The big climb

When I first started working toward my goal to walk a mile, four (!) years ago, I didn’t really make a plan for what I'd do after met my goal because I was so focused on meeting it. But once I made it, I thought, "I can do this again!" and continued to walk and keep up my stamina so I could maintain my progress.

Four years later, I am happy to report that I am stronger than ever, and I even accomplished another goal: hiking down to Crater Lake.

And it was the best thing EVER. And the hardest.

CMS can’t be “cured” by diet and exercise, but I think I am a shining example of how a lifestyle that includes a healthy diet and regular exercise can help alleviate symptoms from a chronic condition. I am very careful to eat a diet full of good fat and protein and not a lot of processed food. And early last year I started walking stairs in my building to build muscle and get into better shape.

Because I was working so hard to keep up my stamina and maintain a good diet, I wanted to pick a new challenge. So, when Josh and I decided to visit Crater Lake earlier this summer after a friend's wedding in Sunriver, I suggested we hike from the rim to the base of the lake and back up. The Cleetwood Cove Trail is known by many able-bodied people as an extremely challenging hike. It is only 1.1 miles long, but the elevation (almost 7,000 feet) is extremely challenging, and so is the steepness of the trail. In fact, the official description says that it should not be attempted by anyone with heart, breathing or walking problems. Josh had also done the hike before and knew it was hard, but he also knew that I could do it, so when I suggested it, he was on board.

The night before the hike, I made sure I got a good night sleep and the morning of we ate a good breakfast. We also made sure to pack lots of snacks and water. Given how prepared we were, you’d think that I was getting ready to climb Mt. Hood! The hike down was hard and I was pretty unsteady for the second half, but I was able to walk the entire distance without having to sit down and rest, which surprised us both.

When we got down to the water, the view was breathtaking, literally and figuratively. We sat for at least an hour to rest, eat lunch and take in the beautiful scenery. And then, to our delight, two friends of ours, Cam and Julia, walked down the trail! They had been at the same wedding and also decided to take a trip to Crater Lake, unbeknownst to us. We chatted for a while about the funny coincidence and then said goodbye as we made our way up the hill.

A little while later, Cam and Julia caught up with us. They walked with us for a while and were polite when I had to stop to rest, but unaware of the reason. Eventually, when I was so tired I was about to fall over, I told them.

When I was finished, they were shocked. Julia exclaimed “But you look so fit. I totally thought you did CrossFit!” I laughed (and thanked her). They insisted they continue walking with us, which was really nice of them. And when we got to the top, they cheered for me, and we took some photos.

And I cried. Not a lot, but a little. 

Every time I accomplish a physical challenge I never thought I could do, I feel so thankful. Thankful that I have a husband, family and friends to support me. Thankful that I've figured out how important of a role diet and exercise play in helping me manage my CMS. And thankful that I have a disability doesn't stop me from hiking a trail noted as "not accessible for people with mobility impairments" down to the base of a dormant volcano.

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes...baby?

Right now it feels like everyone I know is either trying to get pregnant, is pregnant or has a new baby. And because babies are such a hot topic, I am often asked when Josh and I will start our family.

For many people this is a normal question that elicits a normal response. But for us, it's a little more complicated.

When I was growing up I assumed that I would get married and start a family the "natural way." But once Josh and I started talking about marriage, we also started discussing our plans to have a family, and based on the risks to my health because of my CMS, we decided that we would not have our own biological children. Instead, we decided that we would adopt.

Perspective

Years before my blog turned into Kelly's Sustainable Life, it started as a blog to capture my summer as an intern for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (fitting, right?!) in Pleasanton, California.

The other day I was reading old posts while on a trip down memory lane and I came across one that I wrote toward the end of my internship that I want to share. 

The post is about the experience I had at MDA's Summer Camp. Summer Camp is a way for kids who have muscular dystrophy to be "real" kids for a week. 

