january report card / february goals

I did not meet most of my January goals. I only met one. However, I made progress towards them, so it wasn't a total washout.

1. Walk more. Whine less.  80%. I think I did well with this. I did walk more, even if it wasn't far. But I cannot gauge my whining until I've gone over the top. You tell me. Am I whining less?
February goal: to do even better. With the Iditawalk and the Winter Challenge, that should be no problem. Maybe I'll even have something to write about.

2. Spend less. Save more.  80%. I haven't impulsed bought at all, but I have eaten out. One day I brought dinner home. Three or four times I ate lunch out.
     This also means I cannot enter races, events, workshops or clinics. The event fees are high and the best ones involve hotels and long drives. (They also make the best blog posts.) But I am trying to rebuild my safety net and pay for health care so I cannot be tempted. To this end, I've removed my name from many event lists, but my fitness friends on FB post events. This one has my name on it. I will not enter. I will not enter.  
February goal: If I get a clean month of not eating out, then I think I'll try a once a week scenario. I must continue to resist the call of the race.

3. Closing the Gayle Savings and Loan.  0%. Totally failed at this. Calling me crying and hyperventilating will get me every time. My savings account is another $2K down. 
February goal: No more. Don't call me. Don't text me. I have no money to give you.

4. Buy new sneakers.  0%. I didn't even get near the sneaker store. It's on the to-do list. I did try not wearing the flats I bought and it does make a difference. I don't understand why. My preference is to go barefoot. Shouldn't flats be the same? Apparently not.
February goal: Buy sneakers. Maybe I should try the ones Bonnie gets with the built-in orthodics.

5. Eat better.  75%. I think I did okay with this one. I am eating less. I am eating better. But I am not eating clean. I still drink soda. And if the roomie has candy I will eat it. All. I clearly can not have just one. I have not eliminated night time eating, but I have curtailed it a lot. I am trying not to say anything to the roomie, so it makes it twice as difficult.
     My poor friend Angel probably hates that she said yes to this adventure. She's doing way more than I asked. She's counting my calories. and sending me totals every day.
     It took me a whole month to lose 6 pounds. I am 227. More exercise should bring that down.
February goal: Eat better. Goal for February 219.

6. Buy Health Insurance and make doctors appointment.  100%.  Now if they would just send me a card.

7. Blog everyday in February. Now that one is going to be tough. That will force me to get my fat fanny moving!

almost spring. time to buy new shoes,

Both pair of my sneakers are shot. I need new ones. I've needed them since late fall. But I didn't want to buy them and ruin them in winter.

Athletic shoes are good for about 600 miles. I have two pairs and I walked nearly 2000 miles in 2013. Guess I should really have three.

Speaking of shoes, I cleaned mine out today. Some were shot and got tossed. (Goodbye water shoes. 15 years is probably too long for water shoes.) Some got placed in the bag for the shoe repair. Others were donated to a shoe drive,. And the remainder went back on the rack. I no longer look like a shoe ho.

Cleaning out is great, but replacing is expensive. Sneakers are about $100. I buy New Balance (made in USA) I need to buy one pair at a time, maybe 4 months apart, so they don't all wear out at the same time!

I didn't donate my muck-luks, but should have. They have been stretched out from heavy socks. Next time, I will try them on with heavy socks.  I'll wait till next fall to get a new pair.

I don't need the water shoes right away, so I'm hoping to wait to get them in June at the end of the season. Otherwise, I'll order them from Land's End. Finally, I will need new rain shoes. My old ones went in the donation bag. They were just too narrow and hurt my feet.

Wait, I have hiking boots somewhere. My feet have changed a lot since I last wore them. I should find them and donate them also.

no more pink sneaks?

I've been noticing for awhile that my pink sneakers are shot. Just look at the bottoms. From what I read you have about 600 miles in a pair. I'm well past that I'm sure. Sadly I just bought them in February or March.

So I said to the roomie, "wanna go for a ride in the car?" Amazingly she said yes. So off we went to my favorite sneaker store New Balance. A corporate sponsor of the 3-Day, all their shoes are made in Massachusetts. That's right. We still make a couple things in America and I'm buying them.

As you've seen in many posters my sneakers are pink. A percentage of the sales go to Koman. I'm looking at the clothes and the clerk asks if I need assistance. I point down and say "Need these in a 10."

