Exercising away my tiredness

I need to exercise. Since school started I'm tired all of the time. At first I chalked it up to less than eight hours of sleep, something I need each day and am not getting. I took naps to make up for it, but now I realize that naps aren't cutting it either. My next attempt at problem solving is exercise. The problem lately with that has been my back. A year ago I was diagnosed with DDD or D3 as I refer to it; degenerative disc disease. My exercises that I did at my gym seemed to make things worse so I stopped going. I tried starting back again a couple of months ago, but I went about it like I was training for the Olympics, lifting weights, cycling, and rowing, and after two mornings of that I spent four days flat on my back. So I stopped going once again.

Cue the sleepiness and dizziness that I've had lately. Instead of worrying about a physical ailment I've chosen to blame it on lack of exercise. Last week I decided to start out slow in my quest for exercise. While traveling over our fairly new causeway bridge on the way to work (I teach swimming lessons) I had seen tons of walkers and joggers using the new walkway over the bridge. I decided that would be my new exercise when the weather turned cooler. Since that happened last week I drove under the bridge, parked, and hiked up the ramp to the 72 foot high bridge. At some point  I thought perhaps I should have warmed up with some stretches but figured the hike up the ramp was warm up enough.

I began the climb. It was a magnificent day with a cool breeze and the view was spectacular. Unfortunately, I was concentrating too hard on putting one foot in front of the other on the climb to appreciate the view. People twice my age passed me. Joggers passed me. Mothers with kids in strollers passed me. Everyone was very friendly exchanging good mornings and pleasantries, but after awhile of that I had to resort to nodding so that I could breathe. When I reached the top of the 72 foot high bridge I snapped a photo and began the trek downhill. I was feeling better at this point, the breeze so wonderful that I began having delusions thoughts of continuing the length of the bridge out to the beach where I would sit and ponder the meaning of life. By the time I got down the bridge, a trip that seemed to take hours, I realized it was probably another half a mile to the end and that I would eventually have to turn around and do it all again if I planned on going home that day. I decided turning around at this point was a smarter idea.

I played tourist and snapped some more photos with my phone, took in the view for awhile, and then turned around and started retracing my steps...back UP the bridge. Now the sun was directly in my face, and although I had on sunglasses, I did not have on a hat. Not a good thing to forget when climbing a mountain in Florida facing the sun. Nor was forgetting my bottle of water in the car. I did have my phone and for a moment as I made it to the top I thought of calling Kelly and asking her to leave work to come and rescue me. But my Mason determination kicked in and I made it back down the bridge, down the ramp, and to my car where I drained the water I had brought and pretended I did this all the time by nonchalantly walking out to the water as if cooling down. My legs were throbbing, my back aching, sweat pouring down my face, and my feet numb so my admiration of the water and cool down period lasted two seconds before I was back in my car and heading home.

I felt great when I got home, told my neighbors what I had done as if this was going to be a daily thing no big deal, and then promptly went inside and fell asleep across my bed for two hours. When I woke up I had shin splints and sore calve muscles that lasted four days. My back was not happy either. I decided I needed to work my way to the bridge climbing.

Yesterday I decided walking around my neighborhood would be a good beginning. Elliot was willing to join me it being in the low 70's and off we went. Since the whole bridge walk had taken only half an hour I decided to at least walk that long if not longer. We took the double street route that I use to walk several times a day when he was a puppy and I in better shape. We were back home in about 27 minutes and that was good enough for me because I would walk it again later that night. I never did that. I did, however, fall asleep on the couch for a couple of hours after the walk.

This morning I decided that I would head back to the gym and do some cycling. I dropped off Darcy and headed to the post office to mail something for her. The post office is on the beach and that gave me the idea of instead walking the beach for my morning exercise. I mailed the envelope, drove across the street, parked and followed two other walkers through the parking lot and out on to the beach. It was another glorious day with low temperatures, a breeze, and the sound of the waves crashing on shore. I began my walk.

The plan was to walk fifteen minutes down the beach and then turn back around and return to my starting point. My estimation was that would take roughly the same amount of time giving me my thirty minutes of exercise, a good beginning point for my first week. The only people on the beach were walkers and joggers and fishermen. Everyone was very pleasant. Who wouldn't be in this environment. Fall in Florida is paradise and the time we remember why we are still living here. I nodded and loudly voiced hellos and good mornings until it hit me that I hadn't marked my starting point. I was not at my usual place on the beach so I had no idea of where I was or where I had started. I looked up and took notice of the pinkish, orange building on the shore and figured if I could get back to it I could eventually find my way to my car or at least out to the road where I knew I could find my way.

I walked and walked enjoying the water and the smell of the sea. I talked to the birds that were standing nearby hoping for some leftovers from the men fishing. I stopped and picked up a shell that caught my eye. I had on a hat and I was carrying water. Life was good. Eventually though the thoughts in my head began giving me trouble. When I'm alone I tend to think of all the worries I have and unfortunately all the worries I have could fill a notebook...a college ruled one. I tried clearing my brain to enjoy the water, but a new worry and problem would pop into the brain and I was a goner. Soon I was turning around deciding that next time I needed to plug my ears with music. Or take a class in meditation.

I made it back for a total of 35 minutes of walking. I found my entrance which turned out to be the only one along my route. I stopped and stretched some, contemplating sitting in the sand for awhile, but instead opted to head home for coffee. I've decided that tomorrow I will do the cycling at the gym and on Thursday walk the beach again. This time I will bring a bathing suit and music for the walk and a chair, towel, and book to enjoy after the walk.

So far I have not taken a nap and don't plan on allowing it. I'm two days into my exercise regime. It seems like a week. I have a feeling I might just have to start searching the Internet for an ailment as maybe exercise isn't my problem.