5K was OK

My morning picture........ i just love the way the sun shines through the forest. Today is the first hike after my shots in my foot. i love my daughter so much,shes the best.I did just fine, it hurt a little going down hill, but not really a problem for 3.5 miles.
Christina asked me if i still plan on doing the 10 mile hike for Melody this October. and my answer is Yes :0). If i would eventually need surgery i would like to have it done in the winter months. I love fall too much, and i am loving my hiking and biking too much to miss it right now
I am also going to pull out my food journal yet again to just keep track of how and what i eat. just to make sure i am eating enough food, and healthy foods... cause i must confess, and it is all Christina's fault.....I saw that Christina had bought chocolate Zingers.... (umm for Larry's lunch), so of course i then had to go buy a box ( umm for the kids).... and i had a few of them over the weekend..... So it is ZINGER no more.....
Well got a lot to do today.... having the Comcast guy come and see what is up with the digital on my TV for my bedroom, although frankly if they can't get it fixed.... no big deal for me.
Have a great day folks and make it a good one.

well .... NOT SO GOOD

.... had an appointment with my foot doctor yesterday, not "stoved" and not broken. although broken would have been nice :0).
He told me that from my Xrays 4 years ago my bones were already starting to move in the wrong direction, and because of this my big toe and joint is starting to freeze, however freezing totally out of alignment. So along with several bone spurs in the area, I have a bunion that is almost to the severe stage.
Maybe if i was a sedentary person, I would have gone years before it got to this point........ but in the past two years i've been anything but sedentary........... and this month hitting the 100 + mark by hiking/biking............
Yesterday He put a shot directly into and between the bone and joints..... prob 7 or 8 spots, although he "froze" the area first, .......... It hurt like Hell, and after a minute it went numb.
Prognosis............ can and will be Excellent....... however realistically this is not going to realign itself.... we are going to try a few things...... He did say with this and with my life style and goals He Will Be Aggressive........ He will prob have to go in and physically alter the bones........ meaning Another pretty serious foot surgery down the road.
I left the office and went back to work, the toe felt great ( okay the toe felt numb) AND THEN TWO HOURS LATER......... an incredible amount of pain, it throbbed so bad, i actually shed tears, and the first time i tried to step on my foot..... OMG, i couldn't do it. Thankfully it is my left foot, cause i don't think i could have pushed a pedal. finally home, more ice......... elevation, and bed... i was up most of the night..... today it feels burning with periods of throbbing....... but a very small improvement.
THE BIG QUESTION: can i still hike/bike? and the answer is Yes. I told him yesterday "doc help me here, because i am not stopping. he understood and agreed to an extent. What is , is. and although walking will cause me more pain, as long as i don't over do it, it really isn't going to change my bone structure......... its not like a ligament or something that if you rest, it heals.... the bone will be a bone regardless. He said if I can, try and bike more....... i'll have to watch how i put my foot on the pedal, he suggested to try and swimming for cardio, lift weights...... maybe hike every other day and not daily......... (Christina will love that :-), unless she gets a bike then i'll make her bike with me on the off days........ ps hey Chris bikes are on clearance!!! and i promise you won't have to look like a nerd like i do ;0). I should mention that my foot automatic tries to compensate for the deformity, which in the long run can cause more damage..... that is why i will prob eventually have it fixed.......... back to Dr in 10 days.
It is a beautiful day, may God Bless You..... i know that he blesses me every second.

100+ miles in less than a month :0)

102 miles to be exact. these miles were accumulated by hiking and biking. And my goal is to have more miles next month. Early this morning I called Christina, she had a long night so would not be able to go since i was going so early. now normally i would have been "yesss, i can catch up on house work" and use her not going as an excuse for me to not go too. However, I am on such a grove, i didn't want to miss. I was going to bike, but i forgot that Bill has the Jeep with the bike rack. so again for a split second i thought i'd just stay home and do some extra housework before i go into the office....... and then i just thought what the Hell......... i got ready and was on the trail before 7:30 this morning. A solo hike was very nice actually, and it was so beautiful today. the photo above is a shot from the river bank. and the shot below was a shot into the woods just as the sun was coming up.... BEAUTIFUL.