"Pink has been discontinued."

"What?"

She shows me gray. "They have plenty of pink". The thought behind the color change is that the pink gets dirty quickly. Personally I don't mind dirt, but I guess others did.

I was disappointed but I bought them. They also had a sneaker slide in the same gray, much less pink, but the insole has the Koman logo. Guess my shopping trip can go in the budget as philanthropy!

While I was browsing I found this shirt. Now if you've ever sat in one of my classes, this typeface —hobo—is on the never-use list. (Morris Fuller Benton, 1910.) It has been miss-used and abused so badly since the advent of personal computers. Clearly this is warped for effect.

I was also looking at pants. During the summer I've been wearing my regular shorts. I have yoga pants and knee length pants that I wear. However, neither of them are really practical for Zumba, or Stretch and Tone, or any type of group aerobic-like class. I need shorts. I want them tight, but not spandex. And I want pockets. I kept going back to these and leaving them. They were a bit pricey. Finally, when the clerk asked the inevitable "will there be anything else?" I said "yes". Then I asked her about how they fit. That's when she told me they have a built in panty! She said they are form fitting but not tight. They move with you, but won't stick to you. And they aren't baggy. I bought them. Both the t-shirt and the pants fit like a dream. The shorts are exactly what I wanted. You'll see them tomorrow. I'm wearing them for the Iron Pig 5K.

When we returned home I sat down at the computer to type this up. The roomie says, "if they discontinued your pink shoes, maybe you can find them on the internet." Some days she's so smart. I searched. I found. I bought. The girl who three years ago did the 3-Day in Birks, now has three pair of sneakers.

Now I just need to find out in NCC is still recycling the old ones. If worse comes to worse I can take them to the Nike store in Tannersville. They always have a bin.

wind in our face

I'm making sure I post today so Lyd doesn't hollar at me again!

Today we gathered at my house to walk at 10ish. Adonis stayed with Pat and Sharon. We headed up my street and out Sioux, then crossed Wyandotte and up the Eighth street hill into Lehigh's campus. Lyd was none to happy with me.

Then we wove thru campus, and went out Fifth to Hayes. All this time the wind was beating on our backs. When we reached the Greenway and headed west the wind acted like resistance. It was very cold. So we moved up to Fourth, so the buildings broke the wind a little. My original plan was to go down to third and up the hill and out Delaware so the walk would be four plus miles. Instead we headed straight, more or less,  home. Total was 3.3 miles.

I think our pace was pretty good for the first half. We mostly stayed together. It took about 70 minutes if you minus off the potty stop at Wendy's.


We took a couple of pixs on the Greenway. My camera battery was dead, so Lyd took them on her phone. We're all wearing our hats Barb made us.

We got home, rested a bit and Bonnie was headed to Bottom Dollar in the car. Lyd and Adonis also left. Sharon and I hopped into Bonnie's car and went to B$ too. Sharon got the groceries she needed and we wove our way home. I added another 30 minutes to my walking. My Idita Walk total is now 562. I'm half way done. Hopefully If I get 5 hour walks in this week, I'll be done next week this time.

Then I'll wait for the others to arrive. Unsure if Megan will beat me to the finish.

she likes me

Mother Nature likes me. The sun came out and it was a perfect day for a walk.

Heading over to Aardvark I tried the intervals. I discovered a problem. Waiting at Broadway and several other major intersections lets you rest. It really does't work as well for building endurance.

I tried on 6 different styles of the Vibram's. None worked for my feet. My toes aren't perfect. (I am my mothers daughter.) Merrell's also makes a "Barefoot Pure Glove Shoe". It looks more like a shoe but feels like a slipper. They didn't have my size. That gift card and coupon remains in my wallet.

then I headed up to New Street and across the bridge to the Campus Square farm market at Lehigh. They gave me a lovely new grocery bag and a guide to local foods. Not much produce yet at the market, but lots of baked goods. I bought a small container of apple butter from Bechtold's and some pineapple salsa from the Easton Salsa company. Too bad I cna't go again. Starting in 2 weeks I work T/W/Th. Next week I'll be at a conference in Jersey. Bummer.


