Cookies' Summer Challenge 2021

It's only May 27th, but summer kind of begins for us tomorrow--it's Eli's last day of school! He normally would have to go for two more weeks, but the school said that any of the kids who are passing with good grades (he has all A's and B's) have the option to be out on May 28th. The kids that continue to go will be going simply to try to improve their grades enough to pass.

Anyway, summer "officially" starts on June 20th this year... and you know what that means. Cookies' Summer Challenge!

I've done this Summer Running/Walking Checklist since 2016. I tweaked it here and there over the past couple of years, but this year, I'm going to go back to the basic checklist. I want to keep it simple!

This challenge is for those of you who want to run or walk through the summer, but you aren't going to be training for anything big, and you're not sure you want to do a strict schedule. You may just want to loosely follow a plan in order to get you moving through the summer.

Most importantly, exercise should be FUN! Summer is all about fun, but I used to completely dread summer runs. Michigan gets very hot and sticky (the humidity is terrible here, despite what you may think about Michigan weather). And what is more fun than challenging yourself and sharing about it with others? ;)

The object of the challenge is to complete as many of the runs/walks on the checklist as you can. These are all items that just about anyone can do--whether you run or walk. You can go as fast or as slow as you'd like, because these workouts aren't based on speed or distance. They are just lists of things to make your walk or run a little more interesting!

To make things even more fun, I created a Facebook group just for people who want to give the challenge a try. In the group, you can post photos from your runs/walks, write about each experience, tell us about whether it was a good or bad run/walk, etc. Brag, complain, ask questions, whatever you'd like! But it's basically an accountability group for those of us who want to attempt to complete the challenge list this summer.

The challenge starts on June 20th and ends on September 22nd--from the start of summer (the solstice) to the end of summer (the fall equinox). I really hope that you'll join in and follow along with others who are doing it as well!

Here is a link to the (closed) Facebook group (note: You must answer the two questions when requesting to join--it helps to weed out spam accounts):

Runs for Cookies Summer Run/Walk Challenge 2021

I chose a closed group so that only other members can see what you share. You will have to request to join, so please be patient with me. I will approve you as long as you don't look like a spam account (also, please plan to participate in the group--even if it just means "liking" other peoples' posts--to keep it active).

As much as I try, I will not always be around in this group--which is why I need your help to keep it interesting. Share things with each other! Make friends! Once in a while I might do a giveaway or some sort of prize for people who are actively working on the challenge as well as posting in the group (last year, I gave away a Kindle Paperwhite). This is not meant to be super competitive, however--just fun.

Anyway, without further ado, here are the challenge checklists (you can click on the photo to view/print the PDF). They are essentially the same list, but the wording is different between runners and walkers:

          

Once you join the Facebook group (if you want to; obviously, you don't have to), then print out either your walking challenge or your running challenge sheet. Then, starting on June 20th, start working on each run/walk on the list in any order you choose.

There are a few that have to be done on certain days... there is one that has to be done ON June 20th, because it's the summer solstice--the first day of summer. Summer officially starts at 11:52 PM ET, so if you run between 11:51 PM and 11:53 PM, you will have run from spring to summer! . (This is explained on the challenge sheet.)

Like I said, do them in any order you'd like. And then if you're in the Facebook group, it would be great if you posted pictures of your completed runs! The only rule is that you cannot count multiple items for a single run--each item must be completed in its own run/walk. For everything else, if you're not sure what "counts", just use your best judgment. Nobody is going to police the challenge ;)

Okay, and there you have it! I hope you are as excited as I am to knock some things off this list this summer :)  (Every year, I say I am going to complete the entire list, and I've yet to even finish 75% of it! So maybe this will be my year.)

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Breaking the Streak (gross photo warning)

(I needed a filler photo above so that the thumbnail photo for this post isn't the gross pic you'll see later!)

It had to happen sooner or later... I just wish it had been later instead of, well, yesterday.

I broke my five-mile-a-day walking streak! On Monday, I completed Day 225. At that point, I was pretty sure it was going to be the end, but I hoped I'd be able to walk yesterday (and do the C25K workout). Ultimately, I decided not to do it. Out of all the things to stop me from continuing my streak, I never imagined it would be THIS that stopped me...

A week ago Sunday, which was my first C25K workout, I decided to wear a pair of Brooks Ghosts that I had retired. They were the shoes I was used to running in, and they still had a little tread left on the bottoms--I figured that would be a good choice to start the C25K with. 

Since I've gained weight, my feet have gotten bigger. My feet went down a size and a half when I lost 125 pounds; apparently, my feet have grown half a size in the last couple of years. I could feel that the Ghosts were smaller, but I didn't think much of it. I just decided that if I should order another pair, I would go up to a size 10 instead of a 9.5.

I started my C25K workout on the treadmill and felt great. Somewhere along the way, I started to feel a hot spot on the bottom of my big toe. I didn't want to get a blister, so I knew I wouldn't be wearing those shoes again. I *should* have stopped the treadmill and changed out my shoes. I didn't do that, and it ultimately led to the breaking of my walk streak.

Warning: I'm going to talk about a really gross blister, so if you don't want to read about that, turn around now ;)

I developed a blister during that five mile run/walk. I drained it, but left the skin there. I remember Dr. Oz saying that you should drain blisters but leave the skin there, that it's your body's natural form of a bandaid. (Speaking of bandaids, I couldn't wear a blister bandaid because I had a bad reaction to one a few months ago.)

On Monday, it was still hurting, but I did my five-mile walk anyways (in different shoes, of course). It was really hurting when I was done, and I saw that the blister had filled up again (the typical clear water-like fluid... it wasn't infected). Again, I poked a small hole in it and drained it, leaving the skin in-tact.

