Liza

[liza3]

Marathons are (physically) awful for most people who do them. Even if it's a one time thing it's so easy to damage your body in ways that never fully heal.

Yay for the fun knitting group!

Yes I can imagine a lot of people just push their way through a marathon just to get it done regardless of what their body has to say about it. I honestly really can't even imagine doing one. The half marathon distance was more than enough for me and I don't mind if i never get back up to even that distance. But I am seriously so impressed by friend's progress. She seems to have really gotten to an amazing place with her running.

That sounds like a really good day. I must ask the kids if they ever play their ukes.

Yes would be nice to know if they took them on!

Thanks for explaining about the Shibashi. I'll have to look it up. I really hope you can get back to running longer distances soon with your pt's help!

I may have actually explained poorly--Shibashi is a set of qi gong exercises. And one that I really liked.
Presently I am doing a different form of exercise that isn't qi gong called Essentrics. A friend of mine was recommending it to me and when she was showing me some examples of the movements I thought it looked a lot like qi gong. But now that I am actually following some videos on it, I see that while it has some similarities to qi gong in some of its movements it's actually VERY different. I am going to try it for a couple of weeks and see how I like it. It also did remind me of how I do really like qi gong though and yesterday I did the Essentrics video in the morning and then qi gong in the evening.

Yesterday was a bit of a loss in the morning. I decided to try for the garden store to get some soil amendment but they didn't have it in stock, then I tried another one and also wasn't in stock. Sigh. So it was a lot of walking around without getting anything accomplished, which would have been fine in a way except the walk was in traffic-heavy parts of town that aren't nice for walking. Oh well.

Besides that, the day wasn't bad. i ate well for the most part but did overdo the sugar. I'm not sure how I fared calorie-wise as I didn't record them again. I imagine somewhere between maintenance and a surplus.

Essentrics-30 min
qi gong-20 min
walk-2 hours

 

[Llama]

Having a new thing remind you of a beloved old thing is nice I'm sure regular qi gong will do you a power of good.

 

[Cate]

That would have been frustrating not finding the soil enrichment material you wanted. Do they deliver when you do find it? I really must do some Tai Chi or Qi Gong for my balance.

 

[liza3]

Having a new thing remind you of a beloved old thing is nice I'm sure regular qi gong will do you a power of good.

I do really hope I can make it a regular thing. I don't know why I have trouble keeping regular with qi gong. I can really feel the benefits when I do it and really believe in it.

That would have been frustrating not finding the soil enrichment material you wanted. Do they deliver when you do find it? I really must do some Tai Chi or Qi Gong for my balance.

I could get soil amendment delivered, but that's for big amounts and is pretty expensive and then I would have a big pile to deal with. I have considered doing that many times, as it would be great to have an on-going pile...now you got me thinking maybe I should do that...What I have been doing instead is just buying a smallish bag one at a time that I can wheel home myself in a cart. I usually just like a little extra nutrients to give the soil a bit of an extra boost in the spring, especially when I plant the tomatoes and zucchini, but yeah a nice load of composted manure for the whole yard would probably be a good idea...

Yesterday was good. I had a really nice morning. Got out for my walk-run and increased the jogging time successfully with no pain during or afterwards. Stopped by our local duck pond and it was so lovely and spring-y there with all the birds making such a nice springtime racket Ate well for the most part. Didn't record calories again so not sure how that went. Evening went well with getting laundry done and piano playing. Was hoping for qi gong again but it didn't happen.

Essentrics-30 min
physio-30 min
walk-1 run-2 x7 no pain
walk-45
piano 20 min

(I think i am going to start including piano practice time to see if it helps encourage me to do it every day)

 

[Cate]

Yesterday was good. I had a really nice morning. Got out for my walk-run and increased the jogging time successfully with no pain during or afterwards. Stopped by our local duck pond and it was so lovely and spring-y there with all the birds making such a nice springtime racket Ate well for the most part. Didn't record calories again so not sure how that went. Evening went well with getting laundry done and piano playing

That sounds like a lovely day, Liza.
Getting a large amount of soil enrichment delivered might make you feel pressured.

