I don’t mean to brag or anything, but I ate pizza on Saturday without issue. WOO!!!
I also went on a hike. It was the first hike in two and a half months and that is ludicrous Lu-dah-cris. It felt like I’d never walked up hills before but it also felt SO GOOD to be walking up hills again. And down hills. And on flat desert ground. So good.
I don’t wanna get all excited and think I’m totally cured so I’m being cautiously optimistic given what I carefully planned and ate over the weekend while knowing it’s been a week since I’ve had a full blown issue. Fingers are firmly crossed.
It feels really nice to feel like I have a handle on things and to feel like I’ve taken back control.
The end of the year is quickly approaching and I’m realizing I only posted here twice. Once to catch up on 2015 and then when Prince died. That’s not super great. It’s like I’m not even a blogger! I guess maybe I’m really not?
But I want to be! I used to be! So, one of my goals in 2017 will be to use this space again. It’ll be a wee bit different than when I was using it to solely track my training and hiking leading up to the Grand Canyon hike but not by much. I want this space to keep me accountable to my goals and my aspirations and my emotions and feelings on track. A public journal so I actually feel accountable to something other than myself. Which is sad. But it’s reality so that’s that.
This post will be a quickie roundup of the first half of this year. It would likely be far too long to do it all at once. What with me being wordy at times and using photos so you can ooooh and aaaah at stuff.
Part two will be posted next week. Because there’s still a bit over a week left of the year and who knows what will happen!
January
The year started with my boyfriend taking me to the Cactus Bowl to watch WVU play ASU! Our seats were right beside the WVU Marching Band, which is awesome, and the Mountaineers won! It was so great to be walking around outside the stadium seeing so many of the WV logos and the blue and gold. It was great. I loved it.
I only worked out twice, due to having to go to Pennsylvania for a week for work and various family events. I did, however, hike three times in preparation for the National Trail Trek! Which was also in January. My friend, Jeff, came out and participated in it with me and then got stuck here due to snow on the East Coast. The day after the NTT we all hiked with our dogs to make sure we got a nice, easy hike in to reduce stiffness. Plus who doesn’t want to hike with a herd of puppies? Nobody I want to know!
I continued to see the chiro all month to make sure my hips stayed in alignment and I ended the month with a massage and pedi. That one was well earned after the travel and hiking!
I was able to go to two Suns games, both for free! One of which was floor seats! Yay sportsball!
February
This was a bad month for activity for some reason. Timing and events, I suppose. I only worked out with Tyler twice and didn’t go to the chiro at all.
My Dad came to town for the Waste Management Phoenix Open and I did a lot of walking around that weekend, thank goodness.
My hiking friends and I had a clothing swap and me and the boyfriend went to a roller derby.
The month ended with the one and only hike! It was in a lovely location where we saw a herd of wild horses and a bald eagle soared overhead. It was quite majestic and my first sighting of one in the wild!
March
I had allergy testing done and found out I’m allergic to a whole slew of things and should just never go outside ever. Oh, well.
I went to the gym and worked with Tyler NINE TIMES!! Go March!! *flex*
I went to the chiro once. I think that was my last visit.
We (when I say we, I mean me and my boyfriend. I’m a we now. It’s nice.) went to a Cubs spring training game. I decided then that I would be a Cubs fan for I like the little cubbie logo guy. And this turned out to be one of the best decisions I made this year.
I had my yearly mammogram and this one was the worst one yet. The lady manhandled me worse than I’ve ever experienced, it hurt like hell, and when it was all over I felt incredibly violated and I cried. A lot. I understand that this is part of taking care of my body and my health and my life but there has to be a better way. I shouldn’t feel such intense violation in order to stay healthy.
I had four hikes in March and they were all awesome. The first one was a fun little puppy hike. The second one was a beautiful hike in Sedona. The third one was an even more beautiful but terrifying hike in Sedona that was just my boyfriend and I. He got me through the very scary spots and I even went out on the very high and not as narrow as it seems bridge! The last hike for the month was the Move Across 2 Ranges. And instead of doing 21 miles I did 3. Because I was not in the mood. Instead I sat in the sun with a hiking friend who also determined she was not in the mood and talked and read a book and had snacks and it was relaxing and exactly what was needed.
April
I gymmed four times. One of which was solo since Tyler took a vacation.
I hiked twice. One of which was in a totally new to me place and it was really nice.
There were lots of fun events in April. I went to a fun work party with the boyfriend. A Seder celebration with one of my friends at her home with family and friends. One of my dearest friends got married in Vegas and that was a fun weekend. The owner of my company took us to a lovely evening that included a limo bus ride to the venue, an amazing dinner, and a suite where we watched a Carrie Underwood concert. I’m not big on country but that was a really fun evening.
I already discussed Prince dying. I don’t want to again. It still sucks and I still hate it and I still find it terribly unfair and unnecessary and unreal.
I ended the month with a massage. I’m worth it.
May
I only hiked twice but I managed to hit the gym and work with my trainer four times. Which is amazing considering I went to England for a week!!
That’s right. I finally made it to London. It was amazing. We did so many things and had such delicious foods and I finally saw Stonehenge and I had to drive and that was weird and just all of the things! Then an epic layover in Ireland that resulted in us really only sitting and enjoying the fact that we were in Ireland for, oh….half an hour! We didn’t realize the Dublin airport was a pre-TSA check airport and that we had to go through all of that. But it made the layover in Philly so much easier and relaxing.
June
The month started with my friends coming to town for the Comicon. We did a low key version of the ‘Con this year and, instead, did lots of pool party shenanigans at my house. Fun was had by all.
I went to the gym and worked with Tyler four times.
I had a massage. Because I’m a mess of knots.
The only hiking I did was in Yellowstone! Yes, I went to the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks with my family. I saw a grizzly bear with a cub. I saw a black bear with two cubs. I saw buffalo and elk! It was more beautiful than you can imagine. While there we hiked the Brink of Lower Falls trail and Uncle Tom’s Trail. The elevation of the park was enough to make it hard for me to breathe. Neither trail, really, is difficult. But yes it is if you cannot breathe. My first night in Jackson Hole I threw up multiple times due to elevation sickness. I get all of the dumb afflictions, you guys. But anyway, Brink of Lower Falls trail is a sort of steep graded set of switchbacks. Down was no sweat. Walking up required many breaks. Uncle Tom’s Trail, however, was mostly a series of staircases. With over 300 steps. That are mounted on the side of the mountain. And are see through. My fear of heights was deeply engaged. But I did it! Hell yeah, I did.