On Tuesday, I did my C25K workout. Same thing happened again. This went on all week. My blister wasn't healing because of the location of it. It's on the underside of my left big toe, at the base of my toe, very close to the second toe on that foot. (There is a photo below)

Jerry told me that it needs to dry out and that I should just remove the flap of skin. On Saturday, it took me three tries to get in all five miles because my foot hurt so bad. I finally decided to cut away the dead skin to expose the skin underneath and hopefully get it to heal. 

Gross photo warning! 

When I cut the skin away, I was horrified to see that there were blisters UNDERNEATH that blister. I drained those as well. Here is a photo of it after draining everything... you can see I'm not exaggerating the pain this caused on my walks.

I didn't wear socks all day or night (which, if you know me, is never something I would do--I ALWAYS wear socks--because feet gross me out, and I can't stand being barefoot). Thankfully, the blister started to form a scab.

I walked five miles on Sunday and it basically just reopened the blisters. On Monday, I just couldn't decide what to do. I didn't want to break my walking streak, but I just wanted the stupid blister to heal. I knew that the only way for it to heal would be to stop walking on it for a few days. I completed my walk Monday and saw that there was blood on the bottom of my sock where the blister was. I drained the blister and went barefoot again.

Yesterday, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I was debating with myself--I knew I could suffer through it if I wanted, but when would it end? The walking would likely keep irritating the blister day after day, if it didn't end up infected.

The main reason I didn't want to quit my streak wasn't just because I had a long streak going--it was because I was worried about it totally derailing all of my other efforts. I've been working really hard on my eating habits, sleeping habits, mental health, etc., actually making some progress, and I was afraid that "quitting" the streak would make me give up on other habits as well.

Jerry suggested that I do stretches or something in place of the walking. When he said that, I immediately thought about my bike. I decided that I could continue my five-mile-a-day streak, but I could do it with my bike instead of on foot, allowing my foot to heal. Even though riding my bike five miles only takes about 30 minutes instead of the 90 minutes it takes to walk, I would feel just as accomplished. It's more about the discipline of doing it every day than anything.

So, yesterday I didn't do my walk. I rode my bike five miles and felt great. My foot was SO grateful. I was supposed to do the C25K workout yesterday, but I put that on hold. I'm going to wait until my blister is healed before the next C25K workout or another walk. Hopefully it won't take more than a few days, but I'm willing to wait until I'm sure the blister is gone for good.

I actually feel REALLY good about the decision to end the streak. I don't feel like I "quit", and I certainly gave it my all. I can't believe that a stupid blister is what led to breaking the streak, but in a way, I think it was a blessing in disguise. I rode my bike yesterday and today, and I felt like it was a good workout. My heart rate actually got up higher than it does for my run/walk workouts and I could feel different muscles working in my legs. I prefer to walk or run, but bike riding isn't bad!

I compared my heart rate for three activities, and I thought it was really interesting! This shows the heart rate zones for straight up walking (at a brisk pace--16:10 per mile), versus a Couch to 5K walk/run, versus a bike ride:

Where to go from here? I'm going to ride my bike five miles a day until my blister heals. After that, I'll continue with the C25K workouts. On those days, I'll add some mileage with either a walk or a bike ride to complete five miles total. On the days I don't have C25K, I'll either walk or ride my bike (or a combination) for five miles. So basically, I'm going to continue to get in five miles a day, but I am adding in bike riding to the mix. With those terms, my bike ride today completed Day 227 of a five-mile-a-day streak.

Most impressive to me, though, is that I didn't just "quit". I found an alternative that made me feel just as good and that allows me to take care of my body. My Affirmators! card on Sunday actually helped me with the decision. I have to learn to go with the flow, and be able to handle things that come up unexpectedly. I've been in a really good mood the last few days (which is interesting, considering what happened all week with my foot) but I'll write about that later--probably tomorrow.

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Feeling Depressed (Possible PMDD?)

Little Duck has been sleeping next to me in the mornings occasionally... I think he knows how much I need that!

I don't know what my deal has been for the past few days, but I have just NOT been in a good mood at all. I felt extremely depressed for a couple of days, and today has been very hot and cold. Last month, when I talked to my psychiatrist about these swings, I thought out loud whether it might have something to do with my menstrual cycles. 

I've never had major PMS symptoms--when I was in high school and college, my friends and roommates would complain about PMS. But I never felt any different! Over the last several years, however, I've noticed some symptoms here and there. 

My psychiatrist told me to start keeping track of my moods and periods to see if there is a correlation, because to diagnose PMDD, my OB/GYN needs at least three months worth of info. Regardless, the treatment is usually an antidepressant (hello, old friend) and I would hate to start taking one and change up my med schedule. On the other hand, I've occasionally been going through terrible periods of depression for just a few days at a time. Even though it doesn't last long, it's REALLY bad when it happens.

Nothing drastic has happened with me recently, so there is no reason for me to feel as bad as I have been. My stupid American Eagle coat hasn't arrived yet, which is stressing me out (stupid, yes, but I'm irrationally upset). It was scheduled for delivery on Jan. 22nd, then updated to say it would arrive on the 23rd instead. That was the last update from USPS. It's been nine days without an update, so I'm assuming it was lost in the mail. You know how badly I wanted that coat!

Meanwhile, I found another coat on Poshmark that I really wanted (not for walking, but more for just going out and about in the winter. I bought mine (shown below) for super cheap at a garage sale, but it's a size medium. Here it is when I was at my goal weight (not exactly a good picture, but you get the idea):

Since I can't fit into it anymore, I looked it up on Poshmark. Found it, bought it. Then a day later, was told the order was canceled because the seller said it was damaged by paint. Ugh! I ordered another ($20 more expensive) from a different seller, but this is my last shot. I haven't heard back yet, but I am really hoping that it will work out.

Regardless, I've just lost any faith at all in Poshmark! Order #1: Arrived smelling like mildew. Order #2: Still "lost in the mail". Order #3: Seller never responded, eventually the order was refunded. Order #4: Received running jacket as described, worked out well. Order #5: Canceled, item was damaged. Order #6: Hoping that it will be shipped!