After shopping, I headed home. Total mileage 3.9 miles. I'm calling that 4.

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When I was on google pedometer I noticed that the star of Bethlehem and the trail is on the map. When Bonnie's foot heels we are going there.

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I received a silly medal at the MS walk. Promptly lost it. Found it today between the gear shift and the passenger seat. Attached the medal part to my three-day backpack.

calculated risk

At 5 am it was bright and sunny. I thought, yeah the rain is over. I can walk.

For a change I have the day off. I have choices. Walk first thing, or wait till late morning and walk to the south side farmers market and then uptown to Aardvark and look at Vibrams. I have a 10% off coupon and a $100 gift card burning a hole in my pocket.

If they are comfy and I like them, should I break them in at the Relay? I'd always have my Birks to switch to. Hmm.

I took the risk and decided to wait. It's 9 am and looks all black and rainy again. The birds are still singing.

It's a gamble. Hopefully Mother Nature sides with me today.

a 5K in sneakers

Today was the Race Against Racism 5K. Bonnie (r) and I did it together. It was so much fun having someone to hang with before, and during the walk. This was Bonnie's first 5K. I'm sure she could have walked faster without me. (more pixs)

I wore my pink sneakers. How do people wear them so long? My feet were hot and felt like they had 10 pound weights on them.

We played around with power walking a couple of times to boost our speed. We finished in 54:37. Next time we're going to do the power walk intervals from the get go. Goal, 4 MPH.

We'll see how it goes. Next week we have another 5K. Maybe I'm finally finding some motivation to keep moving. Dr. tomorrow. No doubt I'll flunk my BP test again.

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The trees noted in my April 18 post are now all gone. The landscape is totally different. It now looks old, worn out, without charm. Makes me sad.

Fat lazy girl not walking.

I really have been hating myself the last couple weeks because I can not get my fat lard butt out walking or stair climbing. I don't know if I'm burned out or what. Any ideas on how to light the fire again?

I even had a great moment on Friday and it didn't motivate me. I was driving Lyds car. She was the passenger since she had a medical procedure. I was really far from her house, but my car was in front. So I left her car run, and went to move mine. I walked to my car, moved it another 25 feet toward the corner. Then for no apparent reason I ran back to her car. It was maybe a 1/2 block. I haven't run a half block since middle school. I hopped into the car and pulled into the newly opened spot. Then it hit me. I wasn't breathing hard. I wasn't panting. I ran and physically I was normal. I was excited. But not excited enough to get walking again.

Today it's beautiful out. I should have walked for hours. I had planned to go with a friend and she called and bagged out. So instead of going out alone I sat at this stupid computer and worked all day. And snacked. I have turned eating into an Olympic event the last two weeks. I've been grazing. And I don't normally graze! I'm eating like there is no tomorrow. And if I keep it up there isn't. My sweet tooth is in another universe it's so active. The timing is awful too. I need to go to the doctor at the end of the week. There will be no weight loss this time.I don't have a clue what my BP is. This will not be pretty.

I walked one day this week. Friday afternoon with Betsy and the pups. And last Sunday I did feel guilty enough to take the scenic route down o Aharts and back. Both times I wore my new pink shoes and they were comfy.

Yesterday I killed another pedometer. I was helping Elin move. It was fine at the old house with all those steps. (So was I come to think of it.) I will not miss the steps at Elin's old house. The front ones are horrible. The ones to the second floor are really horrible (and they've been fixed. They were insane before!) And the attic ones are beyond description. Of course those I did about 50 times. I got Elin and her broken leg up to the second floor (first time in 3 months) and then I shuttled boxes from the attic. Later, Elins friend Charlette came and helped me. It broke at the new place. Walking in the back door carrying nothing. Doesn't really matter. Since the 3-Day I think I've had one day over 10,000 steps. Most average 5,000. I haven't even bothered writing it down on logging it on beewell.com.

I'm thinking of signing up for a stair climb in February, but am not sure if my knees could take it. I have the form here for the Jingle Bell Run/Walk. It's a 5K. I've sworn off 5Ks but it's for arthritis, so maybe I should reconsider. Will it be enough to get me moving again. The Turkey Trot is Thanksgiving weekend. Again, a 5K.