And that is the first half of 2016 brief update. See you next week!
I’ve gained all of the weight I lost while doing the Whole 30 and then some back. Apparently that’s what happens when you’re in new relationship? I dunno. But today I went grocery shopping and bought all Whole 30 compliant foods and did meal prep and now I have breakfast and lunch for the entire week all planned out.
However, most importantly, I’m back in training. Back on the trail. To get ready for the National Trail Trek in January! I’m so excited. And so happy.
I have lots to say but no time to say it but I wanted to say this. About the training and the happy. I like to make note.
According to the Facebook memories thing, I started my NTT training on this day last year. So, I think that’s a nice thing.
More later. Not sure how later. Hopefully not as later as this.
So, I hiked the Grand Canyon and then I went away. Seems about right, yeah? So, here’s the Grand Grand Canyon post I promised! Hopefully it’ll be worthwhile.
That Saturday morning we woke up, had breakfast, loaded up the car and took ridiculous photos and posted them on the Instagrams and Facebooks because that is how we live our lives now, ok? OK.
I love these guys.
Then we drove. We drove toward the Canyon. And we were all a bundle of nerves and excited energy and we chatted and had roadsign Tourrettes and smartassery and were just, generally, ourselves.
We arrive to the Canyon and I cannot WAIT for them to all see if. This is the first time my friends had all seen the Grand Canyon. RIGHT?!?!? Everyone needs to see the Grand Canyon and I will take you all because that’s how strongly I feel about that! And they are all appropriately impressed and I cry because oh my god it is so pretty and oh my god we’re going down there! WE’RE GOING DOWN THERE!
Off we go to find where we meet the shuttle and we get all dropped off and my car parked and we look at the Canyon from a vantage point I’d never been to and then we load up in the shuttle and we ride for, like, SIX hours. But it actually went by quickly. We enjoyed the views and talked and napped and all the things you do when you’re in a shuttle for six hours.
We see a forest that was burned out thanks to a lightning strike, herds of elk, and then we finally arrived to the North Rim. A first for us all.
Our campsite was SO CLOSE to the rim! That was a surprise. And the North Rim is oh my god so pretty. Pine trees and aspens and far less people and amazing views. So nice. We took pictures, set up camp, had dinner, and watched the sunset. And with the magic of putting our phones in just the right areas at just the right time we each were able to do one last post before our big trip.
The North Rim is so much different than the South!
The next morning we woke up early and got ourselves fed and on the way to the trailhead and to say that the energy was high would be an understatement. We were all amped the fuck up, y’all.
As we were walking the over a mile walk to the actual trailhead I was getting super nervous. My pack did NOT feel right. At all. And I was worried. Because, um, we’re not even started yet for real and I’m already uncomfortable holy shit what did I get myself and my friends into holy fuck?!?!? Then we arrive to the trailhead and we’re doing selfies and group shots because we’re a bunch of nerds and photographers so this is going to happen A LOT when Dave says “Andrea, why does your pack look so wrong?” I took it off, he did some adjustments, I put it back on and it was instant relief. THANK YOU SO MUCH DAVE.
Then off we went. Down the North Kaibab Trail. And we, of course, were all “Look at us! We’re finally hiking into the Grand Canyon!” because we were just beside ourselves with glee. We stopped to marvel over how amazing the Canyon is. We stopped and proclaimed “Look! Mount Humphreys!” anytime we could see it. We determined that the Canyon is Majestic As Fuck! and proudly proclaimed it as we saw fit. We stopped and talked to other hikers to give them encouragement and to ask questions about what was ahead for us.
We’re some giddy mofos.
Basically, we took a long time going down because we were like overly stimulated toddlers.
The first day was the day I was the most nervous about. It was the day that I’d be on the portion of the trail that everyone felt would be scary and upsetting to me. But? Not one single thing about it upset me. I was too much in awe of where I was and what I was doing to be concerned with anything else. I was too full of happy to be all up in my head. And it was glorious.
I will say, however, that it was a lot of unrelenting down and by the end of that day my hips were sore. But Jeff and I just did some stretches and that was that!
Before we made it to Cottonwood Camp we were worn out. We were ready for the day to be over. We took too long and we let the Sun come up and the temps get high and we were tired. We wound up with a campsite that was in full Sun, little shade, and it was a nice walk to the creek. But the creek was in full Sun, too, so it’s not like we could sit there all day, either. But we made it all work. We would go down and sit with our feet in the creek for a bit. Then we’d refill our bucket, dip our hats in the creek, and walk back to camp. We’d sit as still as possible. Like lizards. Expending as little energy as possible watching the Sun approach the high Canyon walls to provide shade. As soon as that happened? We felt the temp drop at least 10 degrees and we were able to move and be alive once again! So we ate dinner and played games (“I’m the Countess!”) and enjoyed the rest of the day.
That view!
We went to bed that night excited about what we’d done and with a plan to get up and moving early the next day so we’d get through The Box before the Sun was too high so we’d not die. The Internet told us we’d die in The Box. The Internet can be so dramatic, you guys.
While we were in the Grand Canyon the moon was full. Which, of course, killed our plans to enjoy all of the stars and the Milky Way but we did, instead, enjoy the brightest moon we’d ever seen before! Like, it was so bright that each of us, individually, woke up in the middle of the night and asked “Who the hell has a light on?” Space, fuckers. Space has the light on. Go to sleep.
The next morning we woke up and packed up and got on the trail a little later than we wanted but still before 5am. But for some reason my pack was leaking. And I was not having it. Jeff wanted to wait to figure it out but I was all “NO TO THAT!” and I turned into The Hulk and I lifted my 30lb pack OVER MY HEAD AND BODY SLAMMED IT!! Which made Dave say “Well that’s not helpful.” To which my face said “Shut it.”
I fixed the leak, I apologized for being a maniac, and off we went! Towards The Box!
We made AWESOME time, thanks to Jeff keeping us on pace. We made it through The Box in complete shade! We stopped and had snacks there, talked to other hikers, took photos, etc and so forth. All in the shade. It was awesome. As we approached Phantom Ranch and Bright Angel Campground, though, the Sun was making itself known. But we got an excellent campsite and spent the day in the creek.
