The shortest day

Today started out strong. I was able to get out of bed close to when I wanted to. I was able to do many parts of my morning routine that I haven't been able to do lately. I got out the door within 5 minutes of when I had intended to get out the door.

 I have a tradition of hiking the Konza on the winter solstice. A few weeks ago, before this episode, I had decided that this year I would hike the 6 mile loop. So a couple times recently I've made a point to go out there and hike the middle loop so it wouldn't be so out of the blue to do the long one.

This is the face I made when I read a text from my friend asking if I wanted to hike later in the day. Oops. Sorry friend. Already well into the back loop when I read that.

I had estimated 3 hours for this hike and it took about 2 hours 20 minutes. I wasn't rushing but I also didn't stop to enjoy the scenery as much as I might have if I were hiking with a friend.

It was nice to accomplish a goal. I may have even felt a tiny bit of pride. But the muted kind. 

it's the lighting, the lighting is very fishy

It was a good day.

this week's gym update

It's really better if I write my weekly gym update on Wednesday before the leg day results are fully in. But that wasn't in the schedule yesterday. So now it's hurt-y whiny day. I didn't really want to talk about the fact I can't sit comfortably, or stand comfortably, or go up and down any stairs, or even lay in my hammock comfortably. I wanted to talk about lat pulldowns.

I really like doing them. I don't know why. It might be because there's something about lat pulldowns that reminds me of just about every dance or ice skating themed movie I've ever seen. There will almost always be a line about lifting their arms that just doesn't make sense to me. But now I feel like I get it. So I've got a bit of a head start on my future dance career that I wasn't planning to pursue.

Every year I have some kind of mental health episode around the holidays. This year it came early, before Thanksgiving. It makes it harder to "hear" what my body is telling me. So I'm glad that I have a trainer because when I'm at the gym I definitely need someone to supervise me and remind me to take breaks between sets and monitor how much weight I'm trying to lift and otherwise help me to not hurt myself.

In other news: I've decided to capitalize on my hair being way too short for my preferences and learn some new skills, namely, how to make the most of the natural wave and see if I can't get some actual curl with minimal efforts.

In other, other news: It took me a very long time to find an advent calendar for myself. I had too many ideas and really I wonder if sometimes I can't decide what I want because of the dissociation. I finally picked one with stitch markers and it arrived in the mail today. I decided to just start at the top and open one per day. I guess I'm not really counting down to Christmas at this point. I wonder what I'm counting? Which Cherie will I be in 25 days?

Success

And today's the day that we tried walking lunges again and my left leg is a bit reluctant but I can do them. We also increased weights on some things.

This is my proud face.

Of course, now I realize there are all kinds of gym-ly things that I could have been recording and I haven't been. Oh well.

I did get the fabric for my new underwears washed. Maybe today I'll get a chance to cut out the pieces.

Top Secret

This is top secret so don't tell anyone, but, I may or may not possibly sort of might be a little bit enjoying going to the gym.

But just in case I might be insane, I also went to visit my favorite creek spot.

I wanted a picture with my feet in the water, but also was digging the fall foliage...I'm a weirdo

Also. In early September I apparently overbooked myself for this week. At the time it was so far away that I knew I'd have plenty of time to be well prepared. But then other things came up and I didn't get as prepared as I wanted to. Over a few days I've given a Sunday school lesson and a CR lesson and went to a class at MCC to tell them about CR. Plus had my last session with my now-ex therapist. So that's...a lot.

Konza Gym Day

 So I got up, went about my morning routine and came downstairs in my gym clothes only to find a text from my trainer. She was unable to keep our appointment. Well I wasn't about to go into the gym by myself and try to figure out what I should do in there. But I didn't want to waste this outfit either. So I decided I'd hit up that big hill at Konza. That's a good workout.

Furthermore, I wanted to participate in my friend's daily art prompts so I took Lark and a crow with me. Fairy pictures means lots of squatting. Extra workout. V athletic.

The best of not very good options.

I took it pretty slow and took lots of breaks because that big hill is a challenge for people in better physical condition than me and I didn't have any reason to rush. Still, by the time I was almost at the top, there were parts of me that were not happy with my decision. And not really in a sore from a good workout kind of way. I exacerbated an old injury.

Proof of victory.

I did consider staying at the top of the hill and waiting for someone to come rescue me, but it's not the most accessible place to get a ride back. So I did my best to slowly saunter around the rest of the trail back to the parking lot. Between the pictures and the taking my time, I spent 2 hours on that hike.

Good thing it's Friday so I have a couple days to recover before my next torture session.

Nap?

 Oliver thought I needed a post workout nap. Does it defeat the purpose of going to the gym if you immediately take a nap afterwards?

My friendslist says that it's a good idea. So now I wonder, if that's the case, then why haven't I ever seen a gym that is basically an obstacle course that you have to complete to get to the hammock at the finish line?

First Workout

 Proof of life. Went into a gym on purpose to meet a trainer and didn't die. yet.

One of the first things my trainer commented on was how tight my shoulders were. Like right after all the stretches she had me do, she said my shoulders were still tight and I had three overlapping thoughts. 

"No they aren't!"

"That's what {voice teacher} says too"

"They're probably right"

So she had me do a couple different machines that I tricked me into relaxing my shoulders. I didn't even realize what she'd done until I was walking to my van and felt like what I imagine it feels like to go to a chiropractor and get adjusted. I've never been to a chiropractor before, but I felt taller and more relaxed in general. Not really how I expected to walk out of a torture chamber after my first session.