When I was a kid I refused to go to MDA summer camp. I don't know if it was because I was scared, or just didn't want to be labeled as "disabled" but I was adamant about not going, and my parents never pressured me to. Sometimes I wish I had, but I'm at least grateful that I was able to finally experience it, even if it was in my 20's.

My life with CMS

Talking about my condition can be hard because it's incredibly personal. Having CMS affects every aspect of my life and can make many situations difficult, and I don't always like to share those details. However, I pushed aside my discomfort when one of Josh's colleagues at Linfield's Good Samaritan School of Nursing asked me to present to a group of second semester students who are studying chronic conditions.

I was asked to spend 90 minutes talking about what it is like to live with CMS and talk about my experiences interacting with the health care system, focusing on what these future nurses need to know to provide the best care. I was able to present however I wanted.

This was an exceptional opportunity because I have had my fair share of experiences with the healthcare system, both for prevention, testing and unfortunately, emergencies, and I really wanted to give these new nurses some insight into what it's like to be a patient in these situations.

Even though my presentation was informal, I was extremely nervous. Luckily, the students were gracious, curious and extremely polite and my nervousness quickly disappeared once I started talking.

What really amazed me was how genuinely interested they were. They asked thoughtful questions I could tell they really cared about me and my struggles with CMS.

One thing

Over the years I've had to learn to ask for help when I need it. I have no problem asking to take someone's arm to steady myself, or asked someone to come pick me up when I can't walk any more.

But one thing I can't ever do is get up the courage to do is ask a stranger for a seat on the bus.

First, I'm not sure what to say. But I think my biggest fear is that they will ignore me, or judge me doesn't look like I need to sit.

Of course it's more likely that they would say yes without thinking twice.

I really shouldn't care what other people think, but that's easier said than done. But sometimes it's really hard to have a disability that isn't obvious. Don't get me wrong - I am thankful my form of CMS is undetectable for the most part, but sometimes I think it would be easier if everyone just "knew."

I suppose the best way to get over my fear is to just ask. What do you think? 

I'm back

After being silent for more than a year, I've decided to start contributing to this blog again. I am finding that as I get older and encounter new challenges associated with having CMS, I need to continue writing about it outside of my goal to walk a mile.

Until a few years ago I never thought that talking or writing about my CMS would be of interest to anyone. But now that I am in a new city encountering new people in new situations, I find that I'm having to explain my disability to a whole new group of people. And that has proven to be tricky at times.

When I encounter a situation where I need to explain my CMS, it's always a challenge to decide how much to share. Sometimes I want to talk about it, and other times I don't want to go into much detail so this blog is my way of providing the opportunity for others to learn as much as they want to on their own terms.

My goal for this blog is not only that it be therapeutic for me, but to also help others who might be living with a chronic disorder, as well as anyone who knows someone with a chronic disorder.

I plan to update this blog only as I need to. And I don't plan on promoting it on social media, so if you'd like to get regular updates please bookmark it or subscribe as a follower.

I hope you enjoy reading.

-Kelly 

mission: accomplished

Well, I guess I'll come right out and say it. I walked a mile! The funny thing is, it sort of snuck up on me. I went on a walk/hike this weekend at the coast near my grandparents' house with Josh and our friends Nicole and Timothy and Nicole's brother Eric. We walked a bit on the beach, along a small stream and then up and around part of the Oregon Coast Trail. It was a really leisurely walk and a beautiful one too! I didn't even think about how far it was until Nicole said she was pretty sure we walked at least a mile. So I checked my phone, mapped our course and sure enough, I walked just over a mile!

I have to say, when I realized it, I cried! It has been two years since I started my challenge to walk a mile, and I wasn't really sure how long it would take me, or if I'd even make it. But now that I've reached my goal I am so proud of myself.

On our "mission: accomplished" hike!