I loved this campground so very much.
This day may be my favorite one. They were all amazing, do not get me wrong. But the whole Phantom Ranch/Bright Angel Campground area had a really cool summer camp type of vibe that I really liked. The views were amazing. Sitting in the creek all day to stay cool was relaxing. Spending time talking to Jeff and Dave and getting to know Amy was just super nice. And we had access to ice cold tea, beer, and snacks. Why wouldn’t this be my favorite day?!?!
Park Rangers walked around more at this camp and talked to hikers and campers and they do nightly programs at Phantom Ranch that everyone can participate in so we walked down for that and learned about the native plant life in the Canyon and watched a mule deer eat her dinner.
Dinner time.
On one trip to the bathroom we saw our one and only snake. I small one, not even sure what brand it was. But it slithered across our path and I did mom arm to stop Jeff from getting near it and life was good.
We went to sleep that night feeling pretty good, I think. Ready for the next day’s trek, which started out flat and ended on the incline towards Indian Garden Campground.
The next morning we get up, get our breakfast on, get our packs on, and headed for the bathrooms since they were on our way out. What I discovered once I went to the bathroom was that my period had arrived and then a lightbulb went off and said “Oooooh, that’s why I’ve been a maniac!” But, I was not prepared for this event. Like a dummy. So I had to just use the old balled up, wadded up toilet paper trick. At this point we’d already been naming our poo and being super mature and gross so I just told everyone “Guess what? I started my period and I am unprepared.” Dave, ever the boy scout, proclaims “Well, you have extra socks!” and we hit the trail.
When I’m on my period, the first day sucks. I get cramps really bad. My uterus really is an asshole and likes to be dramatic. So, carrying my pack with cramps and a wadded up ball of toilet paper in my crotch didn’t really lead me to feel super terrific so when we had to trudge through some sandy type beach like trail I wasn’t thrilled. But! I was still in the Grand Canyon so I didn’t really let it get me down. I’m not an idiot.
As we encountered lady hikers that I recognized from camp I’d ask them if they had supplies. I got a lot of no. But I couldn’t worry too much about that because we were headed towards The Devil’s Corkscrew. A nice series of switchbacks that seem to never end. Or, at least that’s what the Internet told us. I found it to be a nice series of switchbacks. I’m so positive.
Devil’s Corkscrew. Not that bad.
This hike was more of the same yet totally different. Lovely Canyon views and us being a mix of excited and tired. When we arrived at Indian Garden Campground we were not quite prepared for how lovely it was. And most sites were in full shade! We had a covered picnic table! Just all the shade!
The tradeoff? The bathroom was UP A FUCKING HILL!!! Really? We’ve been hiking our asses off for how many days and now I also have to walk up hill just to pee. Bastards. All of them.
Ain’t that a bitch. UP HILL!!!
I spent most of this day watching lizards play and laying my head on the table in an attempt to ignore the cramps. Oh! But I did find a lady camper that we’d been friendly with that had just finished her period and gave me all of her supplies!! OH HAPPY DAY!
However, by this point eating was a chore for me. I have no idea why. All I know is that it would take me an hour to eat one meal today. I had to force it. I just couldn’t do it. But I did. And it was fine.
We had discussed going to Plateau Point for the sunset but then Amy, Jeff, and I all determined that nope, we wanted to preserve our energy for the next day’s up and out trek. Dave, the energy bunny of the group, went. And he enjoyed it immensely and we enjoyed his photos so it’s all fine and good.
The next day we wake up and get ourselves packed and fed and on the trail bright and early yet again. We’re pros at that. And as we’re walking up the trail we’re approaching a Canyon wall and wondering, how the hell are we getting out of here are we climbing THAT?!?!? The answer was “We are climbing that but there are switchbacks and rest houses and it’s not just a sheer wall like it appears, settle down, gosh.”
How are we supposed to climb that?!?!?
We’re fairly giddy and slaphappy by this point. We’ve enjoyed the Canyon and we feel accomplished and we’re on the way out and we’re just slap happy, man. And Dave was like a damn sprite bouncing up the trail and making announcements and a lady from a group that had been hiking on the same schedule as us said “Can I slap him?” and we gave her permission. Without hesitation.
As we were walking up the the trail I was having to stop a lot to catch my breath. Jeff finally said “Why are you walking so fast?!” and then proceeded to tell me that I’m not holding anyone back, I’m catching up with people that keep walking as I stop to take breaks and that what I need to do is find my pace and stick with that. A slow, steady pace. It really will win the race, you guys. Because once I shortened my stride and just walked slowly up the Bright Angel trail? I didn’t have to stop near as often. I just kept moving forward. Go Jeff!
We stopped at the 3 miles rest house and took off our packs and had snacks for about 20 minutes. Jeff was taking photos of me and Amy when my hat blew off and the thickets Southern accent ever escaped my mouth and I proclaimed “MAH HARRR!” when I realized how bad my hair must look by this point. And then Amy and I got the giggles because of “Lawd, Jaysus, it’s a faaar.” Who doesn’t love Sweet Brown? Nobody I want to know, that’s who.
So, we rested and giggled and snacked and then up we started again toward the mile and a half rest house.
This part of the trail really is just switchbacks. I’m not sure why people make a big deal out of the Devil’s Corkscrew portion when the entire way out is switchbacky. People, I tell you. People.
I continue to maintain my slow and steady and I continue to hand out the electrolyte gummy chews like a drug pusher. And we made it to the mile and a half rest house.
By this point we’re encountering people coming down and they’re asking us questions and it’s nice but mostly we’re still just the four of us in the rest house being the four of us. I’m sitting in the floor and I turn on my phone to see. I have signal! I let notifications come in and I only answer one text. Then, as I look up and out the window of the rest house I can see the Canyon. All that we’ve just hiked. And I legit started to cry because I was just so proud of me and my friends and filled with amazement and all of it. And Dave said “Jeff, give her a tissue. I’m not even kidding.” I’m such a sap.
This reduced me to tears. Because it’s magnificent and we hiked it. All. Like pros.
After a nice 30 minutes we decide to finish this thing. We make a plan to stop at the top to take a triumphant group selfie and off we go at our own paces.