I feel pretty good today, and the muscles aren't even aching. My foot is even........."fair". tomorrow i go to the foot doctor, and i'll keep that appointment regardless how it is feeling,... just want to be sure it is okay.

well i'm off to work, please have a beautiful day....... think of something you are thankful for.....

Ghost town trail.... hiking

Christina and I have decided to explore some of the local trails instead of going to Conemaugh all the time. this morning we left at 7:30 am, drove 15 miles away to get on one of the trail heads for the Ghost town trail. this is the trail where I did the 20 mile biking trip. it took Us about two hours to do approx 6 miles, Christina a little farther as she walks faster than i do. I do enjoy biking as i can go further to explore a trail. actually i think i did the 20 miles in under two hours. However, I didn't realize how beautiful this trail is. for most of the the three miles out the trail follows Blacklick creek, the sound of the water is so relaxing, there were so many wildflowers on both sides of the trails and the colors are so vibrant as you can tell from the above pictures.
My heart rate stayed in the fat burning mode although on the lower end. and it was harder to tell that there is a two degree uphill grade on feet instead of wheels :0).
I did not sleep well last night, the joint of my big left toe was aching so bad, the pain actually woke me up a few times. Bill said there was one time in my sleep i yelled out and grabbed my toe. It truly did not hurt the first 5 miles of the hike though....... HOWEVER. I need to take care of these feet, so i made an appointment with my foot doctor who did my surgery several years ago to have it checked........ It still feels like my toe is "stoved", wonder if he can yank it back into place. all i know.......... i need my feet to be healthy. Speaking of which, I keep a chart of my cardio exercise....... I can't believe i've hiked or biked 94.5 miles in less than a month I have until
friday to do 5.5 miles to make 100 miles in a month......... if i bike tomorrow, i'll get that easy.
I want to keep this up......... 4 to 6 days a week until my LapBAnd appointment Nov 19th to see if the weight started moving.... bottom line is though....... i feel so damn good.
Have a blessed day

Why do i blog?

I just realized that I've been faithfully blogging for so long...... didn't realize it has been 4 years. so much has happened, i blogged on and off for a year or so before that, but then the death of Melody Duffalo was the beginning of so many life changing events in my life. wow this December she will be gone 4 years. it was at that time that I knew i needed to honor her memory, and strengthen my body, mind and spirit! looking back, i can't believe how unhealthy i was, it seemed like so long ago. and i sure have come a long way. it is hard to believe that i plan on giving her that 10 mile hike i promised her, in the next several weeks. I just glanced back over the years i've been blogging, and a flood of memories came splashing in..... Bill's parents moving in with us, Andrew and his head injury, Alex and his death, Michael knocking on deaths door, me (the first year) in and out of the hospital for lung issues, stomach issues, sinus issues. gaining my foster son, losing my foster son, incredible friendships..... Patti, Kellie, Kim, Christina, and the "Golden Girls". my journey with the Lap band. my jobs, and vacations, my kids, my husband............. you get the picture. So yeah i blog so friends can "keep" up with my life. But i blog for ME. and the bottom line is, that is what really matters. I ran into a "sweet" friend, Hi Debbie!! and she asked me a question about my bike, wasn't sure how she knew, but she has been faithful and continues to read my blog....... by the way Debbie, that made my day :0). And i do know there are a few people that read this whom i do not even know.... and that is cool too. People who know me, know that my life is pretty much an open book anyhow.
So i am partaking in the Journey called Life.......... and you are all welcome to join me.
Have a great day today.
OH and Big PS, this is a photo i took today while on a "new" trail, the sun was sorta glaring in my eyes, so i couldn't really focus on the creek photo, sorta just aimed my phone and snapped. (didn't bother pulling out my camera for this). when i got back to the car and put the photo on my phone screen saver........ it was then i noticed i took a picture right through a spider web. i think it turned out so cool.
Have a Blessed day

Now i wished I biked today ;-)