To tell you the truth, I think I need to give credit to the elimination diet I recently completed. I blogged about this a lot on my Kelly's Sustainable Life blog, but Josh and I started an elimination diet about six weeks ago with the goal of "getting healthy." I was suffering from pretty severe acid reflux, fatigue and acne, and was fed up with trying medication, so I decided I'd try the diet to see if any particular foods were the culprit. And while the diet was challenging, I was able to identify the foods that were causing my problems and either drastically cut back on eating them or cut them out completely.

Now that I know how great I can feel, I have no doubt that my diet was preventing me from meeting my goal. It makes perfect sense to me. I was "addicted" to eating  a lot of grains, added sugar and dairy, which made me feel sluggish and sick even though they tasted fantastic. But now that I have largely cut those foods out of my diet, my body doesn't have to fight to digest them, and as a result I feel better.

I have an appointment with my nutritionist this week and I am beyond thrilled to share my accomplishment with her. I didn't say this in my original blog post about the diet, but she was pretty convinced that with the right diet, my CMS symptoms could disappear. I was skeptical (and still am for the most part) when she said that, but now that I have been eating better and exercising more, I completely see where she was coming from. Of course my CMS cannot be cured with food, but the healthier I am, the stronger I will be, and as result, I can walk further.

Meeting my goal doesn't mean my one mile challenge is over. It just means I need a new goal!

Ideas?

Green and Go

Hooray, summer is here! Well, sort of. I guess three days of sunny weather in a row is supposed to be enough before the rain starts again?

Anyway, this weekend Josh and I started a fun new tradition that will not only get us exploring our new city, but will also help me with my goal of walking a mile.

It's called "Green and Go," and it was started on Sunday when Josh and I were scheduled to volunteer at the Oregon Food Bank stocking the shelves. Apparently I got the date wrong so when we arrived, nobody was there. So there we were, sitting in NE Portland at 9 am on a Sunday, awake and ready to work.

So my clever husband got on his phone, picked a green spot on the map and suggested we visit that park. That park happened to be beautiful Kelley Point Park. And at that moment we decided we wanted to visit as many parks in the Portland metro area as possible by randomly pointing at them.

We had never heard of the park and just decided to explore it, and I am happy we did. It was absolutely beautiful and completely peaceful. If you've never heard of Kelley Point Park, it has a 1.1 mile paved path that runs along the point where the Willamette and Columbia rivers. You start off walking under the trees with views of beautiful Columbia River. Then, as you follow the path to the left you start to head inland where you will find groups of picnic tables, clearings that would be perfect for a game of bocce ball, and lots of birds for bird watching.

Our visit to Kelley Point Park was the perfect way to start the summer, and it reinvigorated my desire to keep working toward my goal of walking a mile. All of the rain this winter made it a challenge to get out and walk, so now that the summer is here and we have so many great places to visit, I really think this is the summer I'll meet my goal.

just dance!

I have a new workout obsession: Just Dance 3! Josh and I bought it with some Christmas money we got from my grandparents and I have to say, it's been an effective way to get some daily exercise.

As you know, traditional work outs are hard for me. I can't go on runs, long walks take, well, a really long time, and I can't take full advantage of the equipment at a gym so make the cost of a membership worthwhile. So, for a long time I have depended on my weekly yoga classes and Exercise TV for exercise.

But after talking to my neurologist a few weeks ago, I realized I really need to get some cardio in at least a few days a week. So, the next morning I tried out the Just Sweat feature the game has.

In addition to the regular songs for fun, there is an exercise feature that allows you to start a workout routine. You can choose the sweat mode that is equivalent to 30 minutes of walking, swimming or running every day, and it chooses songs that have high "sweat factors" to get you to the daily goal.

So far it's been great for me. I get up 20 minutes earlier than normal and I dance for 20 minutes. At the end I am sweaty and tired, but I've found that it actually gives me more energy during the day, and except for the one day where my alarm didn't go off, I now get out of bed as soon as my alarm goes off.