As we are going up we’re starting to run into more and more people making their way down. And just as we had given hikers encouragement on their way up three days earlier, these folks did the same and it felt amazing. Strangers smiling at us and telling us that we’re almost there! you’re doing great! Asking when we started and from where and being impressed! It really was awesome and I’m so happy that we did that to hikers we encountered instead of thinking that would be lame. It’s not lame. At all.
Then I realize….these people smell FANTASTIC! Every single one of them smelled so good. That’s how we all walk around daily and take for granted. Now I know this. Thank you, Grand Canyon.
As we reach the top we’re getting more and more giddy, Dave is going more and more ahead and giving us the progress report, people are being more and more smiley and congratulatory, and we’re just plowing ahead to get to the top and we’re exhilarated and sad that it’s going to be over so soon.
When we reach the top Dave pulls out his flask and we all take a shot of whiskey. Then selfies happened and photos of individuals and talking to other Canyon guests and the group shot just didn’t really happen. We just got too giddy.
Calls were made, posts were made, talking to people at the top happened. It was a whirlwind.
We dragged ourselves to breakfast. Our stinky, dirty selves. And they welcomed us. And we ordered food. Real food. Made in a kitchen. And as it was placed in front of us we all started eating like bears. Arms protecting our plates as if someone may steal it from us. No talking. No giggling. No smartassery. For half of our plates. Then we finally came up for air and slowed down a bit.
I made it to the car much easier than I thought I would. I mean, I just hiked the Grand Canyon and now I also have to walk to get the car?!?!? But I did it. And I smiled and floated the entire way because I JUST HIKED THE GRAND CANYON!!
We loaded up and found the camp showers. I had no idea a tiny pay for use shower would be so damned amazing. But it was. And we smelled like the others once again. We no longer showed signs of our achievement.
And then off we went to be tourists. But now? We’re part of the 1%. The 1% that make it to the bottom and back successfully. I’ll never be simply a tourist at the Canyon again.
(Here are photos that we took in the Canyon. It is a mix of all four of ours. Enjoy!)
Apparently when I’m doing other things out here in my real life, I can’t keep up with being up to date here. It’s fine.
Thursday gym looked like this:
FM hack squat
60×15
80×15
80×15
KB front squat with reverse lunge
18×10
18×10
18×10
FM cable curl & press
20×10
20×10
20×10
Planks
30s
45s
60s
Supermans
20
20
20
Leg lift crunch
10 / 10
10 / 10
10 / 10
I was late getting to the gym due to work so only got in 45 minutes. But he is really pushing me now. No more long breaks in between. Work and talk. Talk and work. Progress, Andrea! We’re making it.
Super hot trainer was there again. So I put on my smiley face. Every time he even looked like he was looking my way? I was smiling. Big, nice, happy girl smile. That’s how I flirt.
I did not hike this weekend due to the Relay for Life. But then the relay wound up getting rained and winded out. I walked for about an hour before this super wind hit and blew down all of the tables, tents, foods, and brought heavy cold wind. This does happen in the desert. Now you know!
Before decided whether or not we were going to call the relay a wash or not we wound up at Applebee’s as it was the only place open that late. I told the waitress I was sorry for “being that person” but she was so awesome in helping me put together something I could eat that would be compliant. She even sat down at the table and went over some options with me and we settled on a nice 4oz steak and sweet potato fries. She was awesome, nice, helpful, and patient and I wish I’d gotten her name so I could send in a note. That’s how much I appreciated her.
I spent my weekend cleaning my house and cooking. I bought a Dutch oven and new pots and pans. Then I cleaned my house and now my dogs are trying to put their touch on it buy spreading the inside of their stuffed toys hither and yon. Oh, dogs.
I always put off the cleaning. Especially of my room. I’ll clean the whole house and leave my room for last and then decide, eh…who’s seeing it anyway?
The answer is me. I’m seeing it. And I finally really saw it.
A nice glimpse into the teenager that, apparently, still lives in my soul.
But then I cleaned it and now I have the soul of an adult.
In my cleaning I got rid of 26 items bringing my total to 249 items tossed out of my house. This consisted of old towels that barely covered my body thanks to being holey that I got for wedding gifts in 1995 and was still using, old undies that were not suitable for viewing, and then ten random assed things I had laying about my room that serve no purpose other than to take up space. No more randoms! You are out of here.
I also got rid of all of the cat stuff that I thought I’d already gotten rid of and hung more stuff on the walls in the computer room. So, I was busy and productive.
More cooking occurred to stay on the Whole30 and I am now on Day 29!!! Tomorrow is Day 30!! I’m gonna put creamer in coffee on Wednesday and see what happens! I’m planning to go out for a nice, local burrito that doesn’t have cheese on Friday! WOO!!
The last few days, though, I’ve felt nauseated off and on. Which sucks because I have no idea what is causing it. I am eating super healthy, I am sleeping so great, I have energy, etc. And then now? Random nausea. That sucks. Like, even right now I feel as if I could hurl. Not the best feeling, that.
I won’t weight myself again until Wednesday. Weigh and measure for the final results. I AM SO EXCITED!
There’s, also, people at work that have noted the improvements. One is now doing the Whole30 and asking me lots of questions, which is great, and another has made lots of healthy improvements in her diet. I think that is fantastic.
And now I’m gonna go lay down and try not to puke. You’re welcome!
I am a PRO at wall sits now. 30 seconds goes by like nothing. I can sit there and talk like it’s the easiest thing in the world. This makes me happy.
The plate bicep curls were the hardest thing I did last Tuesday. Of all of the things that was the hardest. I have no idea why, unless I was just tired by then.
While working out, I asked Tyler if he felt i was ready to hike the canyon. He said yes. Then he also said that anybody could hike it. But I’m at an advantage because I won’t get hurt, etc. I just don’t even know what to do with that. I really don’t. Let’s move on.
Thursday the Star Wars trailer came out. I am a Star Wars fan and I’ve been keeping my expectations for the new movie at the meh level because those prequels were crap. Just pure crap, man. But then that trailer came out. And John Williams music swelled in the background. And there was that amazing panning shot of a downed Star Destoyer. And there was Luke narrarating the thing in a vague manner with dialogue from Return of the Jedi. And there was excitement. And then there was Han and Chewie and I got chills and I smiled and I teared up and just like that my expectation level went through the damn roof.
I looked around to see who I could share my excitement with and there was nobody. Not a soul. And it set off a course of sadness.