 

[Emilyrose]

You're inspiring me to perhaps invest in a ukelele Liza! I do hope you find another group again.

Well done on the walk-run, sounds really positive. There's a duck pond near where I live too, it is so lovely to visit, isn't it?

 

[liza3]

That sounds like a lovely day, Liza.
Getting a large amount of soil enrichment delivered might make you feel pressured.

Yes it might be a bit of pressure to get a big load all at once. One thing is that they would only be able to dump it in the driveway so I would have to move the pile quick so that the other tenants wouldn't lose their parking for long. However, I would have lots of space to store it in my garden area and it would be nice to have to be able to spread it around to give everything a nice big boost.

You're inspiring me to perhaps invest in a ukelele Liza! I do hope you find another group again.

Well done on the walk-run, sounds really positive. There's a duck pond near where I live too, it is so lovely to visit, isn't it?

I was talking to the leader of the uke group who did it last year outside during the summer and she says she is hoping to do it there again so that will be good. I do think you would enjoy a uke especially if your top instrument is your voice. It is so easy just to take around with you to give you that bit of backup. And who knows maybe you would also like joining in some uke groups as well!

I really love the duck pond and there should be ducklings soon! So cute! This is a really nice pond/marsh area that has lots of other songbirds as well. I always see bird watchers there.

A good day yesterday. Went to my social outing and I did a lot better this time in not even getting all that nervous beforehand. yay! Also did a lot of garden work which was nice. Set out most of the sweet peas. They look really good and strong. Maybe I should have started the edible peas inside too--so far I only see one peaking up...i'm not sure if they are still coming, or if they came and the birds ate them?...I seem to recall thinking they weren't coming last year and then suddenly I had a bunch so let's hope for the same this year.

I've been enjoying kale from the garden--this is last years kale that survived over winter. I am happy they did well as this winter was a little harder than many we've had around here. Nice to have the fresh kale from the garden.

I was exhausted by the end of the day and didn't get piano in Back to trying to make myself do at least one song a day.

Walk-45 min
garden-2 hours
essentrics-30 min
physio-20 min
piano-0
didn't record calories, but at least really focused on keeping protein levels high.

 

[Llama]

At my previous job we had a duck make a nest and laying eggs on a 4th flour balcony. The smartest animals they are not, but they are very cute!

 

[Emilyrose]

Well done on another social outing and not even feeling nervous before it. I'm not a massive fan of kale but anything fresh from the garden always tastes 10 times better!

 

[Marsia]

Thanks for the info on qi gong - I will look up the Shibashi. It's too bad they don't deliver half loads of nice soil. A full load is always so much work, especially if you have to move it quickly. I love ducks so much, especially when there are families of them all together. That's wonderful to hear that socializing is getting easier!! I hope you're at that stage where you've had so much exposure that it becomes a more relaxed thing to go out and do!

 

[Cate]

It's great that you weren't so anxious about the social outing. I hope the uke group gets up & running again. I must plant some kale & investigate winter crops. We'll be pulling out our tomatoes soon & I'll have space again.

 

[liza3]

At my previous job we had a duck make a nest and laying eggs on a 4th flour balcony. The smartest animals they are not, but they are very cute!

I wonder why they did that--strange choice for a duck for sure as usually they would want to be near water. i wonder if they lost some habitat and were desperate? We used to have some pet ducks and they were lovely to be with--my dad would take them out to the garden with him and they would get so excited when he would dig, getting all the worms haha. They are lovely animals.

Well done on another social outing and not even feeling nervous before it. I'm not a massive fan of kale but anything fresh from the garden always tastes 10 times better!

oh i LOVE kale. So I am lucky that it sort of grows like a weed here! I can get tired of it as the season goes on, but I always come back to it--and yes--you're so right about everything in the garden tasting so much better!

