Here’s hoping for the jobs for you, @augustlan, and also that you feel better.
@Jeruba: I’m so happy for you that your new life is well on its way! Thanks so much for your encouraging words. Every time I feel stuck I simplify things to the next step toward the goal. If I don’t do that I tend to get bogged down in over-planning. It’s something that I read a few years ago that keeps working for me in all area of my life, so I tend to share that with other people whenever I can.
@Dog: I hope your birthday was a great one. Cheers for many more years! What are you working on now?
@La_chica_gomela: Don’t let the jerks get you down. Sometimes it helps to imagine yourself in steam punk goggles, rubber gloves, and a lab coat. Rub your hands together and think, “I’ll show them. I’ll show them all! Bwahahahaha!” I know it’s a little twisted, but it can lighten your mood.
@aprilsimnel: How are you doing this week? I, for one, would really like to know. Did you make any steps toward contact?
@Grisaille: I’m doing NaNoWriMo again this year. I’m shooting for having the novel done within the month this year. :^> It’ll be good to read about your progress as that’s happening.
@pdworkin: How’s school? How’s your new year shaping up?
@Simone_De_Beauvoir: Dancing always comes back to you. You’ll have a great time. Just stretch first. :^>
@Bri_L: I hope to see you here again soon. Although I didn’t see everything before it got removed, I know both you and the person you had the run-in with are good guys. I hope you can both forgive and forget, or at least attempt to understand each other, and both be a part of this community again. To lose either of you would be sad. There is support for you here, and I hope you’re feeling it.
To all, this week I had two lake swims. One was a short one with my daughter. She wanted to try it, and she’s a better swimmer than she gives herself credit for. Since she was there (got out a little before me and was waiting for me) that swim was only half a mile. She said she wanted to work on some things in the pool before she came out to the lake to swim again. It’ll be fun to do again with her when she’s ready.
The other swim was 6.4 miles long. That was my longest yet. I swam from Seward Park down along the western side of Lake Washington until that last curve before the straight stretch to the Renton Airport and back. I considered swimming that last mile, but I knew I had to make it back and that was already going to be farther than I’d ever swam before. It’s not like the stretch of the lake south of Seward Park leaves as many opportunities to get out and walk back as the stretch north of it does. Also, I knew if I took that much extra time my fella would be worried. I’ll swim that lower stretch another day. I had enough trouble the last mile or so back with a bit of a wind against me, that I’m so glad I didn’t push myself to attempt more. But hey! I swam more than a 10K!
I was really tired and achy, but I’m recovering faster than I did before. When I start feeling a cramp in my leg, I’m better at treading water, relaxing, and slowly stretching it out by circling my foot around instead of panicing. My legs recover to walking out of the lake better than before. (I used to have to sit in the water for a while.) And when I get back to the car I can stretch my arms, towel off, have some gatorade, slip on some shorts and drive within a few minutes. A couple weeks ago that would have taken me longer, too.
So, I’m happy with how things have progressed in the lake. I’m not sure how I’m going to manage around pool hours again through the winter, but I’m going to give it a real try. I think I have another week or two in the lake and then it’s back to the pool until probably late spring. I’ll have less body fat to keep me warm by then so I might have to wait a little longer. We’ll have to wait and see.
The running, not so much. I attempted to run again once so far this week and I’m going to try again today. I take a three mile course, walk briskly for the first 5 minutes, then alternate between running 3 blocks and walking one or two blocks. At the end I walk around the block. This is so much harder for me than it seems like it should be given my swimming. The progress is slow, but I’m working on it. Or I’m trying to get to working on it. Last time I wimped out on the last running block. I’m hoping to do better today.
This was a great week for walking. The husband and I walked down to the arena to see both Pearl Jam shows this week and walked back into downtown to take lightrail home. Then there’s a walk back from the lightrail station. That’s a bit of a trek. During the shows we were on our feet dancing and singing the whole time. I wouldn’t have been able to do that last year. My back would have gotten to me by half way through. I would have sat down and missed some of the best parts of the show. And both shows really rocked. I wouldn’t want to miss any of them. I’m so glad I’m in better shape to enjoy these things I love doing now.
Weight loss continues. Energy levels are better than ever. Sleep is more sound than ever. All in all things are going pretty well.