Since the first of this month (April) I've increased the walking distance to 7-8 miles 5 days a week. The legs (and body a little too, meaning losing fat) are getting stronger ever so slowly with the Sciatic nerve which still rears it's ugly head to be a problem with both legs.
What I've learned though from this increse is that I'm more tired physically and mentally, so I've discovered I can get better physically, meaning get stronger and lose the fat by pushing the exercise, but not better mentally by feeling tired most of the time, or I can reduce the exercise and not gain much if anything physically but feel better mentally.
I notice this when I take two straight days off from walking instead of the normal walk 3 days take one off, repeat. When I take the two days I actually get work done, run errands and take time to enjoy things. I mentally come back to life.
And that's the conumdrum now. Finding balance between physically improving just to be where I was a year ago before the Sciatic nerve problem left me flat on my back for 4 days and hurting for two months, and even better to where I was physically a few years ago, and mentally feeling good to be productive again.
I'm not sure there is a balance per se between the two, but more time spent more on one then the other and hope for the best. The goal is to get better physically to resume hiking I quit a few years ago from other physical problems and issues while working on the photography guide and history project for Mt. Rainier NP.
But that's easier said than done these days as walking two hours a day now takes more to recover when I get home and then focus on the errands around the place and in life. There's always too much to do and too much not getting done while I try to get better.
Such is life these days. No answers and progress is variable depending on the day and what issue. And finding balance harder than either of the two.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Better & Worse
For what it's worth, after a day off Tuesday for appointments and errands because I can't walk and run errands on the same day, it takes too much energy to walk and then go out around town or to appointments, I decided to increase the distance.
On each leg of the walking, the way to Gig Harbor and return I've looking for additional routes which I check the maps to see if I can add distance in quarter, half or whole mile increments to the route. As I've noted I had identified two additional routes of 1-1.10 miles on each leg.
Recently I found another which added 0.5 and 1.1 miles to the route to town increasing the distance there from 3-3.2 miles to 3.7-4.2 miles. This includes a long hill of a quarter mile which is a good test of the legs.
So yesterday I added the longer route making the whole trip 7.5 miles and suffice it to say it made for some tired legs, but today it was easier, which shows me the choice is that I can settle for what I have and live with the results and slow improvement, or I can push the legs and body and see what happens.
This means the leg muscle will get better with the exercise but also will be tired more each day. Since the legs strength, coordination and balance aren't where they were a year ago, to me it's not much of a choice, the more I walk the longer distance the more the legs and body will improve and the back hurts less.
Just an interesting change discovered while walking.
On each leg of the walking, the way to Gig Harbor and return I've looking for additional routes which I check the maps to see if I can add distance in quarter, half or whole mile increments to the route. As I've noted I had identified two additional routes of 1-1.10 miles on each leg.
Recently I found another which added 0.5 and 1.1 miles to the route to town increasing the distance there from 3-3.2 miles to 3.7-4.2 miles. This includes a long hill of a quarter mile which is a good test of the legs.
So yesterday I added the longer route making the whole trip 7.5 miles and suffice it to say it made for some tired legs, but today it was easier, which shows me the choice is that I can settle for what I have and live with the results and slow improvement, or I can push the legs and body and see what happens.
This means the leg muscle will get better with the exercise but also will be tired more each day. Since the legs strength, coordination and balance aren't where they were a year ago, to me it's not much of a choice, the more I walk the longer distance the more the legs and body will improve and the back hurts less.
Just an interesting change discovered while walking.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
The Hardest Thing
After pinching my Sciatic nerve in June 2011 which left my left leg numb for 2 month, I recovered, but pinching it in June of 2012 and worse in July, I haven't recovered. So the task right now is working just not to get worse and only hope I can get better, but now I'm not what I was a year ago for walking and carrying a backpack.
And that's the hardest thing mentally, working hard and hoping I can get better, but not knowing if I will or make matters worse. The specialist said it would take 1-2 years at best and likely a permanent condition to some degree. That's what sucks, having been better and knowing I may not get back there again, and all I can do is try, which leaves me tired most days.
When they say getting old sucks, believe them.
And that's the hardest thing mentally, working hard and hoping I can get better, but not knowing if I will or make matters worse. The specialist said it would take 1-2 years at best and likely a permanent condition to some degree. That's what sucks, having been better and knowing I may not get back there again, and all I can do is try, which leaves me tired most days.
When they say getting old sucks, believe them.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
An Update
In September of last year I wrote a piece, 307 Hours Later, about shaving my full beard in November of 2001 (actually the Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend) and then getting tired of shaving everyday and starting electrolysis in July 2005.
And 307 hours later, my face was finally, but only inititally, cleared. There always is followup appointments for regrowth which is common, which varies with the electrologist and their technique and equipment.
