- This check-in is for February 1st – 7th.
- I’ve spent most of the week resting as much as possible, and it wasn’t until today that I really started to get settled into where I’m living. I was determined to get things organized and put away, especially the stuff that was on my couch because I would like to have a friend over sometime this week or next. It’s rare for me to invite anyone over to my home, so this is a bit of a big deal for me.
- Days Walking Outside: 0/7
- Miles: 16.11/15.87
- Total Miles: 91.81/825
#FitReaders Check-In
- This check-in is for January 25th – 31st.
- It’s been a very rough week, and I’ve spent this weekend focusing on organizing my new temporary home to make it not feel so much like a storage unit and to get myself back into a daily routine.
- Since I knew I was moving to somewhere very close to a park with a walking path, I signed up for Team RWB’s GWOT 100 challenge. It’s more or less the same as the Taji 100 that I’ve attempted in previous years, but Team RWB has taken over from the non-profit that used to do the Taji 100 and expanded it to honor all veterans who served during the global war on terrorism. What I wasn’t expecting was the massive Winter storm making the park unwalkable. Since it’s only a very small local park in the neighborhood, the walking path doesn’t get cleared. I’m going to have to figure out a plan B if I’m going to have any hope of getting even close to 100 miles this month.
- Days Walking Outside: 0/7
- Miles: 24.21/15.87
- Total Miles: 75.70/825
#FitReaders Check-In
- This check-in is for January 11th – 24th.
- The new wristband for my FitBit has solved the issue of my skin getting rubbed raw. It’s definitely more comfortable as well, and I barely notice I’m wearing it.
- Between packing for the move and dealing with my body telling me to stop doing so much, I ended up completely forgetting about writing a #FitReaders post last week. Even now, I’m having to take frequent breaks from typing thanks to my neck flaring up and causing my hands to go numb.
- Days Walking Outside: 0/7
- Miles: 16.95 and 14.14/15.87
- Total Miles: 51.49/825
#FitReaders Check-In
- This check-in is for January 4th – 10th.
- I decided to buy a new wristband for my FitBit instead of “downgrading” to a simple pedometer. Mostly because my FitBit still works and the new wristband was less than $7, versus the nearly $40 price of an accurate pedometer. Hopefully the wristband will take care of the issue of having my skin rubbed raw. If I still have problems, my next solution is to stop wearing it when I sleep since tracking my sleep isn’t as important to me as it used to be.
- I decluttered enough things to completely fill my car and I got a friend to help me load it up to drop off at a Goodwill, and I felt like a weight had been lifted off of me. I felt so good about being rid of all that stuff that I continued decluttering when I got back home. I filled another bag full of clothes and accessories and completely emptied a suitcase. I realized that I had owned and hated that suitcase for over 20 years, and now I can finally be rid of it. Why did I hold onto something I hated for all that time? Because it was useful for holding a lot of clothes, some of which I hadn’t worn in over a decade. Next weekend I’ll be taking all of that and whatever else I decide to let go of to Goodwill as I continue to pack for my move at the end of the month.
- Part of me felt guilty about all of this stuff that I owned, and part of me felt sad to be letting go of things that once brought me a lot of joy. However, I reminded myself over and over again that beating myself up for past overconsumption doesn’t solve or help anything. What matters is that all that stuff can now find new homes and I’m going to be much more choosy about what I buy and bring into my home going forward. I also frequently reminded myself that my memories aren’t in the things themselves, but in my mind and heart. Letting go of things that used to make me happy but no longer do doesn’t erase those memories.
- Days Walking Outside: 0/7
- Miles: 16.04/15.87
- Total Miles beginning Jan. 1st: 20.40/825
#FitReaders Check-In
- This check-in is for December 28th – January 3rd.
- I’ve been off of work since New Year’s, and I’ve spent most of my time off relaxing, prepping for the new year, and packing up for my move at the end of the month.
- I’ve been thinking a lot about goals, and I’ve decided to keep an annual mileage goal, but beyond that, my focus is going to shift to getting outside more. To start off, I want to get outside to walk at least two days a week. That didn’t happen this week, and it might not happen at all this month, but I will soon be living next door to a park again.
- I’m also considering getting rid of my FitBit and moving down to a pedometer, as I don’t find all the bells and whistles on my FitBit to be very useful or necessary. On top of that, the wristband has been rubbing a spot on my wrist raw. For now, I might look for and buy a new wristband that won’t do that, but I am seriously considering doing away with it altogether.
- Days Outside: 0/2
- Miles: 14.52/15.87
- Total Miles for 2025: 811.40/810
- Total Miles beginning Jan. 1st: 4.36/825
#FitReaders Check-In
- This check-in is for December 21st – 27th.
