I’m linking up this post on the Weekly Wrap again this week from HoHo Runs and MissSippiPiddlin – check out their blogs as well AND the links that others have dropped in the link up! While there are a lot of links and it can sometimes be tough to catch up with everyone, I recommend stopping by to get to know these bloggers a bit better! (this week I left several comments that seem to have been eaten up never to be published by the blogger platform … grrrrr; will try a new tactic next week!)
So. Now that I’m not studying, what AM I doing?
Monday
I was exhausted after the weekend and thought I would sleep like a bear in hibernation on Sunday night but no go… woke up tired and headachy and had to be at work on time because I had some time sensitive stuff that had to happen early. I got to work only to find out that we had serious system issues! So… basically I could have stayed in bed a bit longer. I did get out for my lunch walk of 3KM but because of all the issues I had to work late. Hubby bought me a Garmin Edge for the bike so I started tracking my commutes just because I’m curious just how much I use the bike for getting to work or going into town for shopping, appointments etc. To be fair, I’m loving my bike and trying to extend my commute a wee bit, so Monday was a bike total of 5.1KM. And even though I was tired, I went out and ran 5KM while Ron went and did his 8KM run around the park. It was good to get out and run and test out the knee a bit.
Oh… and I almost forgot – I got my results back from the theory exam and I PASSED! That means I completely passed and now have my certification!! No more school for a while though…
Total Steps: 17,577
Tuesday
Thought I would sleep well again, and I was wrong again. At least it was a normal day at work. I felt fairly ok during the most of the day, had my lunch walk of 3.21 KM and around 3:45pm my tiredness hit me like a ton of bricks. Because I worked late Monday, I already planned leaving a bit early and dropping by the rehabilitation center just down the street from work to visit my neighbor. Unfortunately we had a bit of a communication snafu and we couldn’t find each other until about 10 min before I had to leave! But it was good to see him and good to see he’s getting better (such a drama, if you are interested I’ll fill you in).
Went home, started cooking but was still so tired… Ron came home, also exhausted and his back was hurting, so we made the decision to skip swimming. Was in bed by 9:40pm.
Total Steps: 11.496
Wednesday
Another restless night. Fairly normal day at work and had my lunch walk again for a total of 3.4KM.
Lunch Walk Klarendal
After work I went over to Starbucks to pick up another bag of coffee (I could get more bags at a time but then I’d have no excuse for the extra bike ride) and drop in to the library for a bit. I knew Ron would be going to the gym after work and I didn’t exactly feel like cooking anything, so I decided I would run 5KM over to Café Metropole and we could have dinner there. The weather has been pretty warm so it seemed like the perfect night to have dinner outside and spend a little time with each other. No lie, it was warm, but I’m glad I did it. Total biking commute + Starbucks errand: 16.85KM.
Total Steps: 18,549
Thursday
Ugh. You would think that not sleeping well for several nights would bring me some rest. Not happening. It was a fairly stressful day at work because we had meetings in the afternoon, so I had to do all of my stuff pretty much in the morning. That meant no lunch walk unfortunately. However, it was the last day of the week for me and I was feeling rather ok by the end of the day. Gerrit and his husband had bought us tickets for a comedy show in town for taking care of their cat, so once Ron and I were both home we quickly had dinner and then headed into town on the bikes. So much fun! It’s actually an English Language comedy show and most of the comedians were pretty good. Nice to have a night out with friends! There will be another show next month, so hopefully we can go again. I thought I would make my step count at the end of the night; I was just 400 steps shy of 10K! But what I didn’t realise, as I walked back and forth through my apartment like a nutjob is that it had switched over past midnight while trying to get those steps! Doh! Total biking for the day: 10.65KM.
Total Steps: 9,760
Friday
Day off! Still slept like crapola. Decided on Thursday to go to the hairdresser. It wasn’t going to be a great day for that long bike ride that I thought I would go on so why not get the hairs did? Biked into town of course (10KM), and had a pretty lazy day otherwise. Once I got home in the afternoon I did some laundry and tidied up the house. We had dinner and I dropped by a running friends house to give her a massage (I can’t really massage at home but I have a table and am able to set up easily at someone’s house). Exciting life I lead, eh?
