Tag: Exercise

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Apple Watch Exercise

January 2020 Challenges

I’ve earned the January Challenges for Apple Watch.

I’ve messed up my Achilles tendon several time over the last several months and all I’ve been doing was sitting around, watching TV, making poor food choices and late night snacking. The new clothes I purchased after the weight loss in 2018 and 2019 no longer fit. I had a complete lack of energy with everything, and it was getting me down.

So I’m making a commitment to eating right and exercise. In 12 days I’ve noticed my blood-pressure is lower and I have more energy. Today I went on a 2.25 mile outdoor walk and enjoyed the 68 degree day.

Tonight I have a craving for a late night snack and to watch TV. They say it takes 21 days to develop a new habit, I think it will take me longer. So I have a couple of goals that I want to make this year:

  • Score a perfect month in February on my Apple Watch for Move, Exercise, and Stand
  • Lose 10 pounds by my next doctor visit
  • Daily bicycle rides on my trainer
  • Walk everyday during lunch
  • In the Spring, weekly bike rides at the C&D Canal

My goal for this summer is to go on the 185 mile bike ride with my Boy Scout Troop on the C&O Canal. The scouts had a great time a few years ago on that trip and I think that would be a fantastic week.

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Apple Watch Exercise

Being Lazy, Gained Weight, and not Happy About It

After my super awesome trip with the Boy Scouts on our High Adventure trip, I started to become lazy.  It didn’t happen right away.  I noticed my exercise calories started to drop in mid-November.

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Not happy that I hurt myself in November.

It was during Thanksgiving weekend, November 23rd at my parents house, that I hurt

my Achilles tendon after working out on their elliptical.  I didn’t stretch properly and their elliptical machine was not as sturdy as mine.  So I had to stay off my foot for a few days.  The pain was unbearable at times.  I couldn’t sleep and wondered how long will the pain last.  It took close to a week before I could head out to do anything, and a few weeks to get back to a comfortable walking pace.  So I cut back on my exercise routine.  Didn’t cut back on my food.  I started to pick up my old habits again and didn’t care.

I started to get back into my exercise routine.  Too bad I found that I am lacking in the drive to get in better shape.  My blood pressure went up a little and so did my weight.  I do a half-ass job on the elliptical and then grab a snack shortly afterwards.  I stopped walking during lunch, stopped taking the stairs, and started to eat muffins and “fancy pastries” for breakfast.

 

The company I’m contracted to for IT support is going through some changes, and it is for the better.  I’m being challenged on several levels and it’s great, except for the stress at times.  Inoticed I’ve been stress eating at work or late at night.  The company sent me on a business trip to inventory IT equipment and provide support to the employees, and when it was complete I drove to the Outer Banks to stop at a brewery to pickup some beer for a buddy and me.  I purchased 4 cases of beer (2 of which were for me).

All the new clothes I purchased are a little snug, and I’m not happy about it.  Take a few pictures standing next to a 360 degree camera, and you will see how good or bad you look.

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It took a few extra days, but I reached the 365 days Move Goal.

I continue to walk on Tuesday nights while my daughter is at religious education, and I hike on some Saturdays at Carousel Park.   That’s not enough, I need to get back on track!

My new goal is to see a change in my attitude towards exercise by the end of April.  I need to learn (again) not to give in to my old eating habits.  Go back to yogurt and granola for breakfast.  Continue to eat salads for lunch, and stop having seconds at dinner.  Skip beer during the week and only have one or two on Saturdays.

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Apple Watch Exercise Personal

October Challenge

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My October Challeng was to walk 156.4 miles and I beat the goal today with a total of 158.4 miles completed with seven days remaining.  I walk about 2.25 miles per day during lunch and when I can, I walk more at night.

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Photo by Leonardo Gonzalez on Pexels.com

I enjoyed this challenge.  Going for walks at night and listening to a custom playlist is relaxing… a good way to unwind after a long day of solving IT problems.  Tonight I enjoyed a liesure walk at the local mall and picked up a small coffee (a big name brand that I normally don’t drink) to finish off the evening.  No crowds and enjoyed some window shopping.

