Still walking....

Morning all! So after celebrating my year of 30 min. walks, I've moved on to a year 0f 40 min. workouts. They include biking, walking, strength training and more! Mixing it up and it feels wonderful! Although it's a hot one in the suburbs of Chicago today, I just came back from the greatest ride! There was actually a slight breeze! Admired a few peeping cardinals along the way, and made a pit stop at the farmer's market too! Life is good! 

I did it! Today is my 365th walk in a row!

One year of 30 minute walks completed! 365 daily walks in a row! Will celebrate with family and friends tomorrow! Whew!
And now, I will continue mixing it up even more! Can I continue 30 minutes every single day forever? Doubtful, but I must try. Let's see how long I can go. Send me your inspirational stories. They really help keeping me motivated!! And thanks for reading!

I'm Soooooo Close to My Goal! Day 362!!

Who the hell knew I could do this! My year of 30 minute walks have taught me a lot about myself. I now know I can make a goal and succeed at doing it. But keeping these walks fresh have been a challenge, which is why I mix it up constantly. I'm upping the incline on the treadmill up and down through much of it. I add arm weights often, and I change the speed throughout each walk. I even jump off twice during the 30 min. and run across the room sideways like the football & basketball players do in their workouts, to get my heart rate up! I feel a little silly doing it, but it gets the heart racing for sure!
All in all, I have to admit that I love my 30 minute walks outside the most. When the weather is just right and the air is crisp and it's quiet enough to hear the birds singing....makes me want to sing along with them! Now if I could only fly!
Okay.....3 more 30 min. walks left to scoring my goal! Yes!

Monday, Monday...

Why is it so hard to face Mondays? Could it be that we have just come back from the most thrill filled weekend and we didn't want it to end? Or is it because with the beginning of a new week, we find ourselves evaluating the endless possibilities this week could hold, and feel uneasy about the prospect of fulfillment of those ideas. What if we fail?
Well, I'm not going to let that notion bother ME! Onward! Another 30 minute walk today. Feeling great......oh the possibilities that lay ahead of me!

I'm Nearly There>Day 351

Oh my this is exciting! I can't believe I'm nearly at my one year goal! Staying motivated is very hard, but the personal achievement award (given to me in my head and my heart) will all be worth it! I've never done anything like this before. It makes me think I can "will" my self to do even more! Hmmmmm, I wonder what I could will myself to do next.
As for the walks, they will continue mixed up with other exercises, i.e., stair climbing, biking, lunges, squats, strength training.

Day 348! Hurray!

Okay, still keeping myself motivated just by looking in the mirror. Yes, that helps. A lot! Not happy yet with what I'm seeing. I have decided that once I reach my goal here of one whole year of 30 minute walks, that my new goal will be a mixture of different workouts, but still 30 minutes (and some days more) every single day............hopefully again for another year. I know I can do it. I intend to do more lunges, stairs, weight training and biking too. I am committed until I start to like what I see in the mirror. And then, if that day ever comes, then I will need to keep it up. So I guess what I'm saying is, 30 minutes every day of my life forever and ever. Amen!. Ugh! Sigh! Gulp!

It's Day 341 !!! Almost There!

So, after using my trusty and faithful calculator, I've figured out that as of today's 30 minute walk, I have now finished number 341 walks in a row! And since I began this journey on July 10, 09, I will have finished 365 days of 30 min. walks after I walk on July 9, next month! Will probably need to celebrate that evening! I always knew I could do this. I just didn't know that I would do this. Two different things. I intend to keep going after the year is over.....but only time will tell if I can stay motivated.

Walking the Halls!!

Oh great, it's 10 pm and after a long day on the road back from our trip and a late dinner, it's time to find the time, or make the time to walk my 30 minutes. It's a commitment. My husband can't believe I'll be walking up and down the halls of this tiny hotel. Oh well, it does have 4 floors. But wait! I just discovered, way up on the 4th floor a tiny room marked "Fitness Center" and it's open, and no one is on the treadmill! Hurray! Perfect! And it's so close to our room. I'll be on it in the morning again for sure!

No lions, No tigers, but what about bears?Oh my!

So I'm walking a long, long driveway here at my father-in-laws in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I do my 30 minutes every morning, but have recently opted to walking in town, amongst the gift shops. Yes! I do my walk first, then onto the Internet cafe. And from today on, I think I'm limiting my walks to here in town till we leave. NEWS FLASH>>>>>BEAR KILLS DOG NEAR SCHOOL, LAST NIGHT, not far from where we are!! Okay, that's all I needed to hear. The only bears in the quaint little down town area are the cute little hand carved ones in the store windows. I can deal with that. ; )

My Toe Hurts!

So why did I wear 4 1/2" high heels last night??? Now my toe hurts and my 30 minute walk on the treadmill today was quite pathetic. However, those shoes got lots of compliments!! Woo hoo! Maybe it was all worth it??? Still not sure. Got off the treadmill to find that I am now limping again. Ok, maybe I'll rethink it next time I need to put on a pair of heels. But most likely, I'll do it all over again. ; ) I am woman, I wear high heels. I am strong. I am invincible!!!! ...or so I'd like to think I am.

Ahhhh Saturday!!

Somebody motivate me please!! I waited till noon to get on the old treadmill. All morning long, I just kept saying.............how do I keep motivated? I looked in the mirror.....mission accomplished! I finished my full 2 miles and then some again on the number 2 incline!! Hurray! Now hubby is done working out too. Going out for a healthy lunch and a chance to soak up some sun! It's 83 and sunny here in the suburbs of Chicago!

So.......

