Thursday, April 30, 2009

Good news all around. Frank's surgical procedure resulted in good news. No tumor found. Whew! That gave us all a big lift after a over a week of worrying about this new 'thing' the doctor had seen on his last visit. Next visit for him is in three months. Also Cyndi was offered her teaching job back, same school, special education department. It starts in August but meanwhile she's working as a sub at the same school and full time at the IRS. Don't know where she gets the energy.
It happened to me again! Another lady came up and talked to me and said she had seen me walking down So. 1st Street all the time. She was very pleasant.
The photos in the slide show below were taken in the house and yard where we live. Hope you enjoy our springtime show.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Who knew?

While out on my walk this morning I was approached by a women who said she aways noticed my walking when she took her grandson to school in the morning. She said she would tell her grandson 'there goes the lady with the cane', and he would say 'grandma you always say that'. She said she wanted to meet me and she wished that she was as strong as I appeared to be. We chatted for a few minutes and she told me she used to walk until she fell and hurt her knee and that she will have to have surgery on it. I told her that she should be just as good as new after surgery and would most likely be able to walk like she used to. It was a pleasant surprise and it just goes to show you that you can affect peoples lives without ever being involved in their lives. I'm happy that it appears I affected her in a good way. Glad I got my walk in early this morning because now we're in the middle of some rain storms which are most welcome. I got my 3 miles in.

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Things worth reading again.

In talking with my brother about a group of new walkers he is mentoring I mentioned to him this post I blogged about in March of 2008. It's long but it has some good stuff in it.
This article from the Mayo Clinic website with my additions added in red.Benefits of walking. Walking for fitness can help you achieve a number of important health benefits. For example, you can:
Reduce your risk of a heart attack. Walking keeps your heart healthy by lowering low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) and raising high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol). A regular walking program also reduces your risk of developing high blood pressure, a factor that also contributes to heart disease. Can't say this has been true in my case.I take two different cholesterol medications. The doctor tried to reduce the dosage after a year of walking and good tests but my cholesterol and tryglceride readings shot up so I'm back on the old dosages.
Manage your blood pressure. If you already have high blood pressure, walking may reduce it.
Walking may have helped my blood pressure because it has been so low at times that instead of the two pills I take I only have to take one of them, this I do of course on the instructions of my doctor which include monitoring at home with a unit that measures blood pressure.
Reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Regular exercise reduces your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you're a woman, overweight and at a high risk of diabetes, walking can improve your body's ability to process sugar (glucose tolerance).
Walking has helped me in this instance for sure because the doctor said if I hadn't started a walking program and stuck with it that I would now be on diabetes medication. He also said that walking was better for me than any pill he could give me. He didn't say I would never get diabetes but that I was doing a good job of staving it off by making this change to my lifestyle.
Manage your weight. Walking burns calories, which can help you manage your weight. For example, middle-aged women who walk more than 10,000 steps a day have lower levels of body fat than do women who are less active. Can't say that walking has affected my weight at all except for the recent 3 pound loss during my 'Hillary' activity and it might turn out that this weight loss is due to a malfunctioning thyroid rather than my physical activity. The jury is still out on this point for now.
Manage stress and boost your spirits. Going for a brisk walk is a great way to reduce stress. Regular walking also can reduce feelings of depression and anxiety.
Sometimes I've cried and cried, usually when I'm trying to get myself up, dressed, and out the door. At times I've felt at peace while walking but not often because I find myself resenting the fact that I'm walking because I HAVE to and not because I WANT to.
Stay strong and active. As you get older, walking for physical fitness can prevent falls, help you stay mobile and maintain your independence.
Staying fit can help you grow older more gracefully but lather on the sun screen and wear a cap or visor because your body might love the exercise but your skin will suffer if you don't.
Don't let falling off the exercse wagon make you feel like a failure and give up on your plan for better fitness. Use these tips to get back in the groove.

Think positively. Don't let negative self-talk, such as "I'm a failure," get in the way of starting again. Shrug it off as a temporary break in your walking program. Wish I could say this was one I followed but I'm not a real positive thinker. I am a plodder though and get the job done, even while grumbling about the unfairness of it all.
Re-evaluate your goals. If your goal is to walk two hours a day 365 days a year, you might be setting yourself up to fail. Set realistic goals for yourself, such as 30 minutes five days a week. I try and most often succeed in walking 5 days a week for at least an hour a day. 6 days a week was a bit too much for me and my right hip hurt. Cutting back corrected this problem.
Get going. Build walking into your schedule today. Just do it. Walk for 10 minutes on your lunch break.
When I worked in I used my break time to get in a few minutes and the boss helped by giving me errands to do that involved walking and that worked until I retired and then I fell into not exercising at all. What got me back on track was the doctor telling me that I would get diabetes if I didn't do something sooner than later. So far my current plan is working fine. At least once a year I take part in a organized walk like the Texas Roundup.
Continually plan. If you're taking a trip or working overtime, think of strategies for incorporating short walks into your day to keep your plan on track.
When we go visit our daughter in San Angelo I have a route I use in the neighborhood and when we go gamble I use the hotel gym to get a session in on the treadmill...if they have one. If not I take breaks from the one- arm-bandits and walk several times around the outer edge of the casino floor to get some movement into my day.
Hope you find these tips and information helpful. Now get out there and move it!!!

