In praise of The Stomp. :)
What is so important that drags us out of bed and out of the house by no later than 6.30 every morning?
Why, The Stomp of course. :)
We started nearly six weeks ago - due to the impending wedding (Beloved's daughter) and general lack of fitness for both of us.
Translated means: I had no intention of appearing at the wedding (ALL of his family there) looking like the Amazing Spherical Woman, and Beloved needs the exercise for health reasons (read: annual check up due in October), so we started walking...
What started as simple form of exercise quickly escalated into a competitive, I'll-race-you-up-the-hill thing. Seriosuly. :)
We are both very competitive... Both bloody minded when it comes down to it. There was a particular morning when we very nearly passed out because we attacked the (Steep! Truly!!) hill at the same fast walking pace we had been keeping for an hour.
We have calmed down now, and the goal is to keep the same pace thoughout, rather thatn overdoing. More or less.
But anyway...
Apart from the fact that I have lost close to a stone (the scales are not the enemy anymore), I have so much more energy it's untrue, and the various joints and assorted bits don't hurt a tenth of what they used to.
I have regained mobility in a way I thought was no longer possible, without any drugs or painkillers.
Beloved keeps surprising his ccolleagus because he can more than keep up with them when walking to the restaurant on site, and his blood sugar level has been what it should be more or less consistently (which will make his doctor quite happy).
We started with an average of 3000 steps, about half of them aerobic. We used to come home and collapse, and my left knee used to bite me viciously afterwards.
We are now doing 6000+, ALL of them aerobic (which means keeping a pretty fast pace throughout), and we are running out of places to walk to in the same 45-50 minutes.
We have had many conversation to the tune of "I have found another 300 hundred steps", and "What if we go down to the canal instead?".
But it's not just the improved fitness that makes me happy: the best part of it all is the Us Time we get in the morning.
No distractions, no news on the tv, no Thomas constantly demanding attention (I love him to tiny little bits, but he *can* be a little demanding). Just the two of us stomping out and chatting to each other (and snooping in people's gardens, commenting on the building efforts of neighbours and spotting birds. And loving the sunrise).
Something amazing has happened to me: I actually look forward to getting up early and leaving the house at the crack of dawn, and I lovingly get our kits ready the night before (because nobody wants to go looking for socks at that time in the morning...)
Need to do a post about The Wedding too. :)
Why, The Stomp of course. :)
We started nearly six weeks ago - due to the impending wedding (Beloved's daughter) and general lack of fitness for both of us.
Translated means: I had no intention of appearing at the wedding (ALL of his family there) looking like the Amazing Spherical Woman, and Beloved needs the exercise for health reasons (read: annual check up due in October), so we started walking...
What started as simple form of exercise quickly escalated into a competitive, I'll-race-you-up-the-hill thing. Seriosuly. :)
We are both very competitive... Both bloody minded when it comes down to it. There was a particular morning when we very nearly passed out because we attacked the (Steep! Truly!!) hill at the same fast walking pace we had been keeping for an hour.
We have calmed down now, and the goal is to keep the same pace thoughout, rather thatn overdoing. More or less.
But anyway...
Apart from the fact that I have lost close to a stone (the scales are not the enemy anymore), I have so much more energy it's untrue, and the various joints and assorted bits don't hurt a tenth of what they used to.
I have regained mobility in a way I thought was no longer possible, without any drugs or painkillers.
Beloved keeps surprising his ccolleagus because he can more than keep up with them when walking to the restaurant on site, and his blood sugar level has been what it should be more or less consistently (which will make his doctor quite happy).
We started with an average of 3000 steps, about half of them aerobic. We used to come home and collapse, and my left knee used to bite me viciously afterwards.
We are now doing 6000+, ALL of them aerobic (which means keeping a pretty fast pace throughout), and we are running out of places to walk to in the same 45-50 minutes.
We have had many conversation to the tune of "I have found another 300 hundred steps", and "What if we go down to the canal instead?".
But it's not just the improved fitness that makes me happy: the best part of it all is the Us Time we get in the morning.
No distractions, no news on the tv, no Thomas constantly demanding attention (I love him to tiny little bits, but he *can* be a little demanding). Just the two of us stomping out and chatting to each other (and snooping in people's gardens, commenting on the building efforts of neighbours and spotting birds. And loving the sunrise).
Something amazing has happened to me: I actually look forward to getting up early and leaving the house at the crack of dawn, and I lovingly get our kits ready the night before (because nobody wants to go looking for socks at that time in the morning...)
Need to do a post about The Wedding too. :)