Tag Exercise

Exercise – Never know what you might see!

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Winter is coming and birds are looking for food.

I was on a walk, forcing myself to exercise…

As I say that, I cringe. Why do I say, “forcing?” I actually enjoy walking. However, the transition from Fall to Winter is a strange one. The days are changing, it’s darker in the morning and at night, which effects our mood. Suddenly, I go into bear, hibernation mode. Desire for comfort food sets in (stews/soups) and laziness to go out in the COLD takes over.

It’s funny, isn’t it. This happens every year. We need to create a new exercise routine. No more walking at 6 AM, now it’s 7 AM or lunch time. No more walking at 4:30 PM, too dark outside. I need to dust off my rowing machine, pull out my weights. Create new exercise habits until March.

There are REWARDS for walking. Look at this lovely bird I saw in the window. I don’t feed the birds, so was pleasantly surprised to see this bird feeder suctioned to the window. It held the weight of the bird nicely, as you see.

I was brought back to Italy. My grandmother fed the pigeons on her apartment balcony. It was a morning ritual. Make her tea and give bread crumbs to the birds. It’s nice to have birds as friends.

I’m not alone in my “move into winter mode.” Look at this squirrel, he’s been eating a lot too. In fact, he was enjoying his lunch so much that he let me get a close up of him, no fear, he just kept chomping.

As I finish my post, I see the sun rising.

Got to lace up, head out walking. GET IT DONE!

We do FEEL better when we exercise! No more winter laziness!! Exploration awaits, right!?!

Exercise – Who says walking is boring?

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Anyone thinking of Rudyard Kipling’s, “Jungle Book” right now?

Kudos for creativity and humor.

We have ALL accumulated “things” that need to be given away, thrown away or repurposed.

I admit… sometimes I enjoy walking, but there are days when “trying” to get 10K steps in is a “real chore.”

Imagine seeing this TIGER on my walk.

Suddenly, I perked up!

I had decided to walk in a different neighborhood. So glad I did.

That tiger gave me the extra energy I needed to get my steps in. I just couldn’t stop smiling, such a clever idea.

I also thought of a child coming home from College and seeing their favorite stuffed animal in a tree, not sure how well that would go over. Of course, maybe it was a child who put the tiger in the tree. So many scenarios.

Walking CAN BE interesting, right!

What have you found on YOUR walks?

A Message from God — On a $1 bill… YES!

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The other day, I was heading out the door to walk. I picked up cell phone, keys and “last minute” decided I should bring a few dollars, just in case. The just in case scenario was for the “end of the walk.”

Inevitably, it always happens. I’m at the end of my walk, tired with NO $$ to stop at grocery store or get a coffee. Better yet, get a $2 Lottery Ticket, never know when LUCK might strike, right. I have Apple Wallet, but have not found a grocery store that accepts it.

As I took a few dollar bills, I SAW this one with a Psalm on it. I’m Catholic, the guilt set in, this is a spiritual message, I was meant to see it — STOP — look up the Psalm. If I merely put the $1 in my pocket without looking up the Psalm, my entire walk would be ruined. Why, because in the back of my mind, I’d be thinking what could the Psalm be about, why was I meant to see it?

As you can see, a powerful Psalm indeed!

Imagine me on my walk. I was thinking/wondering — WHO wrote that Psalm, WHY did they choose that one, and WHY did they write it on the dollar bill? So many scenarios.

The Psalm brought back painful memories of when I was laid off two different jobs within seven years. YES, I went through tough times. I did stop by church, I never begged God; however, I did ask, “WHY” and “WHAT was my direction?” In early 50s, it was hard to find a job. NOW, employers are begging for employees. What a difference a few years makes, COVID changed everything.

So, I share this with you.

If you received this Psalm, what would you immediately think?

A hole in my sock…

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We all know that feeling. We’re rushing to get dressed, pull out a pair of socks, start to put them on and one of our toes pokes out of a hole. It’s SO IRRITATING! At that moment, I’m sure you’d agree, we assess the situation. CAN WE GET BY with wearing the sock that day?

We have to determine… 1) How big is the hole and 2) How uncomfortable our toe is going to feel all day.

Ah, my first thought was to THROW the socks out! THEN I heard my Italian mother in my mind saying to me when I was a child, “We don’t throw socks out, are you CRAZY, we sew the hole up.”

YES, parents do get irritated with kids when they want to throw everything old away and buy it new. Back in the day, as they would say, you “fix” everything. Old is better than new. I heard that a lot as a kid.

So… WHAT did I do after I heard the VOICE? I searched for my sewing kit. I admit, it’s gotten a little dusty, I haven’t used it in ages. I pulled it off the back of the shelf. I opened it and then THOUGHT about the situation. Was I really in the mood to sew the hole? No, I was not, but at least, I had the sewing kit opened, so I was one step closer to sewing the hole, right.

Ah… it’s like ironing our clothes, we have to be in the mood to do it.

I bet you were hoping to see the LAST photo of the darned sock. NOPE, not today.

However, I feel happy knowing that I will SAVE my sock from the dumpster! I really do like these socks!

BAD Hiking socks!

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I like walking/hiking. This year, I needed some new hiking socks. Due to COVID restrictions, I was lazy and did not go to a sporting goods store. I was at Costco in November and I was in luck. They had these great looking bundle of socks, 4 in a pack, great price. As you see from photo, they looked like a good quality pair of socks and the color was pleasing. So, I bought them. They’ve been comfortable.

