Blech! Sad Sneakers

Is there anything sadder than unlaced sneakers sitting unused by the front door? Yes, if those same sad sneaks have medicines for their sick owner! Blech! I'm infected! I have respiratory flu - the cough, the fever, the ache. And the physician's assistant told me this strain killed all the folks in the early 1900's - loverly - not!

No mileage logged this week, and now you know the reason why.


I have a theory on why the bug bit me. Besides the other supplements I shared with you earlier, I take Garden of Life's women's multivitamin, vitamins C & E, and fish oil. Oh, and a baby aspirin. About two weeks ago I ran out of my daily vitamin C supplement. I was busy and kept forgetting to buy it - now I'm sick. Take your vitamins~!

Happy Valentine's Day to Your Heart

Happy Valentine's Day, Everyone! Great walking afternoon in northern Georgia - sunny and a balmy 59! Thought I'd share my beautiful flowers with you all.

On a day when we think of all those near and dear to our heart, I thought I'd share something I found in my January/February 2008 issue of WeightWatchers magazine. In an interview with Noel Nairey Merz, M.D., medical director of the Women's Heart Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Dr. Merz shares this about possible benefits for normal range cholesterol: "If it stays within the normal range for 2 years, you could reduce your risk of heart disease by as much as 75 percent."

Wow! I don't know about you, but the thought of that much of a reduction will keep me walking - and watching my food intake choices - with an eye on seeing many more Octobers at the Outer Banks in the coming years with my gal pals.

Here's a heart happy recipe that is super easy to make, and is a great choice for a fast breakfast or an any time snack. If you are a WeightWatcher, it counts as a vegetable, and is two points per muffin. I also know people who love these but don't do WW so they add a frosting. Also yummy, but when I'm feeling decadent I add some fat free Cool Whip. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

1 Spice Cake Mix
1 15 oz. can of pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling, plain old pumpkin)
1 egg
1 cup water

Mix all together. Pour into cupcake tins and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Makes about 15 muffins.

3Day Readiness

Here's how Tink and I normally look when we take our daily walks which were not so daily this past week. With 5pm classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the middle of winter, we are lucky to get 5 walks a week. We are both pretty happy with that right now. This photo is from yesterday - we did 3.6 miles each yesterday and today. Weather perfect for walking - sunny and in the 50's to low 60's.

In 2006 when I did the 3Day I learned something about my left foot 4 weeks before the walk - I have a heel spur! At the time we were doing between 10-15 miles on one weekend day, and 7 miles on the second weekend day. I'd do great on Saturdays, but Sundays I'd be aching on my left foot. I tried a heel guard and was rewarded with a blister the size of Ohio on my heel! So, I headed to a podiatrist to drain my giant blister and he did xrays and surprise - heel spur. I had problems walking the 3Day, visited the fantastic medical tent at our camp and along the way, and I am proud to say I finished thanks to terrific nurses and doctors.

This time I signed up for the six month training schedule which means early April will find my schedule appearing in my email, and my team and I will start walking. I started early because of my heel. What I am doing is using some natural herbs which work well for my pitta dosha. I started before Christmas and so far I've been averaging almost twelve miles per week walking without any pain in that foot. Additionally, I am stretching daily.

I did research on ayurvedic healing on the internet, and talked to my daughter who teaches yoga and lives the ayurvedic lifestyle. One of my meanderings links is to Banyan Botanicals. I was already taking their triphala regularly for my digestion so it was a matter of seeing if Banyan had what I needed.

And they do - I am currently taking two guggulus - yogaraj and kaishore. Both are anti-inflammatories. If you click on the word guggulu above, you will go to the order page; you can click on the two types and read more about them, if you are interested.

Speaking of my meanderings links - my web page for the 3Day is up - very rough but it is there. Take a look, join up, or make a donation!

Walk Down Your Triglycerides!

I'm having technical difficulties with my digital camera - the batteries went dead! - so no photo of the sunny tramp Tink and I took this afternoon through our neighborhood. It was clear and crisp but much colder than I thought it would be today.

In the Jan/Feb '08 issue of Health magazine there is some fantastic information about walking and your cholesterol. In referring to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology the findings affirmed: "Walk[ing] 12 miles per week at a moderate intensity (around 4mph)...showed double the improvement in...triglyceride levels, compared with the other groups" (66). The two other groups included one which jogged at 6 mph for either 12 or 20 miles per week, and the other did nothing. Additionally, "only the moderate exercisers' levels stayed low for more than two weeks after their last walk" (66).

I walk between sixteen and eighteen minute miles, depending how chatty I am on the cell phone, so it looks like I won't be strolling and talking much anymore. Happy walking!

Philly Windchill of NINE!

Last Friday my walking was from the economy lot at Hartsfield to my gate in the C terminal. I spent the weekend up in Philadelphia, PA with family. On Sunday, as you can see from the photo, there were three walkers - my daughter, my grand-dog, and myself. We knew it was cold and there was quite a wind, but it wasn't until we returned from our almost three mile hike through a section of Wissahickon Park that we learned it had been below 22 degrees and the windchill was nine! Click here to see our route.

Philadelphia was planned by William Penn, who favored green areas throughout the city. Today's walkers, mountain bikers, runners, dogs, and horses have easily accessible well maintained park trails. As a Weight Watcher, I know it is important to get thirty minutes of exercise, five times per week. A great walk invigorates me. Walking daily mileage helps me focus when I am reading or studying, and it definitely helps me get a better night's sleep.

Being out in the sun adds to your stores of Vitamin D. I found this NY Times article interesting reading; we need to get natural Vitamin D as well as taking a daily supplement for our bones and organs. Walking in the winter sunshine - what could be better? No sweating and no bugs!

Finally, here is a waterfall we encountered at the park on Sunday - Enjoy!