I didn’t gym on Thursday because I had a ticket to go to a live Welcome to Night Vale show. And oh my goodness how much fun was that?!?!? But…there was nobody to smile with. To enjoy it with me.
I live a very solitary life. It’s fine. I have friends and family but they’re all over the place and/or their interests are very far removed from my own. So it leads to me being alone a lot. And it just sometimes gets to me. This is one of those times. I wish I had a friend or someone like that nearby to share my joyful experiences with. I had that before and I miss is terribly.
Anyway. I moped about it and even put some sad on my FB and nobody really responded appropriately enough for my fucked up asshole brain and then that made it worse. I cried all of Friday evening. Alone with my dogs.
Saturday I got up and went for a hike with my hiking group. It was a very nice hike. Two really good areas of incline and it got my heart pumping good. It was a new area to me. It was pretty but nothing special. I’d go on that one again. A nice, easy 5ish miles.
I love this shot.
This is me! I did not take this.
Then I went home and napped then got ready to go see Purple Rain in a movie theatre with two of my hiking friends! There’s a local dude that organizes these monthly events where he shows classic movies in local theatres. This was the first one I went to and it was a lot of fun!
I love Prince. I love Purple Rain. But I totally recognize that it is not a good movie. But it’s one of my favorites anyway because of Prince. When I watch it at home, I watch it with the seriousness that tiny man is demanding from the audience with all of his over the top acting and temper tantrums. But in the theatre surrounded by people? There was so much laughter! Prince gets angry about Morris being a fool? Angry stomp and dramatic arm swings! Prince isn’t happy about his Dad slapping his Mom? Dramatic staring into the camera. Prince and Apollonia get it on? Cue all of the laughter!! I proclaimed “These people are making a mockery of his drama!” but I was one of those people, too. And it was fun. I had fun.
Sunday morning I dragged my tired behind out of bed and took the dogs on our Sunday hike. Riley is just not a hiker and he’s pissing me off. Which, really, is likely more to do with my being sleepy and sad. I cried. I found a pocket of space in the group where I was surrounded but alone and I cried. And people saw me jerking Riley by his leash and I generally feel like a jerk about all of that. I need to work with him. He’s not been with me very long. He’s got years of training from another household that I have to overcome and that’s not going to happen in four weeks.
Due to me being so sad my desire for a brownie was at high levels. I wanted it bad. I fixated on how sad I was and how a brownie would just make me feel happy. I can’t get a hug? I can’t share my Star Wars joy with someone in person that gets it? I can’t have someone just be there to pat me on my sad little head? BROWNIES WILL FIX ALL OF THAT!!!
I did not bake brownies. I, instead, went to the stores, cooked food, took a nap, and kept myself busy to try to distract from the fact that I’m a lonely little jerk.
I’m currently on day 24 of the Whole30 and I’ve been compliant every day, other than the getting on the scale. I’ve eaten clean and healthy every day and I enjoy it. I only want a brownie because of the sad. And it only sucks that I can’t eat one because of the sad. The sad makes everything stupid. Especially me.
But I have gymming from yesterday to talk about so let’s get to that, shall we? Yes, we shall.
bosu ball crunch
20
20
20
Bosu ball alt knee to elbow
20
20
20
Bosu ball alt hand to foot
20
20
20
KB single arm front squat
18×10
18×10
26×10
Stepper quick feet
10
10
10
Stepper dynamic step ups
10
10
10
Med ball squat toss
6×15
6×15
6×15
Med ball oblique twist
6×30
6×30
6×30
Med ball walking lung with twist l
6×10
6×10
6×10
Med ball toss
6×10
6×10
6×10
I felt good and strong yesterday. Nothing hurt. Nothing was super hard for me to do. Challenging and new, sure, but not hard. Other than the dizziness that would still arrive. Bah! But other than that? I did all of this without complaint and I am so happy about that.
I just went to grab the stats for Thursday and they are not there. The wifi in the gym is messing with my stats, man! So, let’s see if I can put this together through the power of my mind. HAHAHA.
I did get back on the stairmill. The one that went crazy on me had an out of order sign on it. So I got on another one. And I reminded myself that if anything went awry to just stop walking. And it still made me nervous which is the only reason I can come up with for a normal five minutes on the stairmill to make my heart race, my breathing labored, and my legs feel like they are on fire. That all sounds like stress.
I still feel like my body is not as strong as it was. The theory is that it is because my body is learning to pull power and energy from fat instead of sugar and that is an adjustment and to be patient. So, I’ll try. I will try with patience.
So I did some upperbody stuff. I have no idea how much the weight was. But I did that and I laid down on the bench for the bench press and I did leg lifts. I can lift my legs but they are not straight because I do not stretch.
Then we walked over to the other side of the gym for ab work and on the way I made eye contact with a very, very hot trainer that reminds me of someone I enjoyed spending time with and I got all giggley and giddy and weird. When Tyler came back over with the equipment he was all “What happened? Did you trip over your mat?” Because that is a thing I have done and could have done again. I refused to tell him why I was so giggley. But that dude is distractingly hot. Distractingly so.
I did burpees with a wall slam and then more ab work and things weren’t as horrible as they could have been. That was the gym on Thursday.
When I returned home from the gym my RxBars had arrived and I ate one for dinner with a salad. And it was damn tasty. I hope they are all that tasty.
On Friday I made my first trip to Whole Foods and I hope to limit that activity. That stuff is expensive. I shall only go there if I absolutely need something that I cannot find at Sprouts. But I did get delicious Whole30 compliant bacon, herb sausage, and chorizo sausage. I made the bacon Friday night and it was really good. But what I learned from this experience is that I really do not care that much about bacon. Yeah, it’s very good. But I rarely make it at home and that’s usually just because I wanted biscuits and gravy and I MUCH prefer bacon gravy to sausage gravy. When I got out for breakfast and I get the standard eggs and meat and toast? I usually go with sausage. I mostly use bacon on things. So, that’s a thing I now realize.
I went on a good hike on Saturday after three weeks! It wasn’t a hard hike but I totally kept up with the leader and this hike has a lot of UP to it. So that was good. And it was magical with the light and the hot air balloons all around us.
I did not take this one. But I am in this one. And it’s just beautiful.
Then I came home and cooked some yum Whole 30 compliant foods, took a short nap, talked to my friend Jeff about our upcoming canyon hike!, and then got ready for a night of rollerskating!
