stair climbs

I've signed up for two stair climbs. Originally Bonnie was going to climb with me, but with the knee injury and the hernia operation, I'm guessing that won't happen. So I'm on my own. I'm sure Bonnie will come along to eat lunch, cheer, and take blackmail photos!

The first one is February 28 in Philly at the Mellon Bank Building.  53 stories, 1,019 steps. Angel and Bug went with me last year. then we went to the Franklin Institute.

The second one is at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes Barre on March 19 in the afternoon. It's 1,224 steps up and down thru the concourse. Last year the security guard wouldn't let me bring my reusable water bottle in. If you remember, Pat sat in the car and waited for me.

Also this day, in the morning, is the Pediatric Cancer 5k on the Ironton Rail Trail. It will be a physical day and I'll need to be prepared!

Training. Hopefully the steps at Acopian. But they aren't very convenient anymore. And the other will be St. Luke's, both the 9-story part and the parking deck. Also, Lehigh if the snow melts. I'm sure they don't shovel all those stairs.

Plus my daily step-ups in my stairway.

(BTW the sun finally came out at 10:15 am. I guess it finally had breakfast.)

i stayed the same

Well, maybe I lost a half pound over the holidays. Not bad if I must say so myself.

I started the day with a scenic walk to the southside post office and home. I finished my day at the nutritionist. Thank goodness that's over.

Remember I mentioned she said I should see a psychologists for my stress and food addiction? Last night she suggested overeaters anonymous, mainly because it's free. I told her I'd consider it but didn't hold out much hope. I had checked them out years ago and decided against it. As with all 12-step programs it has a "higher power" component. When I rechecked into it last night almost all steps involve the "higher power". Anybody who knows me, even a little knows this won't work. I also took their little quiz. You needed to say yes to three of the items. I said yes to one.

Another strike against them was my history with Anonymous meetings. I tried AlAnon a couple of times in my late twenties, and also took Sharon to many AA meetings after rehab. I found them to be pointless. People standing around whining about their problems instead of solving them. I also thought they traded one addition for another. At the AA meetings then drank coffee like it was water and chain smoked. You couldn't breath in the rooms. I guess the smoke -filled rooms elements have changed since smoking is now taboo. To this day Sharon drinks coffee like it's water.

I've had about two-weeks off from work for the holiday. My blood pressure went down about twenty points. Is their a correlation? My one job starts today. Another starts Monday. The third in about ten days. I guess well see if it slowly goes back up.

In the meantime I've signed up for the stair climb in Philly. All 53 floors. I'm going over to Acopian today at lunch time to start training. Hopefully I can still make it to the sixth floor without stopping.

stair climbs

Stair climb season is upon us. I'll be doing the tower in Philly again, and then the stadium climb in Wilkes-Barre in March. Bonnie said she might come.

Last year I trained on campus at Acopian running up and down the six flights of stairs each day I was on campus. This year we;ve moved our office off-campus. Acopian is no longer next door. What to do?

I could hike over to Acopian and get the short walk and the stairs. Or maybe just walk up to the hospital and do the nine flights. But I wonder if it's necessary.

Our current building is an old mansion. I work on the third floor. I am up and down those stairs a minimum of three times a day. Usually closer to six or eight. Do I need to do Acopian, or the hospital? I'm not sure. But it certainly wouldn't hurt.

march challenge, incomplete

For my March challenge I decided to form a walking club. I got the logo done, but that's about it. The chaos of the previous month left little time for much else.

The walking club will be called "Every Two Feet". Every two feet could mean progression from couch to fit; gender, race and/or age; or it could mean barefoot,  Birkinstocks, or sneakers. You can be walking for pleasure or training for a charity walk. My friend Angel came up with it. It's so inclusive.

I'm going to schedule April 24 as the first date for the walking club. I also need to set up a Facebook page for it. And check on prices for t-shirts. While I'm at it I need to check on prices for shirts for Bonnies Boobies. We are officially now a team.