I'm most disappointed by the American Eagle coat! I wrote about it on my blog several times, so you know it means a lot to me. I just hope that it isn't truly "lost" in the mail. Where the heck does all of the lost mail wind up, anyway?! That would be a fun place to work.

So, I still have no winter coat--just the one that I've been using to get by.

Today, my mood still wasn't great. I took Joey out for his walk and we only got about a block away before he pulled on the leash and nearly made me fall on my butt (it's super snowy/icy right now). I turned right around, dropped him off at home, and then walked by myself. I felt guilty, so I only walked 2.25 miles with out him, planning to go again later.

I didn't head out again until after Jerry left for work--around 5:20 pm. Noah and Eli actually came with me! I wish I could say it was out of the goodness of their hearts, but it's because I'd given them a mandatory chore of walking Joey one mile a day--no matter what. It was more for their sake than Joey's. With COVID making everything so unstructured anymore, they haven't gotten any exercise with sports and they've gotten lazy (to put it nicely).

In order to receive their allowances, they have to walk Joey one mile a day (together, separately, it doesn't matter). I don't want them to think I'm prescribing walking as a punishment, so the chore is to "walk Joey" and not "go for a walk". 

Noah is too cool to really walk "with" me, but he tagged along with Eli and me while we walked Joey this evening. I had already walked 2.25 this morning, so I needed to walk 2.75 to hit my 5-mile goal. The boys actually agreed to come with me for the evening walk! I told them that when we hit half a mile, they could turn around and go home, but I had to keep going.

Eli, who actually seemed to be enjoying the walk with me! ;)

At around 1.7 miles, Noah turned to head home. Eli stopped at the party store ("convenience store" as most people call it, I think... "party store" is a midwest thing) and I kept going. A little while later, Eli caught up with Joey and me, so I was happy that he continued to walk with me. (Eli's super sweet like that--I'm sure he didn't want to, but he's a people-pleaser for sure).

It got dark fast. By the time I walked back onto my street, the street lamps were on. The roads were SUPER slippery from ice and packed snow, so my speed was ridiculously slow. When we change the clocks again due to Daylight Savings, I will definitely take advantage of staying out a little later and walking in the evenings. Right now, though, it's best that I stick to mornings.

I'm actually ready to add a little running into my routine, but I'll write about that sometime this week. I miss running--I never thought I'd say that!--and I feel ready. Even if it's a mile a week, it's better than nothing. :) 

This is kind of random, but if you have PMDD and don't mind sharing about it, what have you experienced? How have you treated it? I don't know if that's what's going on with me, but if it is, I'm curious about what happens next!

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Walk Streak - Half A Year!

Well, I ended up finishing that book today! (I started The Selection yesterday--here is the post about that.) I haven't been that absorbed in a book in... I don't even know how long. It was REALLY good and I immediately downloaded the second one. I was carrying around my Kindle as I unloaded the dishwasher and cooked dinner and basically every spare moment I could find.

Jerry asked me today how long my five-mile walking streak is up to, and I had to stop and think about it. I started it on July 20th and yesterday was January 20th, so I figured I had to have hit the halfway point of a full year. I added up the days and today was Day 185--so a couple of days ago, I reached half a year of walking five miles a day!

It's actually been really hard to stay motivated to do it this month because I just haven't been able to find any audiobooks that interest me. I love listening to audiobooks while I walk. I've started and stopped SO many this month--I even reached my limit for checkouts at the library. I'm very particular about the narration of audiobooks and if I don't like the voice or tone or accent in the first 30 seconds or so, I just can't get into the book.

The audiobooks have always been what I used to motivate me to get out the door. I only let myself listen to them when I'm walking, so I would look forward to going for walks. This month, with it being so cold and without having a good book to look forward to, I've struggled. I'm still doing it, though, because I can't bear to break the streak!

Today, it was actually sunny outside. It was still cold and windy, but the sun made it seem like a nicer day. Jerry was off work, so I asked if he'd want to walk with me. We headed out with Joey late in the afternoon. 

Apparently, it wasn't a good time of day to go out because there were SO many cars! The first half of the walk was really irritating but once we got into the quieter neighborhoods, we were able to talk without yelling over the noise of cars driving by.

It's nice going for walks together because we have good, in-depth conversations. When we're at home, we're usually distracted by all the stuff going on (pets, kids, electronics, etc). I would've liked for the kids to go with us, but they "don't really like walking that far in the cold" ;) They missed out; we had fun!

After six months of walking every day, I have to say that it feels completely natural and habitual. I would feel weird NOT doing it. This is, by far, the longest exercise streak I've ever done. I'm glad I've maintained the discipline to do it; I may not have the discipline to do other habits that I attempt, but this one is sticking for some reason!

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I Found It!!!

So, I STILL haven't gotten a winter coat. I've looked online and just can't find anything that I really love and that is practical. I need something to wear in the winter while I walk, and it has to be big enough to wear a layer or two underneath. Walking is so much different than running in the cold weather! I just don't warm up like I did with running, even when I walk very fast.

Speaking of running, for a few months now, I've been having the urge to run. When I'm out for a walk with Joey, sometimes I just really want to break into a run (well, a very slow jog at least). Not for any reason other than that I know it will feel good. A few times, I've run a mile or two during our walks, but only when I'm not wearing my bulky winter clothes.

All of my winter running tops are too small. I can fit into them, and I do actually wear them underneath my coat, but I would never want to wear them without something over them. I was looking through some old photos of running in the winter to see what I used to wear, and I decided to look for a couple of running jackets that are big enough to cover my insecurities in my regular running shirts. Just a baggier top layer in the form of a zip-up jacket.

I figured I could walk Joey three miles, drop him off at home, and then run/jog two miles. That way, I'm still getting in the five miles but I don't have to bring Joey with me. I can run with him using my hands-free leash, but I'd rather wait until running feels "easy" again. 

