Since I blew it yesterday with Henry's recital, I said to Doug today that I really thought we needed to do something, anything, just. Something. He agreed and pitched his ideas to me.
I always go along with Doug's ideas. He thoughtfully plans out things for us today. Today, he wanted to go to this Kielbasa store in Rockville, MD and buy ... well, Kielbasa. And then we could go for a nature hike.
We have not been for a nature hike in a long time. We've gone and walked different parts of the C&O Canal, but we haven't actually gone for a hike hike.
And Toffee needed to get out. He needed to get out. And I, reluctantly but honestly, also needed to get out.
So off we went. I stayed in the car with Toffee while he went kielbasa shopping and for the two giant bags he came out with I was pleasantly surprised at how affordable all the food was that he bought.
We headed over to Blockhouse Point Conservation Area, not too far from home or the kielbasa store. We set out to the parking area, and there is more than one. Doug picked one that looked more like an under-utilized parking area and he was right. The main parking area was packed, so we went further north to catch the spot of choice.
We hiked in the Blockhouse Trail to the Paw Paw Trail. I added it all up. In and out, less than a mile each way but honestly. Hills. Rocks. Mud. Felt like 2 miles in, 2 out.
It was kind of glorious.
I haven't had a good messy hike in quite some time. My sneakers survived and I am reminded I really need to get some new hiking boots or shoes. I'm long overdue.
There were times I was just full of nope. We got to a rock overcrop and sat and rested, and Doug decided to go further to look at the bend in the river. I sat and caught Pokemon while resting. Incredibly happy no one was there. So many places we've gone to walk or hike have been so crowded, but we had this area all to ourselves.
He called to me after a while and said "this is the place to see the view!" Uh. Okay. Shit. Okay.
I got up and went to go to him. There was what looked to be an insurmountable step down on the rock outcropping. I thought, I really could use a shoulder (hey Doug, come back here) or a hiking pole to stick shoved into that crevice over there to balance me while I lower my hefty huge body down, and be nice to my knees. But I didn't have anything.
I bent over, sat, rotated, moved myself around. I felt the rock digging into my hands as I just held myself in place. Boom. I did it. Everything after that was easy. I got to where Doug was and yeah, the view was worth it.
Toffee did great. She was a trooper. I doubt she's ever done more than just our neighborhood and the woods behind the school, which is a super short hike and Doug takes her over there sometimes. So today there was a lot to see and smell. She is a city dog, but today she was all about the greenery, the mud, the everything. Very proud of her.
I knew coming out would be tougher, obviously. We walked downhill to get to where we were but it was going to be uphill for quite a while, until we got back to the Blockhouse Trail. I didn't want to slow Doug down, so I told him to go ahead of me and not worry. Mind the dog, I'll catch up.
He. Well he, of course, waited for me when I got far behind. He's kind like that. Also it's hard to explain to the police when your wife disappears and you're the jerk who went to the car with the dog.
Miraculously, it was only 2 minutes longer out than in. I was happy to get to the car, drink water, and be thankful that I did this today. I did it. I thought I could not.
The weather was perfect, so that was a big help. Not hot, certainly only a little bit humid because the woods are naturally humid. It has done nothing but rain lately so the trails were muddy but not overwhelmingly so. It worked out okay. What I ended up doing was counting steps. Okay, I'll go 20 steps up. And stop and breathe/rest. Then, 25. Okay. Did that. Okay 30? Can we do 30?
This was pushing myself. I'm sure people reading this may be laughing like, oh come on you can't just walk without resting? But it was uphill. And I was actually pushing myself.
And I did it.
Here are some photos. And the digits, of course are below.
digits
exercise: 12/12 hours; two actual measurable hikes. On the way in 30 minutes, on the way out, 32 minutes. Ouch. 11k+ steps by bedtime. Ouch.
blood glucose:
10am: 179
6pm: 163
11pm: 176
food:
coffee/water
11am: metformin
12pm: ramekin of mac & cheese
6:30pm: large piece of kielbasa, 5 pierogis, 2 blintzes, piece of rye bread
White wine
9pm: Metformin+Jardiance (forgot to take at dinner) the last blintz since no one ate it.
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