Pants on the ground

The weather here has been beautiful! The temperature is getting into the 70 and low 80 degrees. I have made it a point to continue my evening walks during the week and morning walks on the weekend. While on my walk this afternoon I learned a valuable lesson. I need to either wear a belt or buy smaller short pants. I was walking and my pants ended up down by me knees. It wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't been going commando! Just kidding! I was wearing underwear but is was still embarrassing. I kept looking around for something that I could use to hold them up. At mile 2 I found a caution tape that was put up for construction so I used a piece to hold my pants up. I was able to complete my 5 miles. I will be better prepared next time.

The trails are so nice this time of year. The trees are just getting their leaves.There are so many different shades of green going on. Some of the trees that bloom are in bloom and add a splash of color. The other thing that I like is the smell of honey. The agarita plants are in bloom and the smell great! I love this time.

Now that my blood pressure and cholesterol are under control it is time to start back with the blood donations. I have an appointment this Saturday morning. I donate at 0700 and hope to be out on the trail by 9:30. I want to get in a 10 mile walk on Saturday and shoot for a half marathon on Sunday. Or maybe see about getting the bike out and taking it for a spin. Either way it will be a great weekend to be outside.

Let the summer fun begin!

A Walk in the Park

I stepped out of the house this morning to hang another ear of corn for the squirrels. (One was setting in the tree staring in the window!) The air had a crisp feel to it as a cool front had blown through yesterday. It felt like the perfect morning to go to the park for a walk. I came back inside and woke up the kids, it was after all 8:40 and half the day was gone already! The kids come down stairs and Chris jumps on the computer while Ashley sits on the sofa with her mom. I tried to get someone to go with me but I had no takers.

So I get to the park at 9:00 and there is only one parking spot left. Perfect! As I get out of the car a runner is just getting back from her run and lets out a primal scream. “I did it!” she yells. I shouted back “Great job!” and others around start to shout out their remarks of encouragement. I don’t know what her goal was but she achieved it and that was great. It was so nice to see strangers interacting in such a manner.

I head out on my walk moving at a good pace. The park was a hopping place. There were walkers, runners, skaters and bikers making good use of the cool morning. When I go walking I like to listen to the sounds of nature. So many had there ear buds on and not really paying any attention to anything or anyone. I was saying good morning left and right. Some people were friendly while others just appeared to ignore the greeting.

I started off with the goal of walking 13.5 miles. At 5 miles my left foot was getting uncomfortable. The inside heel was starting to hurt so after another half mile I stopped to look at it. Before I left the house I used padded mole skin on the heel as it had been a problem in the past. When I removed the sock the mole skin was just barely hanging on. The sweat was doing a number on the adhesive. I had a blister on the back of my heel the size of Texas and several smaller blisters on the inner heel. Well that put an end to proceeding further. Unfortunately I had to walk 5.5 miles back to the car with the blisters. Ouch!

On the walk back I came across an older gentleman that was picking himself up off the trail. He was bleeding from both arms and one leg. I asked him if he was all right. He was brushing the dirt off his legs and looking at the ground. He said that he had moved off the trail to let some bikers past and then tripped on a vine. I guess the riders didn’t notice. I made sure he was good before continuing on my way.

I made good time back to the car. It took me 2 hours and 45 minutes to go the 11 miles. I had plenty of time to meditate and clear my head. My battery is charged and I am ready for the week ahead. Who knows, I may go riding tomorrow but I know I will hold off on the walking until after Tour DaVita.

It's On!

I weighed my self when I got back from California on the 19th...196 pounds! OUCH! I decided that it was time that I get serious about my weight loss. I hate having to take care of my hair...so I told my self no hair cut until I am 185. I have started to pay attention to all of the food that is going in and try to keep it at less than 1800 calories a day. I have been lazy this year and not getting out of the house very much. I have committed to walking at least 4 miles a day at least 5 days a week. We have a Rock-N-Roll marathon in November. I think that I am going to train for it.The 1/2 marathon that is. Right now I do 5 miles in about 70 minutes. I need to get that down to 45 minutes and then increase the distance. I will weigh my self every Friday morning to see how I'm doing. I would love to get back down to 160.

Shakespeare in the Park

Shakespeare in the park was fantastic once again this year. The play was the comedy "As You Like It" and was put on by the Magik theater group at the Botanical Gardens. It is all lawn seating on a first come basis. We always sit about 20 feet from the stage. I have only missed the first year production. The acting is first rate and is produced to the highest standards. It is always a good time. The gate opens at 6:30 and the play started at 8:00. They have food booths and souvenir booths set up and you can roam the grounds, after you lay claim to your spot of course. I usually just get a water and read my book until the play starts. I usually try to go twice but due to my surgery I was only able to attend the one performance. Net year is Shakespeare it the Park's 25 anniversary and we were told to expect something special. They said to keep an eye on the Magik Theater web site for more information. I can't wait til next year!