Six weeks of Stretching

Like a newborn, we are still measuring things in weeks around here.

We also rejoice when then vending machine accidentally drops a free M&M’s, too.

While I’ve noticed changes from stretching, this week there’s been some very obvious ones:

1) I notice I’m bent over, and want to sit up/stand up straight 

2) I notice when my hips are back, and regularly pull them forward into proper form

3) Proper hip position changes every stretch

4) I still don’t feel “stronger” 

5) my joints are noisy

Sitting at my desk, I raised my chair so that I can’t sit with my legs folded up under me.  It encourages me to sit up straighter, even though the computer screen is still rather low. 

Not that you can see my desk; LLC taxes over took it!

Taxes usurped my creativity the last few days; as I filed a 1099 and filed my business taxes. I’ll put it all away this morning to focus on writing the first puzzle ride; an idea which I no longer worry about people stealing as it’s so freaking involved. 

I had to make paths in my office....

We did another escape room this weekend; while we won I felt it was anticlimactic. There were several red herrings, which made the final minutes less exciting as I’m like “but wait, what about??” instead of enjoying the outcome. In addition, the game master willingly gave us clues-that we didn’t ask for-and that took out some of the joy.

Lately, there’s been a lot that has taken out joy. 

There’s an adrenaline kick when you start a new venture-a jolt that gets you out of the starting gate. As time goes on, you grow weary; whether out of frustration, pain or just slow-going, they all tend to bog down your initial enthusiasm.

Stretching is best when it’s not done everyday. I’m finding a break or two weekly refreshes me.

Conversely, taking a weekend off from work at this new stage was not the best idea. With tax paperwork due, it would have been better to have spent more time getting it done.

There’s an old saying: “everything in moderation” and I suppose that’s what everyone has to figure out for themselves.  How much exercise, how much work, how much time should be devoted to something.  

Yesterday was the three-year anniversary of actually meeting the Buckeye; while we’d known each other for over a year, it took us a bit before we went on that first date. Our early relationship started very slowly, very cautiously...and in the process, we built a very solid foundation. We didn’t rush to put it together, in honesty the Buckeye was quite methodical. We joke now of his gauntlet, and yet it was that very thing that proved our mettle as first friends, then a couple.  While his job loss and injury has been very hard, our relationship has stood because of that firm foundation.

As I build a habit of stretching, I am hopeful it is also a strong foundation for a future of better health.  While we figure out what that looks like in terms of frequency and intensity, I am reminded that it’s ok to start something slow. It’s ok to be patient as you build a habit (or a new business.)

Now this? This has brought joy.

I decided a “puzzle” would involve “old” technology, and bought an old tape recorder.  Going through old tapes, I found one of me at 20, which I had intended on sending to a friend.  To hear my thoughts, and to remember my life in my junior year of college nearly 30 years ago was highly entertaining.  For starters, my older daughter sounds much like me; often times I thought it was her voice.  In addition, my younger daughter righteously got some of her neuroses from me...I had to chuckle at our natural suspicion of people.  It was also quite fun to recall the very start of a relationship with my Great White Buffalo, details I had long forgotten. In hindsight, I was the outlier I always have been; completely unguided by a very “it must be this way” world.  I was actually just two months away from meeting the Knight; who very much like the Buckeye would be a pillar of support.

Why any of my husbands love/d a goofball like me is beyond my comprehension.....

Support.

I wouldn’t be stretching for the last six weeks without the Buckeye; his support has made it possible.

Duolingo and Gaelic? No support needed. I thoroughly enjoy (and look forward to!) my daily lesson.  No one in my family likes it, though, and they groan when they hear me practicing. I laugh, and do it anywise. Tapadh leat, gu math!  

So why do we need support in somethings and not others? Why did the Knight and the Buckeye’s support mean the world, when the lack of support from the King was just as powerful of a motivation (just like my family’s lack of support (and even mild mocking) for my learning Gaelic?)

Was the lack of support accountability?

For I’m determined to “show them” they are wrong, or is it just I truly enjoy the activity?

I explain this to the Buckeye, who reminds me of the youth leader who once told him he’d only last five minutes in Marine Corp boot camp. It was that comment, that lack of support, that drove him when boot camp got hard. It forced him to be accountable to himself, and his goals. Similarly, when the King thought I could not succeed in business (it took being on a plane to Hawaii for him to finally change his tune) it drove me hard to find success.

I’m going to go with lack of support in the short term can drive one to succeed.  But at some point, the going is going to get rough...and sometimes support can make or break our future successes.

