The High

I am stunned.

The Flume, breathtaking even in winter gloom...

I picked the Flume because it's an easier hike-I knew damn well I couldn't handle my beloved Butte.  Of course I didn't count on Ian making the Flume tougher by the circuitous route he took.

Some things never change...I'm well more than 40 paces behind!

So while it was tougher, and I hacked and coughed, it was do-able...much to my delight.  While far behind my hiking partner, I was able to keep pace and talk-neither things I thought I could do.  It felt good to be out, working up a sweat and drinking in the beautiful rocks, sky and water.  Each coughing fit cleared more gunk, and I could honestly breath better.  We finished up 40 minutes later, and I could not hide my delight.

Hiking had been worth it.

I felt tension roll off me as I scrambled to keep up.  I loved feeling the stretch in my leg muscles as I scaled the hills.  My head cleared and I felt better about decisions I'd been making, and gained confidence as I shared them with my partner.  I could feel the vestiges of illness shake free from my lungs, and breathing actually became easier as we progressed.

This was part of it...

We finished the hike and made plans for two weeks from now, as we both are out of town next week.  Driving home I could not believe my elation...and ruefully recognized the hiker's high.  

It's amazing what inspires us.

Hiking.  My stress-busting, concussion-curing friend.  Can you hear it?  It's the Canyon.  It's calling.

I must go.

Recovery

I'm supposed to hike in the morning.

I'd rather hang out in a sundress:)

I *think* I'm well enough to exercise.  I know I *need* to exercise as just grocery shopping wore me out...of course I am still coughing a ridiculous amount.  Hence, tomorrow will be The Flume and not Thumb Butte; hopefully I'm up for the task.

Exercise.  Ugh.  But my grandmother had a stroke at 62...granted she smoked like a chimney but she was thin like me, and adored potato chips like me...and genetics are indicators.  I need to get healthy and stay healthy...for me.

The trouble is, it's vogue to be healthy and to exercise, and I hate being like everyone else! 

As does Gaga...

Then you get a call from a friend telling you one of their friends, who is only three years older than you, is in ICU with a heart attack.  Suddenly all you can think of is your own poor health choices and how much time before it happens to you.

I mean, look what happened to him!

My Fitness Quest is a year old now, and I'm still not in shape.  Well, emotionally I'm fitter (maybe) as I'm happier since divorcing (I think.)  Physically that broken hand took way too long to heal...but then again, I had been cursed.  (Several people told me it wouldn't heal until I got divorced.  They were actually right...!)  So tomorrow we'll see how it goes...the only reason I'm showing up?  A partner.  

Languishing

I caught influenza for the first time in 20+ years this week.  

And of course this was the weather while I lay dying...

Well, I thought I was going to die.  Twice.  When you have a 103.4° temperature, it crosses your mind.  It crosses it again when you have a mild allergic reaction to Tamiflu.

In this case, I weighed in at the doctor's office at a whopping 169.3lbs on Wednesday evening.

By Sunday morning, I was 160.2lbs.

So long as it's a Diet Coke?!

Oh, I knew my weight had been creeping up there.  That's why I started working out.  Once.  And intended to more but I was busy, um, eating.

Well, the reset button has been pushed.  My weight should be between 150-155.  Being tall, I hid 170+ well (I'd been sick 36hrs by the time I had gotten to the doctor, and had told myself my ex had shrunk my jeans.  Seriously, I was in some serious denial.). Right now I have no appetite at all, and I'm still coughing up a storm.  I also don't dare exercise, so I'm in the most unusual situation right now.

It's a good time to take stock and decide what I'm doing moving forward.  

I wasn't even happy sitting outside in the sun reading a novel, so do you really think I'm going to take a serious look at what I eat???

Let's be honest.  Poor food choices are a result of several factors:  food on hand, emotional and physical state of the eater. Now, I'm not a big comfort eater (I steadily lost a little weight as my divorce progressed) but this last month has been off the chart crazy busy.  The result?  I ate a lot of fast food just to be eating-and I was gluttonous in eating a large burger and fries (with an unsweetened tea, so at least there's that.). With my auto-immune system on the fritz I knew I was lacking key nutrients I needed, but I hate to take a supplement.

Not that every MLM seller of such hasn't approached me.

Sigh.  That's a story for another day.

