Breathe in... Breathe out...

 Two weeks.... two weeks from today and I will work my last day. Two weeks from today I will put this sinking ship, shit-show, dumpster fire of a workplace behind me. I am beyond ready. The stress and drama of this place has worn me out this week. I am sitting in a darkened office today listening to meditation music trying to get this migraine to go away. I am not having much luck. four more hours and then a three day weekend begins. 

Breathe in.... breathe out...

I saw a post on Facebook that the construction project in Big Bend National Park that was scheduled to close down the Chisos Basin section of the park this year has been delayed until next year. I immediately went online and booked five nights at the Chisos Basin campground in February. I had regretted not hiking the 12 mile South Rim trail when I was there this past winter. So I am returning to take it on along with the other trails in the basin plus a few others that I had skipped. I wasn't feeling confident enough to do a 12 mile hike then, but I am now. It has over a 2000 ft altitude gain and is longer in distance than any of the daily hikes on both the Inca trail and EBC. This will give me three challenging hiking trips in the next few months prior to going to Peru. I will of course be doing a lot of local hikes in between these three.  Oh I cannot wait to get on the trails. 

Breathe in... breathe out... 

There is a saying that I'm sure most of you have heard, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade". I can honestly say I'm not sure that has ever really been relatable to my life. Maybe when something major has occurred that forced me to make changes or inspired me to pursue a path that I had dreamed of. But the way things are going lately at work and the decisions I have made, well it seems that it's time has come. I was just cruising through my days counting down to my retirement in January. I knew what to expect each day when I came into work. Then out of the blue our department was reassigned from Parks and Rec to Communications and Marketing. I immediately had a bad feeling that I would be pushed out. When meeting with the new management team I stressed that I only had seven months left until I would retire with the hope that they would leave me alone. I guess that was wishful thinking on my part. They did at first as the Operations Manager position was vacant and they needed me to help run the facility and then help get a new manger up-to-speed once she started. Well it only took a month after she started for the shit to hit the fan. They knew exactly what to do to make me miserable and get me out the door even sooner. I was so lucky that within a week of the start of this crap I received confirmation of my retirement benefits and income. It was more than expected. It made retiring now totally doable. I would have just given a two week notice, but I didn't want to let down my co-workers just as we were entering a really busy period. So I decided to stay through one last huge event. I was going to gain so much by leaving in September instead of January. This gave me the whole of Autumn to go camping, hiking and daily trips to the gym. The daily negative drama that goes on in the office will be a thing of the past. I hope that the migraines (they recently started back up) will cease once I get away from the stress of this hell-hole. I have a list of projects to tackle around my home that I won't get bored any-time soon. My list of planned hikes grows by the day. I have so much more time to get in shape for Peru and Nepal my confidence has soared. 

Breathe in.... Breathe out...

Oh and drink some lemonade!

Looking forward

 Summer is winding down. I am so looking forward to cooler weather and knowing that I will be able to get out and hike without dying of heat stroke. Compared to the past three years this was a mild summer. Just a handful of days did the temperature hit 100f. We have had regular rain so that everything is still green. Usually by August the fields and roadsides are brown, and the soil dry and cracked. The humidity though has been a killer and as pushed the heat indexes up over 100 most days. The first cool fronts are starting to arrive, but they only bring the temperatures down a few degrees. It won't be long though until we start to see some drops that bring the days down to a pleasant "I wanna be outside" kind of day.

I have been looking at hiking trails that are within a easy drive to my house. I few I can make day trips out of, and some I can do an overnight camping trip. I plan on getting out on the trails at least once a week, with an overnight once a month (or more). I still plan on intense gym workouts on all the other days. So, speaking of the gym and workouts - I had a great weekend. Friday I did a full hour on the stair-master, 3010 steps, followed by 2 miles on the treadmill with 1.5 miles of that at 15% incline. I finished up the workout with 15 minutes on the rower. On Saturday I focused on the treadmill. Ninety minutes total with 55 minutes at 15% incline. I then did 30 minutes on the rower. I was feeling great on Sunday so I went for my full workout. 2000 steps on the stair-master, 3 miles on the treadmill with 1.5 miles of that at 15% and then 30 minutes on the rower. Sunday's total workout time was 2 hours and 10 minutes - my longest yet.  I was really tired by bedtime and a little bit sore, but I am fully recovered today. 

