I was thinking about what I wanted to share with you all today and as I got up to get my water bottle my knees and hips made it very clear.  I have a non-negotiable fitness schedule.  It is at least 30 minutes 5 times per week.  Typically, I get at least 210 minutes of fitness on purpose in the gym weekly.  The month of July has been a crazy one for me.  I spent a few days in Las Vegas on business, (one day more than planned due to cancellation of my flight home), 7 days on the east coast in New York and Connecticut, and 4 days in Palm Springs/Palm Desert.  I was on the road traveling for pretty much half the month and working double time the rest of the month to get everything done so I would have some freedom while on the road.  That translated to a few missed days in the gym or pool.  Many of them were made up with longggggg airport hikes.  While in NY I got two mornings in the gym, in CT no planned fitness, in Vegas I only had one morning available to get my laps in the pool done.  Add this to the week before my trainer not being available one of the days and this 70-year young woman began feeling out of shape.  In Palm Desert I swam laps for at least 30 minutes every morning.

Since I have come home, I have been at the pool daily because my trainer is out until August 12.  Since returning home my morning swims have been like pushing through molasses in January.  They are HARD.  I feel like I am very slow, although my time really hasn’t changed.  It’s just the tired, achy feeling all over that is getting to my psyche.

I’ve been waking up with both knees aching, my hips very stiff and my forearms actually “burning” when I swim.  What is going on?  I am getting concerned that something is not right.  I have an appointment with my PCP next week so I will discuss it with her, but when I review the past month I realized the following:

• I have NOT been taking my supplements regularly. It’s been hit or miss.  Today I set up my plan to change this into getting all of my supplements daily;
• I have let sugar into my life in the way of a glass of wine or two with dinner, or some dessert on too many occasions. That to changes today.

Is it possible that both of these are contributing to my general feelings of being tired and achy?  I do believe so.  Add to that the marine layer that seems to persist over Oxnard/Ventura for the major part of the day and night and I think I might have struck gold on the causes.

Stay tuned for next week and let’s see if things start picking up.

Oh, and by the way, I will be in the pool every day this week and next, and back at the gym as soon as my trainer is available.

Tired and achy is NOT an excuse to give up my fitness routine.  It is the very reason to continue it.

Here’s to swims that keep getting easier, instead of more difficult so that I can push to make them harder.