Blog Archives
An Unusual Walk
Currently my physical activity is limited to walking. And not the freakishly-fast-olympian-style walking. More of a stroll. (This is because any sort of exertion that increases my heart rate and blood flow will cause my cheek to swell which is detrimental to its healing from surgery.) If you know me, you know that I am not a stroller. The whole time we were in New York, my parents kept telling me to “Slow down and enjoy the scenery!” Which is exactly what I’m being forced to do right now. Don’t you love irony!
Surprisingly beautiful for a field full of dead people.
Today’s walk was in a pretty unusual location. A cemetary. My school actually has multiple cemetaries on its premises…not as eerie as it sounds. They are very pretty and peaceful places! It was the coolest weather for a cemetary walk too, warm but overcast and grey. Kind of drizzly…very ominous. I love exercising and staying fit, so I walk (leisurely for now) daily. Usually around campus, but I’ve been getting bored with my same ole’ route so I decided to venture out and find a new place to explore.
Everyone says find an exercise you enjoy. That’s easy for me. Running – duh. But I am also in love with exercise in general, so I understand that not everyone shares the same passion for sweat and soreness that I do. I will say that if you have not tried zumba yet, you ought to. But the EASIEST form of exercise that is enjoyable is simply walking! It’s still an aerobic activity, meaning you have plenty of oxygen and aren’t struggling for breath. Though your heart rate is not increased nearly as much as more intense exercises like running, biking, or swimming, if you walk long enough, you will still burn calories and utilize your leg and core muscles.
Walking a few miles a day and counting calories is how I’ve managed to maintain my pre-surgery weight through nearly 7 weeks without working out. Everyone should be outside enjoying their surroundings anyways! Especially in these gorgeous days of summer. Seriously, this hour in the cemetary certainly beats an hour wasted on the computer or TV.
Fresh Air > Facebook
I brought my camera along on my walk (obviously) and had some fun taking pictures of some wild flowers:
But the second I moved on, continuing along the path, I turned the corner to see a whole FIELD full of flowers!
Note to self: wear flower-field-running shoes next time. ;)
If you’re not an exercise enthusiast, still consider finding a place to walk and enjoy. The fresh air and peacefulness of nature will do your mind some good, and your brain will thank you for the break from cyberspace :)
Hmmm, not sure this cemetary will be so “peaceful” come Halloween….might just have to do a Haunted Workout!
My Cross Country Season’s Somber Beginning
Today’s post is a little more serious than previous ones. I promise to amp up the optimism tomorrow! But in case you didn’t know, I am a cross country and track athlete currently on a collegiate NCAA Division I team. In May, I completed my freshman year with a 10k in the outdoor track & field conference championships. Today, I would/should be moving back to school to begin our team’s fall training had I not had this major surgery last month.
After the surgery on the left side of my face to remove as much of my venous malformation as possible, I was left extremely swollen (as to be expected with any surgery this intense). I was told not to engage in any physical activity for at least 3 weeks. Do you know how hard that is for an exercise addict??! That is like telling me to give up coffee! It was a tough situation: I need to heal to be able to run; I need to run to be able to heal.
I’m finally breaking out of the sit-wait-hope phase – yesterday I jogged for the first time in over 5 weeks! Granted, it was two very slow miles. A “warm-up” to my usual workouts. But it was more than I had run in a month, and I didn’t have any pain so I can continue to build up from here!
I’m sad to be missing out on the team activities, practices and bonding that will be going on at school for the next 9 days while I stay home and continue to heal. I feel like a benchwarmer. Except I’m not on the bench…I’m not even in the stinkin’ ball park! It has made me realize how much running is a part of my life. It’s something I’ve done EVERYDAY for 5 years, of course it is a part of my heart. High school races were such a rush… the ones where I broke a personal record or beat someone I didn’t think I could – I STILL look back on those with pride.
I am positive that there will be more races like this in my future. No doubt I will have to work overtime to play catch up, but I’ve done it before and I know I can do it again. I can’t wait to be reunited with my school and my team <3
(*These pictures were all taken before the surgery. I am not using post-surgery photos of my face until it has healed much more.)
Fruit Photoshoot
We have so much fresh fruit in our kitchen right now, I wanted to dedicate a post to my fondness of fruit. I realized as I was staging this ‘fruit photoshoot’ what a health NUT I had become. It was at the point where I complimented the pear that I really questioned my sanity…
Nonetheless, as they say “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” I’ve had enough doctors for the last month but I’m not sure if this hearty piece of produce can do anything about that. Apples ARE however one of my favorite fruits to snack on and they are in season all year long.
My dad eats more fruit than anyone I know. In his lunch cooler (like mine!) he packs 6-7 pieces of fruit every day for work. Holy Health! And I have to tell you – he rarely ever gets sick! Maybe one cold a year. Never a flu, never an infection. He’s a pretty healthy dude.
Fruits are higher in calories and sugar than vegetables so it’s better to get your servings from a combination of each. However – I’m not a dietician or anything – but I think a piece of fruit as a snack sure beats the office candy bowl! Besides, when has a piece of fruit ever made anyone fat??
Peaches and Apples and Pears, Oh My!
Some things you can do with your summer produce:
Top a greek yogurt cheesecake!
Other Important Info: Starting THURSDAY my blog’s web address will change to stronglikemycoffee.com – I am dropping the extra “.wordpress”. :) So if you like my blog, please share with your friends! Have a fruity Tuesday! (Did I just say that..?)
