Wednesday, September 1, 2010

We'll See

Because I am grounded from walking due to a flare up of plantar faciitis, I have been trying to figure out other alternative forms of exercise. I am concerned that I will gain weight without an exercise regimen. Water aerobics would work, but I am not a water person, can't imagine wearing a bathing suit, and I don't want to invest that much time into it. I want to be able to just change my shoes and walk out the door! But I do own a Nordic Track. I hate it. It's hard, boring, and really makes me sweat. But I dug it out of the closet yesterday and set it up. I had to dust it off, change the batteries in the performance meter and reset it to my age and weight. I did about five minutes on it just to get the feel. Of course, with it set to my age and weight, and a mid level resistance, the pulse monitor went off right away. I just ignored it. Today I gave it a test to see if it would aggravate my heel. I did .8 miles or 11 minutes, with rest stops to lower my pulse. My heel felt OK. So I am hopeful that I can use it, and will gradually build up my time and mileage. We'll see. I combined that with my regular exercise regimen that I do for balance, back, hips and knees, which I have been pretty faithful about. --------------------------------------------------------------- Yesterday I sent email to my two US Senators. I do a lot of editorial reading and watch MSNBC on cable TV, and I know that one of the big causes of our national budget deficit is the Bush tax cuts. I also know that they will expire at the end of this year. The President and some Dems want to restore all but the tax cut for the wealthy. The Repubs want to restore all of them. They carry on about "raising taxes" in a recession. I also know that it the tax cuts expire the rates return to what they were during the Clinton administration, where we eliminated the deficit. I asked my Senators to let them all expire. We pay based on our income. Middle class income has declined, so our tax burden does too. At the same time we want the social safety net that comes to our rescue when we fall on hard times. We want a continuation of Social Security and Medicare. We all benefit. We should all pay. I know this will be a big issue in the fall. What will happen? I don't know. We'll see. ------------------------------------------------------------ The Sounders play an Open Cup match tonight at the small StarFire arena. We did not try to get tickets until it was too late. It's sold out. I made a comment on Jake's Facebook post about not going to the match. As a result he has found tickets for us! Since we live only a few miles for the arena, he thought it was a crime if we weren't there. So we'll be there! We'll have fun. Will we win? I hope so. We'll see.

10 comments:

  1. Linda, won't your trip to the arena aggravate your plantar fasciitis? I imagine you will have to do some walking.

    I had not given the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy a single thought. Good that you brought it up. As for eliminating ALL tax cuts, I am not sure about that.

    As you said, we'll see...

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  2. Linda, I'm glad you took your exercise machine out of the closet. I had an SI joint issue a few years ago and it was suggested I use an elliptical trainer, since it's a non-weightbearing machine. I did that for two months and my SI improved.

    Congrats for not using your painful heel as an excuse to do no exercising.

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  3. I'm sorry to hear about your plantar fasciitis Linda. I know those are very painful and I hope it clears up fast. I'm trying to get back into a good exercise regime and have to be careful because of weak ankles and hip pain. I have a treadmill that once I get back into it I love. I can't walk in humid weather and I usually pop in a movie to watch while I am walking on my treadmill.
    An English Girl Rambles

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  4. good for you, sounds like you are really committed to exercising-it's so important

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  5. I really prefer walking also. I can do WiiFit when I have to but I don't like it nearly as well as walking.

    I read that Glen Beck's rally in Washington was no big deal, that you could get that many at a tractor pull in Texas.

    I agree with you on the tax cuts. I'm plenty ticked blame is being laid on Obama for the financial crisis but not a word did we hear from those folks while Bush was putting in place policies and wars that caused a lot of the crisis. Grrr.

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  6. It heartens me that I am not alone in believing that these tax cuts need to expire, all of them. The chances of that happening, though, are nonexistent, because the Republicans will use it (as you said) and the Democrats have no will to stand up for what's right.

    Good for you to use that trainer! I am behind you one hundred percent. You're my kind of gal (person?)!

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  7. Gigi, yep walking is required, and then standing for most of the game. But I managed pretty well. And some pain is worth it. We won!!!

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  8. I'm so sorry, Linda! How awful to be in that kind of pain. I have a Nordic Track, too. Is it the cross country type? I haven't been using it at all either. I should...

    When I didn't exercise, my glucose and triglycerides went up. I know how important it is. I sure hope you find something that can work for you.

    And the tax cuts... I'm with you there as well.

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  9. Hope you are feeling better. I too admire you for continuing to exercise even when you are in pain. I have a Gazelle and use it alot in the winter. But after seeing the BIG number on the scale I think I need to get back on it and RUN!! I am glad you had the opportunity to see a match and especially a win for your team.

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  10. Ah, the dear old NordicTrak. How I hate mine! I bought it with such enthusiasm and knew within week of ownership that I just couldn't take the boredom. BUT, you are definitely gutsy to be willing to resort to your NordicTrak as a form of exercise. You're a better woman than I, that's for sure. I hope the plantar fasciitis leaves soon. What an aggravation.

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