Soft Serve #FoodPicFriday

Sometimes there are bonuses to going on a daily walk. Maybe there is something really neat to take a photo of. Maybe there is someone really neat to say "hi" to. And maybe there is ice cream in the middle (and for most of the way home).

The corner store has their $2.00 soft serve ice cream back (although this year there is an option to get a smaller version for $1.50. To that I say "No thank you!"). Walking with ice cream is pretty great, especially on a beautiful day.

Bear Report

There have been a few reports of Bear sightings this spring in my neck of the woods. About a month ago, a neighbour was driving by and saw a bear run into the woods along the far side of Grandma's house (next door to us). Last week one of John's friends said he drove past a bear running into the woods on the next concession over. So it sounds like one or more bears are traveling through the woods around here. I haven't been on any walks in the woods this season, as I've been sticking to the well travelled road. The road seems like a safer bet this time of year, but I keep aware of my surroundings anyway, just in case.

A few years ago we saw a bear on a drive up to Bala. This is a photo of him running from our car.

Have you seen or heard of any bear sightings where you are?
 

Walking with Audiobooks

One of my favourite things to do while walking is listen to an audiobook. I feel like I'm winning at life because I'm getting exercise but I'm also reading a book. I enjoy listening to books while cleaning or knitting as well, but walking is where I listen to most of the books.

Most of my audiobooks come from Libravox, which has public domain books that are read by volunteers. I have listened to many amazing volunteers read me books and I often pick my next book based on the reader. Lots of fun.

Do you ever listen to audiobooks?

Fifteen Days Down and Fifteen More To Go

I got on board with the 30x30 Nature Challenge and I've been having a lot of fun with it. The weather has been wonderful and I haven't missed a day outside yet. I hope I don't miss one at all, as the fresh air has been fantastic.

I'm also on a walking challenge, which I started the last week of April, and today marks my 20th day in a row of going for a walk. I spend most of my Nature Challenge time walking, so it's easy to complete both these activities at once. Plus the weather has been sooooo good! I already mentioned that, but it has made getting outside really easy for me.

I also realize that I have sort of been doing a blogging challenge too, as I 've been posting every day about my outdoor adventures.

Fifteen days down and fifteen more to go.

Thanks for reading.

Spring Yard Clean Up

There are lots of ways to spend time outside, one of which is cleaning up. We had a long winter, but now that the snow is gone, it's time to rake up last year's mess and get everything looking pretty.

John worked on flower beds and I got my arms in gear for some good time raking. I find with leaves there are always way more than it looks. This photo represents about 1% of the total.

Last sign of Winter

Over the next few weeks I'll be posting photos of my adventures outdoors, as part of the 30x30 Challenge. I will be scheduling some posts, but some might be done live after a fun experience outdoors. My blog is syndicated in the morning, so if you receive my blog through email, live posts won't get to your inbox until the next day. As always, thanks for reading.

On a walk yesterday I found the last remaining sign of winter - a small pile of snow out near the woods. This tiny remnant used to be part of the giant 'snow from the driveway' pile and it has almost shrunk down to nothing. A little more sunshine and it will be gone gone gone.

30x30 Nature Challenge 2015

It's May in Canada and for the past few years that has meant participating in the 30x30 nature challenge. Get outside for 30 minutes, for 30 days in May. I participated last year (and posted some photos) and this year I'm going to try and capture lots of sights while I'm out exploring (or just relaxing) in nature.

I feel like I'm ahead of the game, as the weather this past week has been amazing (and coat free!) and I've already been out every single day this week. Looking forward to even more outdoor time in May.

 #NatureIsCalling!!!

Let's Keep the Conversation Going

In line at the grocery store yesterday I had a really good chat with a stranger about Robin Williams and mental health. Robin is on the cover of pretty much every magazine in the check out line and his death has started an important conversation that we need to be having. I am still genuinely devastated by his death and by the amount of pain he was in. It's still really hard for a lot of people to talk about mental health and mental illness, and hopefully Robin Williams can be the catalyst that gets people talking so they can get the help they need to battle it.

According the Canadian Mental Health Association:

Mental illness affects people of all ages, educational and income levels, and cultures.

The chances of having mental illness in your lifetime is 1 in 5.

