What Was I Thinking?

Last week the weather was nearly perfect.  It was the kind of warm that you wish for all throughout the end of January and all of February--you know, when you think spring may never come.  It's the kind of optimistic weather you long for as winter is winding up.

Knowing the weather would cooperate, I figured I should try to be a little more active and ride my bike to work.  It is a reasonable distance, and I had access to The Girl's bike.  The Boy and Genius Golfer actually pulled it out of the shed and lubed it up for me so I could make the attempt.

Tuesday last week, I strapped on the helmet--only fair since I make the kids wear theirs if they were ever on their bikes--and loaded my lunch into my messenger bag. I wrestled that on my back and head out.

I've never had a bike with gears before.  In fact, my last bike had a banana seat and curvy handle bars.  When that bike was new, Little House of the Prairie was still in TV--without reruns.

I made it 6 blocks in about 10 minutes.  I fought the gears, the incline and my own flabby, out of shape body.  And the mortification that I was thoroughly exhausted in that short of a time. I thought I might actually see my thighs burst into flames. I headed home, parked the bike and jumped in the Durango and headed off to work.

Embarrassed?  Absolutely.  Determined to work up to riding it to work? Not so much.

I'd like to ride for fun, in the afternoon after work, maybe up on the canal trail in our town where it is flat.  But that will have to wait until the weather lulls me into a false sense of my own abilities again.  Who knows how long that will take!

Use It or Lose It

Each morning the kid are at swim practice, I try to do an hour or so of water aerobics.  Last week, our teacher focused on arms for two days in a row.  Saturday I felt my arms weighed 400 pounds a piece.

I am amazed at how whimpy I feel when I am trying to do right by my body.  Too bad my body isn't committed to this kind of treatment, itself. 

I always feel better afterwards, at least a day or two later.  But exercising in the water is sure easier on my knees than running, or even walking hard for an hour.  I realize that I'll never be a size 6--or even a size 10, for that matter.  But I do feel better when my jeans a little looser and my joints don't ache.

This old body is going to give out at some point anyhow--regardless of what I do to preserve it.  But I am really hoping it will keep working for me as long as possible.  I have some friends and family who aren't the best poster-children for getting old.  And they dont' make it look at all appealing.  So back to the pool I go, not only to drop off kids, but for my own exercise as well.

Zumba!

I tried something yesterday that was totally new to me. I go every morning to the pool (while the kids are in swim team practice) and I do an hour class of water aerobics. I love being in the water and in the water aerobics class I work differently than when I just swim. But yesterday's class was a new thing entirely! We did Water Zumba.

Zumba is the trendy exercise fad right now. It is taught in city rec centers all over and there is even a new studio downtown that is advertizing they are "Zumba certified". It is basically an aerobics class with music and movements inspired by Latin and African music and dance. It targets a lot of your core muscles so there are a lot of chrunching feelings as you do this.

But this was the first time I had heard of it being possible in the water.

I know from the reactions for the swim team kids, the pool maintenance staff and the lifeguards working that morning that we looked ridiculous. It felt pretty silly at first too, but then I relaxed and had a pretty great time. And today I am still feeling the effects of the work out.

We go again tomorrow. I think I will bring along my inner-Latina and be ready for the fun. Come join us. It is Mondays and Wednesdays at 7 AM and 7 PM. All your jiggly bits will thank you.

PS--Wednesday morning a videographer form the local paper came and taped the class. Here is the link: http://heraldextra.com/vmix_431f8eec-94d9-11df-a895-001cc4c002e0.html

All I can say is "Holy Bazooms, Batman!"

Back in the Saddle

Today was the first day of our water aerobics classes at the pool. Boy, it felt good to be back in the class and back in the pool. I have heard that muscles have a memory--like when an athlete trains over and over and over so that on the day of performance their body just knows what to do. I felt that today. My body just felt at home with the exercise and the water and the resistance. It feels good. I love getting an hour of that exercise in before 8 AM. It sets me up for a good attitude for the rest of the day.

