Anyone Have A Spare Ark?

Once more, I donned my rain gear and braved the downpour to get some walking in as I ran another errand. It only took about five minutes before I could feel the water starting to seep into my jeans. It was about twenty minutes after that when I started to sense the wetness also coming through my jacket, but by then I was almost to my destination so I pressed on. Then when I was on my return walk – since the brutal precipitation did not let up for even a moment – I could feel my pants intermittently sticking to my calves and thighs and then pulling away from my skin long enough for me to become aware of the small rivers running down my legs underneath the fabric. The things I do for exercise!

I realized that the rain was heavily weighing me down as I walked so, for a giggle, I jumped on the scale as soon as I got home – hikers and jacket still on – and noted the number. Then I removed everything I was wearing and got back on in my birthday suit and compared the different weights. There was nearly an eleven pound difference! I know that when I am wearing normal clothing with runners I am probably looking at approximately four or five pounds of extra weight when I step on the scale. But that still means I was lugging around at least five pounds of rainwater by the end of my walk, and probably close to that for the majority of the time I was out in that weather. Sheesh! At least it lent some resistance to me during the trek and probably helped to burn a few extra calories!

One scary thing that happened on my way to my destination is that I almost got hit by a car. Really and truly, I am sure that had I been wearing headphones I would currently be in a hospital or a morgue. I was on a street that had no sidewalks and did carefully look both ways before crossing the road. There were no vehicles around at all so I went and all of a sudden I heard a car turn the corner behind me so I sped up… and so did it. I literally jumped to the other side of the street to avoid getting hit and turned in time to see the driver swerve – after he had passed me – and stop.

Well, what would you do? I walked over and opened his passenger door and told him that he needed to slow down. He was an older gentleman who was extremely apologetic and visibly shaken. He was convinced that he had hit me because of the way I hopped out of the way at the last second. I was very proud of myself for remaining so calm – which of course, does not mean that I was not very firm and somewhat animated in my chastising of his speeding – but I was very clear in my insistence that he slow down and pay closer attention at night and in the rain.

The one tiny amusing thing about this scenario is that I distinctly remember thinking right before it happened that I need to remember to make a doctor’s appointment when my schedule opens up to check out how my general health is improving. I was contemplating how great it would be since I was sure any tests she did would all show positive results and that she would tell me I have added years to my life due to all the changes I have been making in my diet and exercise… and then I almost got creamed by a car. Sometimes irony can be extremely hard to take.

Back to the more serious side of things though, because of what happened I feel the need to remind everyone who exercises outside, especially those who walk or run with headphones in, to please be very careful. I am convinced that had I been listening to music tonight that I would not be writing this entry, but rather laying in some unfamiliar hospital badly injured, if not dead. Please, watch yourselves out there!

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 11 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 pear
- 2 1/2 cups Caesar salad with light dressing, whole wheat croutons, and dried cranberries
- 1 Mandarin orange
- 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin with light peanut butter
- 3/4 cup fat free peach yogurt
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with canned ham, grated cheese, lettuce, dried cranberries, fat free Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 6 whole wheat crackers
- 1 taste of low fat spinach dip

EXERCISE:
- 1 hour and 20 minutes of walking completed in 2 outings (both 40 minutes long)
- 2 sets of 5 push ups
- 3 sets of 15 lunges for each leg
- 3 sets of 15 squats