My goal for this week was 8K steps per day. I didn’t get anywhere near meeting it. I was sick for most of three days and was so far behind on my steps that I knew I wouldn’t catch up.
If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
My goal for this week was 7K steps per day. I didn’t meet my goal, but I got very close to averaging 6K steps per day, and I made over 7K for four days of the week without any problems, so I’m going to try for 8K.
The heat here in Texas has finally gotten to be too much for me. I’m not going to be able to go walking outside during my breaks at work until the temperature comes back down to somewhere below an oven in Hell. That means most of my exercise is going to come from getting on the treadmill after I get home. If I’m not able to reach my goal with that, I’ll consider moving on to the Couch to 5K running program early.
If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
My goal for this week was 6K steps per day, but I spent most of the week not feeling well. Even though I didn’t meet my goal, I’m sticking with my walking program. So, my new goal is 7K steps per day.
I’ve gone ahead and lowered my donation goal. I figured out that Plus3 changed their rate from 5 cents to 2 cents per mile at the end of May. Even if I’m successful at getting back to running by the end of August, I highly doubt I would get anywhere near $50.
If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
My goal for this week was 5K steps per day, and I just barely met it. My new goal is 6K steps per day.
I completely forgot to mention in last week’s check-in that I joined the Harry Potter Alliance’s Road to Hogwarts 2: Escape from Privet Drive virtual race. Participants have until August 31st to complete 50 miles. I’ll be updating my progress below with the rest of my goals.
I’m not 100% sure on this, but I think Plus3 lowered or did away with the amount of money donated for certain activities. Last year, I was donating at least $1 or $2 a week, but this week I’ve only donated a little more than 25 cents. I may have to lower my goal again.
If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
Week two of wearing a back brace whenever I’m not laying down. I decided that since I can’t exercise, I would take a break from my FitBit and not track any of my goals. It goes back on my wrist today, even though I can’t do any exercise until Monday (and only if my back feels up to it).
Since I also have to start over with my walking plan, I’ve set my new goal at 3K steps per day.
If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
I started out strong on Friday and Saturday with over 9K steps each day. I was determined to finally hit my step goal and start the Couch to 5K program. However, my back had other plans for me.
I can’t do any exercise for a total of two weeks and I have to wear a back brace whenever I’m not laying down. I can’t even do my physical therapy exercises for my knees, and my ITBS is already flaring up as a result. By the time I can start exercising again, I’ll have to start over from scratch with my walking program and work my way back up to being able to run.
I’m trying to stay on the positive side of all this, but considering how close I got to running again, after nearly 5 years of only being able to walk or use an elliptical machine while I watched my weight steadily rise to a depressing point, it’s been difficult. I especially miss getting out of the office to walk during my breaks.
If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
Steps: 31,911/63,000
Miles: 13.11/22.75
Flights of stairs: 89/70
Active Minutes: 148/210
Monthly 5K Races Completed: 3/10
Monthly 1 Mile Fun “Runs” Completed: 2/10
Total Money Donated: $19.55/$50.00 – I’ve cut my goal by half since I know I’m not likely to get anywhere near $100.
A lot has changed in my life since I started this year’s Show Your Shelves Some Love challenge. I got a full-time job. I moved to a new apartment. I began to truly focus on my health. With all of those changes, I’ve come to realize quite a bit about myself that I didn’t previously know, and books have become an even more important part of my life as a result.
For instance, I realized I have to work for the sake of my mental health, not just my bank account, but I also have to have a job or at least be doing or working towards doing something I’m passionate about. After I was offered the job, I was so excited to finally be working full-time again, but the excitement quickly wore off because my job is 1) not challenging and 2) has nothing to do with books. So, my game plan has changed a little bit. It’s no longer “I want to eventually go to grad school to become a librarian.” It’s now “I’m taking the steps to go to grad school as soon as possible.”
My TBR shelf before I moved.
That doesn’t have much to do with #ShelfLove, other than the obvious (books, of course), but my recent move to a bigger, but very differently configured, apartment made me greatly appreciative of this challenge’s existence and the lovely women hosting it. I’ve discussed many times before how my book collection has caused quite a few problems when it comes to moving. There’s the back-breaking weight, the cost of packing materials, and then the process of unpacking and reorganizing. Ok, that last one is kind of fun. Alright, a lot of fun.
Only 2 of my book boxes before I moved. The other 5 or 6 were in storage.
For the first time in nearly seven years, I finally cut down my collection and moved to a place big enough to have all of my books in one place and easily accessible. No longer do I have to drive out to my storage unit and dig through boxes to find that *one* book I want to read or loan to the Boyfriend. Granted, not all of those books are on shelves, thanks to my shelves still being in storage until we have the money and time to shut down the storage unit for good, but all my pretty lovelies are READily available 😉 and that makes me a happy gal.
My TBR shelf now. Though it doesn’t appear to be any different, it really is.
Though the main purpose of this challenge is to read the books we already own, and I’m definitely doing that, it has also made me rethink the books I choose to keep. I was holding onto a lot of books I knew I would probably never read, but the pressure to read them because I bought them was causing me unnecessary stress. I finally decided to take them to the used bookstore. I thought letting go of these unread books would be difficult, but I didn’t shed any tears, and those books are better off in the hands of someone who will actually read them. So far, I’ve made over $50 off those books and I’ve got another box that is halfway full. Since my job hasn’t made me rich, that extra money means that I could afford to buy myself some exercise clothes that actually fit and are cute and comfortable so I’m more likely to get off the couch.
The remaining books after the purge.
What does concentrating on my health have to do with #ShelfLove? It means I’m reading more. Not only am I setting aside time every night to read as a form of self-care, I’m also reading while I exercise. Whether I’m reading a book on my Kindle while I’m on the treadmill or listening to an audiobook while I’m walking during my breaks at work, I’m getting through my books much faster than I did last year. I’m already at the halfway point of my goal of reading 51 books off my TBR pile. Last year I was about five books behind. Of course, I was still in college and taking Summer courses to finish my degree faster, but I wasn’t making as much time for exercise, either, and there’s nothing I’d rather do more while I sweat than read.
Overall, the changes in my life have improved my relationship with books and reading. I didn’t believe that was possible, especially since I was sure my new job, moving, and exercising more would all cost me valuable reading time. Instead, the opposite has happened, and maybe this challenge has something to do with that. Perhaps my determination to stick with it has made me come up with workable solutions. All I know is that before #ShelfLove, and before I started blogging, I was barely getting through half the books I now read in a year, despite owning double the number of books I own today.
I had planned on starting the Couch to 5K program this week but got stuck working overtime. I knew that meant I wouldn’t reach my FitBit goals, except the stairs, but I still got out of the office during my breaks to walk around the building. I didn’t walk fast, though, since the Texas heat is ramping up, so I was surprised to see that I also met my active minutes goal.
If you’d like to add me as a friend on FitBit, you can find me HERE.