Fast forward three months. This is how my socks look now. Really worn out. I thought if I need to see a foot doctor, I would just show him the bottom of my sock. He could determine from that how I am walking, and where foot pain is coming from.

In the past, I leaned toward Smartwool and Darn Tough brand of socks. They are very pricey, no question, but they last for years. Personally, I think the Smartwool run a little narrow.

Well, this year I’ve learned a valuable lesson. Quality of socks does make a difference if you want to use them for walking/hiking. These socks from Costco are nice socks, but they were meant for every day minimal walking.

So, GUESS where I am headed today? YES, Smartwool shopping!!

Spring is here, ready to get back out there and walk. The weather is finally warming up. I’m also searching for some good podcasts to listen to as well. Any suggestions, please share.

Happy Spring!

Virtual walks… Italy – it’s FUN!

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When COVID hit last year, we were finding new ways to exercise. Suddenly, virtual walks became really popular. I just did a virtual walk in Ireland with Fleet Feet. I liked it, it motivated me to log my miles every day, not fall behind.

When that walk ended, I took a break for a month. I noticed that without the challenge, I lacked the same motivation for walking. I walked, but not with the determination. It does HELP to have a challenge. Add friends for accountability – perfect!

My friend told me about The Conqueror website. Being Italian, I had to sign up for the St Francis Way challenge. I’m enjoying the walk and looking up new cities on the way from Florence to the Vatican in Rome. Some of the towns are really small, not many people.

In case you are wondering, I am not affiliated with The Conqueror website. Just sharing. The Ireland Fleet Feet challenge was nice, but not easy to log the miles. So, helpful to share with each other. If we are going to spend $$, good to find the BEST virtual site out there.

Now, putting gym shoes on, heading to CONSUMA, ITALY. Looked it up, many things to see/do: wineries, vineyards, castles, zip line, religious sites, art galleries and more.

Of course, a GELATO at the end of the walk!

Exercise – don’t forget the headphones…

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I was heading out the door to exercise. I needed a pouch to put my headphones in. Look what I found. I knew one day I’d have a use for this crab pouch. My daughter gave me this pouch. I immediately liked it, but wondered when I would use it. TODAY was the day!

I’m on the hunt for good workout headphones. They are hard to find. The simple ear bud ones, don’t work for me. They keep falling out of my ear. So, I found these Powerbeats headphones. They stay in my ear, but they are a little too snug – like a suction cup once they are in. I worry about the volume with them being so snug.

For now, they do work, no question about that. Off to walk.

ENJOY the weekend!

Dreaming of Paddling — When I am not shoveling snow.

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We had a record 18 inches of snow. After shoveling for 2 hours, all I could think about was being out on the water. Spring is coming, isn’t it? I found these two great magazines.

Paddle World had spectacular photography featuring trips around the world for paddle boarding, kayaking and/or fly fishing in a kayak. Personally, I think fly fishing would be more relaxing standing in the water. However, we’ve got to try new things, right.

Paddling Magazine had interesting articles too. Their focus was more on latest equipment, etc. So, you need both magazines. One for dreaming of that International destination and the other for the basics.

I kept seeing the abbreviation of SUP in different articles. I was annoyed, what did it stand for?

GUESS WHAT – so easy, SUP stands for Stand Up Paddling. I could hear my brother saying, “Use your head, you ding-a-ling.” I laugh when he acts superior, secretly knowing that he probably didn’t know what SUP stood for either. Brothers have to irritate their sisters in some way, so they can laugh when they know it worked.

I haven’t tried SUP yet, but I did canoe on a Dragon Boat Racing team in Seattle. That was fun. About 12 people to a canoe. Great exercise. So, why kayaking and paddle boarding now. I like going out on my own timetable.

In case you were curious, here was an article from the Paddle World magazine. This article talked about paddle boarding in Hamburg. They suggested bringing your own blow up SUP. I looked up the cost. Paddle boards are expensive, prices range from $900 to $2,000, so you need to be serious about this sport.

I still have a lot to learn, but I do have my life vest already. That’s a start! LOL – and it’s not the orange ones we had as a kid, so at least I won’t stick out as a real beginner — there is hope for me!

Spring is almost here. What outdoor fitness challenge are YOU thinking about?

Photography: Snow Sculpture… Exercise…

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When exercise pays off…

Look how beautiful. Now, it looks like this is an elephant sculpture with snow on it. Could it be a man made snow sculpture? How would they get the trunk to stay up?

On to my next adventure. Oh, I did see that someone still had their Christmas decorations up. A 5 foot Nutcraker in their yard. It’s time to put that one in the attic.

The birds have gone back into hibernation. No more chirping.

More snow this weekend.

I’m sharpening my writing pencils. Let the creativity continue!

Fitness Virtual Challenge – IRELAND

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January 2021 – The start of a new year, it’s time for a fitness challenge.

My girlfriend was on Facebook and found this Run West Ireland – Cancer Fundraiser – Virtual Challenge. It was a no brainer to sign up. We love Ireland, happy to donate to cancer and need to exercise. A win/win all around.

Here’s how it works. Race Duration: January 18 – May 31. Miles: 502; however, you can sign up to do less. Doing the math, as I signed up for the 502 miles, it seems I need to walk about 5 miles a day. It’s hard to find 1.5 hours a day to devote to exercise, but that will be the challenge.

They have a Facebook group page, which is nice. So, there is some camaraderie and then other perks along the way. I clocked my 5.6 miles in today. Feeling good.

So the race begins!