DOING 100% OF YOUR 10%

Every day, there is only about 10% of our activities that we have 100% control over. Think about it. Meals must be served at a fixed time. Work hours are established for most of us. Traffic signals and the car(s) in front of us determine how long it'll take to get to work or run that errand. Other people's realities overlap with ours and we get side-tracked. Taxes must be paid, diapers changed, soccer games attended, walls painted, groceries purchased, etc. So many THINGS!

So, what do you do with the 10% over which you might have control? How do you spend that time? Is it all work and no play? Is it spent in front of the TV or computer? Is it devoted to the well-being or needs of others?

Take back your 10% and devote yourself to putting 100% of yourself into that 10%. That means, Take Care of Yourself! Do what's right for YOU - not the kid, the spouse, the neighbor, the boss. Read a book, get a manicure, eat an ice cream cone, AND go for a walk.

In reality, we can't give 100% to that 90% or even the 10% if we aren't willing to give 100% to taking care of ourselves. How will the car run with no gasoline? Will it run efficiently with no oil change? No!

Don't feel guilty. Don't whimp out. Don't let anyone take away your 10%. Give 100% of yourself to the 10% you get to devote to yourself!



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude. You can trust the information you find here. It's from a dedicated walker. Trust me and your life will get better! I promise.

WALKING AND THINKING (AND GRIEVING)

I'm able to work out a lot of my emotions in my head while I walk. Today, my dog and I walked three miles, mostly around the track near my house. My heart was/is heavy. I had just recently learned of the suicide of one of my oldest child's grade school friends, a bright, cheerful kid back in the day. The young man has a brother two years younger than he who was in the same class as another dear friend's son, and a much younger sister, who was my daughter's classmate. So, the mom and I spent a lot of waiting time in the school foyer together, sharing our hopes and fears for our kids, laughing over their goofiness, and cheering each other through the kids' successes.

That private school class of 27 kids (21 boys as I recall) was an extremely academic one. At one point when they were all still in high school, I noted that 21 of them had received some sort of special honor - National Merit Scholarship, Missouri Scholar, Scholar Athlete, etc. That's an amazing percentage!

Now, the amazing percentage is a sad one. Three of those young men are dead. Such a tragedy. And, who knows why a bright, attractive kid with a loving family kills himself? I don't think even the kids' know themselves. They just can't see the light ahead.

But, back to my walking. I often compose articles to be posted here while I'm walking. I'm able to come back home and type away, putting down most of my ideas for you to read. Today, I spent my three miles composing a letter to this boy's parents. There are truly no words to console parents who have suffered such a loss. But, we all feel the need to offer some, don't we?

Usually, the things I'm able to ruminate on and work thru my brain cells are happier. Sometimes I walk with God and express my gratitude for the beautiful scenery and my very fortunate life. Sometimes I walk with the sure confidence that all is well with the world despite what the newspaper says. Sometimes, like today, I walk with tears in my eyes and a heaviness in my chest that will ease over time. I know that. For me, there is hope of a brighter day. For Jimmy's parents and siblings, I'm not so sure. I hope they will walk with his memory in their minds and his love in their hearts. I know I will never forget him.


***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

IT'S BEEN ALMOST THREE YEARS!!

It's been almost three years since I began this blog. Some articles I've posted have had little to do with walking. But, I hope all of them have added something to your experience of walking or other exercise.

I just went back to reread that very first post. You can read it here . I promised, but have not created, the sister site to match up walkers. Let me first ask if there's any reader(s) out there who are interested in such a site - sort of a match mates service for walkers? If there is interest, I'll get the site developed.

Also, I'd be very interested in learning from readers what advances they have made in their walking regimen. Has anything you've read here encouraged you to walk more or do other forms of exercise? Have you learned something?

Finally, I'd ask for every reader to post a question or comment about his/her personal experience with walking. Do you keep a log? Have you worked to increase the distance you walk or the amount of time you walk? Has walking improved your life, your health, your outlook?

Also, if you're a newer reader, I strongly encourage you to go back and read the first 20 or so articles in order. There's a lot of information there, some of which might be more helpful or encouraging than the more recent articles. I do not want to forget my goal - to get people off the sofa and out into the world of walking, moving the body, to feeling better and improving quality of life.