If you own a Wii and are trying to figure out how to motivate yourself to workout, I really recommend Just Dance. I'm not coordinated at all, but the songs are more aerobic and after dancing to the same song a few days in a row my dancing has actually improved! Plus, I don't have to leave the apartment. Bonus!

I am hopeful that this will help me with my goal of walking a mile because it's making me healthier overall, which is important. The healthier I am, the stronger I'll be and the further I'll be able to walk as a result. But even if it doesn't help, at least I am having fun!

frustrations

For the most part I am upbeat and positive about having CMS. I accept my challenges and limitations and move on. But sometimes I have a really hard time accepting my disability.

I don't think I've mentioned this before, but when I start to get sick, stressed or overworked, I often experience something called a "Myasthenic Crisis." It's where my muscles get overly fatigued and doing normal activities like holding my arms up to brush my teeth, typing on the computer, or even breathing, are really difficult. It's a really scary experience and so when I start to feel one coming on, I have a panic attack to go along with it.

Well, I had one last week and it was not fun. I was at work too, to make it worse. I had been feeling really tired and worn down that week but I didn't have a lot of sick time at work so I tried to power through it. That wasn't the best idea, because at about 2 pm last Friday, it really hit me. I was having trouble typing, my eyes were droopy and it was hard to swallow. So I texted Josh and had him come get me. 


Two of the three crises I've experienced have landed me in the ER and left me with some hefty medical bills, (FYI, it's REALLY expensive to ride in an ambulance, even if it's only for two miles). and the worst part is  that going to the ER is that it doesn't make anything better. I go because I am having trouble breathing, but because my oxygen levels are always normal, they can't do anything for me except monitor me, and none of the doctors have ever heard of CMS so they don't understand what's even going on. So because it just turns into a really expensive nap, I was determined to get through this one without the hospital.

Anyway, Josh rushed downtown, picked me up and got me home. Being the most wonderful husband, he calmed me down, made me lay down on the couch and took care of me. Thanks to his calm reaction, I was able to avoid the hospital. Yippee!! But what I wasn't able to avoid was the next three days of resting. It usually takes me a few days, if not weeks, to get through a crisis. I pretty much have to avoid all physical activity and focus on taking naps, laying around a lot and doing breathing exercises to make sure I get enough oxygen and relax.

Going through a crisis is really scary and frustrating. I hate feeling so helpless. It makes me feel extremely vulnerable and it's a reminder that no matter how hard I try, my disability is something I can't just ignore.

But, a week later, I am feeling back to normal and so happy that I have such a great husband to support me. I even got out and did some walking yesterday, which is encouraging.

A winter milestone!

Well, folks, one year ago this weekend Josh and I left for our honeymoon cruise! It's hard to believe it has already been that long since we left for the beautiful Caribbean. Unfortunately, we don't have any tropical vacations planned for 2012. *sigh.*

Anyway, because it has been one year, I thought I'd share a milestone I reached recently.

I walked .7 miles!

In reality, it's only .1 miles further than I could walk this time last year, but I am excited for the following reason:

I could walk .6 miles in warm, tropical weather (ideal weather) but I can now walk .7 miles in cold, wintery weather!
Weather has a big effect on my ability to walk long distances. The colder it is, the harder it is for me to walk. So the way I see it, that .1 mile difference is actually more significant, and for that reason it is really encouraging. Sure, I was utterly exhausted when we got to the restaurant we were walking to, and I was pretty much relying on Josh to hold me up, but it was still me pick up my feet step after step.

When I think about how well I am doing in 35 degree weather, I get really excited about what I can accomplish when the weather warms up this Spring. Who knows, maybe I'll reach my goal in 2012! But I'm not going to press it because I don't want to be disappointed if I don't make my goal in whatever time period I give myself.

So that's why I am going to celebrate each milestone, even if it is just .1 mile per year. And if it's less, that's ok too.



