Tag: exercise

healthy

E2E Challenge – Week 3 – Holding Steady

Angela Pea5 Comments

Steady is as steady goes.

When I was a kid, my Mom always said that to me, usually when I was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, trying to wrap up some assignment or project. Steady defines my week.  No loss, no gain.  Except for an amazing NSV.  The Architect and I rode 30 miles yesterday – THIRTY MILES!  Took me three hours and 10 minutes.  It’s a good thing we went riding yesterday because today?  Today was INSANELY windy.  I’m talking about 40 mph steady winds. This is wind so strong that it was delaying flights at DFW.  Then, we got a taste of Lubbock and Amarillo, literally a taste.  Ack-ptooey.  We had a genuine dust storm this afternoon, the kind that blocks out the sun, makes everyone cough and sneeze and coats the tongue with grit.  We usually have these in the spring, not in January.

Here’s the prescribed update for Week Three.

1. Item of clothing and a picture of me.  Nope, Still not done.  I’ve delegated this to my daughter Princess Pea.  She has to find Mom a dress before Easter.

2. Weight This Week: 159.9. Waist 31″. Exactly the same.  *sigh*

3. Goal Recap

Shed Five Pounds:  It’s coming. Eventually.

Do Five Pullups:  Just one this week, but it’s one more than I could do a few weeks ago.

Firm Up the Arms:  Yes again.  I can see muscles in my arms!!  Well, of course they were always there, but now I can actually see some serious definition. Pushups?  150, but not all at once.

4. Books

Refuse to Regain.  I’m reading the chapters on how the food industry is specifically programmed to sell us unhealthy food, lots of it.  Makes me mad, and even more convinced that I’m in the right for refusing to eat fast food.

I continued to read along with Jenny at  A Minute Captured.  Reading my Bible is proceeding.

5. Catch up with the Challenge Buddy.  Hey Jo!! Yep.  She and I are both busy, but I did manage to pop by her blog a few times this week.

7. Visit Other Challengers:  I didn’t get around to as many blogs as I wanted to last week.  Offspring and work took a lot of my attention. I continue to pray over you who need praying over, and to cheer you all on!

8. I do hereby solemnly swear to NOT QUIT.  Amen.

Stay Steady. Keep the Faith.

EMail Anglea Pea

healthy

Why I Love Cold Fronts

Angela Pea2 Comments

Most of you have figured out by now that I live in north central Texas. It’s blazing hot most of the year, incredible thunderstorms and tornadoes roll down over us from the Great Plains, and, thanks to the Gulf Stream, the wind blows almost constantly.  Constantly, I tell you.  This can make outdoor cardio exercise like running or biking a special challenge, especially if you have asthma or allergies.  On my bike runs, I usually go south along the Trinity River, so that the wind will be at my back on the trip back to the office.

In the 16-24 hours prior to a cold front sliding across us, the wind stops.  I mean it totally stops as the pressure of the arriving front temporarily blocks the Gulf Stream.  Yesterday was one of those glorious day.  So what did I do?  Hopped on the bike and took a 10 mile ride at lunch time.   Only yesterday, I rode NORTH along the Trinity instead of south! A whole new view!

Thanks to no wind, the river was like glass, and the sky was brilliant. These ancient train trestles were so pretty in the sun.  It was an amazing outing.

Ride with the wind. Keep the Faith.

EMail Anglea Pea

healthy

How Tough Am I This Week?

Angela Pea3 Comments

Pretty Darn tough, if I do say so myself.

I rode the Marion Sansom Park mountain bike trail for the first time on Saturday.  It’s infamous among the local mountain bikers, and they either love it or hate it. Here’s why:

This is the view over the Dam Drop. Most local mountain bike trails are smooth dirt with a few roots or logs to climb over.  MSP?  Large portions of the trail look like this:

Yes, that’s caliche rock. Gravel. Hard if you fall, which, I did NOT do!  The Architect and Cherry Ames left me behind because I was going too slow.  HA!  They both emerged back at the trail head ten minutes ahead of me with scraped appendages. I got back all in one piece, a testament to my wimpiness superior common sense.

I’m not sure if I love it or hate Sansom Park. I’ll have to ride it a few more times before I decide.

 

We then high tailed it over to the Gateway trail  for a quick spin around.  After MSP it was a piece of cake!  Grand total of twelve miles on Saturday.

 

Tough enough yet?  Monday Mr. Pea decided we should take a ride on Mineral Wells Trailway.  It was another beautiful day, and thank goodness the sun was shining, because the wind was just a bit sharp against the skin. We took all the Pea kids plus a few extras, and made the run to the halfway point and back. The older boys made it all the way to the halfway point; the rest of us turned around a few miles shy because we were getting cold. Grand total of fifteen miles.  (That’s DirtBike ahead of me in the picture.)

 

But wait!  There’s more!  Kettle bell circuit training yesterday.  After that class, I was very, very glad that I kept up with working out over the Christmas holiday.  I was able to push through every rep, every squat and every swing.  Even when the guys were dropping out, I kept going. Whoot!  I am officially a Tonka Truck now.

Be tough. Keep the Faith.

EMail Anglea Pea