Nov 2020 Step Challenge

Shar2020

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you are all having a pleasant week.

PeregrineLady and MinusTwo, impressive daily step totals. Well done!

I had 7050 steps on Thursday and less than 5000 steps the other days. I will aim for 10,000 today and on the weekend.

PeregrineLady, what is the intermittent fast walking you mentioned? I checked online and found the wording used in reference to two activities:

1. Intermittent fast and slow walking intervals.

2. Walking during intermittent fasting.

Wishing everyone a pleasant weekend!

🏃🏻🏃🏃🏽🏃🏾

Peregrinelady

I was referring to number 1. I have heard other ladies here talking about it. It can also be alternating running and walking. I don’t actually do it because I am walking up hills, but it makes sense that getting your heart rate up a bit should help expend calories. I think the key is that any exercise is good if you actually enjoy it and incorporate it into your daily routine. 7,000 steps is great, Shar, especially while you are on chemo. I hope you are not having too many side effects.

Shar2020

Thank you, PeregrineLady. Most of my chemo side effects are very manageable and I am grateful for that because I know in listening to people and reading through the forums that many people experience miserable side effects. Dizziness and loss of balance were difficult side effects that have resolved. I used a cane for that and got a falls autoalert system for home because no one can be with me during the pandemic restrictions. Neuropathy, especially in my toes and feet, is uncomfortable, but I noticed considerable relief last night and this morning so if the extra steps helped then that will be a motivator to walk more and keep moving.

PeregrineLady, you're doing all those steps AND walking uphill? Well done! 👍🏻 Are you still clearing leaves? I am eager to walk through a pile that sounds crispy. Yesterday's pile on the sidewalk didn't have that “crunch" yet. Soon!

Happy Friday, everyone! Have a pleasant weekend.

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Peregrinelady

Hi Shar, I am glad chemo isn’t too bad for you. The leaves are covered with snow! I had walked every day this month until today, but took a break due to snow and some chest pressure this morning. I may have overdone it working in the woods. I have a pole saw that I love to cut branches with and lifting it can strain my heart. Most of the trail is level except for several hills. It is supposed to warm up this week so the snow should melt soon.

MinusTwo

Oh my goodness, snow!!! I had to wear shorts today since it was 88. Put down winterizer fertilizer on the grass so I've been watering all afternoon.

Didn't get to walk yesterday since I have a plumbing leak - behind a wall no less. Luckily it is draining into the garage. Plumbers couldn't address the problem w/o moving the water heater so will be back Monday for a big chunk of my budget. And Tuesday the rest of the budget will go for a new furnace. Not a good week.

Still, I walked 6 miles Thursday and again today. Hopefully tomorrow too.

Shar - are you doing TCH? My biggest problems with that was the "big D" - but I also had Perjeta. I had to go in between 3 week infusions for extra saline. I'm amazed that you're keeping up the exercise. Just WOW.

Peregrinelady

Minus, I can’t even imagine what 88 degrees feels like right now. We only hit the 80’s for a couple of months a year. Yesterday I limbed one big tree that had fallen in the last windstorm, wiping the snow off as I went along. Over 11,000 steps and 99 activity minutes! I tried not overdo it and kept the pole saw level, instead of lifting it too much.
Keep walking. Every step counts!

Shar2020

Hi everyone! How are you? I hope you are all having a pleasant week.

PeregrineLady, has the chest discomfort improved? All the work with the fallen tree and more than 11,000 steps sounds very productive!

MinusTwo, you have been busy, too! Oh, the big “D"...that's a miserable side effect to have had while you were receiving TCHP. Yes, mine is TCH. I am not receiving Perjeta.

I noticed with the exercise that I am usually reaching my step goal on alternate days and I am wiped out the next day. I am only stretching on those wiped out days. I am eager to get to 10,000+ steps/day.

Wishing everyone a pleasant day!

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MinusTwo

Shar -I am astounded that you are only wiped out every other day while you're inactive treatment. You go girl.

Now that it's cooler I can put my brain on auto pilot and walk. further. Walked 6 miles Saturday but only 4-1/2 Sunday. Then 6 miles again Mon/Tues & Wed. Had a plumber today finishing leak repairs so no walk. And a new furnace to be installed tomorrow morning. I might walk later in the afternoon or I might just say - TGIF.