I’ve had some support in fitness, no support, and constant support. Thus far constant support is needed.  There is no way I’d keep doing this, despite the positive changes, without the Buckeye.  In business however, I’ve done much of Ride alone. Lately though I’m really needing help, which is not as forthcoming as I’d hoped. 

Support. I’m hoping the muscles that support my body are growing stronger and more flexible as I stretch them. I know Ride would grow stronger with more support. I’m hoping my support of others is helping them.

Crazy the things one things of when exercising:). Fitness Quest.  Keeping it real.

Week Five of Stretching

10 minutes.

Every.

Single.

Morning....at 6am.

Thankfully these are gracing my desk the last week and a half...and since we stretch in my office it’s at least pretty.

So I’ve not done well at not complaining...the last week I’ve been super tired. The eye ulcer still is not healed completely, and I’m pretty worn out.

The dark circles are very disturbing to me.

So, it should be a habit, but it’s not.  Stretching is a necessary evil, and my lack of enthusiasm and poor form last week means I pulled a hip/glute muscle that flares up when I drive long distance.

Seeing  as I have a 200 miles commute once a week, that’s sooooo not fun.

But what is fun?

Thrifting and finding exactly what you need for a new business venture, and having no issues squatting and standing back up.

What’s super super amazing? Deciding the “bad guy” in a story scenario should be a Steelers fan and finding this hat at a thrift store soon after (and over 2000 miles away from Pittsburgh, too!)

Lol, my “stealer” is gonna be a Steeler. 😂😂 #brownstwitter

Speaking of Browns Twitter, I was enlightened recently to the word “zaddy.”  It’s my new favorite word, as it aptly describes the Buckeye; however the definition is not family friendly, so if you’re over 18 go look it up in the urban dictionary.

He says he doesn’t like the cat😂

After a great start to the new year, the Princess and I have struggled a bit this week.

This sunset!!!!!! Surely the heavens declare the work of His hands!

We both started strong, 21 days in of kicking butt...but I think we are both a little tired. It’s a lot, doing everything we are doing. 

Also working more than ever is Manchild.

We’ve discovered he’s a natural born salesman, much like his mother.

He’s doing Special Olympics on Friday’s with the Buckeye, and has added in church on Tuesday nights. Now there’s the occasional weekend selling gig, and he’s been asked to help bounce...which both his dad and stepdad did at his age. That his mama isn’t too sure about....!!!

The Commander took off for a weekend in Michigan this morning, as her lifelong BFF is getting married and she’s the Maid of Honor.  Dress shopping is their goal for the August wedding.

My children look nothing like me....I suppose that’s good?!

So while I struggle to wake up some mornings, the benefit is my joints are working better. Yeah, I probably pulled something doing stretches poorly when I whined, but that’s on me. What is good to see is my nearly all-grown up children doing well (while the Princess has struggled a bit, it’s only because she’s taking on a lot, and has a little adjusting to do.)

A little adjusting to do. That’s probably the best advice I could give myself: you can make it all work, there’s just a little adjusting to do.

Fitness quest:  keeping it real.

Week Four of Stretching

Well I’m thoroughly over this.

It’s not night...it’s morning.

Four weeks in and I’m ready to quit.

The Buckeye says he’s fine to do it alone; that made me cry, which didn’t help my pounding head.

My eyes are very, very overworked.

So apparently, the eye ulcer of several weeks ago never healed; what I thought was a bad sinus infection was actually a partially healed ulcer. The oral steroids I’d been prescribed staved off the worse of the pain, and it wasn’t until I finished them the pain came back so badly I wondered if it was actually my eye.

The oral steroids also were why I gained three pounds in one week while on limited calories; I lost all of it the weekend after I finished the prescription.  Just water weight, so that mystery was solved. As for my head, I was beginning to wonder just how messed up I was-when I read that oral steroids were sometimes used to treat eye ulcers. I wondered if I hadn’t been misdiagnosed, and restarted a full regime with my eye...and immediately started to improve.

Except now I’m worn out.

And over tired.

And an emotional wreck.

So no, I don’t want to get out of bed at 6am to stretch, and be at my desk working at 6:30am.  Not so the Buckeye, who loves our new routine.

He’s like a twist between every football coach in an inspirational movie and Eeyore as of late. 

Ride is in a pinch; it’s been cold, which means people don’t ride carts. While I have a new revenue stream I’m working on, it’s not quite ready to launch, and is taking up huge amounts of time. I’m discouraged, trying to keep my head above water, and I’ve been in pain for about a week now.

Plain and simple, I want to quit.

I don’t want to drive 200 miles tomorrow. I don’t want to be stressed about Ride bills that piled up when the Buckeye was injured. I don’t want to get healthy, eat healthy or stretch. I most certainly don’t want to do all of that while dealing with other people’s doubts and fears.