It's all about baby steps, right?

Happy 2012!

ownership

Today I moved to the front of my yoga class.

Literally.

I put my mat in the front row and sat down.

So why is this worthy of a blog post?

Well, let me tell you.

I have been a regular attendee of Amy's 5:30 vinyasa class at Yoga on Yamhill for about 2 1/2 months now, and when I started the class was hard. And I mean hard. I would have to rest about three times over the course of the 75 minute class, drink a whole bottle of water and by the time class was over, I had sweated through my shirt and my hair was matted to my forehead and neck. The class was  an intense workout.

Now, 2 1/2 months later, it is definitely still a workout, but I have gotten noticeably stronger and can make it through more and more classes with little to no rest.

And that's a big deal to me, because no matter how much I tell myself that I don't care what other people think, it's still hard to know that other people can see me when I am wobbly and can hardly stand up, let alone do a downward dog. I am definitely self-conscious of that, and I have a feeling it will never completely go away.

I don't like that I am self-conscious about it because there's nothing I can do about how I look when I am tired. So as part of my effort I decided that instead of hiding all the way in the back corner like I usually do, that I was going to move my mat to the front of the class and own my CMS.

And I did. Sure, my legs got wobbly during Warrior II and runner's lunge, but did I care? Nope. I made my modifications as needed, and I made it through class without taking a break, and it was great. Maybe the guy behind me noticed my wobbly legs, or maybe he didn't.

I know that I will always be a little self conscious, but I think that by doing things like going to the front of the class and focusing on yoga above all else, that over time it will get better and better.

Back at it!

Well, it's been almost a year since I've posted anything on this blog, but I'm finally back! I was feeling disappointed when I didn't make my goal of walking a mile by the time we went on our cruise last January, so ending the challenge and the blog felt like the best option. But now that we're living in the city and walking a lot more, I am ready to start again!

I do a lot more walking than I used to now that we've move to Portland. It's partially because driving is a pain, but it's mostly because walking is so easy. We live within walking distance of a lot of great restaurants, cafes and shops that make it possible to walk more places. In fact, I know some people who get by without a car. 

Josh and I live at the top of a hill, and when we first moved into our apartment I was really nervous about being able to and from the bus stop. The blocks running East to West are twice as long as the North to South blocks, and the gradual incline made me really tired. It's really only 3 1/2 blocks from our place to the bus stop, but when I first started walking it, it felt much longer, and I could hardly get home after work. I had to ask Josh to meet me at the top of the hill a few times because I couldn't get up the stairs in our building on my own. I was even more nervous about it when I thought of how much harder it would be in cold weather. After all, who wants to sit and rest on somebody's front porch when it's pouring down rain? Not me!

I shouldn't have worried, because almost three months later, I hardly notice the hill. In fact, I could even walk further if I had to. I know this might not sound like a big deal, but I have a lot of anxiety when it comes to getting to and from places on foot. I don't like to tell a lot of people about my CMS because I am often met with soft eyes of sympathy, and I don't want sympathy. So, whenever I am invited somewhere by someone who doesn't know, I immediately check a map to see how far of a walk it is, if I have to change shoes, or if I have to find public transportation to get there, and then figure out if I want to tell them or not. That might sound like a lot of unnecessary anxiety, but often it's much better than the concerned eyes I am met with.

Anyway, now you know why being able to walk up our hill is so exciting for me. After just three months, my body has adapted to more regular physical activity, which makes me think that if I keep at it, I should have no problem with my challenge. It's exciting because I got these same results after spending a semester in Oaxaca, and that was only four months. Josh and I plan on living in our Portland neighborhood for at least a few years, so imagine how much stronger I'll get after a few years!

The Cruise!

We're back from our cruise! And it dawned on me once we got to Miami that I never blogged about the fact that our cruse, and the reason for this challenge, was here! So I apologize.