Training begins this month, I think tomorrow for the Avon walk. Bonnie and I will go out together on Saturdays. She'll be doing more training on the treadmill. I'm contacting my friend and neighbor Mary Liz today to see if she wants to resume the morning walks.

It's bright and sunny and warm today. The rains are finally over. After class I'm going to do the walking trail at NCC. Monday I did the stairs at Acopian. If I can get a walk in for the next three days, without excuses, I think I'll be back on track. And not a minute too soon.

If you have a physical challenge for me for April, let me know. I've done stairs and I've done marathon walks. I thought about running a 5K, but my knees would not like that.

i've turned into a pedestrian

Usually at this time of the year I'm still posting weekly or so. But the sun is out and the temps passed 60 today. I went walking in my Birks. It was a good thing.

My first discovery was the "Indian on the mountain". (She's so old, politically correct terms are not accurate. She was and all will be the "Indian".)  She's all decked out for St Patty's day. What a photo op!

My second discovery was not as good. They built a new middle school two blocks from the old one. Many kids needed to cross Wyandotte (Rt 378) to get to the middle school. But since the school moved further down the hill, the school district/police pulled the crossing guard. Fools. There was a mass of kids trying to cross a highway by themselves. I'm scared crossing that street. All they have protecting them is a crosswalk and a pedestrian crossing sign. By the end of the term one will get hit. The lawsuits will be large. Penny wise, dollar foolish.

Lucky for the kids, they did leave the crossing guard at Brodhead and 4th. But he's not needed there. There are lights and traffic is controlled.

As I carried my groceries toward home I made the third discovery. They curb-destroying teams are back at work. This time at the five points. So I had to walk in the street at rush hour.

I've turned into a pedestrian. Just look at the things that bother me. That's a good thing I think.

Sunday I went to the gym with Sharon. Carmen is petering out. Not surprised. Rode the bike about 20 minutes and did 5 on the eliptical.

Yesterday I went up the stairs at Acopian. I plan to do the same thing tomorrow. The six flights seemed like nothing after the 53 flights in Philly. The stadium climb is Saturday. Hopefully someone at the end will take a pix for me.

Finally, I'm working on organizing a walking club for my March challenge. The name will be "every two feet".  More on that in another post.

sharon's stepper

Sharon bought this stepper weeks ago. Henry assembled it. She tried to use and really couldn't make it move. "It's really hard" she exclaimed. I mumbled something about changing the resistance.

So today when I came back from walking she asked if I had a minute to change the resistance. So I went to her place. I got on the thing and couldn't make it move. She gets the book. There is no place to change the resistance. No dial, no nothing. Crap.

So I ignore the instructions and put it close to the wall. I finally made it work. Having something to hold on to other than those straps, helped greatly. I did it for 2 minutes...159 steps...thought I was going to die. I climb six flights at Acopian, the stadium at Fisher Field and walk up Frederick and Wyandotte streets with less effort.

I still think it's resistance. Maybe Henry screwed it together too tight or something. But I'm not mechanical, I can't help her.

does shoveling snow count?

I have not been exercising much at all lately. And I've been eating out a lot. But I have shoveled lots of snow. Does that count?

Over the weekend we had about 8 inches. Philly had about 15. I did three sidewalks, two parking spaces, the path thru my yard and the garage. I did the sidewalks three times. I'd rather shovel two to three inches three times than  eight inches ones.We also had a lesser snow about a week earlier. That time I just did the sidewalks.

I  did one walk with Betsy and the dogs last week. And I did the stairs maybe once each week.

I also hiked up the trail and cut a Christmas tree. Does that count?

Nope. It's all smoke and mirrors.

Next week I have off and I've got to come up with a winter schedule. The First Night run/walk is the 31st and Betsy and I are doing it together.

I need motivation to keep me going thru winter. So I will sign up for the stair climb I mentioned before in Wilkes Barre. And perhaps a Philly one too or the Empire State building. (Beats paying $20!)

climbing stairs

If I'm seriously thinking about doing one of those stair climbs. I need to find larger buildings locally to practice in. And of various ages. Stair rises change from building to building, especially in old ones. No standardization prior to what, maybe 1960?