Anyway, I looked at Poshmark for some jackets (I didn't care how ugly or what color or anything like that--I just wanted something inexpensive and practical for running). I found a couple of jackets for under $20 and I bought those.

I think they were inexpensive because of how BRIGHT the colors are--hahaha, at least I won't get hit by a car! They wouldn't be my first choice of colors, but they looked comfy and the descriptions sounded good. I like that this pink one has cuffs that can fold over your hands. I didn't even know that existed and I had plans of trying to sew something like that.

While I was at it, I decided to look for a winter coat again. As you may remember, I'd bought one that looked similar to my very favorite coat from several years ago. In a nutshell: I had an orange winter coat that I absolutely loved and when we first adopted Joey, he chewed it up. I was bummed! I recently looked for the same coat again on eBay and on Poshmark--I couldn't find the exact coat, but I found something very similar, so I bought it.

When it arrived, I liked the coat... but it had a funky smell. It smelled a little like mildew--you know how if you forget you put clothes in the washer and then you realize it the next day and they have that mildew smell? (No? Is that just me? Haha.) That's what it smelled like. I tried washing it a couple of times, but it didn't go away. So, I ended up returning it.

Yesterday when I was looking for coats, instead of searching for orange Columbia coats (to find the one I really wanted), I just searched for orange coats. And I was SHOCKED when I found THE coat! It was the same one that I had years ago. I carefully scrutinized the photo on Poshmark next to the photos of I have of my old one, and it was literally the same model and color. (Clearly, my previous one was smaller--as was I!)

You know why I didn't find it before? I was so sure it was a Columbia coat; well, it turns out that it's from American Eagle, NOT Columbia! There was only one of these listed, and thank God it wasn't a size small. It's an extra large, which is probably going to be a little big, but I would rather it be big so I can layer up.

Anyway, I'm hoping this one arrives without any funky smells. I'm just so excited to have found it! I know it seems so stupid to care about a coat this much, but I loved that coat and was so disappointed when I had to get rid of it.

I'm really looking forward to getting the running jackets. It's funny that I'm actually excited to go for a run! I really didn't think I'd miss it this much.

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The Expense of Walking

I'm almost embarrassed to write this post, because it's going to sound petty. I'm not writing it as a complaint (well, not trying to) but I was thinking about it on my walk today and it was pretty interesting! 

My feet have been hurting really badly for a couple of weeks and I know it's because I need new shoes. Mine are VERY worn out after all of the miles I've put on them over the past five months. I needed new shoes at least a month ago and I've been putting it off because they are so expensive.

When I first started walking, I had a couple of pairs of running shoes without many miles on them, so I used those. And then I bought one pair (new) on eBay when I had to replace one pair. I've basically been rotating three pairs of shoes: 

Brooks Ghost 8 (yes, they are OLD! But I didn't put any miles on them until early this year)
Saucony Triumph ISO 4
Altra Escalante

The Ghosts are the most stable, but they are still a neutral shoe that is good for supination (under-pronation--a problem of mine). The Triumph ISOs are super comfy! I was wearing an older pair of them for a while and when they needed replacement, I bought a newer model on eBay and love them. The Escalantes are the perfect zero-drop shoe (you can read about Altra and the zero-drop heels on this post--nerdy, but very interesting!). 

All three pairs are extremely worn out now. I only ever use them for deliberate walking (not when I go to the grocery store or work in the garage or anything like that). I've always needed to replace my shoes every 300-350 miles or so. (Some people can wear them up to about 500 miles, but I am not one of those people--I start getting knee and foot pain after 300-350.)

I LOVE how comfortable these Triumphs are, but check out what has happened on the treads. See the big depression in the middle? I feel like there is going to be a hole in it soon.

My Ghosts have worn down to look really smooth where they are not supposed to be:

Same with my Altras:

In the past, when I found a shoe I liked, I'd always stock up on it when the new model was introduced so that I could get them much cheaper. That's why I had the old pair of Ghosts--when they came out with the Ghost 9's, I bought four pairs of the 8's because I liked them so much. And I just wore through my last pair.

Anyway, I cannot find the discontinued models of any of the shoes that I like (in my size at least). The cost for the new model of Ghosts are $130; the Triumph ISOs are $150; and the Escalantes are $130. 

When I was walking, I started doing the math in my head. Since I walk five miles a day, seven days a week... that's 150 miles per month. And if I change out my shoes after 300 miles, I only get two months wear out of them.

Let's say I get the Ghosts. I spend $130. Since I would wear them for two months, that would mean I'm spending $65 per month for shoes! For $130, I'm spending $2.17 for each walk. And to break it down into miles, I'm spending $0.43 per mile.

Each morning, I'm spending $2.17 TO WALK. Doesn't that sound crazy?!

When I was running, I never thought much about the cost of shoes because I wasn't putting this many miles on them. My mileage was about half of what it is now, so I was replacing less frequently. And like I said, I'd usually buy several pairs at one time when they were discounted. I'm going to have to start watching for when the new models are released so that I can buy the previous models at a discount!

Anyway, my feet have been killing me and today I finally decided I needed to buy a pair, even if it was going to cost $130. I read reviews of different shoes and found a pair that a lot of people mentioned was good for people who supinate. I've never tried them on, and I'm really hoping that they fit and are comfortable.

They're ASICS Women's Gel-Venture and they're actually a trail running shoe. When I walk Joey, I walk in the grass along the water at a few parks (in other words, not on pavement) for part of the walk. So, I figured that I'd try out the trail running shoes and hope that they feel good on pavement, too. They were only $50, so if they work out, they'll only cost me $0.83 per walk instead of $2.17 ;)  They have free returns, so if I try them on and they don't fit well, at least I can get a refund.

If I don't like them, I think I'll just bite the bullet and get the ones I've already tried and liked. I've been working out our budget for next year (our expenses have changed quite a bit this year) and it seems crazy that I need to include my shoes in our budget. I never really put this much thought into the cost of walking--it's nerdy, but kind of eye-opening.