Mental illness indirectly affects all Canadians at some time through a family member, friend or colleague

I have anxiety. I have friends and family with anxiety and depression. I have friends and family with addiction issues. I worked in social services for many years and have worked with both colleagues and clients who struggled with mental illness. One of the repeated headlines I saw after Robin Williams death was "depression is real". It most certainly is and I think talking more openly about it is a good step towards getting people the help they need.

If you think you may be struggling with mental illness, please talk to someone. You do not have to go through it alone.

The following are some Canadian resources for depression and anxiety.

Depression Hurts

Check Up From The Neck Up

Anxiety BC

Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention

Canadian Mental Health Association

Also the more we talk about it, the more we can try to end the stigma associated with mental illness. Check out Bring Change 2 Mind for more information.

Constantly Up and Down

I've had some muscle strain in my lower back for the past few days and I can't believe how disruptive it's been. I'm a tall girl, so my lower back often gets the short end of the stick, but this week it has really been getting in the way of being able to do things. I am trying to find the balance of moving the muscles enough, but not too much. It's most painful when I stand up or sit down, lean over, do dishes, or any movement that forces me to use those muscles. It has made me realize that I am super forgetful and constantly have to get up to get things: my tea, my book, my iPod, the phone, the remote... I'm constantly up and down.

While resting over the past few days I marathoned True Detective (only 8 episodes), which was pretty good. I also got a few books from the library that I am hoping to finish over the next few days as well. I'm trying to do fun things that don't rely on my lower back. I'm also trying to suppress any and all urges to bake yummy things. It is hard. Yesterday I made buns and did all the kitchen clean up and probably shouldn't have. So today I am reading and listening to my body and asking for help when I need it.

Pile of books to read: currently reading 'The Hunter' by Richard Stark

Exploring New Trails

As part of the 30x30 Challenge I've been getting lots of time outdoors lately.

After hitting the library today, I went and explored a nature trail that I hadn't been on before. It was very secluded - no one in sight but me. I explored the trail without my iPod. Instead of music, I heard all the sounds of nature: the stream, squirrels playing, and birds chirping. It was a really nice day to be out walking around.

Bridge to the nature trail

View from the bridge

Really lovely trail for walking

30 x 30 Nature Challenge - 2014

I signed up to participate in the David Suzuki Foundation 30 x 30 Nature Challenge for the month of May. The challenge? Spend 30 minutes in nature for 30 minutes a day. You can do that without signing up, but signing up involves doing a pre and post survey of the challenge to help researchers understand the effect that spending time in nature has on people. I think it will make me feel amazing, seeing as I spent the past 5 months stuck inside and hating nature soooooo much. I'm still so happy it is actually spring, even if it is a little cold out and certain piles of snow are still hanging on.

Want to participate in the challenge? Find out more here.

See you outside!

It's Consistently Above Zero

I haven't been online too much over the past few days. The snow has been melting, the sun came out, and the temperatures have not only been endurable but enjoyable too. Monday we got up to 23°C (73°F) and I didn't wear a coat or a sweater outside. Yesterday was cloudy and only 9°C (48°F), but it was still a treat to be out of doors.

I spend most of my outside time walking around or reading, but recently I found some old baseball equipment and have been having solo batting practice and some games of catch with John. If I'm playing ball in the backyard, it has to be spring now, right? Even if I sometimes have to rescue the ball from the (slowly melting) snow pile.

5 Days and Counting

I have been able to go on a walk for the past five days in a row. And not just any walk, a pleasant walk. The temps have been -5°C (23°F) or higher, and the air is nice and doesn't burn your face. I can stand being outdoors for longer than 7 minutes at time - it's amazing. Who knew I would come to treasure and be excited for a -5°C forecast? It's definitely been a crazy winter. Today is supposed to get up to a high of 5°C (41°F) so I can keep this walking trend going. I have really missed enjoying the outdoors.

Also awesome: I wore my running shoes to the grocery store on the weekend. I had to dodge snow and puddles in the parking lot, but it was so worth it and felt so good. I miss walking in runners. I will still have to wear my boots on my walks for a while yet, as the sides of the road are very wet and slushy. All the sun we've been getting has melted the top layer of the massive snowbanks. There's still a good two or three feet left to melt, but it's a start.