Peregrinelady

Hi Shar, yes, it is better now. I just need to not get too carried away with my pole saw. It is not very heavy, but any kind of lifting causes chest pressure. I need to make an appt. with a cardiologist, but mine left for another job so I have to start over with a new one. My former one didn’t even wear a mask during appts. and said “we don’t know much about micro vascular disease,” so I am not real hopeful for the next guy either.
That is great that you are reaching your step goal every other day. It took me at least a year to build up to reaching my goal consistently and actually this challenge has given me incentive to do it daily. Even so, I did not make it 3 days so far.
Minus, how long does it take to walk 6 miles? I envy your nice weather. I have been walking in rain and snow, but I am trying not to let the weather stop me. I even have snow shoes!
Every step counts!

MinusTwo

Peregrine - I hate breaking in new docs. I purposely choose young docs when all mine were retiring several years ago. But of number of those have accepted promotions & moved or, like my fairly new Gyn that I love, have chosen to take a break and stay home with her kids for now. I did find a good cardiologist. Good luck w/your search.

I actually walk about an 18 minutes mile - but since I'm timing by the clock instead of an electronic device - I just call it 20 minutes. So 3 miles an hour. 6 miles = 2 hours. It pretty much cuts out a large part of the day.

MinusTwo

I made an executive decision today that I was being too obsessive-compulsive about the miles I walked. I've been pushing to 6 miles most days and actually walked 7 miles yesterday. But unless I get up before the birds (and I hate mornings) by the time I finish walking, making the bed, watering the garden, checking my emails... a good slice of the productive day is gone. So today I walked 4 miles and I was able to get to the grocery store before 10am.

I'll still walk every day, but I need to dial back on pushing to new heights every day. 4 miles with my gait is 8880 steps, and that's before all the rest of the steps in the day. So some days I'll get 10K and others I'll get 9K. And I have to be OK with that.

Hope you both are well.

Peregrinelady

Sounds good, Minus. I think you are getting plenty of steps. I like hitting 10,000 steps, but am okay if I don’t. I just feel much less achy and stiff when I walk so I try to do it daily. We have been working in the woods for 3 days and staying close to home. Just having our 2 daughters here for the holiday. Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃🍁

Shar2020

Good morning, PeregrineLady and MinusTwo. How are you? I hope you had a pleasant Thanksgiving despite the pandemic restrictions.

PeregrineLady, that's great your daughters were with you for Thanksgiving. You are doing fantastic with the steps!

MinusTwo, you are doing fantastic with the steps, too. That's a lot of mileage!

I didn't realize my last post here was more than a week ago. With medical appointments, another infusion, etc., this week flew by! I continue to meet my step goal on alternate days and will aim for consecutive days this week.

Wishing both of you a pleasant weekend!

🏃🏻🏃🏃🏻🏃🏿

MinusTwo

Thanks Sher. I got in 6 miles on Thanksgiving day before I made delicious chicken fried rice. Heavy rain yesterday & today so no walking.

I've used the time to complete wrapping all the Christmas presents. Actually mailed all the out of town boxes yesterday. And I plan to tackle all the bills this afternoon. Or maybe take a nap!

Peregrinelady

Well, as November draws to a close, I looked back at my Fitbit stats and it looks like I reached my 10,000 step goal for 3/4 of the month. I missed 7 days, assuming I walk 10,000 steps today, tomorrow and Monday, which I plan to do. Thanks for starting this challenge, Shar, and I wish you and Minus well. Keep walking!

MinusTwo

Great work Peregrine lady. Looks like if I can make tomorrow & Monday, I'll have missed 5 days in November. Up through September I had only missed 6 days in 6 months. But I had a plumbing leak that took 2 days to resolve & ended up with a new water heater too, and I had to have a new gas furnace installed in the attic. Repairmen do keep you around the house.

Where are you Shar & Peregrine Lady?? Will winter weather impact your walking?

Shar2020

MinusTwo, six miles on Thanksgiving Day! That's fantastic! And chicken fried rice sounds delicious. 😋 That's great you mailed Christmas packages already. With so many people ordering online during the pandemic, postal services are suggesting that people post everything early this year because they are reporting a larger volume of packages than in previous years.

PeregrineLady, your FitBit stats for November are fantastic. That's great you missed only seven days. Well done! You got a lot of work done in the woods, too.

I am almost at my goal for today so I expect to exceed it today. Thank you, PeregrineLady and MinusTwo, for joining me in the challenge. You are both very inspiring! I hope to see you in another step challenge or around the site in other discussions. However, I am not saying good-bye yet in this challenge because there is still today, Sunday and Monday.