Thankfully, the other costs for walking are minimal. I buy good-quality exercise clothes at thrift stores and they last forever. I've gotten a lot of Under Armour clothing (my favorite) and even Lululemon for super cheap. I do buy good socks (new)--I love my Balega socks (Amazon affiliate link) and they are about $14 per pair. However, those are great quality and I still have pairs from 2016--they hold up really well.

Well, there really is no point to this post other than to say... shoes are expensive! I didn't realize just how much until I did the math breaking it down per walk and per mile. But the walking has been great for me, mentally and physically, and it's worth it!

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Wednesday Night Photos (Friday Night Photos #3)

I'm going to do my usual "Friday Night Photos" post today instead of on Friday (Christmas). Some random photos from my cameral roll this week... (Just a warning, there is going to be a gross blister photo, which I'll save until the end so you can skip it if you want! I'm not posting it just to be gross--there is a reason for it.)

Chick loves getting his belly rubbed, and the other night, he was sitting on the couch with Jerry and me. We were giving him lots of attention and he wound up in this position! 

Last week, I posted a photo of a big snowman that someone had made... and the next day, I saw this tiny one and I couldn't stop laughing! It's so cute but sad at the same time. I cropped with Joey's nose in the picture so you can see for size reference. The nose of the snowman (a baby carrot) fell off and was lying on the scarf. It looks like the snowman is just sadly holding his nose in his hands. Haha!

We were out of groceries and I REALLY was not in the mood to write a list and go grocery shopping. I finally just told the kids to go grocery shopping for me and they could buy anything they wanted! I told them to go crazy--pick out whatever they wanted for a week--and just put it on the credit card. I went out for my walk and when I got back, the kids were already home and putting away groceries.

Without any prompting from me, Noah had gone through my recipe book, picked out dinners he wanted to make, wrote out the ingredients he'd need, and the boys went shopping for all of it! I was completely stunned. He wrote everything out on little Post-Its and put them on the fridge. The kids didn't even buy junk food. Maybe they just thought, "Oh, man, Mom's going crazy, let's tread lightly!" ;)  Their grocery bill came to half of what it is when I go shopping!

I was working on my never-ending hat and Chick was DYING to play with the yarn. I felt bad, but he just stared at me like that all evening while I was knitting! (If he wouldn't swallow it, I'd give him yarn to play with, but I've tried that.)

A blog reader, Cathy, who has been a reader for years, thoughtfully sent me this ornament for our Christmas tree. I love it!

A rare photo of Phoebe. She keeps to herself a lot since we adopted the kittens and I am always trying to get her to feel more comfortable. She loves having her temples rubbed and lately, she's been sitting on my lap more often.

I finished my never-ending hat! I started this in 2014 and it was SO boring to knit that I just did some rows here and there, going months (and even a year or two) in between. I got really determined to finish it, so I worked on it a lot this week in the evenings and it's done! I can't say I love it--I really wish I'd chosen a different color--but I guess my tastes have changed since 2014, hahaha. 

And finally... my gross blister photos. So I mentioned that I'd gotten a blister after wearing boots on my walk. It was really painful (it was small, but it tore open during that same walk, so it was raw skin). I bought some Hydro Seal Band-Aids (specifically for heel blisters) and followed the instructions exactly. It says to leave the bandage on until it starts to peel at the edges, and for me, I think that was about three days. I loved the Band-Aid! Once I put it on, there was zero pain when walking and I didn't even notice it.

Until it started to itch. BADLY. The edges were starting to peel a little, so I decided to remove it. And I felt like I immediately smeared poison ivy on my skin or something. I was dying! The itching was horrendous, but I didn't want to scratch it because the blister looked like it hadn't healed at all. (You can see the pic where I removed the Band-Aid--that's what it looked like.)

And then I got a rash where the Band-Aid had been. By the next morning, it looked red and bumpy. And the itching was making me so crazy. (This is probably when I sent the boys to the store for me, haha.) It just seemed to look even worse the following day. Right now, it's still really red but it's not itching anymore. (I used hydrocortisone cream on it.) Has anyone else had a problem like this with these Band-Aids? I am not allergic to anything at all, and I was totally shocked at the reaction this caused on my ankle. 

Okay, I'll leave you with those blister images ;)  Jerry is off work for the next week, so we are having a Christmas stay-cation!

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Goodbye, Fall

Sadly, today is the last day of fall. I feel like we didn't even really get fall weather! It was really hot and then REALLY rainy and now very cold with accumulated snow last week. (The photo above was a sunrise during one of my walks, and it was actually pretty perfect that day.)

As you may remember, I set up a Cookies Fall Challenge. A lot of people like the summer challenges that I post each year, so I thought I'd try out one for fall (I actually made three different ones to choose from). I don't think it worked out as well as I'd hoped. This is a hard time of year for everyone to do challenges like these. I should have kept it simple (not "easy", but the simplicity of one fun challenge like the summer checklist).

I wish I'd been more attentive to the Facebook groups for the challenges but, because I quickly realized I wasn't going to attempt all three challenges myself, I stuck with the one that I knew I'd be able to make myself do. I did the Cookies Fall Mileage Competition--basically just racking up miles either running or walking and posting a group leaderboard each week.

I'm in awe of how many miles some people run or walk each week! I always had around 35 (walking 5 miles a day, 7 days a week). I was consistently in second place on the leaderboard among the walkers each week (I separated walkers and runners because runners tend to get more mileage in general). Jessica, you are tough competition ;) 

Some quick stats of mine from the challenge (which went from September 22-December 21):

Number of walks: 102
Miles walked: 475.02
Time spent walking: 136 hours and 56 minutes (that also means I listened to 136 hours and 56 minutes of audiobooks!)
Calories burned: 44,275
Average speed: 3.5 mph (17:00/mi pace)
Longest walk: 8.42 miles

I actually didn't do a single walk on the treadmill during the entire challenge! Not that there is anything wrong with using the treadmill; I probably would have used it here and there if Joey wasn't expecting to go for a walk with me every day.