Well, after 9 months of walking, biking and exercising, I didn't achieve my goal: to walk one mile without stopping. And while I thought I'd be more disappointed, it's actually OK. I'd said it before, but the challenge sort of morphed into something else and became less and less about the actual distance I walked. It gave me a reason to really focus on why it's important for me to exercise.


So, in the end, the furthest I could walk without stopping was about .6 of a mile. Which, isn't much further than what I started at: .5 of a mile. But that's OK. I like to think that within that .1 of a mile, I got healthier too, so it's not all about the numbers.

You're probably dying to know how the cruise was, right? Well, I'll give all the details in my other blog, but for this blog's sake, I'll fill you in on how the 'exercise' part went.

When we got onto the ship in Miami, we took a tour of the on-board amenities, including the gym. I had every intention of going to the gym and taking advantage of the treadmills that had a great view of the ocean off the ship's AFT. But, sadly, that did not happen. I got too caught up in taking naps, going to shows and reading by the pool to care about exercising.

That's not to say I didn't exercise though! On our first excursion to Samana, Dominican Republic, we went on a mini hike to a beautiful waterfall. We had to walk on this narrow, muddy path to get there, and I have to say, it was a test of my strength and endurance! We had to go down small muddy embankments, cross a stream with some questionable man made stepping stones, and cross big rocks! With the help of some locals, we walked probably half of a mile, and once we got there, boy was it was beautiful and worth the hike! We were basically in this canopy of beautiful, luscious, green trees and the river the waterfall continued into was this clear creek. I loved and wish we had been able to spend more than 15 minutes there.


Our second excursion was snorkeling at St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. I was excited, but had no idea that just getting to the catamaran was going to be an excursion all on it's own. We had to walk down the pier, past THREE massive cruise ships, just to get to our catamaran, "The Cat." If you've ever seen these ships, you would know how daunting a task it was for me. I thought we'd never get there! But snorkeling was really fun, once I got past the panic of having to breathe in the mouthpiece.
Overall, the week was great. Our ship was huge and it took me a while to get my barrings. And boy, did we walk a lot of stairs! Our room was on the 10th deck, the buffet and pool was on the 12th, the theater on the 6th, the lounge we liked on the 13th, and the customer service desk, the big screen on the 7th, and the gangway on the 4th. We made it a point to take the stairs everywhere we went, no matter how many flights it was, and I am pretty sure were able to burn off all the calories we ate and drank! Neither of us gained an ounce on the trip!

Anyway, now that the cruise is over and my original goal not reached, the question remains: what do I do with the blog? This is where you come in. I could keep the blog going, and chronicle all of my exercise experiences, I could quit the blog, or I could continue on my quest to walking a mile without stopping. Or I could do something entirely different.

So, readers, what do you think? What should I do with "Kelly's One Mile Challenge?"

Thanks, Holly Perkins!

Thanks to Holly Perkins and her awesome 360 workouts on Exercise TV, I have successfully woken up every day for 2 1/2 weeks to exercise! I feel tired, sweaty and invigorated after each workout and it's been good motivation to get up, even when I thought I had a cold.

And thanks to those of you who sent me some advice and encouragement. It really helped a lot. And while I don't know if I'm any closer to my goal (it's been tooo cold, wet and dark to walk outside lately!) I am certainly feeling good about myself.

Only 18 days until we're cruising. CAN'T WAIT!



photo: exercise TV

motivation, where are you?

I'm having a severe lack of motivation to do any sort of exercise lately. I slept in yesterday and practically slept through my ab workout this morning. Any ideas for motivating myself? We're only 38 days away from the cruise and I can't bear to undo all the hard work I've done!

November

This week the sun has really inspired me. So, because of the sun this week I made the goal of getting up every day and exercising, plus going on a walk every day too.

