Amazing...

So I went for a walk this morning, first time in about a week and a half.  It was still pretty dark when I left home.  I decided that I would walk for about half an hour and see how far that got me.  Round trip was exactly 1.4 miles.  I started out by crossing the street and walking down the sidewalk.  Across the sidewalk were some wet bunny foot prints.  After a minute or two I rounded a corner and there was the bunny.  Bunny hopped off into the grass and I continued to walk.  After another couple of minutes, I heard a rustling to my left and looked up and no kidding, there was a bald eagle about 6 feet above and a few feet in front of me.  It flew across my path and out over the field to my right.  To that I uttered an audible "wow" even though I was the only one there.  Still marveling over the eagle sighting, I continued to walk down the sidewalk.  I was coming up to an area where to the right was a corn field and to the left across the street was an open field bordered by a wooded area.  Still walking forward I saw something move a little way down the sidewalk.  Then I realized it was a red fox.  It came from the cornfield to my right and crossed the road and cantered off into the open field.  Pretty amazing.  We occasionally see one or the other, but not usually both at the same time and not usually that close up.  Usually if we see an eagle it is circling high above a field or the pond hunting.  If I see a fox it us usually running around in the ditch by the highway.

Early morning...

I really had to talk myself into walking this morning.  I have really felt tired this week and so I just want to be lazy in the morning.  I have to remind myself that I really do enjoy being outside in the morning.  The fresh bit of cool that is in the air and the birds singing.  I noticed that sunrise was quite a bit later than it was the last time I walked. A reminder that we are on the downside of summer and fall is not so far away. There was one particular redwing blackbird this morning who was annoyed by my presence. Kept flying and chirping at me about 6 feet above my head.  I'm guessing its nest was close by somewhere.

I was greeted by purrs and invitations for belly rubs by my funny little kitty when I got home.  She waits in "her" chair for me every time I walk.  It's right next to the door. :)

Averages...

When I walk I use an app on my phone called Run Keeper.  It tracks the miles I have gone and keeps an average of my time.  I have noticed an improvement in my average, so that means I am at least walking a little faster than I did when I started a few weeks ago.  Today my average minutes per mile was 18.39.  On June 14th is was 21.25.  Yay, at least I can see a marked improvement in my average times, even if I don't see it elsewhere.

Have a great day!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho...

So today I had the opportunity to work at our Sartell office, which is only about a mile from my house. There is literally sidewalk from just across the street from my front door all the way to the parking lot at work.  I took that opportunity to walk both to and from work today.  It is just about 2 miles round trip.  The weather has been unbelievably hot and humid here this week, but this morning was much better.  I was thankful that the weather was decent and fairly cool for a July morning.  

Choices....

I was recently reminded by a sweet friend that this is all about making more good choices than bad choices.  Unfortunately,  have been doing just the opposite lately.  Right now, at least, I have to consciously make better decisions with each choice that I am presented with moment by moment throughout my day.  Sometimes that is exciting, sometimes hard, always exhausting.  I work as a bank teller and in my job I am faced with hundreds of critical decisions throughout my day.  "Is this person who they claim to be?", "Should I cash this check for this person?", "Is the endorsement correct?", "Am I following the correct regulations and laws?", "Is this person being taken by a scammer?", "If so, what do I do to help them not be taken?" and on and on... by the time I get home, I don't want to have to make more tough decisions.  I want the decisions I make at home to be easy ones.  Ones I don't have to think critically about.  I think that is part of why this is hard for me.  The hard truth is that I need to do it anyway.  

Discouraged...

Actually gained 3 pounds over the last 2 weeks.

Lazy...

I have been lazy the last few days and I have just plain said "I don't feel like walking, so I'm not going to".  This is what I need to overcome.  I have found if I make it an adventure of walking in a different place than usual, that it makes it much more enticing to walk.  I get bored with the same old scenery.  I need to scout out different and new places to go.