I have seen SO many things throughout the 475 miles walked this fall. I've already written about that a couple of times, so I won't get into it. But I really loved doing this challenge--now that I have a streak going (today was Day 156) I don't want to quit my streak. It's going to get hard to continue throughout the winter, I'm sure, when the temp is in the single digits and there is a ton of snow. 

A few weeks into the fall challenge, Amazon had a sale on the Kindle Paperwhite (which, I'm sure you know by now, is one of my most favorite things ever!) so I bought one to give away. I decided to give it away to someone in the mileage challenge--not the person who racks up the most miles, but via a random drawing for anyone that walks or runs 100 miles for the final 8 weeks of the challenge.

We have 24 people that participated regularly every week. Since today was the last day, I'm going to give them a couple of days to submit their miles and then I'll draw a name for the Kindle. It's been a great group!

As far as the other two challenges (the Fall Hard and the Fall Checklist), I had planned on doing them as well, but I failed early on and it was clear that I wasn't going to focus on it. I'm going to have to check in with the Facebook groups to see how everything went with those challenges.

Moving into winter, I'm not "challenging" myself to do anything--I plan to continue my walking streak as long as I can. I've been writing in my three-month goal journal (Amazon affiliate link) and I'm excited to start working daily on that in January.

The journal is very introspective--the first 10 or so pages are all about achievements and ideals, and then you break it down into smaller sections and eventually a path to meet goals. As you know, I love setting goals! I fail many more times than I succeed, but I continue to set them to always be working on bettering myself.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the fall challenges--I hope you accomplished something you wanted to or at least had fun trying!

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Friday Night Photos #3

I actually really look forward to my Friday night posts now that I started doing this Friday Night Photos theme. I literally just scroll through the photos on my phone from the past week and post pictures that I didn't have a reason to share before (or I just forgot about them).

So here goes...

At first, it was cute. But good grief, the kittens are REALLY taking a toll on the Christmas tree! Hahaha, here is Duck, determined to replace the star on the top (you can't even see it anymore!).

We have a chalkboard on the side of our cupboards in the kitchen, and usually I'll write things that we need from the store on it. I noticed a few days ago that Jerry had written me a love note ;) 

I couldn't believe how rough Lake Erie was when I took Joey for our daily walk the other day. I was trying to capture a selfie with the rough waves. (This was the day that Joey desperately wanted to go in the water.)

Just a selfie of Riley and me when we were watching Home Alone :) It's so funny--as soon as the kids see a camera (or cell phone held up, ready for a picture) they start saying "cheeeeeese". And then they want to see it! Totally different from when my kids were little.

I couldn't believe how much the kittens were in sync while sleeping on my bed yesterday! They looked so much alike with every movement. I wish I had a better picture, but I knew if I moved, they'd get up.

Noah's friend came over today because they had to work on a presentation for school, and when I started talking to her, she mentioned that she knits. Talking about it made me want to knit something! When I looked at my stash of yarn (which is next to NOTHING now, because I got rid of it all when I stopped knitting/crocheting very often) I decided to pick up this hat I've been working on... since 2014! Hahaha. It's super boring to knit, so I usually only do a few rows at a time when I'm on a flight or something. It's a slouch hat (which was probably popular in 2014?), and I think I'm almost at the point where I can start shaping the top to finish it off. Woo hoo! ;)

Jerry and I bought two more games that several of you recommended. We haven't played them yet--hopefully tonight!

This showed up on my Facebook memories a few days ago, and it made me laugh, so I took a screenshot of it. I thought it was so funny!

While I was out for my walk this morning, I saw that someone had made a pretty big snowman. I love seeing things like this! It's rare to see kids playing in the snow anymore, and this reminded me of making snowmen when I was a kid. It's a terrible picture, but I was trying not to get noticed while taking a photo. I always feel embarrassed taking pictures of random things like this.

This was one of the roads on my walk today. This one wasn't great (as far as how slippery it was), but wasn't terrible either. Trying to walk on the ice today was miserable! I'm going to check out the suggestions that some of you recommended on my post about my boots. I need SOMETHING because walking in my regular running shoes on the roads like this is really difficult. It was solid ice in some places and the only safe place to walk was where there was snow (it was the sticky type of snow that you can actually grip with your shoes).

This is the "before" photo of my back yard where the squirrels run from the tree to my back deck. I always feel bad that they have to run in the snow, so I use a snow shovel to clear a path for them--they are so spoiled! Hahaha. 

And here is the "after" photo. The squirrels will be very happy!

And speaking of squirrels... 

Earlier this week when I came in from working on a project in the garage, I told Jerry that I wanted to get a clock for the garage--the time just totally gets away from me when I'm out there. I'd forgotten about it until a couple of days later when I went out there to use my sewing machine. THIS was sitting next to it! BAHAHA, I love it! It's hideous and awesome at the same time ;)

When he told me the story behind it, it was even better...

By coincidence, shortly after I mentioned needing a clock in the garage, the first listing on Facebook Marketplace to pop up on Jerry's feed was for this squirrel clock. (SERIOUSLY.) So he messaged the seller to arrange to buy it.

When he went to pick it up, the seller told him that he checked to make sure it was working (it was) and Jerry said, "Thanks, my wife loves squirrels!" and the guy asked him if he wanted a lamp, too. Jerry got excited and said, "A squirrel lamp?!" and the seller said, "No, I got a lamp with fish on it." Jerry politely told him no, that the squirrel clock was good.

I am crying laughing while Jerry and I are discussing this story right now, hahaha. 

And that's all I've got for this Friday night! Have a great weekend :)

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An Update on My Weight Loss and Exercise Efforts

I've been meaning to write this update for a at least a month, but things have been all over the place and I just haven't been sure what to write. Very few things have been going how I had hoped when I started my Cookies Fall Challenges.

First, my exercise... because that's easy to write about.