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Apple Watch Exercise Personal

A Nice Weekend in Washington DC

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The kids were off from school on Friday for a teacher in-service day, so I took the family to Washington, DC for a 2 day trip.  I’ve visited DC several times over the lat 25 years with my wife, and the Boy Scouts.  This trip, however, was my daughter’s first.  Our first stop was the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

The Unites States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a very emotional place to visit.  My daughter took in a lot of information during the visit.  Like the good student she is, she then repeated everything she read back to me and included information from books she read over the last few years.  As always, there were a lot of students walking around chatting, looking at their phones, and have no clue of the past.  Yet these are the same people who need a safe space because someone treated them unfairly.  OK, I don’t want to get started on something political, so I’ll move on.

We stopped for lunch at Shelly’s Back Room and I had one of the best Blackened & Blue Cheese burgers in my life.  The only thing that would have clinched it as a perfect meal would have been a draft beer.  After lunch we were off to the Whitehouse, World War II Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and then to the Museum of Natural History, and we stayed there until closing.  We cover almost 9.5 miles! Then it was off on the Metro to Arlington, VA to the hotel.

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At the Museum of Natural History

Saturday we checked out a few more places including the American History Museum  before heading home for a Boy Scout Service Project.  All in all, it was a full weekend with the family.  Everyone had a great time, and I’m

looking forward to going back in March with our Boy Scout Troop to hike the city and check out some of the lesser known monuments.

The feature image on this post is a Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.

 

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The 1989 Batmobile (my favorite Batmobile)

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Camping Exercise GoPro Personal Video

Go Ape Zip Line Adventure

Last weekend (Sept 29, 2018) our Boy Scout Troop took our annual September trip to Lums Pond State Park in Delaware.  One of our favorite activities is the Go Ape Zip Line.  Several of our new scouts went on the Junior adventure while the others took the Treetop Adventure.

I highly recommend the Go Ape course at Lums Pond.  the staff are friendly, and make sure you are safe before you get on the course.  Maybe my next visit to Pittsburgh, I’ll check out the course in Allison Park.

I hope you enjoy the video!

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Apple Watch Exercise

Another Bike Ride at C&D Canal

Sunday night I met up with my good friend, Mike, and had a few beers and grilled burgers and brats.  He was talking about his Boy Scout Troop going on a bike trip on the C&O Canal and would like to get in a few practice rides at the C&D Canal.  This morning we started in Delaware City, Delaware and rode to Chesapeake City and back (about 29.2 miles in 2 hours and 14 minutes).  I closed out 2 rings (Exercise and Move) and just need to close out the Stand ring.

I had a follow-up visit with my doctor and reported I was doing well, but need to keep it up.  It is easy to stop or cut back on exercise and start eating too much.  She is right, I can feel the difference because I cut back on how much exercise I was doings and started eating too many carbs.

For September, I’m going to get back on the exercise program and continue my weight loss and strength training.  I’ve lost 40 pounds to far.  According to the BMI, I’m still considered to be obese for my height.  I need to lose another 40 pounds to be in the normal weight.

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Personal

Completed September Challenge

After some morning chores, I made it out to Carousel Park and completed two outer loops (5.19 miles with a time of 1:43:04).

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Apple Watch Exercise

Being Lazy with Exercise

A bit bummed out I missed the August 2018 Challenge of completing 60 exercises for a minimum if 15 minutes.  However, I plan on earning the National Parks Challenge on September 1st – rain or shine.

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Apple Watch Exercise

April Challenge – 2018

Tonight I earned my April Challenge while on a practice hike.  We also spotted a few deer, a small red fox, and a friendly Yellow Labrador Retriever.

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Apple Watch Exercise Personal

Earth Day 2018

Happy Earth Day! I took Wilderness First Aid this weekend at Akridge Scout Reservation in Dover, Delaware this weekend. I was able to reach my daily goals by hiking each evening and running the stairs in my hiking boots. Here are some pictures from the weekend. The last one was the best I could shoot of a herd of deer that walked through our camp site. 

Can you spot the deer?