Happy New Year!

I'm not one for New Years resolutions only because they get broken.  Or, at least I break them.  So no resolutions for me.  With that said, I have fully committed myself to exercise and getting in shape and being healthy.  This commitment was made to myself in the beginning of October, 2013, so it's not a New Years resolution thingy.  I simply got sick of not feeling my best and having a little flabbiness or fat on my body.  Some people were saying to me that there's nothing you can do when you get older, that it's just the way it is, we get fat and flabby no matter how much we exercise blah blah blah.  That seems to be the normal consensus I was buying into.  Not wanting to starve myself (because I like food) and even though I was working out at the gym, I really didn't know what to do about the more than a few pounds I'd put on over the past several years. 

I've never been an overweight person and looking into the mirror I could see where I was headed if I didn't make some changes and get serious with it.  Nothing was changing with my body and the weight was sloooowly creeping up on me.    

Today Michael and I are very committed to hiking mostly every day of the week.  We're averaging a minimum of four miles per day and on some days we do more.  We're hiking between three and six or sometimes seven days each week.  Last week we hiked a total of 22 miles.  I got a free app for my phone which breaks down the mileage, etc. for us.  This morning we hiked 6.17 miles which breaks down to 15,212 steps completed in 2:27:18 minutes.  I only use the app on the days that we travel a new route so I can know how far it is for future reference. 

Across the lagoon looking toward the hill we climb practically every day.

This morning we went up the trail which leads to the back side of the tower, traveled down the hill on the main service road and then we walked around the lagoon which totaled up to just over six miles.  Because I walk so fast compared to Michael, and I'm trying to slow myself down for him, I bought a pair of two pound dumbbells which I use either going up or going down the hill.  I'm doing: front lateral raises, shoulder presses, arm extensions, upright rows, bicep curls, hammer curls, tricep kickbacks and anything else I can think of while walking.  If I find myself getting to far ahead of Mike, I stop and do lunges or squats and wait till he catches up with me.  This is really working to get me in super shape and I'm feeling so good.  I'm thinking, who needs a gym membership when they have something like this in their backyard?  To be honest, I probably won't give up my membership though because I love and enjoy spin class too much.  Although, when the weather is nice, I could go back to riding with Michael.  I have a beautiful Cannondale road bike.  We could ride a day, hike a day and so on.  I haven't mentioned this to him because I'm not sure if I want to give up the gym just yet and mine doesn't expire until May, I think, which is when I'll have to renew.

About Pena Adobe Park;

The 470 acre park includes the historic Pena Adobe home, barbecue areas, horseshoe pit, multipurpose field, bike trails, a small pond, excellent hiking, Lagoon Valley Lake for fishing and non-motorized boating. The park also features a 30,000 square foot fenced in dog park complete with trees, water and trash receptacles.

Some history about Pena Adobe HERE.