Now if I could just get that same response from doing laundry or the other myriad of chores that always seem to need doing around here.

Friday, the 13th

13) Today I feel a sense of gratitude for a functioning body--it's not in great shape, and it's seen some wear and tear, but overall, still in working condition.

Each week I spend with Dear Friend Tammy, I am saddened to see the diminished abilities she has. ALS is a terrible disease, in that it takes away your body and your mind is fully aware of the loss. Each week there is a little less that she can do. Each week there is a little more taken from her.

In the mornings I try to jog or walk briskly for 45 minutes to an hour. This is my exercise for the day and so far is doing my mental health as much good as my physical health. When I get home I work for 15 minutes or so with the 6 pound medicine ball and then do some yoga stretches. My body feels better when I do this. On Mondays, in fact, I feel my body craving the run.

Some days, like today, my ankles and shins and calves and knees are all sore after this morning outing. Still, my ankles, shins, calves and knees are all working. I still have control over them. I might make my own sound effects these particular days, but I am grateful to be mobile. I am grateful that my body, though it is overweight and out of shape, still gets me around as I need it to do. I am grateful for the miracle of functions and systems and coordination that gives me abilities to walk, run, lift, think, remember, feel, taste, touch, smell, hear, and see.

Now, my challenge is to be more aware and in the moment as I do all these things. That is the challenge of mortal life, though, isn't it?

Mama Got a New Pair of Shoes

I picked up my previous exercise shoes almost a year ago. I broke them in gently and prepped for trek in them. They were duplicates--in every way but cleanliness, where the newer ones excelled--to my first pair of New Balance running shoes. They were comfortable and useful. My nearly 40 miles trek experience wasn't filled with shoe-related disasters, thanks to my reliable old shoes.

Post-Trek and Post-Pool-Closing I began walking, then running/jogging/walking for exercise. I have been doing pretty well. I average about 2.5-3 miles each day. I walk with kids to school and leave them at the corner (safely on the same side of the street as the school) and I continue on my cardio-building way up the hill and around our stake. I see friends bringing kids to school--some who wave and honk and some who attempt to scare me by pretending they are going to run me down. Good times, there, my friends.

The past week or so I have felt increasing pain mid-way up my shins on either side of the bone but not always through the calf muscle. It is a strange place for pain--not the cramp feeling in the calf and not the shin-splint feeling on the bone. I worried I was dealing with stress fractures in my legs. I didn't have time for that. When I mentioned it to a running friend (like a real runner, like a half-marathon type of runner) she asked me how old my shoes were. Huh. I hadn't thought of that.

Sure enough, the new shoes are already aiding my sore lower legs and the fresh cushion on my heel even makes my ankles feel good. Now that is saying something.

I guess I have learned that unlike my goal to keep things as long as I can, maintaining their function without completely wearing something out (does this sound familiar, mom?) this may only work with garage door openers and kitchen appliances. I realize I am hard on things around here and I expect them to last as long as I take care of them. However, my body will wear out if I don't take better care of it, and new shoes occasionally need to become part of that regular maintenance. So I'd better budget in leg-maintenance equipment into my annual budget. New shoes are still cheaper than broken legs.

Distance > = < Speed

I did my walk/run/jog today in half the time I usually take. I stayed on a regular route and still got home in about 35 minutes. I guess that goes to show how much faster it is to run. I figure I ran about 1/3 to 1/2 of my route this morning.

I hope I feel as good tomorrow as I did while I was running.

So my fitness question today is this: Is speed or distance more important? Or does it not matter, so long as I reach my target heart rate and keep it there for a while? I still came home to stretch and work the medicine ball. And I think I am nearly ready to increase the weight of the ball too.

Maybe I am making more progress that I thought before. Just wish I could see it faster. But I can't have everything, right?!