My dear mom just turned 88. She still walks every day despite the fact that she is nearly blind (from macular degeneration). Her loss of vision has impaired the speed at which she can walk, so she doesn't enjoy it as much as she formerly did. But, she still does it every day and she claims that she's the only person in her independent living apartment complex who doesn't complain about aches and pains every day. She doesn't have any! She beats me at that! But, as she says to anyone who'll listen, 'you can't sit in front of the TV all day and feel good'. I really think she's onto something.

So, I'm just carrying on a legacy of the strong women in my family. My mother's mother lived into her nineties and walked every day of her life too in addition to living a rural lifestyle which required a lot more physical work than we modern housewives and moms are used to.

Please feel free to post your successes here. We'd all like to share in the success with you!



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

OH, THOSE BIKERS

Bikers pose a special problem for walkers. Bikers of any age seem to feel that all horizontal surfaces within the public domain are for their sole use. Adult bikers apparently have no problem taking on cars whizzing by on streets with no shoulder for the biker to bail on.

Many bikers also have little respect for walkers and the sidewalks on which we walk and from which they are legally restricted. They whiz by walkers with no respect (often on the sidewalk). They often don't warn us that they coming up behind us, don't seem to understand that we have a legal and moral right to be on the sidewalk or track, and are generally dismissive of us as being non-athletes.

Right. I am a 'non-athlete'. I'll happily let any biker know that. I'll also let him/her - aw, shoot, it's always a him - know that if they collide with me, it's one thing. But, if they hurt my dog - they'll be really sorry.

My friend Stephanie routinely rides her bike to work. She's a middle aged woman who is not training to join Lance at the Tour de France. She's just minding her own business, and the rules of the road, as she makes her way to work about a mile from her home. She is frequently cursed and side swiped by guys trying to outdistance Lance that minute.

Poor Lance. He takes a lot of abuse here.

One way I have decided to address the issue of disrespectful bikers is to start training the young kids who bike around the track where I walk. I've had quite a lot of success. I begin with asking them to please let me know when they're coming up from behind so they won't scare my dog (which they do. She's a real scaredy-dog). By their second or third time around the track, lapping me each time on their training wheels or trikes, they begin to get it. I say 'thank you' EVERY time they get it right.

Maybe the way to get the Lance-wannabes in line would be to just thank them each time we survive being passed by them. What do you think?



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

I'M NOT AMY VANDERBILT, BUT....

There are certain rules of etiquette that concern walkers and others who use the sidewalks, trails, and streets of our world. We'll all be a lot safer and happier if we can agree on a few Rules of the Walker's Road.

1. If you're riding a bike, skating, or otherwise going faster than the prevailing foot traffic, it would be especially nice of you to let the walker in front of you know that you're coming up from behind. A simple 'on your left' will warn the walker that you're in the neighborhood. I spend a lot of time teaching this simple nicety to the children who bike around the track I walk on. It's always more pleasant to avoid a collision than suffer one.

2. If you're walking across a street, PAY ATTENTION to the cars. As a walker, you may legally have the right of way, but would you rather be right or dead? Walkers slow down traffic when we fail to remain alert to what's going on around us. This makes drivers cranky.

3. Walkers (and joggers) have neither a Constitutional nor God-Given right to listen to their Ipods in stereo. Unplug one ear whenever you're walking around others. Not only will you still be able to hear what's on your Ipod, you'll also be able to hear the nice biker coming up from behind you when s/he politely states, 'on your left'.

4. DO NOT ASSUME that because you can see a car the driver can see you. Wear light colored clothing when walking at dusk or later, use reflectors and flashlights, be aware that, if you're walking into the setting sun, you may well be approaching a 'blinded' driver. Refer to #2 above.

5. Don't 'hog' the walking/biking/skating surface. Make room for others to pass you safely.

6. Dogs walked properly will be on the walker's LEFT. Dogs walked improperly will wander into the paths of others, trip their owners or others, and generally cause confusion. If you are walking your dog, be sure that your dog follows rules #1-5 above.

