View From The Empty Saddle

In my last post, I wrote about my efforts to stay active and keep fit as I face aging. I enjoy walking, so a hike sounded like fun. I also like horse back riding, so two weeks after my hike, I decided to go riding at a friend's stable. I've had lessons in the past, but only for a short time and several years ago. I'm somewhere between novice and intermediate. Put me on a trail ride with a group that has no experience and I look pretty good. Last year I went on a ride and it wasn't long before I was helping them. But I'm really just above novice level. Knowing this, Lucy put me on Biscuit, a sweet mare that she uses to teach children. Biscuit was a nice size. I could look her in the eye as I groomed her. I prefer that size to the stallions I can walk under without ducking.

After Lucy helped me saddle her up, we went out to the paddock where Biscuit and I could get a feel for each other before heading up the trail. The sun was bright so I tucked my regular glasses into the collar of my t-shirt and put on my prescription sunglasses. There were six of us riding that day. I felt good, and tried to exude confidence to Biscuit. When everyone was ready, we took off. It was a beautiful day in the mountains and I was really looking forward to it. Lucy and I rode at the end of the pack, Lucy mostly sticking with me since it was my first time at her stable. As we rode up the mountain, Biscuit followed my lead as I moved her from side to side in the road, but she really preferred the outside edge so I let her walk there. I noticed a half buried log in the road ahead, but apparently Biscuit didn't! The next thing I knew she stumbled. I held on waiting for her to regain her footing. Except she didn't. Her other foot tripped as well and I saw her going down. Holding the reins, I leaned back and held my breath hoping 'this wasn't it'! Finally, she regained her balance and I was able to start breathing again. She had gone down on both knees before she could get up. Stumbling used to terrify me when I first learned how to ride. I felt really proud that I had held on and kept my balance, leaning backwards, which helped her regain her balance. Lucy was tickled. "Way to go, girl! Well done!"

The Bible says "Pride Goeth Before the Fall". Yep! I am here to tell you, the Bible doesn't lie! And the fall isn't fun!

A short distance further up the road, Lucy's horse started acting up. Within seconds, Biscuit was shaking her head and jumping sideways. "BEES!" Lucy cried out. Biscuit started to run as I reached for the horn on the saddle. I grabbed the reins in one hand and the horn in the other and held on. Suddenly she started to kick. She was pretty much moving in four directions at once, and I knew I wasn't going to survive this one.

At this point, I would like to borrow a definition from Capt. Sully, of the famed Landing in the Hudson. In the movie, Sully, when he was interrogated by the NTSB, he is asked about the plane crash. At this point, Sully speaks up and says, "Excuse me. The plane didn't crash. It was a 'forced water landing'."

I have never fallen off a horse, and I like to believe I still haven't. However, I have now experienced a forced aerial dismount. And in all honesty, I'll be happy to never experience one again. As I felt myself go sideways, I wasn't afraid. I was rather curious as to what was going to happen next. Looking back, it's possible my sense of self preservation isn't very acute. 'What happened next' was a shock, and in retrospect, I was really, really, lucky!

The landing was hard. I landed flat on my back at my shoulder blades. The thud knocked the air out of every cell in my body, and I rolled over in the leaves on the embankment. While Biscuit stood with the rest of the group nursing her bee stings, I lay stretched out, nose to nose with a pile of dead leaves. Laying face down, I could hear Lucy calling to me, but I absolutely couldn't move a finger to signal I was ok. It took her a few moments to get back to me and I felt badly for her as she kept calling, "Connie, are you ok?"

I was sure I hadn't really broken anything. I knew I'd had the wind knocked out of me, but I was surprised that I truly couldn't move anything. It felt like an elephant was sitting on my back. Finally, I managed to get out "No air." She breathed a sigh of relief that I was conscious and she now knew the problem.

Several minutes later, I managed to stand up. Taking an inventory, I was surprised by several things.
1) How stiff my back was and how hard it was to move it. It felt very tight, and heavy. The elephant was still there. And yet, there was little pain and my arms and legs and head and neck and fingers and toes all seemed to move fine. #1 Blessing! I mean, REALLY!!! NO BROKEN BONES!!! THAT'S A BLESSING!
2) My sunglasses remained on my head, unbroken. #2 Blessing!!
3) My regular glasses were found lying neatly folded on top of the leaves! #3 Blessing!!!
4) My iphone was still in my butt pocket, unbroken! #4 Blessing!!!! But in the days to come, the phone shaped bruise that appeared on my posterior proved that extra padding in that area can be a good thing at least for the phone.

As the aches and pains settled in over the next several days, I realized one area that never experienced any signs of impact or force. My head and neck! While bruises appeared here and there, I never found any sign of whiplash, let alone concussion. My helmet was truly #5 BLESSING!!!!!

It's been a couple of weeks now. My massage therapist worked out most of the kinks, but one was remaining, so I've had my first Chiropractor appointment ever. That shoulder blade area was never meant to handle 150 lbs of flying momentum. However, it did it admirably so I can't complain about a little residual tightness. And then there was the dermatologist appointment to help explain the rash that appeared several days later on my arms and torso. Something was lurking in the leaves, I expect.

One thing stands out in my mind after this experience. I have no doubts, that had I been less active, not working out, walking, and taking yoga, my fall would have been a lot harder to recover from. Staying active has kept me limber, and my bones strong.