But nope, I left it at home and did the hike today. Oh it was a nice 7 mile hike, but we were moving for 2 and 1/2 hours , I truly did feel good, slow and steady... with two miles to go, my big left toe started cramping A>L>O>T!!! I wore some hiking boots that i stopped using months ago, and forgot why, Now i remember, the last time i wore them on a longer hike the same thing happened. the boots are so sturdy they seem to prevent my toes from bending in my natural gait. five miles and less don't seem to be a problem. So anyhow..... i send Christina a text last night......... " that i was dropping Sammy off at football early then coming there to do a 5 to 7 mile hike. No where did i ever say a short hike, this am as we are sitting there drinking final coffee, i never said any where "a short hike". well because her mind wanted a "short" hike. she decided somewhere i must have said a short hike....... yup that is why i took my monster Camelbak back pack today, completely packed including 72 oz of water.... so we park, and we start on the trail, we come to the road..... we continue....... we get to conemaugh dam area... we continue...... head down the hill.............. we continue..... head up around the curve and toward Bitch hill, Christina say's ....... "i'm not doing that hill" Christina heads up the hill to the top of the "Bitch" hill.... I must say Chris really moves too........ quite a fast hiker :0). I get to the top, and realize......... we have to go back from where we came, unless of course i call my daughter to come and pick us up at Conemaugh.... of course we did not...... i stayed in the fat burning zone for 2 hours and 20 minutes. out of 2 hours and 30 minutes..... pretty damn good. The cramping started about the last two miles back..... and even when i got home bathed and chilled, even trying to take a nap, my toe was throbbing sooooo bad, i couldn't even sleep. when Bill gets home i'll have him rub some george lotion into it...... it just has to work itself out.. . . . and i just want to thank Christina for going along this journey with me, it sure makes it fun...... and even if she did "whine" alot.... i know deep down she feels good that she went that far...... and would do it again......
have a great day folks

I really need to get a Cardio In.

well, i really need to get a Cardio in today, doesn't matter weather it is a Hike, or a Bike ride. I'll text Christina to see if she is awake this morning...... it is beautiful cloudy and breezy this early morning. If not a hike this AM, I'll take my bike with me to work and get in a quick bike ride in after work.
Yesterday i felt out of sorts, woke up feeling out of sorts, actually I got up at 530 watched a movie, fell asleep again until almost 9 am. and woke up Tired. and i spent most of my day feeling not quite right. HOWEVER i woke up this morning bright and chipper.
I truly enjoy my three day work weeks, and i love having the option of working 3 , 6 to 10 hour days instead of working 4 or5 4 to 5hour days. I plan on going in early today as there is alot to do before the weekend.
Oh yeah, my appointment for my Lap Band is set for November 19th. Yesterday i was able to eat normally again, so i have NO idea what happened the day before...... wait yes i do, who am i kidding....... skipping meals, and then trying to take in French toast... was a killer for me :0(. I really really want to try a different Bike Trail this weekend. Maybe even another part of the Ghost Town, or maybe a part on the Allegheny Passage........ or maybe Ohiopyle???
OH and i plan on doing my ten mile hike for Melody first part of October.......... anyone want to go? not sure where i am going just yet....... maybe one of the hiking trails in Ohiopyle, or Laural Mountains.
Please have a wonderful weekend, be safe, and laugh alot.

And Patti is right :0)

and patti's comment was ---------> Patti's Parlor said...
I hope you put "not eating breakfast or lunch" in the *does NOT work* column.Love you g/f. We MUST MAKE A PLAN for a visit.:xoxo

Yes but of Course my Patti is right yet again........ And i must focus on eating even more now that I am working out so much.... my body's metabolism will slow down instead of speed up if i do not feed it just right.

So yesterday morning I did have my mega-shake Protein powder, skim milk, berries, flax oil. and then a couple hours later i made the mistake and took a bite of French toast that i made the kids. WRONG move. i should have know the first food item after the shake can not be bread, actually IF i am going to eat a little bread, or pasta, it is later in the day and only if i was able to eat small amts of other foods earlier in the day......... well anyhow.. i ended up bringing the Fench Toast up. and for the first time ever........ i really couldn't eat the rest of the day.... oh i tried..... I just couldn't. again i am sure this is because of wrong choices...... or maybe it was a way of God telling me, you do know that God has a sense of humor don't you?, because this happened right after I called to make an appointment for an adjustment in November( make it tighter) Yesterday was a reminder that my Lap Band is working correctly, and i should not schedule in haste an adjustment if it is working just fine right now.
Today is a rest day for my muscles, and i must admit, i almost went for a bike ride this morning.. but my muscles are really fatigued and sore, and that is just inviting an Injury to visit....... not smart.
I think mixing Hiking and Biking is a good thing, and just the different muscles and way you use the muscles......... keeps the body guessing.
well i do have work today....... so i need to first drink my breakfast, and second figure out what i am going to take for lunch and then a load of laundry, doing the dishes, vacuuming the floor.........are all on my to do list.
Blessings