They can do a really good job the first time, getting the needle right down to the root to kill it, but it's very painful, and tedious, taking far longer to clear an area let alone the face. The other method is to go light with the technique and less deep, but this takes repeated tries as the hair root regrows shallower each time.
In short, it's about the same amount of time, and money, and produces different effects during the time but the same effect at the end. My electrologist, only one I've gone to the whole time, was the second, go lighter and more often. This means more regrowth.
Since September I went twice a month for the rest of 2012 and once a month in 2013. This gives the hair more time in between to regrow and pretty much consumes the hour appointment with less left each time. We expect by next month I'll be clear again and the regrowth will be minimal for a few periodic visits.
I know many people try laser treatment for this and it works too, but the techniques doesn't produce permanent hair removal and is dependent on the type and color of the skin and facial hair. It does however work for the whole face in between sessions and is near permanent for some who don't have a lot of facial hair.
Anyway, this is just an update. I'm at 316 hours now with only a few more to go. And yes, it's still worth it not to shave anymore except the last few remaining hairs, like one swipe of the razor.
And 307 hours later, my face was finally, but only inititally, cleared. There always is followup appointments for regrowth which is common, which varies with the electrologist and their technique and equipment.
They can do a really good job the first time, getting the needle right down to the root to kill it, but it's very painful, and tedious, taking far longer to clear an area let alone the face. The other method is to go light with the technique and less deep, but this takes repeated tries as the hair root regrows shallower each time.
In short, it's about the same amount of time, and money, and produces different effects during the time but the same effect at the end. My electrologist, only one I've gone to the whole time, was the second, go lighter and more often. This means more regrowth.
Since September I went twice a month for the rest of 2012 and once a month in 2013. This gives the hair more time in between to regrow and pretty much consumes the hour appointment with less left each time. We expect by next month I'll be clear again and the regrowth will be minimal for a few periodic visits.
I know many people try laser treatment for this and it works too, but the techniques doesn't produce permanent hair removal and is dependent on the type and color of the skin and facial hair. It does however work for the whole face in between sessions and is near permanent for some who don't have a lot of facial hair.
Anyway, this is just an update. I'm at 316 hours now with only a few more to go. And yes, it's still worth it not to shave anymore except the last few remaining hairs, like one swipe of the razor.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Food Envy
Today I stopped by the local REI store (been a member since 1982) to buy a few things and found myself standing in front of two rows of food. First was the camping food, you know the bags of dried food you heat and eat, from breakfast to dinner. Second was the snacks, yeah, from bars to chewy things.
First, I can't eat almost all of the camping food for the ingredients. Some I'd love to try but when you take out all the foods I can't eat, there's nothing really left to eat. You see, most camping food relies on one set of main ingredients, spices. Lots of spices.
The only spices I can eat is salt, and maybe a small pinch of pepper. And when you take out the dairy, the wheat, the meat, and the vegetables, there's no much left except the bag itself. Even pudding or other simple foods are out.
Gee, what's next? Well, the snacks, you know all those bars of some brand and type. I have to scan the ingredients there two because I have to first eliminate those with wheat - really grains, nuts, seeds and most fruits, which includes dates the most used fruit in non-wheat bars.
In short, the whole aisle of all those snacks, which some nutritionists argue aren't really good for you for all the fat, calories, etc you don't need in one food, is like standing in front of Nieman Marcus with $10. It doesn't get you very far.
So, in the end I've been relegated to Clif Shot Roks, which were discontinued last fall and is supposedly scheduled to return soon, and PowerBar Energy Blasts. I found a few other brands today but they don't seem that different and cost more.
Such is life somedays. It doesn't pay to shop when you can't buy and really can't eat the food you really want to eat. But I did get the rest of my stuff.
First, I can't eat almost all of the camping food for the ingredients. Some I'd love to try but when you take out all the foods I can't eat, there's nothing really left to eat. You see, most camping food relies on one set of main ingredients, spices. Lots of spices.
The only spices I can eat is salt, and maybe a small pinch of pepper. And when you take out the dairy, the wheat, the meat, and the vegetables, there's no much left except the bag itself. Even pudding or other simple foods are out.
Gee, what's next? Well, the snacks, you know all those bars of some brand and type. I have to scan the ingredients there two because I have to first eliminate those with wheat - really grains, nuts, seeds and most fruits, which includes dates the most used fruit in non-wheat bars.
In short, the whole aisle of all those snacks, which some nutritionists argue aren't really good for you for all the fat, calories, etc you don't need in one food, is like standing in front of Nieman Marcus with $10. It doesn't get you very far.
So, in the end I've been relegated to Clif Shot Roks, which were discontinued last fall and is supposedly scheduled to return soon, and PowerBar Energy Blasts. I found a few other brands today but they don't seem that different and cost more.
Such is life somedays. It doesn't pay to shop when you can't buy and really can't eat the food you really want to eat. But I did get the rest of my stuff.
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