7. Do yourself a favor and don't walk where there are Sweet Gum Balls. If you have no personal experience in this area, consider yourself forewarned. It's impolite, not to mention painful, to break an ankle. To that end, if you own property that allows Sweet Gum Balls to fall on the sidewalk, it is your civic duty to remove each and every one within 5 minutes after it hits ground.


***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

LAKE HELL - ER, HILL

I recently attended a state conference at the Grand Glaize Inn at Lake Ozark, Missouri. I hadn't been to that area in years. The Inn is ok - no great shakes. The conference was informative and time consuming. I knew that to be able to sleep in a hotel room (I have sleep issues most nights), I'd definitely have to get in a walk. The conference schedule allowed little free time, running from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM or later with one hour for lunch and two hours for supper. Had to finagle a walk somehow.

To that end, I laced up my walking shoes and went for a 30 minute walk at lunch. I walked down the road 15 minutes, looking for fast food or a convenience store with no luck, and 15 minutes back to the Inn. Grabbed a protein bar and a soda and headed back to the conference.

For supper, I drove to Hyvee (which if you're not familiar with and have access to, get yourself there!), loaded up some goodies from the salad bar and some juice, and got back to the Inn. I'm a late eater, so their supper time didn't suit me. I stashed the food in my room and headed out to the trails behind the Inn.

The Inn is directly on the Grand Glaize River part of Lake Osage. It's very pretty. Virtually every property has its own marina. The hotels and condos all perch on bluffs above the river. So, the trails are pretty much straight up and down. I took stairs down to the lakefront and began following the trails. Passed a boat aptly named 'Cirrhosis of the River'. Made me laugh.
Called my husband to tell him about the boat's name. While I was speaking with him, I started hiking up a hill. A really steep hill. I'm walking and talking and the next thing I know, I'm completely winded. This doesn't happen to me.

The afternoon was still sunny and warm. The cold breeze of the previous day had vanished and I was psyched to be outside, enjoying the scenery on my walk. Trudged up that hill. Out of breath. Finally told my husband that I had to get off the phone. By then, I had topped the hill and walked around the parking lot at the Inn. To get in my 30 minutes of walk, I had to circle the parking lot a couple times. No way was I going back down that hill!

By the time the conference meetings were over for the evening and I retired to my room for a shower and some food, I was beat. Slept well that night. Maybe that hill wasn't so bad after all.....




***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

DANCING WITH JOHNNY DEPP

Well, not exactly. I find Johnny Depp to be an accomplished actor and a handsome, if boyish, lad, but way too young for me. And, I've seen very few of his movies. However, I'm completely in love with the Wonderland Waltz from Depp's "Alice in Wonderland" movie. Let me explain.

A couple weeks ago, there was a linedance workshop in Chicago - Windy City Dance Expo. My favorite dance teacher attended and came back with this great new waltz to teach us. Larry, my teacher, told us that every time he heard this song played, he HAD to dance. Unlike most dances, I learned this one very quickly and it has quickly has become my favorite! The second week we practiced it, I came into the class telling Larry that I wanted to dance this waltz SIX TIMES. I think we got to it four times - which is at least twice more than usual for a new dance we're learning.

If you're not familiar with the music, check it out. The Wonderland Waltz is performed by a newish band, The Plain White Tees. It's a waltz in a minor key - another oddity. But, that was perfect for the pre-Halloween weeks we were learning it.

Another thing about this dance is that it's looooong. It's a workout in itself! Try doing the waltz on your own, taking long strides which are required with this dance, and see how many times you can do it. At dance class this evening, we danced it twice in addition to the two new dances we learned and several others we did by request - ones we've already mastered.

So, today, instead of walking, I danced! It's so much fun. I highly recommend linedancing or couples dancing for anyone who likes to move. Great aerobic workout and fun, to boot!



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

TWIST AND SHHHH, DON'T SHOUT, PLEASE!

In my unending quest to find interesting ways to keep myself active, I recalled a device that I had seen years ago but never used. Naturally, I began surfing the 'net to find one. Didn't even know what to call it. It's a device that one stood on and twisted. The idea is to take off some weight around the middle OR strengthen the abs. Might do both.

