BYC Café

We got home about 1.5 hours ago.

We went to all 3 parks and hiked for a total of about 2.5 hours. The hard one was Buttermilk. The last time I was there I could relatively easily hike up and back down the gorge trail. I only made it about 1/2 up today. Wow. Am I out of shape! This is the base of the gorge trail.
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I made it 376 steps. Yes, I counted each one on the way back down! Not all of it was steps. About 1/4 of what I did was trails. It was the second stop.

Robert H Treman (lower section) was very nice and our last stop. As we were leaving a couple flagged me down and explained that they were trying to get an Uber to get to the upper section of the park where they were parked. They were too tired to get back up there (over 3 miles). They offered me $20 to take them up. I told them that was completely unnecessary but they would have to squeeze in with the dogs. Bella practically sat in the poor husband's lap but he was smiling the whole time and holding her! They were such a sweet, lovely couple. They said if I was ever in NJ I should look them up and the wife gave me her card!

I also met a sweet couple at Taughannock, our first stop. They took pictures of us and I took theirs for them. We chatted the whole way back down to the parking lot.

I stopped by to see mom and dad on the way home and was irritated to see that their headstone STILL has not been placed. I just finished texting the engraver and she's been going through a tough spot too. She has just recently taken legal custody of a baby. I assume it's a grandchild. She assures me she'll get the stone out shortly. Hopefully by the time I return from Alaska.

The girls are both conked out. Good for them. They had as great a day as I did.
 
We got home about 1.5 hours ago.

We went to all 3 parks and hiked for a total of about 2.5 hours. The hard one was Buttermilk. The last time I was there I could relatively easily hike up and back down the gorge trail. I only made it about 1/2 up today. Wow. Am I out of shape! This is the base of the gorge trail.
View attachment 3959635

I made it 376 steps. Yes, I counted each one on the way back down! Not all of it was steps. About 1/4 of what I did was trails. It was the second stop.

Robert H Treman (lower section) was very nice and our last stop. As we were leaving a couple flagged me down and explained that they were trying to get an Uber to get to the upper section of the park where they were parked. They were too tired to get back up there (over 3 miles). They offered me $20 to take them up. I told them that was completely unnecessary but they would have to squeeze in with the dogs. Bella practically sat in the poor husband's lap but he was smiling the whole time and holding her! They were such a sweet, lovely couple. They said if I was ever in NJ I should look them up and the wife gave me her card!

I also met a sweet couple at Taughannock, our first stop. They took pictures of us and I took theirs for them. We chatted the whole way back down to the parking lot.

I stopped by to see mom and dad on the way home and was irritated to see that their headstone STILL has not been placed. I just finished texting the engraver and she's been going through a tough spot too. She has just recently taken legal custody of a baby. I assume it's a grandchild. She assures me she'll get the stone out shortly. Hopefully by the time I return from Alaska.

The girls are both conked out. Good for them. They had as great a day as I did.
You had a great day good for you ! And the dogs!
 
Good morning Cafe. Coffee is ready.
Amazed you could do this what with your back problems!
I was happy with my accomplishments for the day but just got an eye opener on how much further I have to go to regain my old fitness level. Regardless, I feel much stronger than I have in a very long time. But that's perfectly okay! It's a journey and I am very much enjoying being able to travel it again.
You had a great day good for you ! And the dogs!
We really did. Piper initially hated having to wear her harness but by the third stop, she threw her face into the hole because she couldn't wait to get it on so she could check out the next hiking trail!

We all slept in today.
 
but just got an eye opener on how much further I have to go to regain my old fitness level. Regardless, I feel much stronger than I have in a very long time. But that's perfectly okay! It's a journey and I am very much enjoying being able to travel it again.
Keep at it and keep enjoying!

Before hubby and I started working out on the elliptical, we thought walking 3-4 miles a day with Freya meant we were in pretty good shape, and adding the elliptical would be no big thing. :lau 10 minutes and we were both gassed. Now we're up to 20, and have upped the resistance level, from 1 to 8 or 9.

I also started doing a plank every day, and felt so proud when I could hold it for 1 minute. Now I can do it for 3, and have done a 4 minuter a few times. I feel like I'm in the best shape of my life at 62, and I never would have dreamed I'd say that.
 
Before hubby and I started working out on the elliptical, we thought walking 3-4 miles a day with Freya meant we were in pretty good shape, and adding the elliptical
It's amazing how doing something even a little different will find those stabilizer muscles you never really used that much before and kick your ass! Good for you that you both are working on getting into and staying in shape! It makes everything so much better.
Did the effects of the surgery just take this long to manifest or you've got the right med regime sussed out?
I think it's just the nerves finally starting to heal. I was told it would take time and it has. But really it's only been 10 weeks ago today that I had the surgery. I still have bouts of pain but they are shorter in duration and less severe. I will stay on the pain meds for at least another week then try to skip the morning dose and see how I do. I don't want a set back because I can't get off the couch.

I will admit that I started back up on weight training about 6 weeks ago. I was restricted to 10# so I used two 5# dumbbells and started out focusing on upper body and left the lower body alone.

After 2 weeks I started doing lower body (body weight only) work with nothing that would stress the lumbar region at all and added in some minor core work. Always ending every session with nice long stretches of all the major leg muscles/tendons. I really think all that work has helped the healing process.

Then the surgeon lifted my weight restriction to 20#. I upped most of my sets to two 8# dumbbells and added them to many of the lower body sets. I recently added in Bulgarian split squats. They are killers! I can only do 6 or 7 reps, body weight only, and nearly toppled over in the beginning just trying to do one squat! LOTS of stabilizer muscles are required to do them. The left leg is noticeably weaker than the right leg.
 

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