Last Thursday I had to go downtown to the Williams Visual Arts Center to deliver something to one of the professors. It's a the base of campus.  There are stairs which go from behind Keefe dorms, around the Civil War Statue (no that is not Lafayette!)  to the Alumni Arch on 3rd Street. As I finished my descent, in heels,  I noticed that the sign I designed was on "The Spot", the student nightclub. I didn't have my handbag, so no camera. I vowed I'd return today.

So today I went downtown again. Back down the Alumni stairs in heels again. At one time there was about 199 big, chunky limestone or slate stairs, now there's only about 90. A few years ago, I think when they opened WVAC  they ripped some out and put paths in, for safety, I guess. Damn those paths are steep climbing up. I'd rather have stairs. Today, I took the longer path down, and it's the steepest of all. It took so much energy to "brake" going down.  I thought I was walking at a 20 degree angle!
The first picture is my sign. The second is the Civil War Monument. In the mid-ground  in Rt. 22 and behind that is center square Easton. The peace candle is in the center of the square. The last picture is of the Alumni Arch and stairs from 3rd Street and College Hill. The other is of my sign.

Later today I hope to do my typical 6 flights at Acopian. I should really do the five flights in the old section of the building. They are much different, smaller, and steeper that the "new" ones. And I should also try the ones in Pardee again. They are knee-torturers.

it twas the day before Thanksgiving ...

... when all thru the house
not a creature was not stirring not even a mouse;
The sneakers were resting on the stairs with no care,
In hopes that this fat girl soon would be there.

I started to go on, but there's not that many people in this house.

There is no feast planned. I invited several people to dinner and no one accepted. They realize of course that I'm a really bad cook. Although I strive to be Martha, I'm not. Such is life. The roasting chicken I bought is way too big for my sister and I, but not nearly as big as a turkey would have been.

Thinking about Thanksgiving made be remember a Shel Silverstein poem my Girl Scouts read during a scout's own the weekend before Thanksgiving. We were at Camp Helena, and there's was a lot of wild turkeys. My vegetarian friends will like this.

Thanksgiving dinner's sad and thankless

Christmas dinner's dark and blue

When you stop and try to see it

From the turkey's point of view.

Sunday dinner isn't sunny

Easter feasts are just bad luck

When you see it from the viewpoint

of a chicken or a duck.

Oh how I once loved tuna salad

Pork and lobsters, lamb chops too

'Til I stopped and looked at dinner

From the dinner's point of view.

Enough about Thanksgiving.

I have worked out a bit this week. I am still sick. My cold is about 90% gone and I can breath again. My ear was infected and is still blocked and ringing. I can't really hear out of it and it has an odd echo. I now know how crazy people go crazy. I don't really have another $90 for the doctor, so this is how it shall be. I will adapt. When you don't have medical insurance that's what you do. Adapt. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Or at least that's what my mama told me.

Friday I went out walking with Betsy and the dogs. I was supposed to do the Philly marathon Sunday. That didn't happen. Watching the start on television was bittersweet. Monday I did the walking path at the College, then after class went to the gym. I did about 20 minutes on the eliptical and another 20 on this bicycle-like thing. It pedaled like a bike but your legs were out in front of you. It was actually nice, and had little impact on my knees, which is good. Two thing I can do in that gym. Yeah me. Sadly today it closes at 5 for the holiday and my class isn't over till 6. I will, however, do the walking path. I'll also need to go at least 3 miles both Friday and Saturday because the Turkey Trot is Saturday. I do not want to finish last.

I also signed up for the First Night 5K, New Year's Eve. So I have three 5Ks in the next 5 weeks. That should get this fat girl moving again.

I need to move. I walked the stairs at Acopian yesterday and was breathing like daddy by the fourth floor.  A few weeks ago I could get to the top without breaking a sweat. A few short weeks of limited activity is undoing everything I accomplished over the summer.

This must stop.

This will stop.