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Shar2020

MinusTwo, I was typing so I didn't see your last post. That's great you missed only five days in November! Well done! I am in Canada so, yes, winter weather will impact my walking-make it slower when there is a lot of snow-but I will continue throughout the winter. Walking in the cold always feels very refreshing. Will winter weather affect your walking?

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MinusTwo

Not really in Houston. We might get one or two nights below freezing. A dusting of snow every 10 years. But just as likely to have 85 degrees on Christmas Day. However - climate change is scrambling all of our "standard" years, so who knows.

Peregrinelady

Shar, I live near the Canadian border, so yes, winter weather will impact my walking. However, I have snow shoes and cross country skis so I am hoping to continue with mostly 10,000 steps a day. I miss visiting Canada. Hopefully next summer!

MinusTwo

Oh my goodness Peregrine - 10,000 steps on snow shows OR cross country skis should be worth 20K. The rain finally stopped so even though it was dreary & chilly, I made my 6 miiles.

Shar2020

MinusTwo, another six miles yesterday! Well done! Wow, a dusting of snow every ten years and a possible 85 degrees on Christmas Day. Which do you prefer for walking-warm or cool temperatures?

PeregrineLady, I agree with MinusTwo...10,000 steps on snowshoes or cross country skis should be worth 20k! There used to be a winter marathon on cross country skis and it was called the Huffin' & Puffin' Marathon. I'm guessing you could do it!

I exceeded my step goal on Saturday by only seven extra steps and missed it by almost a thousand steps yesterday. I am up early today so I expect to meet it today. Wishing both of you a pleasant Monday!

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Shar2020

PeregrineLady & MinusTwo, thank you for joining me in this November step challenge. You both did GREAT!

I will continue and see how many days I can accumulate without missing a day (and improve on that when I do miss a day).

Best wishes to both of you as you continue steppin' in shoes, boots, skis and snowshoes!

🏃🏻🏃🏿🏃🏼🏃🏽

Peregrinelady

Thanks, Shar! You really did give me incentive by starting this challenge. I looked back and this is the most 10,000 step days in a month that I have logged since I got my Fitbit almost 2 years ago. Minus, I don’t know if I will be able to get 10,000 steps on snowshoes or skis, but hoping to be able to get some amount of exercise despite the weather. Today was a rain and snow mix, but I made myself walk because I had told you guys I would. 😄 Take care and hope to “see” you around.

MinusTwo

Shar & Peregrine Lady - Thought I'd share the two other exercise threads on BCO that I read. I'm mostly a lurker, but chime in occasionally. Made it one mile before it started pouring this morning. Went back out this afternoon and did 4-1/2 more before - you guessed it - it started raining again.

Let's post our daily exercise

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/58/topics/741082?page=1372#idx_41147

Looks for tips/tricks & wisdom

https://community.breastcancer.org/forum/58/topics/877402?page=6#idx_157

Peregrinelady

Thanks, Minus. I follow the daily exercise thread, as well. I walked 12,000 steps today but need to take it easy as I had an angina attack tonight. I did not realize that cold weather is a trigger! Thank goodness for nitroglycerin. I may have to switch to inside exercise for the winter. You are lucky to have your temps where you live, despite the rain.

Shar2020

Oh, PeregrineLady, an angina attack sounds painful. I hope you are resting today and recovering.

MinusTwo, thank you very much for the links.

You are both doing great with the steps and mileage! I am starting to think I may not see the progress I want until my iron, B12 and other bloodwork is close to a normal range again. The muscle fatigue and poor stamina are out of proportion to what I am actually doing. I will continue with it, though!

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MinusTwo

Peregrine - hope everything is OK today. Did you call your doc?

Shar - I know you're frustrated. I'm still taking 1000 mcg B-12, 6+ years after final treatment. Good luck getting your blood in order.

Peregrinelady

Shar, it is not too painful, just uncomfortable and scary. I finally took a nitroglycerin pill in the middle of the night and stayed home from work today. I am binge watching Midsomer Murders. I love British murder shows! Minus, I didn't call the dr., but I have an appt. on Jan. 4th. I am pretty sure I just need to pace myself better when walking and working in the woods. This heart disease is more upsetting than cancer for me right now, especially since the AI's and oopherectomy I had may be the cause. Walking in the woods is my favorite activity so I do not want to give it up! Thanks for listening and let's keep walking in whatever capacity we can. 💓

Edited to add: I have a whopping 307 steps so far today.

MinusTwo

Peregrine Lady - I hope a few of those steps were to find chocolate!!! I agree - heart disease is scary.