Thanks for the info on qi gong - I will look up the Shibashi. It's too bad they don't deliver half loads of nice soil. A full load is always so much work, especially if you have to move it quickly. I love ducks so much, especially when there are families of them all together. That's wonderful to hear that socializing is getting easier!! I hope you're at that stage where you've had so much exposure that it becomes a more relaxed thing to go out and do!

Thanks Marsia--yes I am hopeful that as I keep getting out more, I won't be so anxious beforehand...although with me sometimes anxiety is just a weird hit and miss thing.
Yeah the soil would be a job to get it moved...although I could ask the other tenants if they would also be interested in having some and then we could all work it together...we'll see..this is kind of the debate i go through every year and then just end up buying the smaller bags that I can just wheel home in a cart. haha

It's great that you weren't so anxious about the social outing. I hope the uke group gets up & running again. I must plant some kale & investigate winter crops. We'll be pulling out our tomatoes soon & I'll have space again.

The uke group is always such a good thing for me. It can be challenging sometimes because if I play alone I can just choose the key that fits my voice best, whereas in a group it can be challenging for me to fit with the chosen key. I've never caught onto harmonizing so I just end up struggling along...but yes, so fun!

Official weigh in-138 body fat--27% or 30.9%

That's nice to see the weight holding steady since I haven't been tracking calories much. Let's see if I can keep that up.

Yesterday was overall good. Not the best food choices and too much sugar, but not too bad overall really.
I got out on my walk-run and added in some hills now (i've been mostly sticking to trying to keep it on the flat until now.) No back pain and the run felt good.

The evening was really nice. Meditated a good while, listened to a Buddhist talk beforehand that put me into a meditative state of mind, then afterwards had a good session on the piano. Since my place was dark for meditation I went over to the piano and started to play in the dark...I wasn't sure if I could play anything by heart but I just started playing. If I could get out of the way of myself I could play some of the songs, but as soon as I started to think about it, I would play wrong notes. So that may be something I try to practice more--just playing without reading the music, preferably in the dark. I don't know, I just love playing music in the dark--i can do it with guitar or uke, but so far always read music when I play piano.

walk-run--1-2x7 hills -no pain
additional walk-40 min
physio-30
essentrics-30

 

[Marsia]

Playing music in the dark sounds so soothing. My mom would get out her flamingo guitar and oil lamp and play at a table in the back yard, and occasionally you'd hear little answering peeps from our tree with a hollow in it where the birds' had a nest. It was magic. Do your neighbors also garden? That would be so nice to share a load of compost, if so! It sounds like you are doing really well with maintaining with just occasional tracking. I tried that Shibashi for a few minutes, but need to find a more directive video. After the beginning few moves, it got too complex for me to follow - I'm terrible at mimicking movement as I get so confused about which arm and leg go in which direction. But the first few moves were nice and relaxing, and I liked doing breath work with them.

 

[Cate]

If I could get out of the way of myself

I don't think I have heard anyone else put this into words. Some days I just can't get out of my own way!
I love that you played the piano in the dark. I had a great uncle who played piano by ear & could play anything. He was SO good! I'll go look for some Kale seeds today. I think I have some.

 

[liza3]

My mom would get out her flamingo guitar and oil lamp and play at a table in the back yard, and occasionally you'd hear little answering peeps from our tree with a hollow in it where the birds' had a nest. It was magic.

That does sound magical!

Do your neighbors also garden? That would be so nice to share a load of compost, if so!

Yes there are actually a number of neighbors I could actually ask to share the compost with...so that's definitely a possibility. Everyone gardens here!

tried that Shibashi for a few minutes, but need to find a more directive video. After the beginning few moves, it got too complex for me to follow - I'm terrible at mimicking movement as I get so confused about which arm and leg go in which direction. But the first few moves were nice and relaxing, and I liked doing breath work with them.

Yeah after we were talking about it here, I googled it and found videos that were going through the moves but not instructing it. Definitely better to get instruction first. It really is a beautiful series and very naturally meditative.