Something in the Way She Moves

I'm working on my second 28 day reboot, the goal of which is to amp up my physical activity, mainly through walking. I have a semi broken pedometer, and while I'm waiting to order a Fitbit (because I love stats), I have been going out on timed walks and enjoying the shit out of the beautiful weather we are having.

Week one: 2.75 hours walked

Week two: 4 hours walked

Week three (current): I already have over 3 hours walked! Today will take me to the 4 hour mark, and I still have 3 days left in the week. Very, very pleased with myself.

I found a great route that I've been walking that varies between 50 and 75 minutes, depending on which turns I take (or don't take). There is a public washroom ideally located at the midway point, which allows me to be out on longer walks without worrying about having to pee.

My body has adjusted to all the walking and I haven't woken up with that exhausted, can't-hardly-move feeling in a few weeks. Also my aches and pains are at a minimum (I've been doing post walk stretches, which I think are helping). The bonus of all the walks is that I've been getting great sleeps and soaking up a tonne of fall sunshine. Which allows for the greatest bonus of all: feeling pretty damn good!

Tired and Grumpy Monday Blog

I spent much of the weekend in bed fighting something off. And even though I spent most of my time laying down, sleep only came in pockets, so I am completely wiped today. And grumpy. And probably cranky too.

The crummy thing about me feeling bad is that it was John's birthday over the weekend. I had a plan to make a new cake recipe, but just did not have the energy to do it. We ended up having a store bought cake to celebrate, but I have to say I have had waaaaayyyy better store bought cakes. You know I'm grumpy if I am getting mad at cake!

Also realized over the weekend that our car is making a sound that we can't ignore. I'm taking it into the mechanic today and hoping it just needs a little something and not a whole lottta something.

There is some good news to report: I finished my first week of my second 28 day reboot. I am no longer relying on my mostly broken pedometer, so have been gauging my progress on timed walks. Last week I was "on a walk" for 165 minutes (2.75 hours). My goal for the second week is 4 hours of walking. I'm hoping to do more than that, but setting my goal realistically (seeing as I'm starting the week off tired and cranky). But I will be walking back from the mechanic shortly, so at least that is something.

How was your weekend? What is the best store bought cake you ever had? Mine was a huge slab cake we got from Zehrs in Barrie for my parents 25th wedding anniversary. It was delicious. I found a photo of it and it made me smile, so maybe I'm going to beat this grump after all.

One Step at a Time

I finished my 28 day reboot on the weekend and then immediately started a new one. Habits take time to stick with me, and setting another four weeks of walking goals will keep me moving. Plus as the seasons change, I will have to be extra motivated to get outside when the temperature dips below zero. My main goal is to develop good walking habits now and maintain them over the winter.

Here are the results of my 28 day reboot, step-wise:

Week one: 37,321 steps

Week two: 55,839 steps

Week three: 39,330 steps

Week four: 39,692 steps

I haven't gotten up to 70,000 steps/week, but I am consistently getting more than 5500 steps per day and have walked far more in the past month than I did most of the summer. I have had some low energy days where I couldn't get more than 2000 steps, but because I have a goal in place, I keep getting back out there.

Things I have done to stay motivated/get more steps in my day:

• Listen to an audiobook while walking
• Plan different routes for variety
• Make a simple trip to the store/library walk focused by walking around town before or after
• When reading, walk for around 5 minutes at the end of each chapter
• If I don't think I have the energy to get to 10,000 steps in a day, try to get at least 5000
• Walk when I first get up

A demotivater I ran into on the weekend: I'm pretty sure my pedometer is broken. I dropped it onto some concrete and it bounced unhappily and hasn't been counting properly since. I have been thinking of getting a new one (one that costs more than $6), and am seriously looking into the Fitbit. Until I take the plunge and make a big purchase, I am going to be judging my activity by the time or distance I walk. This morning I walked for 55 minutes when I first got up, which made me pretty proud of myself. I can do about 1000 steps in ten minutes, so my walk was about 5500 steps. I find it hard to measure the time I walk outside of a planned walk, but I've decided I'm not going to stress too much about the daily count. My walking goals for the next four weeks are to get outside for at least an hour a day, and if it's in the morning, even better!

Remembering to Rest

I'm over two weeks into my 28 day reboot and feeling like I'm making good progress.