It took me some time to find such a device. I found a site that purported to sell these devices that are manufactured in China. Isn't everything? So, I placed an order for one - about $25 with free shipping. I waited, and waited, and waited. I emailed and was reassured that my order would be filled but they were back-ordered. Finally, after 4 months, I cancelled my order and was refunded my full purchase price. Good so far, but still no 'Twister'. It's not a Twister. That's the name of a game from the 1970's, I think, that results in a lot of compromising and embarrassing contortions of the body. Not for me.

Finally, I found one of the 'original' devices for sale on ebay. I ordered it (and paid about half what the 'new' one cost) and received it a few days ago. It's pretty much fun. No idea if it'll result in producing any of the benefits originally claimed. Probably not or it'd still be marketed, right? But, it's easy to do and is another small, inexpensive device to add to my slowly increasing array of gadgets to keep me moving.



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

SPRING INTO FALL

Call it Global Warming, call it El Nino or La Nina, or just call it crazy. We're having Spring weather in Fall in St. Louis. I know this to be true because I typically have Fall allergies and my husband always has Spring allergies and we've switched seasons. This is conclusive proof that we're Springing into Fall this year, 2010.

What does this have to do with walking? Let's be clear. I'll walk in most any kind of weather, so long as there's no ice underfoot. But, wind slices right through me and, just like that, triggers my Fall allergies, making me sound like a cheese grater looks. No fun either. There have been years when I was hoarse for as long as three months straight.

So, in the Fall, when the winds and rain start in this part of the world, I take care to keep my throat out of the path of said wind. This means, I can walk, but I can't walk and talk. My voice is muffled under layers of fleece to prevent the wind from reaching my vocal cords.

Actually, it's fairly well documented by medical research that exercise such as walking aids greatly in preventing allergies. I have found this to be true in my own life. The more I walk, the less likely I am to get sick - whether it's from an allergy or a virus or a bacterium. Walking supports a healthy immune system.

Obviously, there are times when one shouldn't exert. The doctor's rubric is that if you're sick from the head up, you can exercise. If you're sick from the neck down, it's time to take rest, take fluids, and baby yourself. I pretty much agree with this. So, let's all go walking and build up our immune systems to fend off the flu and such that assault us each winter.



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

PUZZLING NEW PLANT

I spend a lot of time admiring the well manicured lawns of the houses I walk by on the streets near my house. So many people invest lots of time and money to make their lawns attractive. Me? I typically take the path of least resistance. I appreciate the beauty of these lawns but refuse to invest either the time or money into creating such an oasis in my own yard.

I also 'collect' interesting plants I see along the way. I don't steal them. I just find ones that attract me and try to learn more about them, usually by calling my green-thumbed mom. Yesterday, I found a real beauty! And, cannot identify it. Maybe a reader can help.

It's a bush on the southeast side of a southeast facing house. It's low to the ground with slim limbs that bow, arcing from the center out. The leaves are the shape of a human eye with the pointed end facing farthest from the limb. The leaves are bright, almost chartreuse. BUT, the coolest thing is the fruit/nut/whatever on the limbs at the leaf intersections. They are the size of a sweetgum ball, are a deep orchid color (I'm very color impaired, so I can tell you that they're not red, not pink, not maroon, not mahogany, not purple - but a sort of reddish purple that I call orchid). The neatest thing about the fruit/nut is that each one is round but consists of smooth, little bumps, making it look somewhat like the inside of a pomegranate.

Not a very good explanation. I have no idea what to google. I've never seen any signs of life at this house, but I plan to knock on the front door next time and ask. In the meantime, if anyone has any ideas of names of plants that I can google to find the right one, please let me know.




***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY

Today was unseasonably warm and sunny, so I skipped out of work a bit early (as it gets dark by 5 PM since the loss of DST) so my pup and I could walk a bit. I got home, changed into my walking shoes, watched Jeopardy with my daughter, then put the leash on Lizzie (my 4 legged child) and headed for the park.

I was amazed at how few people were at the park. There were two or three kids at the playground but only 2 joggers on the track! So, Lizzie and I were unhampered in our walk. One child on her teeny bike was on a collision course with us, but, at the last minute she changed course so we all survived unscathed.