Peru is now seven months away and if I'm going to do the Inca trail I will need to get it booked by September 30th. I am also just over a year away from Nepal. I have to say I am getting a bit nervous about both trips. I am quite a bit older now than I was when I traveled to Ethiopia. I also had family with me on that trip That was ten years ago. It has been nine years since I last travelled internationally. I am not looking forward to those long flights. I have been looking into breaking up the flights to and from Nepal with a multi-day layover in Istanbul on the way over and then Singapore on the return flight home. I keep second guessing myself though about doing this, and wonder if it will make the trip even more stressful. I would love to see both of those cities and this would be the perfect opportunity to do so. But I would be adding additional days and expense to the trip. I also worry a bit about safety in both of those cities. I still have plenty of time to research it and decide. 

I've another three day weekend coming up - Labor day. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will be good for at least a hike at Mother Neff one day. Retirement is getting so close.... they are conducting interviews today for my replacement. As soon as they start (if it's before I leave) I plan on stepping aside and just be there to guide them as they learn. It's kind of odd though as quite a bit of what I will have to show them will  be changing in the next three months as new software comes online and then the catering and bars will be taken over by an outside vendor.  But it's best they are here to learn from the start rather than come in during the middle of all the changes. I am so glad I will not be here for it, hopefully I'll just be on a mountain somewhere!

Discouraged but Determined

 I keep getting discouraged. Instead of improving lately on my workouts I seem to be falling back. 

After last weekends disappointing workouts (or lack of)  I had hoped to bounce right back this weekend. My Friday workout while not a total failure it was a struggle. Since it had been a week since I had made it to the gym I decided not to push myself and just use it as a weekend warm-up. I didn't even do 1000 steps on the stair-master. I did do an hour on the treadmill with half of that at 15%. I think I did 15 minutes on the rower.  I was worn out by the end of it. I had not slept well the night before and was just feeling a bit worn out. I did sleep well the next two nights (well for me anyway) and was feeling a bit more optimistic. Saturday, I did make it to 1500 steps on the stair-master, an hour on the treadmill with half at 15% and then 15 minutes on the rower. Sunday I increased to the steps to 1800, but the treadmill kicked my butt and I maybe di 20 minutes at 15%. I did last 20 minutes on the rower though.  

I really feel that I should be easily doing 2000 steps on the stair-master by now. I've done it in the past, so what is wrong now? I looked back at some old posts and when I was regularly doing 2000 plus steps on it I was only on the treadmill for 30 minutes afterwards. I think my total workout time was just over an hour each time. I am now working out an hour-forty five to two hours each time and have added the rower to the workout. I have less than four weeks left to work before retirement so I am looking ahead to what my workout schedule should be. 

Monday - Go hiking, anywhere just get out and go!

Tuesday - Full workout (2000 steps stair-master, 1 hour treadmill, 20 minutes rower)

Wednesday - 1+ hour treadmill, 20 - 30 minutes rower

Thursday - Full workout

Friday  - Stairmaster  1 hour, rower 20 minutes

Saturday and Sunday - Full workout

Any of these are subject to change if I decide to go camping and hiking on a whim or one of my scheduled trips. I think the best judge for if I will be ready for the Inca trail will be how well I can do out on the trails. I will start pushing myself to take on a few 8 - 10 mile hikes with some altitude changes. They can be hard to locate in my part of the state, but I will have the time to get out and travel to them by October. 

My lack of energy has been a bit of a concern too. I am going to take a hard look at my diet and see where I can make improvements. I have added a protein shake, but I'm really not a fan as they seem to depress my appetite. I don't think I can go back to eating a meat based diet, but I am open to adding more fish. I am hoping to that I will sleep better once I have retired as the worry and stress of work should no longer be a concern. I have already seen a bit of an improvement over the past two long weekends I have had. 