What to do, what to do? This fat girl needs to stop grazing and start walking again. Any ideas to motivate me would be appreciated. "Just do it" won't work.

Sunday off?

I've been training for the walks since about April. neither went exactly according to plan. Such is life. Today I was going to train for the marathon with my GS friend Betsy, but she's ill. So I decided to take the day off; at least for now.

The sun is out and it's warm. I did the laundry and hung it outside to dry. I cleaned out some of the garden and picked the volunteer pumpkins and cleaned up the vines. I had extended pumpkin picking invites to all my friends and family in town with wee ones. Nobody came. So now I have 5 beautiful pumpkins to process with the Kitchen Aid.  If you need pumpkin for your Thanksgiving pies, let me know. The puree gets so beautiful in the Kitchen Aid that all you need to do is add cream, spices and call it soup. If only I liked pumpkin.

So now I'm getting caught up on paperwork, getting Sharon's address book updated, and her Christmas labels printed out for her client Christmas cards. It almost sounds like a average day.

Today on the CBS Morning show, yep I watched tv too, it was all about obesity.  It did not inspire me. Usually that kind of stuff does. Maybe taking a little time off is good. But not too much. I have to go back to the "doctor" for my blood pressure by Thanksgiving. If I slack-off too much it will skyrocket back up, he'll get angry, and give me more drug. I don't want more drugs. I want less. Actually I want none.

I don't think I'm even going to try the marathon. I can't walk fast enough and I'm not that motivated to train. Back to back breast cancer walks have burnt me out. I haven't had my pedometer on in about a month!

Maybe I'll go walking later today. It's only 10:30 am and already I'm feeling guilty for not get my lard-butt moving. I really do want to break in my new sneakers.

Another pair of sneakers

Last night Beth and I went to the Promenade Shoppes. She wanted to get another pair of sneakers before Saturdays walk. Hopefully she can break them in. New Balance is a 3-Day sponsor (for 20 years!) and they give a discount to walkers. So off we went.

When we arrived they had outdone themselves with pink for October. There was pink everywhere. There on the shelf was pink sneakers, made in the USA. I was tempted. But resisted. We got Beth's sneaks and  left.

After walking around the "lifestyle center" I said  those pink sneakers are cute enough to make me want to try them on. I had worn my Finn Casuals on Sunday for 6 miles with no problems, but they really didn't offer any cushion. They felt like my Birks. That's not good for long-distance walking. This is one thing I know.

So we went back and tried them on. They fit. I think. I have to wear them a couple times to know for sure. And as a bonus I got a little box of stuff. A workout video (ha ha) and a sneaker shaped USB drive. Loaded on it is the Koman video. But I can erase that. I was hoping to use it for school, but there's not way to hang or attach it.

So there it is. I've bought two pairs of shoes for walking. Now will I wear either one? Not for the Avon or the 3-Day. No time to break them in. But the Philly marathon has potential. Stay tuned.

Finally bought walking shoes

My quandary is this. No shoe ever seems to fit. They feel too loose, or too tight, or too something. I think it's because I'm just not used to wearing "real" shoes. I wear Birks 80% of the time. If I put on a closed shoe, I wear it to the office and 9 out of 10 times I kick them off. Bottom line is I don't know how to tell if my shoes fit.

It happened again Friday when I went to try on the Finn Casuals. Again. They felt too loose at the heel. They put in pads, they felt better, but still my heel was lifting. The clerk said your heel should give a little. I was still unsure about the fit and even left the store. Ultimately I came back and bought them. At some point I had to stop trying on shoes and buy a pair. It was decision time. You can tell nothing walking back and forth at a store.

So I decided to buy the most expensive walking shoe on the market. German, hand sewed, repairable, with cork inter soles like my Birks. They are an investment. As I plunked down my debit card I knew this was going to be great, or a really expensive mistake. Wouldn't be the first one.

I was going to wear them that night on my 1-hour faster walk with Betsy. It rained. Then, I was going to wear them the first loop on Saturday. It rained more. So finally on Sunday I cheated on my Birks and wore the Finn Casuals. I have the heel blisters to prove it. I walked 4 miles. Maybe that was too far. Maybe those pads were a bad idea. I'm calling the shoe store today.