Later this year, I'll be able to walk at the park closer to dusk. There's one corner of the track where the trees are especially dense. The track is sort of a plateau, the high point in the neighborhood, surrounded on three sides by schools and homes but on the third, there's a nice stand of dense woods. At dusk, if we're quiet, we can see the deer sticking their noses out of the leaves to see if the coast is clear for their turn on the track.

However, as soon as the deer see the dog, they hide back in the woods. Apparently dogs and deer don't go well together. We've actually had deer in our backyard. Our house is in a subdivision where most of the houses are on about half-acre lots. Most yards have a nice line of trees at the back of the lot. My back yard, due to years of benign neglect, has a nice patch of trees with dense undergrowth at the back property line. Fences keep the deer from meandering through the neighborhood, but they do find their way to our yard and to those of our neighbors.

It's really exciting to see a group of deer when I'm on a walk. There are several patches of dense woods in the neighborhood where they can hang out without fear of being bothered. They're a real pain for drivers - a true road hazard. But, I enjoy seeing them on my walks. One more thing to add to the list of things that one can enjoy better on a walk than any other way.



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

RECONNECTING

Had an afternoon off last Friday and took my mom to the mall to get some of her favorite Panda Chicken egg rolls. While there, we ran into my friend Kathy G (a reader here) whom I hadn't spoken to or walked with in quite a while. Since we both had the rest of the afternoon off, we planned a walk together.

I dropped mom off at her apartment and drove home, called Kathy, and laced up my walking shoes. Kathy and I met and got to walk and catch up on news of family and friends for about an hour. By then, I was zapped. Kathy's walking pace is a tad quicker than mine, so I try to keep up. She wasn't aware of that - and I purposely didn't make her aware til I finally, inadvertently, said something about it near the end of that walk. She was surprised!!

Well, she's about 10 years younger, about 40 pounds lighter, and a real go-getter and she's surprised that her pace is quicker than mine!! Guess I'm flattered. But, main thing is, I enjoy walking and talking with her.


***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

MAKING NEW FRIENDS

At the park by my house, there's a nice, blacktop 1/3 mile track, mostly flat, that traverses around soccer/baseball fields, next to other fields and a playground. This is my 'default' walking location - when I have little time to walk, when I walk with my husband as with 2 adults and 1 dog we're wider than the sidewalk, where I walk when there's too much traffic or it's too close to dark to be safe on the street.

Recently, every time I'd walk at the park, I'd see the same woman walking. Finally, being the shrinking violet that I'm NOT, I introduced myself to her and asked if she'd care for us to walk together. Her name is P (we'll just call her by her first initial), and, of course, our lives have had many previous intersections but we'd never met before. We ended up walking 3 times together over the next few days, then my schedule got busier and I haven't seen her in a week or so. But, I'm sure our paths will cross again. One lap around, we picked up E (her first initial), a very pleasant lady known t P from the track. Nice conversation and I walked lots farther than I had planned.

Turns out that P hasn't been walking that long, but she walks for 90 minutes every day! She walks for an hour on the relatively flat track then walks the last 30 minutes on the adjacent trails that include some brief but steep hills. Good for her!

Can't wait to run into P and E again! Almost always more fun for me to walk and talk than to walk alone.




***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.

RECENT WALKS

While walking recently, I've planned blog articles in my head, but haven't followed through with actually writing them! Sorry 'bout that. Here's what's been going on lately:

Made two new friends at the track in the park near my house.

Reconnected with Kathy G. for a walk.

Found a really neat plant in someone's side yard that I'm trying to identify.

Enjoyed the 'Spring' weather in the Fall. Where have all the allergies gone??? (probably shouldn't say that aloud!)

Twist and Shout

More dance news.

So, here come the articles about these topics. Hope you'll enjoy some of the reading and will be inspired to get/keep moving. Keep reading.....



***************************Remember my 100% GUARANTEE. Should you decide to stop walking and resume your old habits, I personally guarantee that you'll get back 100% of your former life - your pain, your lifestyle, your attitude.