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Texas Roundup Results

Had a nice time even though it was humid. Lots of people. My time is as follows. My chip time from last year was 56.01 and they broke it down on the charts to 17 min. miles. They didn't do it this time. I guess any improvement is a good one. :-)
5
Rose Carr
Austin TX
4462
64
530-on the overall chart I was 529 so not sure why I'm 530 here, not that it matters.
53:54.31
57:22.00
03:27.00

Friday, April 24, 2009

Day before 2009 Texas Roundup

I'm cheating and posting here the little blurb I posted on Facebook today. Lazy huh? I walked to the convention center which is about 2.8 miles from here to pick up my packet in an hour and 18 minutes, than I walked back to Barton Springs and 1st where Frank picked me up. It wasn't too hot, around 74 but it was way humid. Ick. Don't look to improve on my 5K time tomorrow cause I'm just slow, slow, slow, but I'll have a nice time.
Anyone watch 24, the CSI shows, NCIS? I'm getting a little bummed about the possible loss of some favorite characters. Evie will be MAD if Lt. Flack is axed from the show. On 24 the bodies drop like bowling pins so with the exception of Jack anyone could go. NCIS says it is losing a character but it isn't. Talk like that is annoying. As for CSI Miami and the original CSI no one is leaving so that's good.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Rain, rain, has come again!

Oh geez, I wrote a bunch of crap and saved it each time but still I lost it all trying to post these stupid pictures. Don't know if I can even remember what I wrote. I did update that I'm still walking and keeping up with my distances on Google Pedometer which I will recommend to anyone who wants to keep track of their walking or running data. It's so easy to use even I can navigate it. It is raining this morning as the title of this entry indicates and it is most welcome. The picture looking out the window on the rainy streets in front of our home was taken with my laptop camera as were the photos of my paintings. Regarding my walking endeavors I had planned on signing up for the Texas Roundup which is next Saturday. I'm not known to be very social but if it's taking part in things like organized walks I can do it because you're not expected to interact with those around you except to stay out of the way of the fast runners and walkers. ;-)I'm not sure I can do this Roundup though because idiot Perry is going to be there and I don't think I can stomach his preening stupid face and still concentrate on the mechanics of getting through the walking course. Ugh. About the paintings. One is just of a lake front with trees and cabin in the distance. It's not yet finished but I'm happy with it so far. The other one is a cartoon like version of a Dia De Los Muertos figure. It also is not complete but I'm not sure if I like it or not. I tend to use bright colors and paint places that I would like to be even though they are just a composite of different areas of the country I have seen or thought I remember seeing. Memory is a funny thing. Some memories I'm not sure are things I actually remember or things that have been described to me by someone else and I just think they are my memories. Okay now I'm getting a little goofy here, must the the rain. ;-)






Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Bad case of 'I don't wannas'


Did my usual 3 miler on Monday which was nice because of the cool and windy weather. I think we got down into the high 30's last night which is not normal for this area this late into the new year. It's good though because the high temperatures are going to settle in soon. But I digress from my original thought for this blog. I found myself tearing up and whining to myself that I didn't want to get dressed and go on my walk. It's not that I wanted to stay in bed either, I just didn't want to go outside. Am I becoming agoraphobic? Seems a bit far fetched to think that but I suppose anything is possible. I gritted my teeth and put on my big girl panties and forced myself out into the world. It was pleasant weather, sunny and cool, and there were not many people out and about so it made for a peaceful time for me. One question to those who get out and walk or run. What's with people, both men and women, who bundle up with ear-muffs, jackets, knit caps and scarves paired with shorts! I saw a lady yesterday dressed like that and it puzzled me because her legs were beet red from the cold wind. Do people not think about their legs getting chapped or frost bitten (not much chance of frost bite here) but you know what I mean. It seems kind of silly to me to cover your top half and leave your bottom half to suffer the elements. I very seldom wear shorts in the summer to wearing in the winter is not something I would even consider doing. Anyway...it's just something that made me go 'hummmm'.

Came across this other piece of art that is in Butler Park. It's a forged metal sculpture by an Austin artist named Colin McIntyre.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

April fooling around


Did my walking this past week, averaged 3.2 miles a day for 5 days which is good for me. Weather was perfect for it too, 50's with a light breeze every morning this past week. Wish it could stay that way all year long. We had nice visit with Frank's brother Richard who stopped by for a few hours on his way to San Antonio. They had a good time telling on each other. ;-) Cyndi and Frankie got to stop in and visit with him too.