Despite being over 21 days in...stretching is not a habit.

Eating better in general, however, kinda is.

So this morning when I was flapping my wrists instead of doing arm circles, I was looking for a chuckle.  A smile. An easy reward for climbing out of bed when miserable, and doing the right thing when I really, truly, did not want to do the right thing.

Except it wasn’t taken that way.

It’s hard to photograph sunrises; believe it or not the sky was even more vibrant than this!

While the Buckeye doesn’t mind doing it alone, he doesn’t realize I won’t do it alone right now. I’m barely staying above water, and he’s my buoy in these waves. For when a woman’s life becomes overwhelming, she gets rid of the last thing she added.

In this case: stretching, dieting and Gaelic.

Although apparently I’ve earned  “crowns” so you know that’s not being ditched anytime soon.

Funny how I’ve added 233 words of Gaelic (I’m comfortable with about 100, and sentence structure is making more sense) but that’s not overwhelming and everything else is.

Of course, I’m rewarded with a singing bell when I get a lesson right, and flaming circles of love and explanation points daily....

My body doesn’t seem much different after four weeks. Yes, I can easily stand up now from a squat. My muscles aren’t as sore, and most importantly, my upper back pain is gone. I seem to have worked through the initial soreness...and we are at ten minutes a day.  I *know* I need to keep it up.

But I really want to sleep. Just once....or just until I feel better.

I’ve been failed repeatedly by dieting and exercise...so there’s no hope in just them.  Only with a partner have I ever truly succeeded.

Who lately assured me they don’t mind doing it alone.

Fitness quest. 

Keeping it real.

Week Three of stretching: Not quite a habit

You can tell it’s early, as I’m not capitalizing properly.

Early also means you lose your glasses on your blanket on the bed....

Well, this week we missed a few days. New Year’s Day we took it easy...sleeping in after our “night out.”

Doesn’t my man look fine?!?

What’s funny is we left at 6pm, and were home by 11pm.

My favorite photo from the night. He was turning towards me for a kiss...and I love what it captured.  Love. Proven love through what was the most difficult year...still strong despite the storms. 

As the New Year starts, we’ve taken a different view of life, and what we wish it to look like. That started weeks ago, with me starting to stretch, and the Buckeye stepping out in faith. So here we are, a bit further in to our “new year” than most. What we’ve decided?

We’re no longer young😂😂😂

The Buckeye says we’re old, I say we are middle age; we didn’t even bother to stay up until midnight! Stretching (nearly) daily has shown us we are far from our youth; after skipping New Year’s, we hit January 2nd with no difficulty. But Friday the Third the Buckeye had to leave super early for work, and Saturday we had to drive to California and back.

Our diets suffered, lol.

So just four days in to 2020, we’d only stretched once and eaten a day of junk food.  Sunday was a definite wake up call.

Stretching was hard.

Not mentally hard to get back at it, but hard in that we’d both lost some balance, and had obvious tightening.  It was, frankly, shocking.

And a big wake up to our middle age.

Suddenly it made sense how people ten-fifteen years older than us had difficulty getting around. While we both hiked regularly, we both have desk jobs. We aren’t often moving.

So we got back to it.  Added more minutes, and now we are at eight a day. We discussed the merits of time, and decided 15-20 would be optimum. We argued about adding cardio at some point, and I had lofty ideas about Pilates. For now, we are stretching, and building a habit...and we aren’t there yet.

Same with the diet.

We’d thought to go back to 5-2, and last week reset our Lose It! Apps up. It’s a simple calorie counter, and it’s a huge reminder to be careful what you eat. I took all my clothes out of the closet that were too small, and told myself if I don’t fit into them by mid spring I’d have to donate them (a huge potential sentimental loss!)

He has kilt goals now, so he has inspiration, too:)

Thus far I’ve stayed under the calories I’d need to lose 1.5lbs a week.

Hang on, let me go weigh myself this week to see if my body has cooperated.  I’m guessing it has not, sooo...and yep.

I’ve gained a pound.

This is totally unsurprising, as this has happened EVERY TIME I START A DIET.

So apparently I weighed those chips wrong😜

Anywise.

Diets are started, but lifestyle changes are being attempted. I’m ok with bumps for now.  A few missed days of stretching resulted in immediate loss of inches reaching for my toes; it was a great reminder that I alone can fix my body. A gained pound means I ate 140 chips instead of 40 chips, and when you cheat counting calories, you’ll alway end up getting caught.

Welp.

At least I’ve been to my happy place, Home Depot.

So, I’m far from perfect...but there’s a difference this time. 

I have an actual plan.  And I’m determined to make it a reality.:)