Tag: neighborhood

The Wandering Hermit: Walk #100

   25 June 2024  Leave a Comment on The Wandering Hermit: Walk #100

This was my 100th walk!  It’s hard to believe I’ve done so many.  I decided to start doing a daily walk 1 April 2024, but it was rainy and so I officially started on 3 April, doing half a mile on a good day.  It wasn’t until 7 May that I finally started walking past the bridge that crosses over the creek and started walking up to the neighbor’s house and back.  On 11 May, I walked to the next road down, a mile away.  19 May, I crossed Fairgrounds, the cross street I live on, walking down a bit and back to the neighbor’s house.  Since 28 May, my habit has been always to walk to the next road from here, in any direction, and back.  That makes the walks 2-3.3 miles, depending on the direction I go.  This morning, I did 4.32 miles, walking East to Prairie Rd, North to Yost Rd, West to Fairgrounds Rd, & South to Burris Rd.  That is a little unusual because I was doing it to celebrate 100 walks, but I felt great afterward and was not short of breath or overly exhausted.  What I’m not trying to be cautious of is not continuing to increase the distance for no reason.  3 miles feels really good.  4 was a nice amount this morning, but I had started constantly checking my watch at about 3.5 to see when it would be over.

This is all probably painfully obvious to people who are already pretty active, but I started at not being able to walk out to the car without having to stop to catch my breath.  Being able to do any of this seems remarkable to me.  I’ve been thinking about my next steps.  Like I said, after 3 miles I was ready for the walk to be over, but it wasn’t because I was overly tired.  I was bored.  So, it might behoove me to add an evening walk as well.  That would definitely be easier on joining a gym.  I like the idea of walking 5:15am-6:15am & 5:15pm-6:15pm.  It is so hot this week, that I don’t think I’ll be able to test that out though.  Maybe I’ll try running in place with a fan blowing directly on me!  

I’m proud of myself.  I didn’t know if I could do it, but I was determined to try and feel like I finally figured out something I wish I had learned 20 years ago.  I could dwell in that regret, but that won’t actually alter the reality of my life.  Instead, I’ll take that knowledge and make a future from it.  

[Walk #100]

The Wandering Hermit: Never “Give Up”

   22 June 2024  Leave a Comment on The Wandering Hermit: Never “Give Up”

I’m feeling motivated this morning!  It’s a good place to be.  I woke up a few minutes early and went ahead and did my walk.  It almost feels absurd to be out before 5am, but I like the early morning hours.  

This is a little preachy, but I was thinking about a concept that frustrate me, “Let go and let God.” What a convenient way to take no responsibility or accountability in one’s life.  It’s interesting that people who tend to adhere so strongly to this idea from the Bible (Ephesians 3:20) aren’t so generous when it comes to the lives of others.  They don’t just let God’s will be when it doesn’t align with their beliefs.  So, it strikes me that they don’t actually trust in some sort of divine order of things, but that they don’t want to grow up and take responsibility for their lives.  These are the cherry pickers who will find the contradictions and seize on them, hanging up decor with convenient quotes.  But they forget Galatians 6:5 “For we are each responsible for our own conduct.”  Or worse, 1 Timothy 5:8 “But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith.  Such people are worse than unbelievers.”  This concept already lives in the English language in the term giving up.  “To give up” was, and I would argue still is, “To give up to God.”  And I’m not interested in entertaining moral justifications for giving up.  This train of thought frustrated me in the first place.  I don’t want to spend this much mental energy on people who annoy me, but these people spend a lot of their own physical energy trying to annoy people I care about.  It’s hard to not get frustrated with them.

Today is our local Pride event.  I’ve never been, which is ridiculous and I don’t really have time to go today.  However, I’m making the time to go and at least check things out.  I’m looking forward to it and hope that next year I just make the time and go with an open schedule!

I’ve been a little more relaxed on my walks for the past couple of days.  I’m trying to not overdo anything.  When I really push myself, I feel that all day and I don’t want to create any issues that will cause genuine problems.  So, I backed off a little.  Walking 7 days a week isn’t even completely necessary from my understanding, but as long as I’m choosing to do that I’m not going to try and beat myself daily.  Steady progress is best, and that always happens within a range that just trends in the right direction.

I had started using Cronometer to track my food, but I’m far less likely to enter things in than I was to just write them down.  I may need to go back to the notebook.  I’ll give it another week and see.  I like the nutrient breakdown from the app, but I tend to remember the handwritten tracking better.

[Walk #97]

The Wandering Hermit: Macro Evolution

   9 June 2024  Leave a Comment on The Wandering Hermit: Macro Evolution

What a dramatic change in temperatures!  Quelle surprise!  I guess not entirely; I did know we had a cold front coming through.  I just hadn’t anticipated how quickly things would cool off after yesterday’s heat.  I hope that means I can get a few things done today.