I don't think I have heard anyone else put this into words. Some days I just can't get out of my own way!
I love that you played the piano in the dark. I had a great uncle who played piano by ear & could play anything. He was SO good! I'll go look for some Kale seeds today. I think I have some.

Oh I thought that was a common phrase about getting out of one's own way--I hear people use that quite a bit. It really does capture that feeling though doesn't it? We are so often our own biggest obstacle!
I would love to be able to play piano (or any instrument) by ear. My dad could play by ear but not read music so he was admiring the ones who could read music. I guess being able to do both would be ideal.

A good day yesterday. It tool me a while to get out of the house as since I'd spent a lovely evening the night before just playing piano and meditating, I woke up to a huge amount of dishes to do. So I spent the morning doing dishes and laundry before I set out on my walk. Was an excellent walk. I felt in a very meditative state in the trails. So few people out and it was just so quiet and lovely.

Ate well, connected with family online, good piano session.

walk-2 hours
essentrics-20 min
piano-30
protein-75%
carbs-107%
calorie deficit-300

Oh and Happy Easter everyone!!

 

[Llama]

Happy Easter, Liza!

I wonder why they did that--strange choice for a duck for sure as usually they would want to be near water. i wonder if they lost some habitat and were desperate?

Several large ponds around, including one with overgrown banks. It's not uncommon for ducks to nest in tree hollows, where the flightless ducklings have to jump down from quite a height, and it almost looks like they bounce! So maybe duck moms don't have an instinct to pay attention to height limitations? A balcony would offer safety from predators, at least. And i this case a helpful handyman with a cardboard box to transport the hatchlings to the water

 

[Cate]

What a lovely day, Liza after a meditative, relaxing evening xo

 

[Emilyrose]

Happy Easter, Liza. That's lovely about playing the piano in the dark and finding it so soothing. No one else can hear - who cares if there's a wrong note here or there? It's the doing of the thing that counts.

And get your neighbours involved in the compost thing! They will be delighted to be asked, trust me!

 

[liza3]

Happy Easter, Liza!

Several large ponds around, including one with overgrown banks. It's not uncommon for ducks to nest in tree hollows, where the flightless ducklings have to jump down from quite a height, and it almost looks like they bounce! So maybe duck moms don't have an instinct to pay attention to height limitations? A balcony would offer safety from predators, at least. And i this case a helpful handyman with a cardboard box to transport the hatchlings to the water

I always learn stuff from you and am surprised at all the stuff you know! I never knew about certain types of ducks nesting in trees. And after googling more about it I see that even mallards can choose balconies if it has certain elements its looking for that is similar for what they would look for in nature. Nice that your handyman helped the little ducklings out!

What a lovely day, Liza after a meditative, relaxing evening xo

Yes I love having evenings like that!

Happy Easter, Liza. That's lovely about playing the piano in the dark and finding it so soothing. No one else can hear - who cares if there's a wrong note here or there? It's the doing of the thing that counts.

And get your neighbours involved in the compost thing! They will be delighted to be asked, trust me!

Well actually I think the other tenants in the house can hear me playing piano...so sometimes i do get a bit self-conscious imagining them hearing my pathetic attempts at music--again me getting in my own way--I'm sure they don't pay attention to my playing as they probably have more interesting things going on in their life!

I had a nice encounter yesterday with someone I used to play in a uke group with--we were chatting about the old days and she was saying what a great voice I have. I ignored it the first time she said it, but when she said that a couple more times, I told her that I never even used to join in singing anywhere before I joined that group as I was so self-conscious about being a bad singer. She was shocked and said again--no that I have a really nice voice! It was high praise coming from her as she sings really well and can harmonize and everything. It was really nice to hear!

I had a couple of other nice chats with people. It's nice it being spring again so people are out more, ready to linger and have a chat.

It being easter, I ate a little more chocolate than usual...and didn't record calories--probably went over...but that is what easter is for isn't it?

walk-70 min
essentrics-30
physio-30
piano-0

 

[Llama]

How lovely to get a compliment like that from someone whose skill you respect so much!