40 somethings totally love to rollerskate!
I did so much better than the last time I went, which was a few years ago. My working with a trainer and my hiking has improved my strength and balance so that was fun to see. I wasn’t awesome by any means but I definitely felt more confident on the skates once I got on the floor.
Then I went to IHOP and watched people eat cupcakes, ice cream, waffles, and all sorts of good stuff that I cannot have. It was a wee bit sad. Because I’ve got the PMS and I want a fucking cupcake.
I got to bed around midnight and still woke up at 4:15 for the Sunday hike for my wee dogs.
They deserve this weekly outing whether I’m sleepy or not.
So all in all this weekend I hiked around 8 miles and roller-skated and stayed Whole 30 compliant!
Except…I got on the scale. Which is not allowed.
I was very, very grumpy because of the lack of sleep and I saw a photo from the rollerskate party that I did not like of myself and it all made me grumpy and then I remembered that I didn’t eat a cupcake so I was very much going to weigh myself just to see that everything I’m doing isn’t changing anything and then I’ll bake some brownies and that will show them all!!
Except…I’ve lost damn near 7 pounds. In 14 Days. Today is Day 14 and I’ve lost damn near 7 pounds just by eating real, whole food. I’m not counting calories. I’m not tracking what I eat. I just eat what meets the criteria when I get hungry and stop eating when I’m full. And I’ve lost damn near 7 pounds.
So, no. I did not bake any brownies and I put the scale back in the closet.
I went to the grocery store, instead, and bought a lot more veggies. I’ve not been incorporating veggies into my meals enough so I’m changing that now.
Apparently another thing I’ve learned is that I am very much an emotional eater of the brownies and that PMS will wake up that urge like a mofo. Beware the PMS mofo!
Today I made that amazing scallops and chorizo recipe I saw on their Instagram and it was SO GOOD! That chorizo sausage is dangerously tasty.
Now I must clean up my kitchen from all of this cooking.
This morning I woke up at 4:15 to get myself and the doggies ready for our hike. Before the hike I had breakfast like an adult.
I recommend this. A lot.
Two little doggies enjoying the three mile hike.
This particular hike isn’t very long but it does have two really nice inclines in it so I count it as a really good way to start my day off.
After the hike I talked to some of my friends about my new diet (and by diet I mean the way I eat, not what people do to lose weight. Even though I hope to lose weight…) and they discussed their’s, etc. and they helped me with suggestions for Whole 30 compliant trail snacks! I can buy my own unroasted nuts and then roast them with approved oil and salt. Boom!
Then one of the girls gave me what looked like a Slim Jim except it is all natural and now I must find them and buy them all.
This was tasty.
But all of this healthy living didn’t take away the trigger in my brain that associates Easter with Reese’s eggs, which are my favorite of all of the holiday Reese’s and I have some here in the house.
You are shunned, Reese’s eggs. Shunned!
I did not eat any. I just looked at them longingly and then put them away.
Then there was a lot of this that happened:
Sleepy nap time doggies.
WrestleMania time doggies.
For lunch I reheated some mashed sweet potato that I had in a pan with ghee and then topped that with the chocolate chili I made yesterday and it was a nice combination of flavors. The sweet really complemented the spicy chili.
Delicious lunch.
Then for dinner I made pork chops using a recipe that they have in the It Starts With Food book and they turned out delish.
I only ate one and now I have dinner for two more nights! With veggies on the side.
And I topped it all off with raspberries.
I love raspberries most of all.
Part of me is in that zone thinking “There is no way a person can lose weight eating this way.” But the reality is….I stop eating when I’m full, I’m not snacking in between, I’m not eating junk food or drinking empty calories. So, I can’t GAIN. Other than health.
And? I’ve not taken my allergy or acid reflux meds since Wednesday and I feel like that’s totally ok! I can breathe. My head doesn’t hurt. I’ve not noticed any heartburn. If I notice food starting to get stuck in my throat I’ll know that was a bad call.
Today was the end of Week 1! Day 7! 23 more to go! I can do it!
Apparently I’m just going to be a Saturday blogger. That’s fine. It’s my blog and I’m the boss!
On Sunday I took the two dogs on the easy hike.
One of them is a hiker. The other one is a dog that likes to be on a walk. There is a difference!
It was mostly good and then we went home. Where I had my first breakfast with the homemade breakfast sausage I made. OMGYUM. It was so good! I scrambled two eggs and mixed in the “sausage” and topped it with salsa and that was really good. I had that for breakfast most days and dinner after the gym since there’s no actual time to cook anything major.
I then got an entire chicken put together and into the crockpot and it turned out so good. That was my lunch for the week along with some green beans.
Crock pot chicken!
Work lunch all week. Totally Whole 30 compliant!
Sunday night was a free for all last hurrah because I had tickets to go see Dave Chappelle with a friend. So we had dinner and drinks and so many laughs!
But then Monday it was GAME ON! I started the Whole 30 for real and for the entire day I had no sugar or caffeine because I had no tea bags at my house. But I did research on McDonald’s unsweetened tea to make sure they don’t sneak anything sneaky and bad in there and they do not so it’s compliant and I used that as a solution until I bought tea bags!
I joined the Whole 30 daily email program they have but since I joined up on Monday I had to set my Day 1 as Tuesday so they are a day off from me. Which is fine, I’m going by my timeline since I know I’ve been compliant each day thus far!
Tuesday I felt like complete and utter shit but I went to work out with Tyler as scheduled. And he did NOT take it easy on me. I learned I have no idea how to properly stand up. So, he put me up against the wall to practice standing up with the rocking motion most of us do and I brushed my face against the wall once so we just determined that was extra exfoliation for the day.
Walking lunges
LOT
LOT
DB front squat to stepper
20×10
20×10
20×10
Quick step ups
30
30
30
roman chair leg raises
15
15
15
FM chest press
20×20
25×15
30×10/5
FM row
40×20
50×15
60×10/5
Decline sit ups
10
10
10
He kept increasing the weight on the chest presses and rows to show me that it was all in my head. That the sugar withdrawl was lying to me and making me think I was weak but in reality I was basically doing everything he asked of me. It felt harder than usual and I did get quite dizzy but I made it through and wound up doing so much more than I even realized!
