Treadmills and Road Blocks

A long road trip & moving furniture equals back ache. Yikes!

For a week my back has been twisted muscles sending waves of pain every time I lifted, turned or bent over.  All just in time for the treadmill I bought last week and the plan I have for taking off some pounds. (30 or 40 of the little buggers)

Now I have to start. This week of heating pads and Icy Hot are wearing on me, frustrating me, and its time for a change. Ten minutes on the treadmill won't hurt, right? It might even help.

Sometimes I forget my age, I forge ahead and just do things. Get things done and never look back. Other times it weighs on me. It's like a slap down; "Oh no, you're getting older every day! Don't forget that!"

I'm watching Grace and Frankie. A Netflix original about two women who find out their husbands have been having an affair with each other. Now there two older women (Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin) need to figure out their new lives as they watch their husbands go off and marry each other.  Together Grace and Frankie show everything can be possible in spite of their ages. They are true to their personal styles and go forth and conquer.

I think this reminds me that I need to figure out that personal style thing. Somewhere between getting married young, raising kids, gaining weight, and working I lost that personal style thing. I dress in what fits and what's comfortable.

So, how does one find their personal style after all these years?

That Elusive Animal; Exercise

I'm going to exercise, I plan to exercise, I know how to exercise....

So why do I spend my nights on the couch?

I had a treadmill and usually used it. I sold it for unknown reasons...
Now I miss my treadmill and I'm searching for a new one, but HOLY CRAP! they are expensive.  $500 for a decent one that looks like I could, might, someday run on it? (If I ever get up to the running thing)

Sports Authority is closing so last week I toddled on over to see if I could get a deal on a decent treadmill.
Yeah- No. They were still super expensive. I'm going again today to see if the prices are any lower.
I think when stores go out of business, they mark up prices before setting the discount. The sign says 70% off! However that doesn't apply to everything in the store. That 70% might be for a single dumbbell.  Do they really think we're that dumb?
Maybe? Because I'm going back today to see if there are any real deals.

So anyone out there exercising? Any motivational tips VERY WELCOME!

Monday Motivation

Hello Monday!
Back to the grind. Although I love my job, it does cut into my writing time.

It was a four mile weekend. Yay!  Walking two miles a day and I have hope this is just the beginning. With the help of Map my Walk, I've charted out kind of a track through the neighborhood that is exactly two miles. I tried to include as many of the little hills I could since that would improve the work out. I was about a mile and a half yesterday when it started raining. A light drizzle, nothing that would make me quit. I was back in the house less than a minute when the downpour started. I'm glad I wasn't on the far side of the neighborhood when that hit!
 Haven't hit the weights, yet. Really have to get that part done. However, I ate the last frozen yogurt bar in the fridge and I pledge not to buy any more until I lose 20 lbs. Ha! Wish me luck. I think I'm addicted to frozen yogurt!

Summer is here and the weather finally warmed up. It's nice to be outside again. Each new season makes me think it's time to set a goal. Not just exercise, but everything. I'm thinking about going back to school. I have a partial degree in English/Creative Writing and I'd like to finish. If I can finish the associates, there's a place in Vermont that will let you finish the bachelors within a year. It's called "low res." You go up for a week for orientation, then work on your own. I'd like to try this one. Even at my age, I still want that degree. It's been a big regret in my life. I should have done it in my 20's.

Any regrets in your 50's and 60's?

Exercising at 50 or 60?

Does exercise get scarier when we get older? Maybe, to some.
Then I see an older man running past me as I walk the neighborhood. He looks great, runs at a good pace, and, I imagine, has no fear of pushing his body.

The thought of working up to a run kind of scares me since I haven't run since I was in my 20's.

There's a program called Couch to 5K that combines walking and running/jogging to get a person ready to run a full 5K. Which I think is 2 or 3 miles? Yesterday I walked 2 miles through, up and around my neighborhood. Stupid me, I did it at 1 o'clock in the afternoon during the hottest part of the day. I really can't take the heat when I'm sitting still so by the time I got home I was kind of dizzy. But I did it! (There's a phone ap called Map My Walk that will track it for you.)

Today calls for rain so unless there's a break in the rain, I might just hit the weights today. I was reading Body for Life by Bill Phillips and one of the success stories was an older woman, 60+, who did the program. They showed her standing there in a bikini with an amazingly buff body. Made me think it was possible. A quick internet search found Bonnie Ave, champion body builder at age 60! So I believe there is hope.
Not sure if I'm ever going Couch to 5K but I am going to get off this couch.
Anyone else start an exercise program after 50? What's your story?
Come on! I need some inspiration!

The Empty Nest Syndrome

Life changes dramatically after the kids grow up and leave the nest.

I think this hits women more than most men. When my kids lived close, it wasn't so hard. We'd meet for shopping or dinner. It was a fun relaxing time. They were still here, just a little over there.
Now my kids are states away from me and it's very hard. I've given up our usual shopping haunts for online shopping because I can barely step into those old favorite stores without tears. We used to go out for coffee and lottery tickets. We'd sip our coffee and scratch the tickets and talk. I love coffee and lottery tickets. I've bought some scratch off tickets, but now can't bare to scratch them. They sit in a forlorn little pile on my desk. Who knows? There might be a winner in there somewhere that I'm missing.

Maybe I'll just mail them to the kids.

I know enough about loneliness and loss that I should keep busy. I lost both my parents while i was still in my 20's. I think the only thing that kept me going then was my kids. They weren't even in school yet so they kept me very busy. I think they saved me then.

I write. I have a couple of books up on Amazon and I'm working on two more. I have a full time job. Things that keep me busy, but weekends are hard. I know I should just schedule writing hours or painting hours or blogging hours or exercise time, but for some reason I hold back. Guess I have to kick my own butt here and DO SOMETHING! Plotting to move and job hunting in that far away state where my kids are consumes a lot of time, but when nothing tangible shows up, it's depressing.
Still its time to shake it off and DO SOMETHING. I think I'll start with setting up a weekend schedule.

New Saturday Schedule

• Clean till noon
• Write till 3 p.m.
• Run errands (Always better to do this in the late afternoon as most like to get this done early. Less crowds in the afternoon.) 
• Exercise-probably walking

New Sunday Schedule

• Exercise-walking
• Painting till noon
• Laundry -all day :)
• Write

Wish me luck!  All advice welcome! Please leave a comment and let me know your best advice for Empty Nest Syndrome.