distraction isn’t worth it and you will just trip and drool all over the equipment.

Don’t face the mirrors either. It will scare the living daylights out of you when you realize the chubby old lady sweating all over herself is you.

Sports bras suck.

Wait.

Did I say that out loud?

If you drop your towel (on the treadmill) when one of those body builders starts doing chin ups, let it go. You aint gonna catch it and you will just look stupid trying.

It doesn’t matter that the lady next to you is out pacing you by a gazillion mile per hour and is at least 20 years older than you.

When you just don’t feel like doing it, find your focus again.

Crank up the tunes. Close out everything and do it anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNe3z385T7k

As the sun begins to set, pat yourself on the back.

You are getting stronger every day.

19,984 steps taken today
8.07 miles traveled today
5 laps water jogging
6 floors climbed today
900 glorious seconds in the whirlpool

Life is good!

 

Cricket Walker

A New Journey

Day 6: Courage

Gold's Gym

 

Before my eyes were all the way open this morning I was battling that inner voice offering me every possible excuse for why I really shouldn’t push myself today. Between triple digit temps and a blister the size of Texas (okay, not quite that big) on my toe my thoughts were definitely not on getting my lazy butt out the door.

I made a deal with myself that as long as I did at least SOMETHING it would be okay.

I reached for the Ibuprofen, put on my shoes and started walking; one step at a time, trying to find the courage to do what I knew needed to be done. A few miles into it all, I finally convinced myself that it was okay to head back home. I just did not seem to have the will or the energy and I wasn’t going to force it.

I spent the next several hours focused on my work and getting some writing done, but I felt like crap. What I really wanted to do was to crawl in bed and pull the covers over my head. Who the heck was I to think I could do this? I am 50 years old, for heaven’s sake!

Out of nowhere, I remembered the lyrics to one of my favorite motivational songs, Courage by Justin Hines.

“Ohhh, I said courage, won’t you come out to play, won’t you come out to play…”

Since I wasn’t going to let it go, I knew I had to put my shoes back on.

I hadn’t done my best.

It was so worth it.

As I walked out of the gym tonight, I felt more than good.

There is just no bigger high than the feeling after a solid workout. Or, perhaps it’s finding out that you are stronger than you thought you were.

I am stronger today than yesterday.

23,014 steps taken today
9.3 miles traveled today
5 floors climbed today
10 laps water walking/jogging
1 hour water aerobics class

Life is good!

 

Cricket Walker

A New Journey

Day 5: So Much More

Strawberry Lemonade

 

Is it just me, or do all of us have an inner dialogue going on with everything we do?

The thing is, one of those voices loves to tell us we aren’t good enough, or that we can’t accomplish what we set out to do. You hear that voice too, right?

Oh lawdy, I hope it isn’t just me…

Occasionally there are two voices that love to argue with each other.

Perhaps it goes a little like this…

“You have been doing so good that you DESERVE a day off. Go back to bed.”

“Are you NUTS? If you stop now, you will never get up off your tush again.”

“Oh but your muscles are aching so badly today. Maybe you should just take it easy.”

“Ummmmm…. You realize this is how you got in this position to begin with, right?”

“It’s 100 degrees out! You better wait til it cools off again, like maybe January.”

“Have you seen your butt lately? Get up and get moving.”

I groaned at the voices all the way out the door this morning. I literally drug myself through every step of the 1.1 miles to the gym while thinking of every possible excuse for why it would be okay to turn around and go back home.

Once again I remembered what my friend Christy from The Organic Geek told me.

“Remember not to listen to your lazy brain. You can go soooooooooo much further than it says you can.” (Christy Smith Schmeichel)

For just a moment, I truly hated her and that stupid dang carrot. I kid you not, I was having visions of chopping that carrot into a gazillion tiny pieces and shoving him (her?) down the garbage disposal! (I love you Christy!)

And then something happened deep inside of me.

Some sort of adrenaline started kicking in and I began BELIEVING that I could do it.

Better yet, on the walk home past the tantalizing “drinks of summer” sign, I had absolutely no desire to stop because I knew that tiny frozen strawberry lemonade packs more than 340 calories. Nope, I am not counting calories, but I am not throwing away my hard work on a bunch of processed stuff and sugar when I have an icebox filled with fresh fruits and vegetables.

It’s still about making choices. Just make sure you know what the choices really are.

You are so much more than you think you are and you are capable of more than you ever imagined. BELIEVE IT!

22,116 steps taken today
8.93 miles traveled today
20 laps water walking/jogging
11 floors climbed today

Life is good…

 

Cricket Walker