Tuesday was also my first unsweetened iced tea from Mc D’s and it wasn’t so bad, really. And? I ate a banana! I generally do not like bananas but that was so good.
If this doesn’t make you giggle I don’t know what to do with you.
Wednesday I felt a bit better. I bought another unsweetened iced tea from Mc. D’s on the way to work. Then I went to the grocery store after work to buy more strawberries, blackberries, and bananas! I made garlic basil tilapia and mashed sweet potatoes with cloves and cinnamon. I also ordered the book It Starts With Food for my kitchen and pre-ordered the Whole30 Book because I’m that motivated and serious. I’m that person now.
I started reading this Friday night and I’m already on Chapter 6 and I now feel like they wrote this just for me. I totally understand why I haven’t lost weight! But I shall still keep my weight loss expectations low despite what all the people I know that have done this have told me.
On Thursday I had two eggs, no sausage, strawberries, and blackberries for breakfast. I took the blackberries and a banana to the office for snacks if needed. I drank pumpkin spided Chai tea. It was OK, better than no tea. But I prefer just usual black tea to that.
Then off I went to the gym to work with Tyler. I took my backpack with all my gear in it with me. I did my warm ups and then he put me on the stairmill with the backpack on for a few minutes. And then off we went to do steps on the box.
with backpack 15lbs
Stairmaster
Step up to lateral step up
10
10
10
Box squats
10
10
10
Step up with resistance bands (behind,2sides)
10(4)
Box squats
10
SB DB chest press
15×15
15×15
15×15
SB crunch
20
20
20
Active stretch
X
At one point I’m doing the step up to lateral step ups and another trainer comes over and is all “Now that I’ve seen you on the stairmill with your pack on none of my clients are allowed to complain. You’ve raised the bar!” I AM THE BAR AT THE GYM FOR SOMETHING!!! I never thought that would be a thing.
The box squats were more practice of standing up properly. With my pack on! He gave me scenarios as to why this may be important and I’d mime these scenarios and he’d laugh and then I’d get serious. But I gotta go for that laugh first, apparently.
Then as we’re doing the step ups with resistance bands, which, let me just tell you what that is. He wrapped what was essentially a giant rubber band around my hips, pulled on it, then made me step up and down the box without losing my balance! He did that from behind and each side. I had to do 10 step ups with each leg. One of the front desk dudes came by and said “That looks horrible!” But it wasn’t!
Before I got to the gym on Thursday I thought I felt kinda bad. But once I was there doing everything, I felt pretty good. By the time I left I felt like my normal self!
The last set of swiss ball chest presses, though, was hard and I really had to push through but I did and he said “Good set!!” That made me happy.
Then we did active stretches because we did so much leg stuff on Tuesday then again on Thursday.
My office was closed for Good Friday so a co-worker friend and I went to Bearizona to see bears. Because I love them!
The main reason I went? This. Baby bears.
I had breakfast before we left and had a McD’s unsweetened tea for the drive and for lunch we went to a steakhouse and I had a steak and a salad that I simply put salt and pepper on and it was fine. The only hard part was when they brought the rolls to the table. Good lord they smelled amazing. But I refrained. Like a good Whole 30 participant.
When I got home I didn’t feel like cooking anything super elaborate so I did more scrambled eggs and “sausage” but this time I also sauteed zucchini then used half of it for my dinner and that was delicious!
So good. Vegetables!
So far over the first six days of this I’ve learned that there are so many delicious foods that don’t include sugar, pasta, cheese, or Oreos! Who knew?!?!?
Then once that was done and I settled in for the evening with some Hulu Plus queueing, I had this going on:
This is why you have two doggies. Double the cuddles.
I was supposed to do a difficult hike today, Saturday, but I had fully entered the upset stomach stage and for a while I could not be far from home. Once that calmed a wee bit I went to Costco and Sprouts to buy good food.
So much health.
I made a chocolate chili that a friend of mine pointed me to and it is amazing! That will be my lunch for the week. And I made plenty so I can go ahead and, likely, freeze half for use another time! That’s the good thing about following recipes for several servings and you’re only eating for one!
Once this was all combined and cooked? It was tasty in my mouth.
If everything I make during these 30 days is this tasty I’m not going to have any problem staying compliant!
Today is my Day 6. I’ve made it to Day 6!!!
Tomorrow morning, belly rumbles to determine, will be a hike. And then I’ll spend the day cleaning and cooking some pork chops that I saw a picture of in the It Starts With Food book. They have basic recipes in there to make it easy for you and that is fantastic!
I’m so excited by everything I’ve read in the book and all of the tasty food I’ve made and I want to talk about it but then I know that I used to be one of those people that rolled their eyes when others were excited about their healthy lifestyle so I will try to keep it toned down. I don’t want to get obnoxious. But I am very excited! I cannot wait to find out what this does for me in the end. I’m hoping, of course, for weight loss, but I’d love to see if this regulates my period for me. I’d love to see the semi-dark circles under my eyes go away. I’d like to see me have energy all day until it’s my body’s natural time to start relaxing in the evening. I’m so excited!! But I’ll keep it chill.
So, I hiked last weekend. Let’s talk about that, shall we.
On Saturday I hiked with the group that I like…until I hike with them. They just don’t go well with me. The hike itself was amazing and beautiful and I’m glad I went.
Superstition Mountains in the spring is one of the loveliest places ever.
We hiked up to Praying Hands and they said there wasn’t much elevation gain, etc. on this hike but that was just not really true. The entire trail was a good, steady uphill and I did well on that part. And that made me feel amazing because the last time I hiked on a similar trail out there I had to rest a lot. But then we got to super steep, narrow trail and I didn’t like it but I was managing OK. But we just kept climbing and my head wasn’t right and I got lost in it and then I finally got a spot I hated and I stopped to think about it and the lady that is super nice but I can’t deal with her management style on the trail says “KEEP MOVING, ANDREA! THERE’S PEOPLE BEHIND YOU!” Well, no shit. I know that. I know I am not a special snowflake and I know I am not the only fucking person on the trail but goddamn. I like my usual groups method better. “What do you need, Andrea?” or they just get behind me and gently nudge me up the hill. They get me. This lady just mutters to her friend about how I need to stop listening to the negative voice of anxiety in my head. Again, no shit. But easier said than done sometimes. Especially once someone yells at me when I’m in that state. So, I found a rock and I sat on it and refused to go further.