Just one last bit of news - my retirement date is now official as I gave my written notice to my boss last Wednesday. She already had it about figured out as someone in HR posted a congratulations on my up-coming retirement on the city web-site. I had been working with HR to get my paperwork in order prior to my written notice but had asked them to keep it under wraps until after the 14th. It was posted on the 13th. Oh well, it sure is nice  though to not be tip-toeing around it and to have it out in the open. 17.5 more days in the office!

Summer Hikes - YIKES!

 

Summer hikes in Texas are best avoided. I let my daughter talk me into going on one this past weekend. We went early, just after 8:00 am.  The temperature was 76f, but it was very humid. We went to Mother Neff State Park and would only hike in the wooded, shady areas. I picked out a route that would give us close to a three-mile hike. There wouldn’t be much altitude changes as there are only a few hills there.

Being the first on the trail presents it’s own set of problems  - no one has come through yet to clear out the spider webs that get spun overnight… we did that for everyone else. I hope that they are thankful for that! But we saw several deer on our hike and heard lots of birds. We only met two other people on the trail so it was very quiet.

Oh but the mugginess of the morning. I was quite damp with sweat early in the hike. As the morning warmed up it just began to drain my energy. By the end of the hike, I was feeling discouraged that I was so exhausted by the end. My seven-mile hike at Big Bend with substantial altitude gains didn’t wear me out like this hike had. I know that it was the weather conditions and not the hike itself that wore me out.  It still made me question my fitness level and if I will be ready for the Inca Trail next Spring (Autumn in Peru).

My daughter and I do have our trip to Colorado in a few months, and I will use that to judge my preparedness for Peru. I know too that since I am retiring in a month (instead of in five months) I will have so much more time to work out and go on some big hikes that I should be ready for it. I will most likely have to book the trek no later than early October to confirm that I can get a spot. I wish I could wait until after my late Autumn trip to Guadalupe Mountains, but I would risk all the available trekking spots being sold out. They only have a very limited number available on any given day.

I did have a three-day weekend this past one. I made it to the gym on Friday and had a really good workout. 2000 steps on the stair-master, 3.2 miles on the treadmill with 35 minutes at 15%, and 20 minutes on the rower. I had planned on going on Saturday, but while working in the yard I got stung by a wasp… not good. I am still swollen on my hand and wrist from the sting four days later. It is starting to improve though. The hike on Sunday morning was my workout for that day. I have the next two Fridays off so I will have two more opportunities for three workouts over the weekends. I will then only have three weeks left until retirement and one of those weeks will be short due to the Labor day holiday.

I am hoping that by then the weather starts to cool and I can safely return to the trails!

Taking it day to day ...

 The countdown is officially on, I have 23 days left to work. 23 early morning. 23 days of driving 45 minutes each way to and from work. 23 days of stress and frustration.. 37 days until I am free to live my life without being tied to the 8-5 daily grind. I have a few Fridays scheduled off as I am over the allotted accrued pay-off on vacation time. The shortened work weeks really help. I am only working three days this week. So far the stress hasn't been as bad as last week. I was in knots last week and battled migraines for most of the week. I could barely bring myself into work the end of last week. My weekend was so nice. I left all thoughts of work behind and just focused on myself and my plans for retirement. Yesterday I was back at work but the boss was out all morning and I had a meeting with the HR rep for the City that will assist with my retirement paperwork. I asked her to keep it confidential for another week or so as I wouldn't be putting in my notice to my management team until the 14th. 

Three days off work meant three afternoons spent at the gym.

                   StairMaster        Treadmill                        Rower

Saturday    1600 steps       3 miles/1.5@ 15%          20 minutes

Sunday       2000 steps       3 miles/1.75@15%        15 minutes

Monday      2000 steps      3.2 miles/1.75@15%       15 minutes    

I've a hike planned this coming weekend with my daughter. She is coming up for the weekend. I should still get at least two gym workouts completed though as I am taking off work on Friday. I just have to get through the rest of today and tomorrow. The weekends are so important now as I am constantly on edge at work. I don't know what to expect once I give my notice. My gut tells me it's going to be a bit ugly. I really don't care any more. I am done with this 8 to 5. I am ready for sunrise to sunset in the mountains.