So far so good! Every day this week I have gotten up and done a particularly awesome sweat-inducing work out. I started off the week with some Bootylicious Buns 1 and 2, then moved on to some "Body by Jake" workouts and then today I was introduced to Holly Perkins and her "Fitness 360" workouts. They have left me quite sweaty, and I must say, I've had more energy this week than I have the other weeks when I haven't been so great about working out.

But the best part of the week has been the weather! I have taken a few walks during lunch to the park, and how amazing that I can still do that in NOVEMBER! I realize the forecast calls for rain the next million days, but still.

Yesterday Josh and I took a walk to the post office and it was the most beautiful day by far. I didn't even need a jacket, and coming from a girl who's always cold, that's pretty amazing for November. What I love about walking on Linfield's campus in the fall are the colorful trees. It's really amazing how vibrant the colors are. Here's an example of how beautiful they are. And how pretty the sky is too!

Anyway, here's to continuing my Exercise TV/daily walk routine tomorrow for my fifth straight day :)

P.S. we are now 65 days away from our cruise! Woohoo!

I needed that

Lately I've been busy and haven't made much of an effort to go walking. But this week I really felt the effects of it. I sit a lot during the day and have found myself feeling really restless all week. I have no lack of work, I've just felt so antsy. So today I decided to go for a walk and get out of the office during my lunch break.

And wow, did I need it. I immediately felt better. Breathing the cool, crisp fall air, stepping on and crunching the leaves on the ground, and moving my legs was refreshing. Usually I surf the web and check my hotmail e-mail, read my blog feed or check Groupon during lunch. But I am going to really make it a priority to get out and walk the days I can. Even when it's raining and cold. After all, I sit at my computer all day, so is it really a lunch "break" if I stay on the computer?

Can you imagine a better "pick me up" than Glee tunes?!

So today, instead of a Yahoo search and blog reading, my lunch consisted of listening to Glee tunes (and trying SUPER hard not to sing out loud) and collecting crunchy fall leaves for some fall decorations I'm making for the apartment (you'll have to read my other blog for a post about that!).

 Such pretty leaves!

Six Month Mark

Today marks three milestones: The first being I am in in the sixth month of my challenge, the second being my half birthday and the third is that we're double digits (99 days) away from our cruise!

So far I think my challenge has been going really well. I haven't been able hit the one mile goal I originally started with, but I'm not super concerned by that fact.

If you've been reading over the last month, I've done far more biking than I have walking, and I think it's been a good change. Biking definitely uses different muscles than walking, and I am sure it's only strengthening my legs even more.

Now that I'm 6 months into the challenge and 3 months away from the cruise, I am going to really kick the walking up a notch. I'm going to walk as much as I've been biking, and that has averaged 4 out of 7 days a week. So if you're ever up for a walk and don't mind stopping along the way, let me know. I need to get as much outside walking as I can while the rain holds off, and having a walking buddy always motivates me even more.

This weekend Josh and I are going to spend the weekend at the coast with Ben and Sarah Farley. I hear the weather is supposed to be in the 60s and 70s so hopefully it's true and I can get lots of beach walks in.

I'll post pictures from any walks we take :)

Happy October!

calling any stray exercise bikes, ellipticals or treadmills!

Since the rain began last week, I'm realizing how the weather is going to start really affecting my commute rate.  I am definitely a fair-weather biker/walker, so braving the rain and snow is not exactly worth it to me.

So...I'm thinking it may be time to find an indoor exercise machine. And because I'm into the whole "recycling" gig, I am officially offering anyone who owns an elliptical, stationery bike or treadmill they don't want, a chance to sell (or give) it to me!

We don't have a lot of room in our little apartment, but I'm pretty sure we can squeeze one into the corner of our office/storage room/library/laundry ironing & drying room.

So if any of you out there has an elliptical/exercise bike/treadmill or similar workout machine that you'd like to get rid of, we'd be happy to pick it up and give it a good home (provided it's in the state of Oregon and isn't more than 100 miles away...)

Until then, I'll keep riding and walking, weather permitting!