Day 43: September 1

catladyksa

Happy September folks!! Fall is just around the corner!! Also Monday...start the week!! Hope you all have a great day and week too!! only 7 more days left.....that is one week left of our challenge! I need to get the rest of my steps in this evening....will keep to 10,000 today.Wishing you all well!!

Nancy....temp is 'down' to 106 today!!!

mikesgirl4evr

Howdy Nancy. Hope you had a great day today as your day is winding down now. It's late morning here and I am slowly moving. It's better than yesterday when I didn't move. The most I walked yesterday was from my bed to the bathroom The really bad part is I didn't log in to MFP and lost my streak! Oh well, day one here I am, lol. Still need to get laundry done. Hope to find the energy to wander across the stress to the laundry. Will probably just wash the necessities. Only 3 more days till your time off!?! I bet you're getting super excited. I know I would be. Is it cooler where you're going? I sure hope so. It's a little cooler here today but it's also raining off and on all day. Well, just wanted to say hi and let you know I'm still around since it looks like you were here all by your lonesome yesterday.

catladyksa

LOL....so Dee....did you 'wander across the 'stress' to the laundry?? I hope you are feeling better!!! No fun to be sick...and in bed to boot!! As far as you 'streak' goes...you can get it fixed...I did (I posted in your blog). I think if you just go to the FAQ's and search for fixing your log in record, it will tell u what to do.

Yes I am excited...I am not going far....just one hour flight, heading to Dubai. I used to work there so i know the place. It is a nice 4 day weekend break from work!! The weather...well still the same...hot and humid...but with the huge shopping malls I want to walk in to get my daily steps in, they are air conditioned! I think the Dubai Mall is the biggest in the world...or that is what they used to say...everything in Dubai is bigger, taller, faster, blah, blah blah!!

One more day of work for me. I wonder how Zac did in Yellowstone...hope he had a great time and will post some photos!! Pat...are you around?? Biking anyplace exciting?? I know you have been busy with a client or two...hope you got some 'me' time in this long weekend break!!

Heather...hope you are out there and doing well too...I see you are logging your food and continue to exercise!! Good for you!! And karen...you are missed. I hope you decide to come back to the MFP forum some day!!

Back tomorrow folks!!

Nancy

PatrickB_87

I had one of those days yesterday where I was able to really experience and realize how far I have come. My body doesn't always feel that different except for the pathetically ill-fitting clothing I am now wearing, so it's nice to be put into a situation that makes you understand the changes whether you've noticed them or not.

Living in Norther (central) California I am bleed to be only a few hours from every type of landscape I could want. The ocean, lakes, the seara nevada mountains, snow, the desert. I am particularly blessed to live so close to Yosemite National Park (if you can call 3 hours close).

To celebrate this labor day and as a break from a busy and stressful two weeks of work I decided to spend Sunday in Yosemite hiking. It's been 3 or so years since I was last here and that ended in a disastrous snow showing experience to Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. Between falling several dozen times and having an asthma attack, I was made keenly aware of how out of shape I was. Only six years or so ago I was able to hike to the top of Upper Yosemite Falls and how I could barely complete a short hike to the redwoods. Fast forward to 150 days ago when i could barely get around the block without being out of breath. Depressing.



Sunday I decided to getaway with family and try hiking in Yosemite again, and the difference was wonderful. We spent a beautiful and tiring day hiking the John Muir Trail up to Upper and Lower Cathedral Lakes off Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite. 8.26 miles round trip in 5 hours and 18 min ascending a little over 1,650 feet to the top lake at 9,585 feet elevation. The hike to the lower lake is only 3.5 miles but in 1.5 miles you ascended 1,000 feet in switch back trials. The hike too much longer then expected, a mile doesn't seem like a lot till you realize its taken you 40min climbing 900 feet up. But it was amazing. We got to Lower Cathedral Lake and I realized that despite being a little tired I felt great. I was tired but my legs weren't sore and I could keep going. Where three years ago this would have been agonizing if not impossible.

You can check out a map of the hike and elevation here http://www.mapmywalk.com/routes/view/521203978



An absolutely beautiful view at the top and a wonderful place for lunch. Nothing like sitting alongside a lake in the middle of the rocky Sierra Nevada Mountains.



The hike down was a different story. I think we can describe it as miserable. Going that steep downhill for 3.5 miles was not enjoyable, and getting to a car was never more a relief. But after stretching, inhaling water and giving myself a bath with wet wipes, I was nothing but happy that I had done something that 152 days ago would have been impossible. I did 28,650 steps that day for a total of 13 miles and burned 2,000 calories, made all the better by a religious experience with a chimichanga with beans and rice at Cocina Michoacana in Grovland, CA.

catladyksa

Pat thanks for sharing your wonderful experience!! Loved reading about it and you did fantastic!!! To look back where you were 150 days ago, to what you accomplished on that hike!! Wow!!! And to top it off with a Chimicanga......sounds absolutely terrific!!! Heck, I would've settled for a decent cheese enchilada or taco!!!! Great job....congratualtions on your accomplishment!!!