My Saturday "Mrs. Greens Run"

The most productive thing I accomplished today was cleaning out my refrigerator of old veggies and fruits (and other biology-experiment-type items that once were considered food) and restocking it w/ all sorts of goodies for the week ahead. I made my Saturday run to Mrs. Greens -- my favorite natural foods store -- and stocked up on deep leafy greens, fruits and veggies (and stuff for juicing like carrots, celery, cucumber and apples). I also found some sprouted grain bread and wraps that will make terrific lunch sandwiches in the coming week. I used to shop for two weeks -- and ended up throwing out a lot of rotting foods; so now I'll go once a week.

The other productive thing I got done today was to have some blood work done at the suggestion of my endocrinologist -- so he can test the levels of all kinds of things -- including vitamin D, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. My doctor said he could recommend a natural (bio-identical compound) pharmacist if any of these things are out of wack -- who'd help me bring my hormonal levels into balance. I am thrilled by this because I've long suspected that my hormone levels are very MUCH "out of wack" and that if they are properly balanced out, my matabolism will function a whole lot more efficiently and productively. Which spells good news for the next 10 months of "training" for me. (Coast-to-Coast Walk here I come!) And speaking of 10 months of training . . . tomorrow I start my early morning walks -- I'm about to download some tunes onto my iPod right now so I have some motivation when I head out the door. Good tunes make for good walking!

All in all, I'm happy with what I accomplished today. It's a load off my mind to have a refrigerator full of healthy foods from which I can put together really good meals during the week. From green drinks and juices to yummy salads and snacks, a day does not go by that I am not very thankful to God for the blessing it is just to HAVE healthy food. It's as necessary as clean water and air, I think -- and now more than ever for me, as I'm keen on each day's "training" being the best it can be. The added cost of purchasing good food is worth it because of what I want to accomplish.

And now ... a little C2C travelling music to close: THAT'S THE WAY IT IS!

"One oar stroke isn't going to get me anywhere, but if you take a load of tiny actions and you string them all together, you really can achieve almost anything." -- Roz Savage, Ocean Rower

It's In Every One of Us

Well I recently said goodbye in my heart to the "Cliff Richard" of my life -- a man whose essence I could not seem to shake from my soul but needed to for my own sake, as I finally realized a mutual affection between us would never be. And now, feeling free of the ghost-like haunting he held over my heart, I feel quite joyful! And it's in that joy that I step into a brand-spanking-new chapter of my life.

Just felt like posting this song ... I really like it and hope that anyone reading will like it too. (I much prefer how David Pomeranz sings it -- but his version has been removed from YouTube so I'm afraid Cliff it is. It's somehow fitting that it's Cliff Richard, tho, init? If he's an Essex boy it would be even more fitting ... as the aforementioned Brit I've just emotionally "let go of" looks like he could be Cliff's brother). Anyway, the lyrics speak to me of a Life that lives in each of us -- a glorious Life -- one that allows us to know things without having to know "why" all the time. I may not know WHY I needed to let go of this man in my heart -- I just KNEW that I had to. (The song starts at 1:27 -- if you want to skip the fluff in the beginning).
I've come to believe that it is this LIFE that's 'in everyone of us' that inspires us, convicts us, encourages us, guides us, chastens us, embraces us, comforts us, sustains us, amuses us, nurtures us . . . and is merciful, kind, good, and faithful to us. And -- best of all -- I think this LIFE in us is What teaches us to love. This LIFE, to me, is G~d.

And now -- check out Roz Savage . . . who, by the way she lives, has become my "coach" as I prepare to walk 200 miles across England next summer.
I've found a source of much-needed motivation via Roz's adventures as I kick off my 10 "official" months of training today to walk across England next summer. One oar stroke at a time she rowed alone across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to Antigua -- about a million oar strokes, rowed ONE AT A TIME. She advanced a few feet w/ each oar stroke, and all those feet added together became 3,000 miles! If Roz can do that -- I figure, I can WALK 200 miles!

I'll arrive in St. Bee's on the Irish Sea the week of August 16, 2010 -- 10 months from now. That gives me about 40 weeks of "rowing" ahead in order to get fit enough to walk up and down the fells and dales of England with enough stamina to make it to Robin Hood's Bay on the North Sea -- traversing three national parks along the way (The Lake District, the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales)! It's not rowing solo across the Atlantic like Roz did -- but it's my Atlantic. The most I've walked at any one time was about 14 miles -- and that was when I was half my age and hiking in the Capitan Mountains of New Mexico. I'm a bit removed from those extremely fit years -- which is why I need 10 months to prepare! (The longest day on the Coast-to-Coast walk in England will be about 17 miles, I think)

So today I begin a sort of diary here -- a place for myself, really -- where I'll record the progress I'm making as the next 40 weeks go by, a place I can post about my workouts, my meals, my "psych-myself-out" tips, and anything else I fancy sharing. In other words, it'll probably be all over the place, topic-wise. :-)

Here I go! Wish me LIFE!

"One oar stroke isn't going to get me anywhere, but if you take a load of tiny actions and you string them all together, you really can achieve almost anything." Roz Savage, Ocean Rower