Bloody Boogers

7:00am: I had to sleep in a little bit this morning cause that hike yesterday really kicked my butt...literally, it feels like I have been kicked right in the booty. I realize that I didn't HAVE TO sleep in, but I wanted to put myself in the best position to be successful today and for the rest of the week. I am fully aware that my body requires sleep and I do my best to give it what it needs. I slept like a set of 1 year old twin boys last night (for those of you who don't know, they sleep like rocks) and I felt pretty refreshed this morning. The lower half of my body was felt heavy and tired, but I think it was just a matter of getting out of bed and moving around. I did however wake up with the same problem from that stupid oxygen that I have to wear at night. My nose was completely dried out, but when I blew it, out flew a huge glop of bloody boogers. I wish I knew a way to prevent that because it's definitely something that I don't enjoy doing every morning.

I took off for my walk with J Bell's leash in one hand and an apple in the other. It, as usual, was a gorgeous morning with just the right mixture of sun and a cool breeze. Jezzy wasn't as sniffy this morning which was a nice opportunity to pick up my pace. I really need to start keeping track of the time it takes me to walk this morning loop. I think that would be another great way to track my progress. Anyway, my legs felt great the whole walk and I was doing relatively little coughing. I finished my apple about half way through and really started to push the pace. J Bell had already made her doo doo, so I didn't have to worry about that slowing me down. I was flying down the home stretch, that is, until the last 100 yards.

With about 100 yards to go, I had a coughing fit for some reason. I just couldn't stop hacking. They started as just surface coughs, but quickly turned into those deep bowel shaking coughs. Uh oh, I felt the apple coming up. I was trying my best to thwart the coughs because I was pretty sure nobody would appreciate apple sauce on the sidewalk. The sauce managed to work it's way back up to my mouth, but like a champ, I just swallowed it. It was almost as if I was able to eat the same apple twice. Lucky for me! By the time I got back to the house, I was out of breath and still trying to keep down my food. I was able to collect myself and chill until I knew the apple wasn't coming back up. When that ordeal was finally done, I poured myself a cup of mud and headed for my treatments. Hopefully the shaking of my vest doesn't make my little friend the apple rear his ugly head again. Cleaning apple sauce off my keyboard is not on my list of things to do today.

Total Distance: 2.1 miles

1:30pm: I'm sure I've said this before, but I REALLY didn't want to go to the gym today. I made the mistake of sitting down in front of the tv while I ate my pre-workout snack. Before I knew it I had already gone through a whole episode of Hell's Kitchen and was flipping through other recorded shows that I could watch. "Just one more show", I told myself. But that's when another voice popped into my head. Loud and clear I heard, "Just turn it off NOW". For some reason I listened to that voice and off to the gym I went. Now this doesn't mean that I wanted to be there.

In the beginning of the workout I was moving in slow motion. I felt very lethargic. In my first set I definitely just went through the motions. But then I thought to myself, "What's the point of being here unless I'm putting in hard work?". My workout got a lot better after my own little personal pep talk. I did shoulders and legs today and was able to increase the weight or reps on every lift. There were a couple of the leg lifts that I felt really strong which sort of came as a surprise considering the hike yesterday. My energy really picked up as the workout continued and I ended up getting a real good sweat going. I'm starting to lean out a little while still keeping my weight up. Current Weight: 189 lbs.

Side Note: One thing that I have noticed while working out is that I really push through the pain where in the past I may have stopped a few reps short because it hurt. I'm not talking a sharp pain, but a burn that is painful. It may be the reason that I've been able to increase the weight on my lifts so rapidly. Or of course it could be because I started off as such a weakling...

7:00pm: Mandi and I decided to do my morning dog walk loop at a quick pace tonight. We were planning on then picking up J Bell at the groomers, but our wires got crossed and I ended up having to pick her up later. I'll need to post a picture of J with her new hair cut. I get the same thing done to her every time, and every time it still makes me laugh. I just have them give her a really close shave to decrease the shedding and so she's not so hot...and because it looks funny. They always say she is the best dog there (they probably say that to everyone) and that she lets them have their way with her.

Anyway, the walk went really well and the increased pace helped me bring some stuff up. It was a little chilly out tonight, but I warmed up about 100 yards into our walk. My legs had plenty of energy and I would say that the only thing giving me problems are my feet. Mandi really wants me to get custom shoes, but I'm a huge tight wad and I figure I can put up with the pain. I'll bet my bottom dollar though that I'll give in to her request sooner rather than later. She's a very persuasive bird. Plus, she's a runner and I trust her opinion on all matters concerning me pounding my feet into pavement. I know that she only wants the best for me and my feet. At some point it comes down to putting yourself in the best position to succeed.

Total Distance: 2.1 miles

Total Distance Walked for Day: 4.2 miles