Okay, so yesterday, I took a new route walking outside again. Enjoyed the smell of freshly mowed grass and the sound of small birds chirping. Didn't enjoy the bee near me buzzing......hey buzz off!
But I got home after 27 minutes of my 30 minute walk. I am dedicated, determined and goal oriented here. I hopped on the treadmill for 7 minutes more. Now, that felt good, and very self satisfying! Yes, I know that 27 minutes and 7 make more than 30 minutes, but I know I was at my 2 mile mark in doing so, and that felt even better! ; )

and again........

So this will be quick and painless. Continuing now on the 2 miles every day at incline 2. It's a little over 30 minutes and that's a good thing. A very very good thing! Nite!

Another 2 Miles woo hoo!!

Somehow I was able to do it again, 2 miles, on incline number 2! That felt so good! And I was out of that lousy humidity and heat! When my husband heard I'd done it again, he jumped on the treadmill and kept it at incline #2. He can't have his wife showing him up!! No way! I'm adding arm strengthening exercises and doing one or two power bursts during my walk too. Got to keep burning those calories! It's a struggle, but a great feeling getting through it every single day. Definitely worth it.

Up a Notch!

Okay this is a big thrill for me, and anyone else who is striving to get to the next level. Whatever that may be. I usually just fall short of the 2 mile total every day, but today, there it was. And on top of that, I pushed the treadmill up a notch to incline number 2! Hurray! Didn't think I could do it. And someday another notch, and then another and so on, and so on....... But for today, I am happy with notch number 2. Life is good!

Monday Monday

Okay, got through that hot sticky party outside next door yesterday. Too bad it lasted till past midnight and ended up in my yard when I was trying to sleep! Some people!!
Oh well, kay sa rah sa rah !! (sp?) Whatever will be will be. I'm not going to let it get me down.
Took to the treadmill again though and I raised the incline up one notch. Yeah me! Too hot again to walk outside today. It hit 91 and I'm sure the humidity wasn't much less. Yuck.
Tomorrow morning I was supposed to meet my friend Marilyn for an early morning walk. Very very early. Just canceled. I'm sleeping in. I can do that. I feel much better about that, even though I rarely cancel anything with anyone. This time, it just felt necessary. But don't ask me why. I don't have an answer.

Not looking forward to being outside in any capacity today. I'm not saying that I don't love a sunny day the same as most, but that darn humidity nearly suffocates us living here in my Chicago suburb. It's only May. This abysmal humid weather is for people who like living in places like perhaps Miami. Not for me! I will hop on my treadmill today in my 65 degree basement. Yes, much better! Oops, I forgot, I have to be out at a child's birthday party all afternoon! Glad it's right next door, so I can slip into my air conditioning when I'm feeling all wilty! (Is that a word?)

Marching on........

So I changed routes today and enjoyed the view of the early morning lawnmower enthusiasts and dog walkers. Caught a glimpse of a Dad holding on tightly to his coffee mug while pretending to be interested in what color of chalk his preschooler was choosing to decorate the driveway with. I was able to give some words of encouragement and a smile to a 10 year old Little League player, anxioiusly waiting in his driveway for his ride to the game. I have to say, changing my route today was a very good thing. I enjoyed getting a little taste of what's going on in my neighborhood. It was sweet and touched my heart. I think I will try yet another route tomorrow. ; )

So I have only 51 days to go!

It turns out that on May 15th I'd miscounted. It wasn't day 300, but actually more! And today I have only 51 days to go till July 10th, my one year of 30 minute walks! So that means today's count is Day 314!! I had no idea I could do this. Hmmm, wonder what my next goal will be. Any ideas?

A Whole Hour Today!!

So, I made it a whole hour today! Walked with my friend Marilyn on a nature path. Suddenly a deer came walking right across our path! I took a quick picture with my cell phone camera! I love nature!! (at least today I do). Oh happy perfect 75 degree and sunny kind of day!

I made it one more day!

It sure does help getting up early and getting my walk out of the way! This way, it doesn't hang over my head like a heavy weight about to crash down on me! That was such a good feeling being done nice and early. And it left more time to play!! I mean work. No .... I mean play!! LOL

It's Sunny Out Today!!!!!

It's morning and it's sunny! Our Chicago weather is improving. Now getting motivated on day 303. Hmmmmmm, any suggestions? I have a route I take and I know it's a 30 minute one. Maybe I need to mix it up and learn a new route. Yes, I will do that today. Should be interesting. Maybe I'll meet new people!

Day 302

It's raining out and I wanted so badly to walk outside today. This treadmill thing is getting to me. But I walk in front of a really great 50" HD tv in my finished basement, so I should not be complaining one bit. Except of course the day I found a giant centipede crawling up the wall near me! Yikes! I screamed for my husband to rescue me. He came, but I fear the centipede was the quicker of the two. It disappeared after a valiant attempt by my hubby to destroy it. I know, I know, "centipedes are our friends" or so my mother always said. They eat all the other bugs in the basement. Sorry, not the big ones. The big ones are my latest nightmares!
Ok, I'm off to walk my 30 minutes today

May 15

It is hard to keep motivated on what is most likely day 300 of my year of 30 minute walks. Wow, didn't realize what a milestone I have just reached. Between the treadmill and walking either at a mall, or outside when the weather permits, this is still a tough thing to get through, EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR (OR MORE). Any one out there who has done it? No cheating. I walked on Christmas Day and every single day I was sick....etc. I'm determined. Feeling my wind much better now, so that's a big plus! Woo hoo!

An Entire Year of 30 Minute Walks

So this blog is about keeping inspired about spending 30 minutes every single day for an entire year (or more) walking.