Monday Walks

So far, so good - now it is three days in a row. I really haven't lost much in the way of pace - just need to get it under a 15 minute mile. Saw lots of squirrels today. Yesterday watched a muskrat - funny little guy and amazing how he just dove under the water. I never did see him come up for air.

It is now Spring - the scillas are in bloom and the hyacinth are popping up.

Back to work tomorrow, but home in time to walk.

From my mall walking days

A tall, nice looking man carrying a broom stopped at my table at Panera and said, "Didn't you used to walk at the Lane Avenue Mall?" I had no idea who he was and didn't recognize him, but I agreed, that was indeed me for many years. Coffee at Caribou; walk for 30 minutes at Lane; on to open the Veterinary Library at 7:30.

"How did you remember me after all these years?" I asked, after he told me he was a maintenance worker there in those years.

"I always remember pleasant people," he said.

Maybe he remembers the times I forgot to change back into my dress shoes and had to come back and look for them.

Thursday Thoughts

Well, 3 days out of 5 days isn't too bad! Still did my exercises, but missed walking 2 days. Today was really brisk and breezy, but it did step up the pace.

I am on vacation til next Tuesday so I should get my miles in, my exercising done, and my time to enjoy the coming of Spring, besides doing Spring Housecleaning.

The famer neighbor moved his cattle back to the field along my route. When the cattle were at his other farm I missed seeing the newborn calves. I counted at least a half a dozen - I'm sure over the next week the number will grow. I am looking forward to my walks and the awakening of the Canal. Each day brings new bird songs and new joys of Spring.

60 minutes a day? Everyday?

This reminds me of taxes. We're all getting used to the health police telling us we need to exercise 3 x a week, and then they up the ante.

"If you want to prevent your weight gain over time you need to be physically active at the level of 60 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, so the equivalent of one hour a day of brisk walking or 30 minutes a day of jogging or running," said I-Min Lee, M.B.B.S., Sc.D., of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Dr. Lee and co-authors studied more than 34,000 women starting at an average age of 54, following and updating their activity level for 13 years. The women were divided into three groups. Those exercising 60, 30 and less than 30 minutes. "These two lesser activity groups of women were significantly more likely to gain weight compared to the most active group of women," said Lee.

The study appears in this week's JAMA, Journal of the American Medical Association. "We found that physical activity was effective in controlling weight only among women who started off with a normal BMI," said Lee. "The women who were overweight or obese, physical activity, with the range done in the study was not sufficient to control their weight."

For heavier women, researchers say not to let the 60 minutes of daily exercise discourage you from starting or continuing to exercise. "While our study shows that this might not be sufficient to maintain normal weight it clearly is sufficient to reduce the risk of developing many chronic diseases including heart disease, certain types of cancer, type II diabetes," said Lee.

Researchers report that women in the study consumed a regular American diet and did not restrict their calories."

Article here.

Word definitions

Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.

Chilly Sunday

Here it is - a week gone. I did manage short walks on Monday through Friday. Then it snowed Saturday and is colder today. The few days we had of warm weather spoiled me and turned me into a sissy with the drop in temperature yesterday and today. Even so, my other goals are doing better than I expected. I look forward to my Sunday morning breakfast and newspaper, then to church for some reflection and inspiration to guide me through the week. I know that the job I have is where God wants me, but need a little reinforcement to continue for the next 3 and 1/2 years.

At home, Spring housecleaning and my walks are on the agenda for this week after work, as well as next Saturday and Sunday. Then some Easter preparations.

As for my walks, saw robins and the finches are turning yellow. The male cardinals' feathers are brighter red and all the birds songs tell me Spring is here. The purple crocus are blooming and more buds are showing on the daffodils.

I have plans for my walks this week - each evening out of the office by 5 and home in time to do the 4 miles.

Almost Spring

Here it is my first walk since way last December and 4 miles at that. I have been such a slouch at my personal life - no work/life balance this year. But I'm working on it - really behind with what I need to have accomplished so here goes.

Walking 4 miles a day - weather permitting, that means leaving work at no later than 5PM

Nautilus starting April 3rd every other day until April 30th - then Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays

At least 30 minutes of exercises/modified yoga every day

Take at least 2 hours each day to enjoy the world around me

No checking work e-mail from home on days off

No more than 2 hours overtime each week and working only 1 Saturday a month - until September 30th. Then no over time at all until after January 31, 2011.

"Like the last 2 will happen, but it is a goal."


Now for my walk - the snow is gone and most of the ice is off the canal. Saw a few critters - some squirrels and some song birds. The cardinals' songs are now of Spring. I am seeing little sprouts popping up - some of the daffodils are already budding out. The canal was pretty quiet - but I know it won't be long before I'll see turtles and fish. Am waiting for the Blue Heron to come back.
The farm fields are pretty rugged in places - erosion in some places and the ground is saturated. The ditch along the road is slowly draining. And so it was not very eventful, but it felt so great to be outside walking again.

Sunday Thoughts an d New Year Ramblings

Although late in posting, Best Wishes for the New Year! The holidays were great with another Minneapolis Christmas at my niece's home.

Now that the holidays are past, I have taken time to gather my thoughts. The weather has not contributed much to walking, so I'm doing some jazzerize, modified yoga, and will start with weight training in a couple of weeks. Work is still a bear - when this "stimulus money thing" is over, I hope to never hear the word "stimulus" again. Managing the stimulus funding is a trip and a half, especially when the rules are changing constantly.