My first week I walked 37,321 steps.

My second week I walked 55,839 steps (averaging about 8000 steps per day - woot!).

I'm training my body to walk daily, but I'm also listening to it when it needs a break. And this weekend, I needed a rest.

At the tail end of my 55,000+ steps Saturday night, I had a relaxing bath to calm my muscles and was just completely exhausted when I got out. I knew there would be no walking on Sunday for me. And it turned out, no Monday walking either. Taking it easy was the only thing on the schedule and that was fine by me. 

I had a wonderful time on my rest days. Sunday we went to an end of summer BBQ with friends, where we sampled 3 out of 4 of the Lays 'Do Us a Flavour' contest chips. The flavours in Canada are: Grilled Cheese and Ketchup (pretty good), Maple Moose (tasted like a combo of sweet and burnt - we threw them out), Creamy Garlic Caesar (they tasted great; they were pretty much just sour cream and onion, with maybe a hint of crouton), and Perogy Platter (we didn't try these, but they sound delicious). Fun times.

Monday I rested by playing Torchlight. All day. I'm always amazed at my capacity to game, but when I like something, I tend to like it a lot. It was super fun and I'm level 67 now or something ridiculous.

I'm feeling well rested and happy to get back moving today. It has been raining on and off, but hopefully I'll find a chunk of time where I don't get too wet.

Happy September friends!

Pedometer (and Walking) Conscious

I have completed the first week of my 28 day reboot and things are going really well. I have successfully added activity to my daily life and I've been reminded that I find both walking and biking really fun.

Over the past week I walked 37,321 steps. I'm gradually working towards 70,000 steps per week, so I am very happy to be halfway there already. I also biked 27.2km (17 miles) over the week, and all this activity and sunshine is making me really happy too. :) 

My walking goals are also having a positive impact on my behaviour. On the weekend I was laying in the backyard reading, and at the end of each chapter I got up and walked around the house for about 5 minutes (about 500 steps). I'm really starting to be conscious of being more active and I love adding little pockets of walking to my day.

I am tracking my walking using a pedometer and it has become a great little motivator for me. I have daily step goals and it is a great gauge of how much more activity I need to do before the day is done. One of the most important things about wearing a pedometer is remembering to put the damn thing on. I often forget to attach it to my belt right when I wake up and when I get out of the shower. Too many times this week I found myself puttering around the house for a few hours before I realized I wasn't wearing it.

Over the past week I also realized that my pedometer makes a jingling sound. Jingling means it's working. No jingling means steps aren't being counted. A frustrating fact I discovered after a nice long walk around the grocery store, making sure to hit every aisle, to get my steps up. It turns out the pedometer needs to be strait up and down to work, so the waistbands of certain pants are too thin to keep it oriented properly. I've figured that out, but now I'm that person at the grocery store who keeps looking at her waist to make sure the pedometer is working.

The thing I am trying to remember is that regardless of whether my pedometer is counting as it should be, I am indeed walking more. That's what really counts (groan!), right?

Easy Does It

I am loving my 28 day reboot, and I got so excited about feeling good, that I kinda overdid it.

The weather has been fantastic so I've not only been exceeding my walking goals, but have been
swimming daily too. It left me with boundless energy and I had a really hard time winding down Monday night...so I hardly slept and my body didn't recover from the newly added exercise. It left me completely wiped. All day yesterday, even keeping my eyes open to read was exhausting. Yep, I overdid it. Going from minimal activity to ALL the activity was a little too much for me. I was smart enough to listen to my body and let it rest. Feeling recovered today and I'm ready to get back out there and get moving.

This was how sleepy I was yesterday.

Stick it!

I have some daily step-count walking goals I'm trying to meet, so getting in some fun walks in the sunshine is a great way to do that. I have a few walking options around my place, the rail trail, the Simcoe County forest trails, or I can even just walk along the side of the road. While walking this summer, I started using a walking stick that John had, and it just sorta felt right. I also think it kinda makes me look cool and outdoorsy, especially when I'm on the trail. We nicknamed the stick my "wizard staff" and I'm glad it's accompanying me on my adventures.

Walking stick (wizard staff) and me

Art shot of the walking stick  -  with my happy shadow. :)