A Struggle

Not the greatest picture because it was taken with my phone, but I love it when the rays come through the clouds like this. 

I SOOOO did not want to walk today.  The prospect of walking in 80 degree temperatures with 76% humidity and no real breeze to speak of was not tantalizing.  So I figured, if I was gonna be out in it, I might as well make it worth my while.  I first thought I would just walk my mile and be done, then I thought, OK, I'd make up the .2 whatever I needed to be even to where I was supposed to be.  I got there and I wasn't far from the office where I occasionally work, so I thought I'd see how long it took to get there so that the next time I work there, weather permitting, I could walk and I would know how long it took.  Well, it was nearly a mile there, so I decided I was going to be close to 2 miles by the time I got back home that I might as well try and make it an even 2 at least.  Soooo, I walked 2.02 miles today. :)

Shooting in RAW

So today when I took my camera with me on my walk, I decided to shoot some pictures in RAW format.  A photographer friend suggested that I take pictures in RAW in order to have greater editing capabilities.  It was a bit of a challenge because when I opened the file in my editing software, it looked completely different from what I am used to.  I figured it out pretty quickly after a bit of googling.  Here are some of the results from today's walk.

A Few Shots...

  My sweet hubby went with me this evening, even though it was pretty hot out. :)

Here are a few pics taken this evening. 

Lots of barn swallows in our area. I think this is my favorite shot of the evening. 

This is the pond near our house.  There is walking path that goes around one side of it. 

Several of these along side the pond. 

As well as several of these. 

And even one of these. 

Keeping on...

I have been able to get out and walk every day so far.  I tracked what I thought was a mile on my GPS that is on my phone and found that it was just slightly under a mile at .94.  Guess I need to go just a tad further. :) So after 3 days of walking to the same place and back I adjusted the miles logged in the side bar accordingly.  I have yet to go out today.  I think I will do that after dinner. Maybe I'll take my camera this time.  It has been threatening rain every day, so I didn't want to risk taking my camera out when it might rain.

An introduction and an explanation...

Me last September, not much has changed. 

My name is Linda.  I am 43 years old (as of 2 weeks and 5 days ago).  I am 5'3" tall.  I weigh 230 pounds.  I am obese. Several years ago I was diagnosed with high blood pressure.  I have pain in my knees when I go up and down stairs.  I simply weigh too much.  This is me from the outside and what my body has become over the last 15 years.  It is not who I am on the inside.  On the inside I still feel like that normal sized person that I used to be. Sometimes I am startled by what I see in the mirror or in pictures of myself.  I don't want to be the person that I am on the outside.  I want to be who I feel like on the inside.  I want to wear the clothes that I used to wear.  (Not literally the same ones, LOL, but you know what I mean.)  I want to be able to carry a load of laundry up the stairs with out knee pain and huffing and puffing. I want to feel good and be active. I want the person I am on the inside, to be the person that I am on the outside, too.

Me about 17 years ago, with my niece Allison. 

Thus, I am starting this blog.... I am going to attempt to go a mile each day.  Whether it is walking, running, biking, rollerblading or something else, I hope to log 365 miles by June 12 of 2013.  I invite you to join me if you are so inclined. This blog will be about so much more than just logging miles, however.  It will be about the daily challenges and successes that I meet along the way.  I know a mile a day isn't much for some people, but for me it is a stretch and will be about developing new habits.  At times I will take my camera along with me and journal my day's journey through photos.  I have a budding interest in amateur photography and this could be a great opportunity to explore that interest.  I am not crazy enough to think that I will get back to where I was at 23, but I want to feel good and be normal sized again.  I know its going to take a lot of effort and that I will have good days and bad.  I am hoping that those of you reading will help to inspire me to keep trying.    

I walked my first mile this afternoon.  I helped a turtle cross the road. :)
It felt good to get out in the fresh air and begin my journey toward the person that I know I am on the inside.

Care to join me?