Hike day ~ Hike day ~ Hike day

So i actually got 3 hikes in a row, all on different trails, and believe it or not, the hardest on me was actually the easiest trail, and that was around the lake at Keystone state park. walking on paved road is actually harder on my shins. I did spend a good thirty minutes in my fat burning "zone" and today Christina actually hit the trail at Conemaugh this morning....... Chris just picks up where she left off :0). Today my shins were really bothering me, prob from the day before. and i realized i never did give my ol' body a day off since the twenty mile bike ride on Saturday. So tomorrow......... body day of rest!. Bill said out of the blue yesterday that i am starting to drop weight again, he can tell...... he wanted to know how much i've lost this month? I told him not sure, and actually won't know if i've dropped any weight until my next appointment in Pittsburgh, which by the way I called to get it scheduled for November.
You know, i can still say without a doubt that the Lapband was the best thing i've ever done, absolutely no regrets. and i still like how it reminds me that i can no longer eat 5 slices of pizza at dinner. Sunday down at Megan's, i was able to eat one and one/half square slice of pizza! oh it was white pizza with fresh tomato's on, and oh did i want to eat way more...... but i could not. and at the baby shower, I had gone for a hike that morning, and did not eat breakfast, or lunch. so when it came time to eat, i ended up getting chicken stuck early on...... sat there miserable, went to the bath room, brought that back up, and then i was able to go eat some fruit salad, and a small piece of pretzel and strawberry dessert. I do have to stay focused, and truly it has became a part of me and who I am.
I have been documenting my exercise, and eating again........ keeping track of what works for me.
Well i think i am going to get a shower, and maybe even take a short nap........ then i'll get the house finished and figure out what is for dinner.

SURVIVED

I not only survived yesterday's twenty mile bike ride, i felt pretty darn good this morning... oh i can tell i am pushing my muscles to a different level, but no damage, or no pain that would be a warning flag. and actually Katie and i went for a quick 40 minute hike this morning, it was a trail that i rarely use... and it truly is up hill, down hill, up hill down hill....... no really level area's. Katie noticed and commented that i didn't seem to be having any problems didn't even really get short of breath. We took Juneau and Izzy with Us. and yes it even wore them out. I felt bad for our very old dog Louie, so we came back to the house, and took him back to the trail across from where we went.. this one is pretty level at first. ... we took Louie about a hundred yards in, and back... he thought he was all that, he was so happy, wagging his tail and all proud. I must say he couldn't of handled much more, and i had to lift and push his butt into the car. .. he was clueless that it was a short walk.. we'll have to do that more often :0).
Had a great day, went to a baby shower, and then spent the afternoon with Megan's family, as her parents will be going back to Alabama tomorrow morning. I really need to concentrate on some intense Hiking/Biking this week, we'll see how it plays out.
Have a great day today and many blessings.......

TWENTY MILES

about today........... i biked 20 miles, and i must admit it was more difficult this week than last week. but i did it! again i was on Ghost Town TRAIL, ( not trial) LOL. and so it was pretty much up hill for ten miles.......... on the way back was easier, but not much....... around mile 14, my right foot started to cause me some serious pain, hmm, not even putting weight on my feet. I made it back to the car in about 1 hour and 50 minutes... got my bike on the rack, made it to the car, took off my shoes....... and i got what you would call a Charlie Horse in my foot and ankle area........ it hurt so bad. funny i am only 15 miles from the trail, which is shorter than what i drove on my bike. I could absolutely not walk, even if i tried it cramped up so bad, ten minutes later i made it to the recliner, elevated it, iced it for a while, and then started moving my foot in all directions... after about two hours, i was able to walk on it, it hurts,but just like an over used muscle feels. I don't think i'll go past 20 miles for a month, i need to continue to build and condition..... i bet 10 miles is gonna feel pretty easy though....
it has been a good day........ and i am enjoying it. hope you are too....... blessings