I will try them at least two more times before I give up on them for distance walking. I'll give them some time before I give up on the forever. They fit Bonnie well, so she might get some hand-me-downs. I won't be wearing them for either the three-day or the Avon. It's too risky.

I really think I need sneakers for the Philly Marathon. I can't walk a 16 minute miles in sandals. The New Balance 8550 were my second choice. If I go to the New Balance store and try them I'll get a discount. Bonnie found some Nike's that are wide in the front and narrow in the back. Maybe I should try them on too.

Or maybe I should stop distance walking. Life was simpler as a couch potato. I'm disappointed. I had high hopes. I will take some time to wallow and then move forward.

But then I received this email. One of those moments when you think fate is stepping in...
"Ah, the blisters of a new pair of shoes.....it's good luck. Like when you get hit with bird shit. My dad always said it was a special blessing and to thank the bird. So thanks new sneakers!"

the worlds most expensive walking shoes

I went to Foot Solutions today to try on sneakers. wow, what a selection. I walked in and immediately saw the walking shoes. A fairly regular selection of ugly clunky sneakers, and then several very interesting ones. Some, like the Finn Comforts, didn't look like sneakers. They are after all, walking shoes.

I was greeted by Melody, a pedorthist. What is that you ask? I had no idea. I tried to look it up in the dictionary, but to no avail. So then I tried the web. Of course the first hit was Wikipedia. "A Certified Pedorthist, or C. Ped. is a specialist in using footwear - which includes shoes, shoe modifications, foot orthoses and other pedorthic devises - to solve problems in, or related to, the foot and lower limb." What did we ever do before the internet?

Anyway she asked a ton of question. I felt like I was at the foot doctor. Then she had me walk across the room, and I got on a machine which took a picture of my feet and how I stand. I said to her I should have brought my camera. She made me an extra print out. I've scanned it and it's above. The red dot's are maximum pressure on my feet. It's my heels so that's good. I apparently shift a lot of weight to my right foot. Now the young man on Sunday said I had flat feet. Her fancy computer said I had a medium arch on one foot and a high arch on the other. Whatever.

She measured me at a 10, but I tried on shoes from a 9.5 to 10.5 or 40-42 European.

The ones I was attracted to initially were Mephisto's. I knew immediately they wouldn't work. Then I tried on the Finn Comforts. They are German, with a replaceable footbed and fully repairable, so your shoes last a long, long time. They should, they cost a kings ransom...$275. I felt like I was trying on Jimmy Choos. She only had 41s which were too small. Even too small they were the most comfortable shoes I had ever had on my feet. Like my Birks, the foot bed will mold to your foot. And they have arch support.

I tried on the MBT Rockers. Boy was that weird. She said it passes after you get used to it. They, like the Skeetchers with a roll bar, are supposed to lift and tone and improve circulation, ect. (Both cost about $200 sense a trend?) We had looked at them last week in NYC on a bus stop billboard. I liked the Skeetchers, but I felt like I was walking out of them.

That happens a lot.

I also tried on some New Balance (A bargain at $110!). They were too small and they didn't have then next size up. But if I ultimately buy them, I'd get them from the New Balance store. They are a 3-day national sponsor. I might even get a discount.

All in all I tried on about 10 pair of shoes. I was there nearly an hour and a half. She ordered the Finn Comforts in my size, to try on.

When I was little, we didn't have much money. (Gee, some things never change.) But my mother always insisted on buying us good shoes. At least by the time I came along. "You only get one pair of feet", she'd say. "You have to take care of them". [She grew up wearing "relief" shoes. They were always the wrong size and her feet were a tangled mess of bunions, hammer toes, and arthritis. She wanted to spare us that. Although I think my eldest sister and brother may have worn "relief" shoes too.] So she'd scrape together money to buy us really good shoes. Every year before school started we'd get a new pair. The old pair was relegated to "play" shoes. Each pair was the same, just older. On Easter we'd get patent leather Mary Janes from the pre-cursor to Payless on Stefko Blvd. You'd wear them to church and come home and immediately take them off.

Enough memory lane. The question remains, do I dare I really spend that much money on one pair of shoes?

I don't know.

Mama?

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To see the super expensive and super comfortable Finn Comforts, click here: http://www.finncomfort.com/collections/prod_detail.aspx?style_sku=82736&name=Cusco