I have been able to schedule a day off for most weeks between now and Easter to restore my soul and my sanity. I still put in extra hours, but that day off helps me from getting burned out.

One thing I am looking forward to is a new computer at home, a digital camera, and hopefully hi-speed internet. I have procrastinated long enough for the new computer. If only I could just buy the thing and like magic have everything working in one hour. That truly is wishful thinking!

Oxidative damage--what is it?

Can we improve cognitive function with diet and exercise? Watch this video about Alzheimer's Disease research.

The belly dancing mama

We had a great work out today--lots of punches, kicks, jogging with weights, crunches, leg lifts and waist twists. Our instructor told us a funny story. She is taking a belly dance class--says it's great exercise (she has a toddler). She also has a junior high daughter. You know ho within a year they can go from being your BFF to not wanting to be seen with you. Apparently, she has threatened her with showing up at school in her dance outfit if the daughter doesn't behave herself!

If I would just quit blogging and go outside

This is what I'd see. Should get near 70 today--some beautiful fall color.

Beautiful October

I'd probably not count this as exercise but I did get out today and walk around to take a few photos down by the river.

October Blue Skies

Today the weather is just so October- brisk, sunny, and blue skies - my favorite month of the year. I have been walking when I can, but work and weather interfer. Last Sunday we did a 5K and that was the walking for the week.


Today, after church, I headed down my usual route - 1/2 mile country road, a mile and 1/2 through down, then along the canal path for a 1/2 mile. Round trip is 4 miles. Saw lots of squirrels hiding away nuts. And saw the Great Blue Heron - he's not too flighty, ended up about 6 feet from him when he decided it was time to fly a little farther from the bike path.

Am hoping this weather stays much of October so I can take care of my wild yard - golden rod as tall as me, as well as giant rag weed and tall grass. I'm trying to have a couple days off each week from now til the end of the year - no time for a weeks vacation so I schedule days off between reporting deadlines, budget deadlines, and other responsibilities.

Last week's sunrises

I was back at the Lake for the Midwest Birding Symposium Sept. 17-20, and again had a chance to walk at sunrise.

Monday August 17 walk

Aug 15, 2009
I still haven't missed a sunrise walk, although it's later each day. I see the 7 a.m. ferry instead of 6 a.m. Today I saw a heron, terns, gulls, a family of mallards, and a barefoot bathrobed dog walker.

Before I forget

This morning's sunrise was incredible. I haven't missed a sunrise this summer during the time we're at the lake. One morning I carried an umbrella, but it only misted. This morning the cloud formation was incredible. I never actually saw the sun, only the orange, pink, fuchsia, cobalt and gray backing up a huge cloud that looked like the old fashioned ships that used to sail the Great Lakes. Then when I turned back west, there was the full moon brilliant above the trees. It was just incredible.

This photo is not this morning--I think it was 2 days ago. It was a cloudy morning with the sun just peaking over the horizon. I wanted to get a photo of the freighter over at Marblehead, Ohio which takes ore from the quarry. There's much less traffic this summer as the economy hurts even the traffic here that fed so many industries.

The rip rap you see is not "native" to Lakeside, but was brought in from the quarry about 20 years ago because the lake was rising and covering the natural flat rocks on which you could easily walk out into the lake. You can't fool Mother Nature and the lake then receded, and many of the man-made protections and ideas in Ohio, New York, Michigan and Canada just made the shoreline worse, and many beaches were destroyed.

Yesterday I did 2 walks along the lakefront, one at dawn and one at noon (very brisk walking with a younger friend), plus the back and forth to various places. So I'm guessing 5 to 6 miles.

Way Too Long Hours

Trying to manage some 4 milers in between 60 hour weeks at work. It rained here until about 2 in the afternoon. By that time I was just getting my act together and cleaning house. So I'll get my 4 in tomorrow before church.

I'm taking a day off on Monday, will still be working about 50 hours for the week. It is really "funny" - I'm the oldest at work, but have the most stamina for the long hours. I'd better not be "crowing" too much - pride goeth before a fall.

Looking foward to a real early walk tomorrow and Monday so I can maybe catch a glimpse of the blue heron and other favorite critters. During the week, Im changing my walking time so I'll be at work by 7AM and home by 6:30 in the evening to do "my 4"!

Walking at home this week

It's just not the same walking a dawn in the suburbs. You can't see the sunrise.

Saturday, July 18, walking along the lakefront at dawn.

Lakefront cottages on July 18 reflecting the morning sunrise. These were all built around 1915-1920, I think. We rented the one on the far right (a 4-plex) in the mid-70s when the children were small.

Traffic jam

I took an evening walk along the lakefront last night about 8:30, and my oh my, so many people. There were crowds everywhere. But it's good to see people out and about, away from TVs and computers, especially the kids. This group seems to have their own clubs for miniature golf.

Health and Wellness Week at Lakeside

All the programs I attended (5) were excellent with qualified speakers, good graphics, and prepared hand-outs. The problem, as I see it, is in the audience. In most cases, they were preaching to the choir. Also, as I look around and observe people within 10-20 years, up or down, of my age, I see two really common problems that could have been successfully addressed if we'd started 20 years ago. Bones and Obesity. When I see an 82 year old woman who is still 5'10" and walking briskly, with attention to fashion, tall and proud, I want to take a photo and interview her. Is it genes? Nutrition? Exercise? Continues at Collecting my thoughts