Walking and Rolling!

It's Wednesday, my day home with the kids. We're in the middle of a heat wave over here so we are headed to the park (with a water feature) soon to play in the water. I am wearing shorts and t-shirt and actually feeling ok about that. It's amazing how my mind has shifted in the last month or so. When bathing suit shopping a month or two ago I was feeling like wearing a bathing suit was a sacrifice I was willing to make for my kids. I was definitely not willing to have them miss out on summer fun because I was feeling crappy about my body. But now, even though I'm not feeling great about my body yet, knowing that I'm doing something about it already makes me feel so much more comfortable with myself. Of course I'd like to look, and feel, better. But knowing I'm getting there is a relief. So today, in my shorts and t-shirt, I feel alright. And even if, er when, I get all wet with the kids today I know I'll be less concerned about my t-shirt sticking to my fat :)

Ok, exercise update. On Monday evening I went on that walk after the kids went to bed. I wore my headphones and again enjoyed my music. I did a larger loop than last time and after coming home and mapping it out I found it was three miles. I was curious about my pace and since I walked an even 60 minutes it was easy-peasy - 20 minute miles, 3 miles per hour. That's the same pace I'm walking on the treadmill during walks for c25k so that's good. Toward the last 1/3 or so I had a chance to take a shortcut and probably cut off a little less than a mile. My legs were starting to complain a bit and I was tempted but ultimately decided I wanted to walk at least 45 minutes and that would have meant closer to 40 so I took the longer route. When I got home and found I walked three miles I was happy I didn't take the shortcut. I came home and stretched and hit the sack a happy girl.

Yesterday Miguel called me toward the end of the day and said he could pick up the kids if I wanted to go to the gym. It's so much easier having Miguel behind me on this! I went to the gym and did c25k week 1, day 3. This time I remembered to set my elevation 1. Things went pretty well. I felt good, my heart wasn't pounding too fast and my legs weren't hurting too badly. The most amazing bit of goodness is that I haven't had to deal with shin splints! Hopefully they will not make an appearance at all but I've had such issues with them in the past I'm psychologically ready to deal with them if I have to. So I almost feel like I could go on to Week 2 next week and I'm really tempted to give it a try. In Week 2 you up the jogging to 90 seconds but the walks get stretched out to 2 minutes. I probably could do that but I also don't want to push myself too fast and burn out. I'm leaning toward repeating Week 1 but we'll just have to see how I feel next time I hop on the treadmill. After c25k I did weight training, back and biceps.

I also got to chatting with some other gym-goers about spin class and cycling and I mentioned I'm looking for a nice, flat, paved bike route for a ride. One woman mentioned a paved trail in Mill Valley - that's exactly what I am looking for! I had forgotten about that trail. I rode on part of it when I did the paradise loop back in October of '08. Hopefully this Saturday morning we can head out with the kids in tow on our road bikes. I'm excited!

Did you catch that I mentioned spin class? I've always been too scared to take a spin class but my new gym has a 1/2 hour spin clinic that notes "beginners welcome!". It's on Thursdays and Miguel would have to pick up the kids for me to be able to go but sometimes he gets done early so I asked him to think of me if he finishes early on a Thursday so I can check it out. There's a spin class at the crack of dawn (7:15am) on Saturdays but I want to attend this clinic before I dive in to a full hour class. Since Myra wakes up at 6:30 in the friggin' morning like clockwork I should be able to make a 7:15 class.

Well, I'm off. I don't know if I'll go to the gym tonight or not. Sort of depends on how my day goes with the kids. So far I've gone to the gym twice and taken a good long walk once so I could take a day off if I'm feeling like it. That's always a nice thing to know.