- I’ve spent most of my time since Wednesday relaxing, reflecting, planning, and beginning the process of decluttering and packing. I got so caught up in all of that, that I nearly forgot to write this post.
- I would like to write more about my decluttering, but even though I’ve just gotten started and this is a process I’ve gone through at least half a dozen times over the last decade, it’s been much more of an emotional experience this time around, and that has sapped my energy. I will probably write about in a week or two.
- I lowered my mileage goal again because there was just no way I was going to be able to reach 825 miles. Frankly, with everything else going on, I’m perfectly happy that I’m over 800 miles for the year. I haven’t decided on what my goals for 2026 will be yet, but I will have at least a mileage goal.
- Exercise Days: 4/7
- Steps: 30,299
- Miles: 12.22/16.31
- Total Miles: 801.24/810
- Zone Minutes: 130/150
#FitReaders Check-In
- This check-in is for December 14th – 20th.
- I’ve spent most of this weekend relaxing, and today I’m focused on cleaning my apartment and then enjoying a nice homemade dinner to celebrate the Winter Solstice. This dinner was going to be my Christmas dinner, but I have plans to have Chinese food with friends on Christmas.
- I only have to work two days this week and then only three days the week after that, so I’ll be relaxing and resting. That way, I’ll have plenty of energy to get everything packed up to move at the end of January.
- Exercise Days: 2/7
- Steps: 39,724
- Miles: 15.93/16.31
- Total Miles: 789.02/825
- Zone Minutes: 68/150
#FitReaders Check-In
- This check-in is for December 7th – 13th.
- In this week’s “Building the Book Fort,” I wrote about how I’ve been offered the opportunity to break the lease without any penalties. I discussed it with my ex, and we came to an agreement for me to rent the guest house from him while I search for a home to buy. I’ll only be living in his guest house for six months, but I decided that if I haven’t found a home by then, I’m ok with moving to an apartment and renting for another year now that I know what to look for and what to avoid. I hope it doesn’t come to that, though, and I’ve already found several condos I want to check out.
- I’ll likely be moving at the end of January, and it will be nice living near a park again so I can at least attempt going for walks outside. This Winter has already been much worse than any I’ve experienced in Ohio since moving here nearly five years ago.
- I’ve lowered my miles goal down to 825 after figuring out that I would have to walk over 4 miles everyday for the rest of the month to reach my original goal of 850. That’s not doable for me, and I’m not going to stress myself out or end up hurting myself trying. 825 is still more than I was able to do last year, and though it won’t be easy, I can manage that.
- Exercise Days: 1/7
- Steps: 39,578
- Miles: 15.84/16.31
- Total Miles: 773.09/825
- Zone Minutes: 33/150
#FitReaders Check-In
- This check-in is for November 30th – December 6th.
- Since my apartment flooded again and I had to deal with the cleanup from that, I haven’t done much else outside of work unless it was Holiday-related. I went to a Holiday market yesterday, bought the rest of what I needed for Christmas dinner, and watched another Christmas movie while working on a jigsaw puzzle of Christmas books.
- I also watched some videos about Yule, as I would like to celebrate the Winter Solstice as well, and I found it interesting that many of the Christmas traditions that are still done today were borrowed from Yule. I knew some of that already, but there were a couple of traditions I didn’t know about. For instance, the 12 Days of Christmas were originally the 12 Days of Yule, starting on the Winter Solstice and ending on New Year’s Day. This time of year always gets me thinking about how there are so many traditions and practices we humans have that we don’t even know why we do them, or at least we don’t know the origins of them. Many times, the reasons and the meanings have changed, but they’ve been around for hundreds of years and come from multiple different cultures.
- Exercise Days: 1/7
- Steps: 43,586
- Miles: 17.57/16.31
- Total Miles: 757.25/850
- Zone Minutes: 50/150
#FitReaders Check-In
- This check-in is for November 23rd – 29th.
- In yesterday’s “Building the Book Fort,” I wrote about the continuing issues with my neighbor smoking in her apartment and how it messed up part of Thanksgiving day.
- My weekend has been restful so far. I didn’t do much yesterday, beyond some tidying of my desk and taking care of tasks that I hadn’t had the energy or time to deal with in the previous couple of weeks. I also got the majority of my Christmas shopping done and watched a couple of Christmas movies.
- Today is more rest and Christmas movie watching, but also getting ready for the upcoming week and possibly decorating for Christmas. I’m not sure if I’ll have the energy to get much decorating done, but I am switching over to my Christmas bedding since I need to wash the sheets today anyway.
- Exercise Days: 1/7
- Steps: 39,977
- Miles: 16.03/16.31
- Total Miles: 739.68/850
- Zone Minutes: 46/150