Can't think of a title.......

it is supposed to be beautiful weather this weekend, looking forward to a nice bike ride. I was planning on going to Ohiopyle, but car goes to shop Monday for a brake check and Bill doesn't want to travel that far. So i think we are going to go to the Ghost Town Trail, and i plan on Biking 20 to 25 miles......... although the first half was hell, it truly was a continuous upgrade, coming back was a little more doable, not a coast that is for sure, but doable... I am loving my bike, and now with Bill back to work. i am going to have to make sure i get out there to hike or bike 4 or 5 days a week. My Brother's new gym is up and running, but i don't think i would join that until winter time. I also have my wii fit that i still love so much. I am just trying to get my Cardio upped a little more to enhance my metabolism to increase in the fat burning department.
Even though it is still in the 80's hot and humid, I can feel fall knocking on the door....... i can hear it through the cicada's, i can see it on the leaves, and i can smell it in the evening air :0). The birds are gathering in larger groups, and the corn fields are just starting to change from deep green, to green with a hint of yellow..... I love living in Pennsylvania, I love the change of the seasons, I love fall, winter, and spring, and I "like" summer. couldn't imagine living down south where there is such minimal changes that if you don't pay attention, you don't even notice.
Well i don't want to spend too much time on the computer, i want to get the house cleaned, the laundry done, i am making a chicken in the rotisserie for Andrew, and for myself. want to load up the bike and ALL my gear, so I can just go biking directly from work........... so a busy morning i will have.
I'll let you know if i managed to hit the 20 mile mark this weekend.
Blessings to all.......

So about today........Yesterday!!!

so my about today is actually about yesterday being that i got home late in the evening! Yesterday we spent the day at Lake Raystown! Co worker of mine has a boat docked up there. and this is the second time we've gone with him and his wife in the last few weeks. Funny i did get burnt in spots, a patch on my legs, my forehead, and a little on my cleavage area. a few weeks ago, it was ALL sun and so hot and humid, if the boat wasn't moving, i was dying..... however for comfort, i was slathering on the cool sunscreen every chance i got. Yesterday it was mostly over cast, and actually chilly when the boat was moving. I still applied sun screen every couple of hours.. but obviously not enough. it was so quiet up there this weekend, and it was just beautiful.... we boated for a few hours, went back and had grilled chicken and veggies and corn on the cob and ice cold water, and we went back out on the water for another two hours..... Bill drove the boat for a while, but not me.....i sit up in the absolute front of the boat, and just enjoy the movement of the boat, the wind, and the view........
Surprisingly my body was not too damaged from the 18 mile bike ride the day before... and i have been feeling really good. I should have gone hiking or biking today...... but i spent the morning helping my mother in law, and taking her to the doctors, and all of that. She is ALOT of work, and physically not well. her time is winding down and she knows it. I am proud of Bill, he takes such good care of her. this mom has been difficult to say the least, and she has caused Bill so much heart ache his entire life....... But He takes care of her bills, takes care of her mail and her banking, he deals with all her doctors appointments, makes sure her pills (she take 47 a day) are refilled and ordered, (i get them ready weekly). makes sure her O2 tanks work, and her nurses and cleaning lady is taking care of her correctly. He makes sure that his brother and sister can't steal her money (again). he goes there almost every morning (esp when he is working) brings her coffee and breakfast, checks her pain medicine container, and applies a pain patch every three days........... and she continues to not appreciate it, not be thankful, and usually back stabs him * (his one sister had her on speaker phone so he could hear her slam him. ) and he continues to help her!!....... Bill is a really Good man, and i know as we age, he will always be there to take care of me, and even though i really couldn't wait for him to get back to work, i will always be there for him :0). now enough of that, now where was I, ........ so by the time I could hike it was too hot....... i would have biked, but i needed to catch up on some house work.... all these road trips, and bike trips and boat trips,........ things have gotten a little behind.
well i am really all the sudden tired now.......... so i think i'll call it a night........ good night