On the way down my friends that were on the hike helped me as well as a member of the group we were with. He was very understanding of where I was and he was just really nice. But the whole thing got into my head and I’m realizing now that it actually impacted my entire week.
On Sunday I took Gladys on our nice, easy hike with our usual group of friends and there was another dog on the hike that just so happened to need a home. He and Gladys looked super cute together and it got my little wheels in my brain moving.
Buddies.
On Monday I made contact with his owner and made arrangements for a “trial run” to see how Gladys would feel about having a dog in her house. By Tuesday I was already renaming him and buying him a new collar, leash, and harness. So, I have an additional dog in my home. We’re a family of three now.
Couch time with Gladys and Riley.
But I also worked out with Tyler on Tuesday, as per usual!
Foam roller
DB SB chest press
20×10
20×10
15×10
SB crunch
15
15
10
SB arm extened plank hold knee tucks
5
5
5
rope work 20:10 3min 6 exercises
x
DB single arm opposite leg shoulder press
10×10
10×10
10×10
Ski jumpers
10
10
10
Standing bird dogs
10
10
10
My hip had been bothering me for some days and I’d not stretched or rolled so he made me roll before we got started. It made a difference. I should get on that more regularly like a reasonable person. How many times have I said this now?
I’m not sure why I only did 10 crunches on the swissball on my last set. No idea at all.
He made me do planks on the swissball and then do knee tucks. He lightly held the ball but that made me feel like I wasn’t doing anything and he couldn’t make me believe he wasn’t totally holding it still so he then put it up against the TRX frame and said “Do it! See the difference?” and then I knew that he was basically just a set of training wheels and I then I did them and felt ok with my performance. It’s this type of thing that slowly made me realize that my behavior on Saturday got into my head and shook my confidence a bit and woke up my anxiety a bit more than that.
In fact, I should take a Xanax now and just kinda level off! Hang on… Back! Sometimes you just kinda need a help in leveling off, man.
On the DB single arm opposite leg shoulder press, my balance was good then it wasn’t then I was kicking out my bent leg to counter balance which Tyler said was ok, it was better than putting it on the ground, etc. Lots of balance work. The ski jumpers were for balance, too. And the standing bird dogs, I think were where I had to stand on one leg with both hands up in the air then you bring the bent leg up and crunch one arm down to meet the knee while keeping the other arm up in the air. I did not do these well. He wants me to practice this at home. To that I can only say this:
Wednesday I did home stuff with the dogs and the pool.
Thursday I did gym stuff. And I was not in a happy place in my head and my performance at the gym was bullshit.
TRX weight stick push up hold
10
10
10
TRX weight stick row
10
10
10
TRX weight stick ab extension
10
10
10
TRX weight stick crunch
10
10
10
Med ball purple push up high toss
20xLOT
20xLOT
Assisted pull ups
160×15
150×15
150×15
The TRX weight stick push up hold was TERRIBLE and I HATED IT and it was all because of anxiety and crap.
When he explained to me what the TRX weight stick ab extension was I was all “Awww, hell naw, I ain’t doing that.” But I totally did it and it was my favorite thing of the session.
The medicine ball purple push up high toss things? I had to do a burpee holding onto the ball, then a push up (which I think is actually part of a real burpee) and then pick up the ball and toss it high but far. But not like a basketball. I, apparently, have the March Madness! But I did these. In a terrible fashion.
We finished things off with assisted pull ups. They were ok.
Friday I went to a baseball game and ate a bacon wrapped hot dog and had a beer. Then I came home and did home stuff with the dogs and the pool and decided that I just should not go on the big hike today, Saturday. My friends were doing a special return trip to Oro Valley to do that second hike that scared the crap out of me. I was really very much looking forward to it but in all honestly, I just added a dog to my life. I’m away from the house 10 – 12 hours each day and he’s been couped up with Gladys, a new to him dog, during that time. The evenings have been spent with them playing frenetically then going to bed then more of that in the mornings before I leave for work. And Gladys’ whole routine has been disrupted as well. I didn’t think it was right to then also take the first day off to leave the house super early and then be gone all day again. I am going to take them hiking tomorrow morning, yes, and I’ll be home most of the day but I have plans tomorrow evening that are set. So, I let my responsible dog owner take over and I cancelled today’s hike. And it’s been really good. They’ve taken naps. They’ve shared couch space. They’ve been outside. They’re not playing like wild monkeys so much. A whole lot of settling in has started and it’s fantastic. That means that I’ll be able to start retraining Riley in some areas he needs improvement in.
Sharing space, sharing me.
I did, however, make a small grocery store list from the Whole 30 program and hit the store. Instead of buying pre-made breakfast sausage I bought ground pork and then researched what spices to mix into it to create my own breakfast sausage.
It is now in the fridge to let all of the flavors join together and when I get home from the hike I’ll brown it up, scramble some eggs, and I’ll have my first Whole 30 approved meal. It’s just too bad I also bought milk and ice cream at the store. Ooops.
I also went to REI and spent my dividend check plus some of my own cash. Because my dividend was not that huge. But it was huge enough to totally pay for a new hydration pack that I can wear on my super easy hikes. My day pack is now too big for that. That’s for my long day hikes. This pack will be for my Sunday hikes. And I bought three pairs of hiking socks and now I am all set for socks for the canyon! Also, thanks to my dividend check I know that I spent $1,050 on hiking gear last year! But only $600 of that was eligible for dividending. I bought some stuff on sales that were far too good to pass up.
Well, the Xanax has kicked in, which is good timing. OH, but I should also add that I got rid of three more things in the 1,000 Things Challenge before I close.
Good bye stuff!
The mouse and monitor are being donated to a group home for kids so they can do homework and the earbuds that Gladys chewed up as a puppy were tossed in the trash, as they should have been last year when it first happened.
What I have now realized in my own head on my own, which is great, is that I need to try to not let people like that one hike lady get to me. I need to change how I respond to that so I don’t regret my behavior later. That’s going to be a challenge. And I need to rely on myself again. I’ve got a friend on the hikes that I have realized is my security blanket. She’s not always going to be there. And it’s not fair to her, really, to have to slow down or whatever when I call to her to get me through something. I need to rely on myself. I can do that. These are things for me to work on.
And now I will run. I’m feeling too groovy to type!
Couch to Canyon 