Monday, August 9, 2010

Dem bones

I got my 2 good walks in this weekend and they felt great, with knees performing closely to optimally.  Sunday I ended up going with 2 friends - we walked up to a meeting we all attend that starts at 7 a.m.  Since it's about 2.7 miles away, we met on a street corner from our various directions and off we went at a tidy clip.  After the meeting we went and had a healthy breakfast at a local eatery and then hoofed it back home via a different route.  All tolled I believe we logged about 5.5 miles and felt entirely righteous!  Also drenched, as the humidity felt like it was about 99%.  But at least the temp was only in the high 80s...by yesterday afternoon it was low 90s.

I greatly prefer brisk "power" walking in the great outdoors to virtually any cardio I do at the gym.  I'd love to think that I could eventually return to some slow jogging but won't even consider it until I'm 9 months out from the 2nd knee procedure.  Just too risky on my...ahem...old seasoned knees. 

But the gym comes in handy for strength training, which I haven't yet added back in since recovering from the Winter of Knees.  Given my age, it's really important to get the strength training back into the mix to keep my bones strong.  My 2nd bone density (you youngsters haven't needed this yet, but I've already had 2 - 2 years apart) showed the bones in pretty good shape with very minimal osteopenia (bone thinning - a pre-cursor to osteoporosis), and I want to keep it that way and not have to go on any of those evil meds that Sally Field and others rag about on prime time tv.  Nature's way beats the heck out of Western Medicine's way every day, in my book.

I wrote a few weeks back about needing (and being entitled) to sign on with 6 free trainer sessions at my gym, and I still haven't done it, so this week it's at the top of the list.  I have a friend who works at the gym and she was away so I put it off.  I know she'll set me up with someone I can trust and that she knows will not be eye rolling the whole time at working with a 50-something fat lady! 

I'm doing well with my commitment to focus on consistency with water drinking, ala Loretta's Consistency Challenge.  The water weight I saw on my Friday weigh in attributable to 2 restaurant meals out in a row is gone, and I'm hoping to post a significant loss this Friday in Tammy's challenge.

Also want to give a shout out and big congrats to Helen on beating her last half marathon time by over 4 minutes when she ran her race this weekend.  You can read about her great run at the link.  Have a decent Monday everyone!

18 comments:

  1. Good for you! I am not a fast walker. And this heat is just killing me. Sigh.

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  2. The heat and humidity has been terrible in Minnesota, also. You did good! I'm heading for the treadmill today. Even with the storms this last weekend, it's still too hot.

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  3. Good for you with all the exercise! A personal trainer for free, how cool is that?

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  4. So glad to hear those knees held up. I'm with you - I pick the outdoors over any sort of indoor exercise anytime! Do sign up for the free sessions. Maybe I've been lucky but I've found that the trainers I've had didn't see me as old and fat but rather as a challenge - lol! Our humidity has sprung up again too. My recovery walk/jog this morning was positively steamy.

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  5. Good for you on the walk with friends!! Sounds like you had a good weekend. :) Btw, where would you like to meet for dinner when you come down??? Your choice since I live here and can wherever, whenever. :)

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  6. Yay for water!

    I'm finding it easier to focus on 1 thing this time... almost enjoying it. ;-)

    Loretta
    =^..^=

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  7. Hurray for outdoor walking! All the gym cardio equipment bores me rigid and I only use it for warming up/cooling down when I'm using weights...

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  8. when you are ready start your jogging in the water first to strengthen before your knees sustain full impact dry land. slowly go to shallower water to add weight to your impact.


    and tell us all about the trainer when you see them :)

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  9. Yea on the walking!! I need to start doing that more! Good for you! Helen rocks doesn't she!

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  10. You are doing great!!! I hope you get a good trainer. I love my trainer. She knows me well now and knows when to push me to my limit. Some time she sounds like Jillian from the Biggest Loser. Whenever she gets to yelling, I want to laugh. But I usually choose to snicker on the inside, because I don't want to get her too riled up! Hugs!

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  11. Hey, Leslie! WE had the Freedom Challenge prize drawings today. I'm not sure if you read about the second drawing or not. It was for everyone who entered the challenge--whether they completed or not--but did not do the 5 comments needed to qualify for the prize package. (The challenge itself did not have an update requuirement.)

    You were a winner! Please send me your address and I'll send out your little prize ASAP. :D


    Deb

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  12. good job on getting in the walks. :) Take care of those knees! :)

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  13. I, too, love to exercise outdoors. Once school starts, I will have to head back inside (bo-hoo!). Your commitment to strength training at "our" age made me think I need to get on this. Michele

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  14. If I am going to walk, I walk outside. The treadmill is horrible. I call it the dreadmill.
    mill being the operative word..it feels like work. I would rather do the stairmaster and have a near coronary. I don't know why, but it's like sitting through a committee meeting.
    Great job on your walks and glad your bones are holding up. Hope I do as well.

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  15. Like you, I enjoy a good, brisk, power walk more than any formalized exercise in a gym. It is peaceful, yet invigorating.

    I am glad to hear the knees are still doing well.

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  16. Walking works for me. Too hot outdoors right now, but I plan to move from my treadmill to the outdoors when the weather cools down, if ever!

    Glad to hear that there is hope for seasoned knees. I have a pair of 'em myself.

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  17. Great job on the walks! Keep up the good work!

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  18. Hey girl! I got your comment....I've only ever been to the one at Forest Park, but yes, Dekalb is the one we're going to this wknd....Tina and Crys assure me I'm going to LOVE it...I'm excited to see a new one! :)

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