As I've been sort of mentioning here and there, I've been doing really great with my walk streak. Today was Day 145--I've walked 5+ miles a day for 145 days in a row! And all but a few of them (maybe four?) have been outside.

It's getting harder now that the weather is getting colder. I don't have many winter clothes that fit me (or any clothes at all, really--which I'll write about when I get to my weight). I didn't have a winter coat that fit me, either, but I started wearing one of Jerry's old ones from work. It's definitely too big, but I like that I can wear layers underneath it, there is a lot of pocket room, and it's water resistant). It's rained on several walks I've done, so the water resistance is nice!

Joey has turned into a totally different dog since we started walking. I take him with me every day and he LIVES for it. As soon as I wake up, he's in my face, wagging his tail, excited to go. When we first started walking, we come inside after the walk and he'd plop on the floor, panting, and stay there all day--exhausted.

Now, we get home and he doesn't even want to go in the house. He gets in that play bow position that dogs do, and I play along, so he tears circles around our entire house (outside), runs up and down the dike, and just generally goes nuts with even more energy. I have no idea where it comes from after walking five miles! But I love to see him so happy.

Speaking of which (I know I've written this before so I'll try to keep it brief) he has come to get super excited for the walks because he gets to see his dog friends (and just dogs in general). He knows all the houses where they live and looks excitedly as we walk by.

His "best friend" is Roomba, a black German Shepherd. When she's outside, we stop and I let him play while I chat with Roomba's "mom". When Roomba isn't outside, Joey is constantly straining on the leash toward her house--he wants to see her so badly!

I just bought a poster of yoga poses and stretches, which I plan to start doing after my walks. My chronic pain has gotten really bad and I feel like my muscles are tight all the time. I also get a lot of knots in my shoulders and upper back when I am stressed, and they are super painful. Jerry massages them, but I don't think it's enough. I'd like to go for a deep tissue massage, but sadly, I'm ashamed of my body and I'd be embarrassed. 

Yesterday, I tried using my TENS unit (it's a little device that has electrodes that you place on your skin--it delivers small electrical impulses that kind of tingle (or hurt if turned up too high!). Last night, Phoebs was on my lap while I zapped my shoulders for 20 minutes to help break up the knots and tightness.

Anyway, I hope that the stretching and strength training of the yoga poses will help loosen up my muscles and help relieve the pain. I've never been a fan of yoga, so we'll see ;)

So, exercise has been going well! I'm proud of my walking streak. I have no idea if it's making an impact on my health or body, but it's definitely helped me mentally (as best as it can).

As far as my weight loss goals...

I really wish that I had good things to say about this! When I was doing 75 Hard, I lost 13 pounds. I didn't mind the number so much as I was excited about the change in my body composition. You could see visible changes after just a single week (and no weight loss!). I know that it was from intermittent fasting.

I did great on 75 Hard for the first 34(?) days, and then I learned that I may not have been doing it correctly, and it was a struggle after that. 

My eating plan of choice was intermittent fasting, which was FANTASTIC for me. It helped me so much--not just as far as how much and what I eat, but to keep me from thinking about food all the time. I loved not having to worry about what to eat for breakfast, lunch, snacks... I planned a big dinner and a treat or after-dinner snack (I liked decaf coffee with cream and sugar along with something like zucchini bread). 

I loved loved loved the plan--I was eating on a 20:4 schedule (fasting for 20 hours and then having an eating window of 4 hours). It was hard to get into the habit at first--it took me about four days before I got to the point where I loved it.

One day, I ate outside my window, and then I did it again the next day. And then trying to get back to the schedule was SO HARD. I'm able to wait until 3-4:00 to eat, but then I have such a hard time stopping after four hours. I eat not because I'm hungry, but because the food is there and I use it for stress relief. This year (especially this fall) has been really stressful for so many reasons and it threw off my routine (as you know, I strive for routine). 

So as of right now, I'm not doing well with my diet. I'm not doing terrible, thankfully, but I gained back 8 of the 13 pounds I lost and I've been maintaining this for a couple of months. I would really like to get back to the intermittent fasting, because I felt so much better when I was doing it. Like I said, the first four days are the toughest--so I just have to make up my mind to do it. After that, it literally feels EASY. And I love seeing results so quickly (not the numbers, but feeling my clothes getting looser).

I quit taking a daily photo a while ago, considering I wasn't doing good with weight loss. It just seemed pointless to keep taking photos when I could feel my clothes getting tighter again. I'm wondering if it might help me to continue the photos and then I can see what's NOT working. Who knows, maybe it will just be depressing to see!

Here is a photo I took today. I got dressed out of my yoga pants and sweatshirt for the photo and then I changed right back into them, hahaha. Here, I am wearing my size 10 jeans (which are uncomfortably tight!) and my vanity-sized medium shirt. So I am likely a size 12/large right now. It's been more than 10 years since I was this size and it feels uncomfortable.

I'm NOT planning to "wait until the new year" to try to jump back on the wagon. I'm always trying! It wouldn't matter anyways--it's not like there are going to be holiday parties that are tempting me with food, etc. (I've never been big into holiday parties anyway, but with COVID, I imagine that nobody will be getting together.) Starting now is no different than starting in January.

I wrote a post a few years ago about "My Best Advice for Losing Weight in the New Year". Even though I'm far from my goal weight or just happy weight, I stand by the advice and I definitely need to follow it myself.

So, this is my update! I'm not complaining about how things are going, nor am I being negative about it. It just IS. These are the facts. To end on a positive note, I really am happy with myself for my walking streak--for me, that's a big accomplishment! Now if only I can get my eating on track... :)

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Winter Walking and Meeting People

Today is Day 137 of my walking streak. Not bad! I've walked five miles day since July 20th. 

Monday and Tuesday were brutal for outdoor walking. On Sunday night, it snowed during the night and by Monday morning, the roads were covered in snow and slush. It was also snowing/raining at the same time. And it was COLD. The picture below looks peaceful. But under the snow was frozen slush, and it started rain/snowing shortly after.