One thing I NEVER worry about is macros.  I don’t even look at them when I’m planning my meals, and I still think that it is unnecessary to focus on them too much when eating foods that are already pretty healthy, but I’m about to shift into looking at them a lot.  Justin, my housemate, has asked for some assistance in making him a meal plan to help him lose weight.  There are a few hurdles when it comes to Justin that I’ll need to address.  The easiest thing would be to just have him do the plan I’ve been doing….obviously it is working.  But I eat a lot of leafy green vegetables and while Justin claims he enjoys vegetables as well, he means that in a two or three times a week sort of way.  He also has a love of, and fear of losing, a few foods I would consider junk foods.  And while I’m not going to eat those things anymore, I would like to work them into a plan for him because I don’t want him to be doing something that feels like he will eventually stop.  I want to design a plan that incorporates what he loves, but paying attention to the calories.  Because of his specific needs, I think I will be recording macros for his meal plans, which will make me aware of them in general, so I might just record them for a while just out of curiosity.  For Justin, I think it will be important to make sure he feels satiated throughout the day.  I don’t worry much about that for myself.  My foods are both low in calorie density and high in nutrients, so if I feel hungry I know I can just eat more.  But with foods higher in fat, the limits need to be the limits.  It isn’t that he couldn’t do what I do to fill the belly; it is that he wouldn’t.  He’d have more fries, another sleeve of crackers, a little vegan ice cream.  Those calories add up quickly.  I think if I focus on making sure he’s getting adequate protein in his day, he should feel full without having to drastically change what he eats.  OR, he could just drastically change what he eats and get over it!  I’ll get it together by tomorrow.

I had wardrobe issues yesterday, and I had them again this morning.  The sweatpants I was wearing while walking did not want to cooperate with me, or else they are some sort of practical joke enthusiast waiting for a good moment to drop in front of a passing car.  Nobody was out early on a Sunday, so they never had their moment, and I kept fiddling around with the ties trying to cinch them up enough to stay up, but I’d get another hundred feet or so and feel them slouching and slipping slowly down again.  I had planned on 250 lb. being when I was allowed to buy some new clothes, but I might have to get some pants before then, or quickly get comfortable with the neighbors knowing what kind of underwear I wear.

[Walk #84]

The Wandering Hermit: A Friendly Man

   4 June 2024  Leave a Comment on The Wandering Hermit: A Friendly Man

A nice man stopped to ask how many miles I walk each morning.  I see his truck pass often, but I thought it was nice to have someone stop to say hi.  I hope he has a nice day.  I thought about telling him how I’d lost so much weight and how my health journey was partly sparked by turning 44 and realizing that Grandpa Fuchs died at 45, and Dad started having heart attacks regularly in his 40s.  I don’t know if I will have staved off those things, but it did start to narrow my perspective and remind me that I probably won’t live forever, despite my insistence to do so.  So, no, I just chose mild self-deprecation instead, downplaying my 2 miles as trivial before he moved on.

Justin joined me on my walk again this morning, but he only got in one mile.  He didn’t sleep again last night, a problem he’s been having.  It’s hard to be productive with such a small amount of sleep.

The world is muddy today.  I wasn’t entirely sure how much it had rained last night, but more than I anticipated.  It made my paths awkward and short, so I had to just do the small bit in front of the house.  And really that was fine.  It had been a few days since I did that one.

[Walk #79]

The Wandering Hermit: The Mysteries of Katie Lane

   25 May 2024  Leave a Comment on The Wandering Hermit: The Mysteries of Katie Lane

Today started much better than yesterday, but a little late as far as I’m concerned.  I was a full hour late on my walking routine, but my head feels much clearer today.  I walked down Burris/VFW Rd, intending to go down to Prairie Rd again, but when I got to Katie Ln, about halfway between Fairgrounds Rd & Prairie Rd, I decided to include it on my walk.  I had never been down that road and assumed it was a short road with maybe three homes, but not only was it about a quarter mile down, but then the road continued down into the trees winding around, crossing the creek and ending at one final house way down in a secluded spot.  In a way, it’s a perfect spot for a home.  I like that they chose to go across the creek, so they’ve insulated themselves on all sides.  Of course, it’s also one of those places where the kids of the people who built it shoot first and ask questions later, but it was early and I didn’t actually go all the way up to the property.  

Since my walk was slightly later, I saw several people outside—two running and one man working in his yard.  I rarely see anyone out on my walks.  I also encountered the three dogs on the corner.  The little pug was the friendliest of the guys, but they were all pretty gregarious.  They tend to act tough when they see me from a distance, but when our paths crossed they were a little pack of sweethearts.  I worry about them being on the road.  Too many dogs have gotten hit by cars out here.  Now that I’ve interacted with them, I’ll probably make a point to walk by to see them in the morning.  

My legs are shrinking, but not very fast.  It’s starting to bother me because I’ve not seen as dramatic a change in my legs as I have elsewhere…. don’t get me wrong, they are definitely smaller than they used to be, but they remain firm when other areas have softened and I’m eager for them to start reducing.  I just don’t know how or even if it is possible.  Maybe this is permanent.  I’m actually okay with that, but I’d like to at least know.

[Walk #69]

The Wandering Hermit: Almost To Richmond Rd & Back

   22 May 2024  Leave a Comment on The Wandering Hermit: Almost To Richmond Rd & Back

It’s a rainy morning, but I got in 3 miles before the heavy rain started.  Most of my walk was little more than a sprinkle or two here and there.  There was a bit where it rained a little, but that wasn’t a problem.

This morning, I went south on Fairgrounds.  My goal was to go to Richmond Rd and back, but that’s a mile and a half, so I decided to head back.  I was aware that storms were possible from 7am to 10am, so I didn’t really want to be caught in them.  Once I got back to the house though, I could see the storm clouds coming, but also had enough time that I walked until I had to come in.  I would have been fine if I had just gone all the way to Richmond Rd.  Oh well.  Live and learn.

[Walk #62]