So I'm at about 65%, my cough sounds horrendous and I've only got one more day before I go back to work.  I'm terrified of relapsing, scared to regain weight and afraid I'm too weak to exercise...

So I decide to supplement.  A nice meal replacement powder mixed in with a veggie smoothie.  Tasted fairly good, and it was hard to drink-a good thing after my appetite had left.  I'm still very leery-this is chemicals, afterall, but I need to get smart-I've not been eating enough whole foods.  So for today, this worked.  We will see what happens tomorrow....I'm simply hoping my cough lightens!

Happy Valentine's Day from Lad;)

It's already late, so?!

It's 8:09pm.

I haven't yet exercised.

I spent most of today lobbying!  It was fun!

Since I lobbied, and walked to and from the parking lot, that is exercise.

But it's not my multi-song workout, and most of my soreness has disipated...

New bargain find at Last Chance!  My first pair of Prada's!*

*note this is a distraction technique.  I just don't want to exercise.

Well, technically I don't want to change out of my warm sweater and jeans.

Excuse me.

Nope.

Didn't happen.

I ate pizza and a pop tart instead.

Why...?!

Because I want to be deliciously sore.

WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS I THINKING?

I only did a three/four and a half song workout.  Why am I sooooo sore?

The pseudo push-ups had nothing pseudo about them!  My pecs are screaming!

That's inside.

My day started sometime in the wee hours, half awoken by icy cold pillows.  By the time the alarm went off, I was shivering.  It was 48° in my bedroom.

And this meme was not well received at 6:22am when it woke someone up.

Each morning I trek the frozen Arizona landscape (yes, frozen and Arizona can be used in the same sentence) for an hour and twenty minutes, hauling the kids to school.

My hauling vehicle I trek with.  We may get snow but it's not like we dog sled to school.  

Thank God.

That accomplished, I did an hour at work before heading to the snow tipped red rocks of Sedona for an ADA compliance workshop.

In a cozy warm theater...

...after which I did a little sight seeing.

Airport Vista

Near Bell Rock

Neither time I hiked, just anxious to get home.

So I could roast potatoes and eat them with chili, cheese and sour cream.

I went to bed super sore, and super stressed.

You'll note neither my youngest or her canine companion are stressed.

Another cold sore tonight, the third in three months.  A hit to my vanity and another contender for most annoying stress consequence.

I thought exercise would have helped.

Perhaps pasta will??

Let's see if it heals quicker with regular workouts...!

The Questing Continues...

Oh, I have hiked in 2016.

Once.

View from Thumb Butte at twilight.  The slide down the steep side was awesome.

Yesterday I did 15 squats while folding laundry.

And today I made banana bread!!

I've got this idea I can start doing my four song workout again.

Although I suspect it may take five (or six) songs to complete.

The truth is, my life has been in upheaval for awhile, and it's time to find a new normal.

Can exercise be a good constant??

He laughs.

Oh, my excuse monster is right here.  Parry is playing on my snow-covered deck, and I'm debating a three-or four-or five song work out.  Can't do it with her right there, he says.

I mean, it's not like she knows about the quest or anything, right?

So I reset my playlist.

Please note...it's not morning.

Probably should ditch the bathrobe, eh?

And....

80 jumping jacks to Good to Be Alive.

20 pseudo push-ups and 20 side tap planks as it switches to Time Machine.

40 sit-ups to complete my time travel...as I'm reminded this is for me, and not to impress the former King.  Shut Up & Dance rounds out this set and I can smell my own sweat.

50 squats to Radioactive...the best lifting song ever...as I'm thinking how nice it would be to weight these squats...

20 lunges with a finger on the dresser to keep my balance...then a thirty second break with lots of water.

60 second wall sit broken up by Uptown Funk in 27, 20 and 13 second intervals...I collapse to the floor and drink.

It's blurry because I was shaking:)

Wildest Dreams...my latest musical obsession and my cool down.

Done.  Silence.

The howl of the wind intertwined with my still thumping heart.

I did it for me.

Because I want to feel deliciously sore.

Because I want to exercise without a broken hand.

Because I want to walk upstairs without becoming winded.

Because I want my legs to look fantastic when sundress season rolls around.

Because I still haven't done one perfect push up.

Because I'm single.

And this isn't being done to impress anyone.

It's being done just for me.

Maybe this time I'll succeed.

So long as I can have an occasional pop tart!