Total Steps: 10,378
Saturday
Sooooooo lazy today. At some point I had been sitting around so much my butt was totally numb. I decided to get out and go for a walk, and Ron asked me if I would stop off at the garden center to pick up some plants for our fish tank. In total I walked 5KM (the garden center is only 1KM and I wanted to get my steps in!) That’s pretty much the extent of the day. Really did a whole lot of nothing. Got my kit together so that in the morning I’d actually get off my duff and do something.
Total Steps: 12,122
Sunday
Nope. Still not sleeping well. I’m about to give up to be honest. Got out of bed at a fairly decent hour (I can fall asleep very late, so then I want to sleep in a bit), had breakfast, got dressed and finally headed out just after lunch. It was great weather, but a little bit warm. I started off ok, but I noticed I really felt like I was properly fueled up. My intention was 12KM, around 8 I was nearly completely empty, plus I had to make a toilet pit stop. I pushed on 2KM more and finally finished it at 10KM. It was enough. Then I walked the additional 2KM home. As soon as I got home, I ate something and after about an hour and a half Ron and I decided to bike for a bit – neither one of us was really satisfied with our run and thought maybe biking could work out the kinks. 14.5KM later we were done! At that point is was time for dinner and prepping for the new work week. I waited until late to shower so that I would be relaxed and cooled off before I went to bed, in the hopes that I would sleep. Running 10KM, Walking 2KM, Biking 14.5KM.
Total Steps: 18,277
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Week Steps: 98,159 (includes running)
Bike KM’s total: 60KM
Running: 20KM
This week I was just simply exhausted. I still tried to get activity in but it wasn’t completely satisfactory. Also sleep is just eluding me. Do you ever have long periods of time where night after night you don’t sleep? Any tips to fix this? I’ve tried listening to soft music and podcasts, showering and going to bed still a little bit damp so that I cool down, and I’ve got the fan on the lowest setting to keep the room cool (we don’t have airco here). I was taking magnesium citrate and melatonin but I stopped a while ago because I ran out. I also don’t usually drink caffeine after 12pm (Wednesday I did have iced coffee in the afternoon), only herbal teas. I just really want to sleep.
Week 21 is another short week at work – Thursday we have a holiday (Ascension Day) and Friday I am already off. Friday morning we leave for LIVERPOOL! I’m really looking forward to race weekend again and seeing running friends.
How was your week? Are you having warm weather? What is your favorite herbal tea?
Shame you are having trouble sleeping. It can become a bit of a vicious circle when you can’t sleep as you start worrying about not sleeping which means you can’t sleep!
I really like roibos tea and fennel tea, although I mainly drink black tea!
I’m trying different sorts of tea but drinking tea wakes me up later too! I always have to get up to pee!
Not only do I wake up in the middle of the night and lay there waiting for sleep to come, I am laying there in a pool of sweat! it’s the worst. Really. I feel you.
Just keep doing your thing during the day…it’s probably the best way to exhaust yourself enough to sleep.
OH Wendy, I know about the sweating too…. ugh. it’s really tiring. but obviously not tiring enough to sleep through the night!!!
I do find that sleepless nights come in waves — often due to stress. I hope you get more rest this week!
thanks Coco. Fingers crossed!
I may have a night or 2 of restless sleep but nothing like you have described. I would be a zombie! Hope you get some better sleep this week.
I feel like a Zombie, believe me! :(
Well, I’ve only slept well one day out of the last four . . . probably my husband’s snoring doesn’t help (or Bandit needing to go out in the early morning; thankfully that doesn’t happen so much anymore).
You live in such a lovely area! That would help me get out.
I feel ya on the sleep! I do have bad bouts where I get no real peaceful rest, and it is hard to stay smiling and motivated. I will sometimes take a sleeping pill and go to bed very early. I try to not take them more than a few times a week.
You crush it on the steps every day :) I hope you have a nice race weekend!
I feel your pain on the not sleeping – I go through terrible bouts myself. I hope you get some rest this week!
It’s awesome that you get to head outside for a walk during your lunch breaks! My biggest issue for not sleeping has been our daughter waking up…which has been going on for nearly three years now :)
I just found your blog a couple of months ago and have been reading through the archives. I love to see how people change and grow through the years of their live. So happy that you passed and that you stuck with your dream. Congratulations!