Squeezing in exercise so I don't have to squeeze into my jeans

182.5
50:41, 8.1 mile bicycling

I managed to mess up the department's schedule at work.  So instead of having my planned day of trail running in the morning, and working from noon to 9, instead I need to be at work at 8:30 in the morning and still closing at 9!  I hate letting being too busy derail me from working out all the time so instead I squeezed in some cardio by commuting to and from work.

Exhausting day, but glad I was able to fit in that exercise. And super proud of not eating the cupcakes that Suzanne brought to work!

A bit of perspective

46:38, 8.13 mile bicycling

Since I got sick last week, I have just been exhausted!  I had trouble getting up this morning, even though I slept in past 10.  I decided that I was going to ride my bike to work (another 6 day workweek) since it was doubtful I would get in a workout otherwise.  My heart rate stayed higher than I would have liked it to on the way to work, possibly because I am out of shape or because I am still sick. It was frustrating to feel like I had lost so much of the fitness gains and regained so much of the weight lost.

All of this left me feeling really discouraged this evening.  Unfortunately this has been too normal lately, and I get frustrated that I am not where I want to be (that Jessica's not done yet).  I laid on the couch after dinner, pondering my excessive schedule this week and how in the world to fit in exercise when there are so many other demands on my time and energy, then  for some reason I decided I needed to look at my finisher's medals.  So I took them all out of the box and lined them up. 

I thought about the woman who was so out of shape in 2009 that she couldn't keep up with her mom when they took the kids to the zoo.  I thought about those first laps around the track at the gym, when running always made me puke.  I thought of how frustrating my first 5k was in March 2011.  I thought about the other races, the ones without medals.  Jessica's not done yet, but she is a long way from where she was!  Looking at these tangible representations of miles run, and the blood and sweat that accompanied them, my optimism is restored.  Yes, I have hit roadblocks, yes I have failed at my own rules, yes I am not there yet.  But I am a runner, and I will continue to keep pushing forward.

A couple weeks ago I came across a quote that has stuck with me:

"There will be days when I don't know if I can run a marathon. There will be a lifetime knowing that I have."

- Unknown

And what a sweet knowledge it is.

A whole different world

I came across a really cool New York Times story that made me so jealous of the Danish!  They have built a bike super highway connecting the communities that are up to 14 miles from the capital of Copenhagen.  These are wide, smooth, scenic, maintained, protected and well lit bike paths encouraging more people to ride to the capital instead of drive.  Interestingly was that many ride their bikes because they see driving as a nuisance that takes more time than riding! 

"Danish statistics show that every 6 miles biked instead of driven saves 3 1/2 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and 9 cents in health care costs. But many cite happiness among the chief benefits of bicycle commuting."  9 cents in health care savings may not seem like much, but what if every person in your company saved those 9 cents (my bike commute would be closer 12 cents round trip) for a month?    For our library with a staff of 33 employees, assuming we all worked 22 days in July and rode each day, that would be a health care savings of $65.34 for this month alone.  When you look at a library system that might have 300 staff, how about $7,128 in a year! 

OK, so those numbers actually mean nothing because: 1. those are based on health care cost in Denmark, 2. not all staff would ride, and not everyday, 3. some staff work more or less than 22 days in a month, 4. some staff live a lot farther or closer than 3 miles from work, and 5. my dear friend and coworker (who shall remain nameless) does not know how to ride a bike.  Really its her lack of bike riding that throws the whole thing out the window! ;)

"Superhighway users can also look forward to some variation on the “karma campaign,” now under way in Copenhagen, in which city employees take to the streets with boxes of chocolate to reward cyclists who adhere to the five rules of cycling: be nice, signal, stay to the right, overtake carefully and, rather than let bicycle bells irritate you, do your best to appreciate them. "

Chocolate in the street for riding your bike!  Yes please!  To show how different this attitude is from Oklahoma or the USA, the only feedback I get for riding my bike to work is jerks in large trucks honking or yelling obscenities at me.  They take offense (I assume) that I am riding on the road, where I am legally entitled to ride, yet don't stop and consider that their are no bike lanes or sidewalks available to me.  I would love to see a shift in our culture that valued and encouraged walking and riding bikes instead of driving.

1:18:28, 4 miles

173.7
1:18:28, 4 mile walk to work

Our department was down a man today so I was going to come in to cover my coworkers lunch breaks.  I woke up too late to dedicate to a good run (with all the gathering of gear, driving some place, exercising, driving home, showering, getting ready for work, etc.), so I decided to get my exercise and save some gas at the same time.  While the temperature of 83 degrees with cloud cover made it seem like a good idea, I forgot to factor in the 50% humidity, so I ended up a little soggy.

This morning I read about a study on people who have lost a lot of weight.  The ones who successfully kept it off did the obvious stuff like continuing their diet and exercise routines.  But they "also engaged in more positive self-talk" while those who regained "identified decreased accountability and decreased motivation as barriers to keeping the weight off."  Hmmm, makes me think that keeping a blog about my fitness struggles and successes is a very good idea!

Oh, and by the way, this morning's walk means I exceeded my goal of 5 hours of exercise this week.  Celebrate every victory, no matter how small.

Crosstraining 1:42- kayaking and biking

Kayaking 50 minutes, from Lincoln to Robinson and back
Biking 8 miles, 52:01

I had a great morning.  Last night I had decided that I REALLY wanted to go kayaking today, so that's just what I did.  I drove up to OKC and rented a kayak for an hour ($12).  It was warm and a little windy, and while that area is calm and scenically boring, it was just perfect!  I enjoy the motion of kayaking, and while it is demanding, I find that it is more sustainable than using the rowing machine, or even running.  And it was peaceful.  I will definitely have to take advantage of OKC Riversport again,  because exercise is so much easier when you are enjoying the activity and when you have scenery to keep your mind active.

Seth and I had a nice lunch on the patio at Chelino's, and then headed back home.  I needed to go check on some equipment at work, and I was feeling so enthusiastic from kayaking, that I decided I should ride my bike to work!  On the 4th of July!  At noon!! Thankfully it was only 95 degrees and there was a breeze, but my body did let me know that this was not the best decision.  I feel that I should also explain what my biking experience is like.  I ride a "cruiser" style bike.  You know, the kind with a basket, bell, and only one gear.  And streamers on the handlebars of course.  I always wear a helmet, and I recently acquired a Camelbak (primarily use it for running), but that is the end of my specialized biking gear.  And while motorist may not have realized it, there are several impressive hills between my house and work.  It was a good ride in that it was challenging, but of course I hated it, just like I do every time I think riding to work would be a good idea.  But I saved a few drops of gas and burned an extra 330 calories!

Oh, and I weighed 173.3 this morning!!! So nice to see it go the other direction again.