Hiking in the Canyon

Yesterday instead of walking my usual route when I got home, Joe came and got me at work and we hiked in the canyon by my work that we found last week.

It is so beautiful there.  Here are a few pictures:

Taken with my cell phone again.  I think this is the longest I have ever gone without a decent camera.  Thank goodness it takes pretty good pictures.

 We hiked for over an hour.

Unfortunately for me I had a UTI that ended up turning into a kidney infection and the hiking kind of made the pain worse so I ended the night with a hot bath, a Vic*din and an early bedtime.

I'm hoping the antibiotics kick in today and I start feeling better.  Ouch.

Walking Mojo

As I mentioned earlier, I am loving walking.

Loving.  It.

Yesterday I got up again at 7:00 to go for my walk.  I don't get to walk on Tuesdays because we have an appointment right after work and we don't get home until 8:30 or so.  I think that makes me crave it even more on Wednesdays.  Thankfully I don't have to work until the evening on Wednesdays so I have the whole day to get my walk in.

I'm still walking about three miles a day.  I'd like to work up to four eventually, but seeing as though I have only been walking for eleven days I think three miles is o.k. for now.

It takes me almost an hour to walk three miles.  I have no idea if this is a good time or not. 

It doesn't really matter to me.

I haven't lost any weight(in fact I gained a pound and a half).  But my clothes are fitting looser(and Joe says my butt looks smaller but he's probably just being nice-and he says he likes to look at my butt :)

One of the things that is different about my walking lately is that I do it alone.  It's my time.  I plug into my IPod and I just go.  (I always tells Joe what route I'm taking and last week when I was out after dark he drove over and picked me up so I wouldn't have to walk home in the dark).

The music I listen to is huge for me.  I must have it.  I'm not even sure I could walk without it.  I'm always looking for some good walking music, so if you have any suggestions, please do share.

Here is what is on my walking playlist right now.  I tend to be very loyal to the artists I like so you will see several songs from the same artist a lot.

Warm Up Songs:

Glitter in the Air-Pink  (This song sometimes brings me to tears)

Blackbird-Sarah McLaughlin version

Fast Car-Tracy Chapman

Stepping up the pace:
Pressure-David Bowie and Queen (sometimes this one goes on repeat :)

Be O.K.-Ingrid Michealson

My Humps-Black Eyed Peas(don't judge me)

Don't Lie-Black Eyed Peas

Into the Ocean-Blue October


Shame on You-Indigo Girls


Catch my Disease-Ben Lee


Don't Do Me Like That-Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers


I want to Break Free-Queen


Party in the USA-Miley Cyrus(Again, no judging :)

I Just Haven't Met You Yet-Michael Buble


It's Growing-James Taylor(You didn't think I could have a playlist without J.T on it, did you?)

Get Out the Map-Indigo Girls


Cool Down Songs


Sing For You-Tracy Chapman

Shed a Little Light-James Taylor

Gotta Have You-The Weepies

Sleeping to Dream-Jason Mraz

It may seem to you that some  of these songs don't have the rhythm to keep up a good walking pace, but I find enjoying the music I am listening to is more important  than that.  I am able to keep up a good pace no matter if the song is fast enough or not.

So, what's on your exercise playlist?

Also, I am still finding that the first 20 minutes of my walk is very painful.  My calves and shins are screaming.  I find that if I can power through the first twenty, then the rest is a breeze.  I am spending lost of time stretching, both before and after, so I'm not sure if this is normal or if there is anything I could do differently to avoid the pain.

Thoughts?

Weeekend Walks

A few weeks ago Joe and I made a commitment to each other that on the weekends we would make time to get some exercise.  Thankfully we have some lovely areas that are near to our apartments that we can go to.

We have had rain three weekends in a row but I love to walk in the rain so we haven’t let that stop us.

One of our favorite places to walk is the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary.  We went there a few weekends ago.









I was able to catch this hummingbird in flight.



We passed this couple on our walk and after we went by Joe turned to me and said “Some day that will be us” and  my heart melted right then and there.



It is also a bird sanctuary


I just love the bare branches of a tree in Winter.


This makes me feel like we are out in the country




We stopped at a local farmer’s stand and they were growing these beauties.  Mmmmmm.


Signs of Spring


This is another of our favorite places to walk.  We went here yesterday, at dusk.  It was raining quite hard by the time we were finished. Loved it.  Some of these were taken with my cell phone, as I can’t seem to get my Dad’s camera to take non-blurry pictures. Frustrating.











At the end of our walk we were pretty much soaked. Gizmo was none too happy about that.


We have been having a good time and getting in some exercise to boot.  Can't beat that!