My feet were totally soaked by the time I got home from walking in snow/slush. It also wasn't fun when cars would pass by and throw slush up at me.

On Monday night, all of the slush and rain froze--so it was extremely icy outside yesterday morning. In retrospect, I really shouldn't have even attempted to walk it--I almost fell more than a few times.

After my walk yesterday morning, my calves were super sore from having to change the way I walk. I was basically tip-toeing around the ice the entire time. I just now looked at my Garmin stats, and you can see all the ups and downs in my pace.

So, I looked for some "walking boots" on Amazon--I wasn't even sure if such a thing existed! (By "walking boots" I meant something like "running shoes"--something comfortable to walk longer distances in.)

Since I'd been a runner, I never gave boots a second thought. But if I'm going to walk through the winter conditions, I'm going to need something to keep my feet dry and warm, not to mention comfortable, for a five-mile walk.

I ordered some boots that are supposed to arrive this weekend, so I'll let you know how they work out. I also ordered a pair of pants that are sherpa-lined. They were $30+, which is insane for me! I usually shop at thrift stores, but they have NO STOCK right now. If I like the ones I ordered, I'll probably order another pair (or two) to get me through the winter.

I really didn't want to walk yesterday in the ice, but I don't want to break my walking streak! I could always opt for the treadmill--I just feel bad for Joey, because he looks forward to our walks every day. This is one section of pure ice--I had to tread VERY carefully on the parts that had snow, which gave it a little traction.

I realized recently that walking has taken on a new meaning for me. It's not about the numbers anymore. I used to love looking at my data--my distance, time, pace, heart rate, etc. Now, I don't even look at it anymore. I don't even wear my heart rate monitor! I just save my walk on my Garmin when I'm done and forget about it. 

I have met a lot of people on my walks, and I love that! Because of the lockdown, I don't get much social interaction; seeing the "regulars" on my walks has become fun for me. This morning, there were several stops. First, I ran into my parents as they were driving out of their neighborhood. It turned out they were going to Kohl's to return something to Amazon. I had something that needed returning, too, so I told my mom it was in my car and they stopped to grab it and returned it for me. Awesome!

Shortly after that, I met a woman from Texas who arrived yesterday to visit a friend and she had her dog with her (a pit bull mix, I think). Joey and her dog checked each other out (which means a full three minutes of smelling each others butts and genitals) and the two of us chatted for a few minutes. I didn't pause my Garmin or anything--it's hard to dig through the layers of clothes and I honestly just didn't care what the numbers said.

We kept going, and when we got to Roomba's house (the black German Shepherd), Joey got super excited to see that Roomba was outside. The two have been friends for a couple of months now, so I asked Roomba's "mom" if she could play for a minute. I let Joey off leash and he and Roomba were running all over the place in her yard, having a blast.

I don't remember if I mentioned this, but Roomba's "mom" actually graduated in my high school class! I knew she looked familiar when I first met her and it drove me crazy until I asked her about it the next time I saw her. We were friends with different people, but our class was small, and I definitely remember her. I think she was one of the "popular" kids, and I, well, wasn't ;)  (I loved--and still love!--my small group of friends from high school.)

Anyway, I've talked to her a few times while the dogs played together and it's been so nice getting to talk to another adult! And I love that Joey has a friend to play with. Today, he ran down to the lake and into the water--I don't know how he could stand it, because it's freezing outside.

Then he found one of Roomba's tennis balls and pretty much tore it to shreds. The two dogs were tired out after chasing each other. (Well, Roomba chased Joey--she's so much faster that she literally lapped him while running around the house!)

They played for a good 45 minutes while I talked to Melissa. Then Joey and I headed off to finish our walk.

When I got home, I took off my gloves and pulled up my coat sleeve to stop my Garmin, and I saw that the distance only read 2.77--I'd walked our usual five miles! I have no idea what happened. I must have stopped it at Melissa's (although I don't remember doing so). But somehow, the Garmin still recorded the map of my entire walk? It's so weird. I corrected the time and distance, not that it matters, but I'm very curious how that happened.

I've really loved meeting people when I walk. I'm super shy and I'm terrible at small talk when I'm out and about. But on my walks, it's kind of easy to make conversation--especially if someone has a dog.

Whenever I took my kids to the bus stop in elementary school, we would see a couple of miniature Schnauzers in the yard next to the bus stop. Eventually, we adopted Joey and started bringing him to the bus stop, and he went nuts to see them. Whenever I'd go for a walk with Joey, he'd get excited to walk past their yard.

A few weeks ago, the man who lived there (I'd only ever waved to him when he was in his backyard) was in his driveway and we exchanged greetings as I walked by. Then, I went to Kroger after my walk and a man at Kroger asked me if I had a couple of boys--yes--who used to have a bus stop at such and such street--yes. Then I recognized that he was the owner of the Schnauzers! (Well, I'd only seen one Schnauzer for the past three years or so.) 

I learned his name is CJ and he and his wife live there. One of the Schnauzers had passed away a few years ago (so sad!) but he remembers my boys when they were so young and we waited for the bus. He couldn't believe it when I said that Noah is driving now.

Yesterday, I chatted with a woman who has a few dogs and one of them was outside--a Pekingese. I forget the dog's name, but she was very curious about Joey and I told her "mom" it was fine that they check each other out. Joey usually doesn't even look at the small breed dogs, but he seemed to like her. I chatted with her "mom" while the dogs said hello to each other. 

Anyway, all of this is to say that walking Joey every day has been great for both of us! I have come out of my introverted shell a little to chat with strangers and Joey has gotten to meet and greet several other dogs. I'm so glad that I started walking daily--it's been really good for me, mentally and physically.

Speaking of physically, I need to do an update on all that--intermittent fasting, weight loss/gain, etc. I will try to do that this week. I know it's cliché, but gearing up for the new year always motivates me!

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