The downside to this whole experience is that I'm re-looking at this whole 'Stay Active, Stay Young' mindset. I still believe in it. But I have to admit, there may be some things that you have to acknowledge may no longer be in your wheelhouse.

If Larry were to decide to climb around on our steep roof to do some repairs, or to climb a tree to chop down some dead limbs, I'd be the first to say, NO WAY! We can hire someone (younger and more agile--words thought, but unspoken) to do that sort of thing!

By the same token, if I was an experienced rider, and knew how to handle a horse in most situations, riding at my age might make sense. But for someone who likes to pretend she can ride, the word 'foolhardy' might apply. And for someone who has Osteoporosis in her history, 'foolhardy'  paired with adventurous activities, is not a good combination.

The view from the empty saddle has me re-examining some sayings to separate truth from ideology.

"Stay Active, Stay young!" Good words to live by. "You only live once!" Also good words to live by. "You're only as old as you feel." Truer words were rarely spoken.

On the other hand, "You're never too old.".... Well maybe sometimes it's better to just accept that, for some things, you might be...  after all.

Stay Active, Stay Young!

View of the lake at Vogel State Park from the top of the hiking trail. I made it up. Now I have to make it back down.

The title says it all. I may be getting older, and I may be slowing down, but I'm going into old age fighting, and kicking. And, on occasion, limping and hobbling. I've been very fortunate that I've had a healthy body, and, as far as I'm concerned, a sane mind. My mind may not always be as quick as it once was, and it was never sharp as a tack as the expression goes, but its holding it's own.

When I was in my 40's I signed up for aerobics classes. I enjoyed them and knew I was helping myself stay in shape. I remember wondering how long I would keep them up? Would I still be doing this when I was 60? By the time I'd reached the old age of 60, would I have given up staying in shape? At what age does one give up keeping in shape? Such were the thoughts running through my, still young, mind.

Well, I'm well past 60 and I've learned something. The adage, "Use it or Lose it" is never more important or true than NOW! It only takes a couple of weeks of playing the couch potato before I find that just walking up the slight incline at the end of my road has me huffing and puffing. Yes, I've reached the point where the more I slow down, the slower I get.

As an antidote to aging, I've been working hard at not slowing down. Between yoga, workouts, and walking (usually 2 miles a day) I've come to realize, as long as I can move I'll keep doing something to make sure I CAN still move!

There are definite health benefits to this. Several years ago I was diagnosed with Osteoporosis. After working out, taking yoga and walking, the diagnosis changed to Osteopenia (pre-osteoporosis). According to the radiologists analysis my efforts had made a 22% difference! My bones were strengthening. Three years later, the diagnosis remained the same and I was taken off some medication!! My mother and aunt both had osteoporosis. However, my dad had great bones. He drank milk faithfully, even though he really didn't like it. In his declining days he fell several times, but never broke a bone. I aim to be like him. To keep life interesting, I look for new ways to stay active.

A month ago I went on a 5-mile mountain hike with my yoga instructor, and her friends. Last year I did 4 miles with her, on a relatively level section of the Appalachian Trail. I did OK. So this year I figured I could handle five miles. My yoga instructor, a master hiker, neglected to inform me that the first 2 1/2 miles were uphill. And that my hiking companions traditionally hiked 8-10 miles a day.

I made a few observations from my view at the back of the pack.

1) I seemed to be the only one panting and gasping for air, while I clung to my walking stick with the tenacity of baby clinging to its mother as I peered up at the mountainside.

2) It's possible that I just couldn't see their sweat drenched faces through the water running down my face and blurring my vision,but they all looked amazingly dry and unfazed by the heat and humidity. Towards the end of the hike one person's sweat band looked slightly damp, but by then there wasn't a dry spot on me.

3) I realized this was normal to them as I watched one girl hop from rock to rock down the hillside, while I and my walking stick carefully picked our way down the path. In fact they all looked as though they were out for a Sunday stroll. I realized I was in over my head with this crew.

After I got home I told my husband that the next time I wanted to do a 5-mile mountain hike to remind me I was crazy. However, I was pleased to notice that overall, I didn't feel tired. I had survived!

As I crawled out of bed the next morning I was pleased to notice I felt really good, not stiff and sore. That is until my old lady feet hit the floor, and I stood up. Then my arches started screaming! I wear orthotics in my shoes to support my flat feet, and my flat feet wanted me to know, in no uncertain terms, they were not appreciative of my efforts to stay active and stay young.

I grabbed the aspirin and rubbed some pain relieving gel into my feet. Once my feet got going, I was fine. I had survived the hike in good shape. Just the same, I decided two miles in my neighborhood will have to suffice to keep me young...that is as young as a person who's not a spring chicken, can be.

Airport Bound: Travel=Workout

I've been fortunate enough to visit Alaska twice, with Larry. He goes for work and I tag along, because, well....its ALASKA! Those visits were great, but limited in where we could go because he had time constraints. This year we did the trip we've always wanted to do; the land and sea trip.

The first leg of the trip was on the Holland America Cruise ship MS Oosterdam and we visited Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway and Glacier Bay, before heading to Seward. Once on the mainland we rented a car and made our way north through Anchorage, to Denali National Park and ending up in Fairbanks.

On the first leg we flew from Atlanta to Vancouver, via Seattle. For all the sitting one does on cross country flights, I also found ways to get a little exercise in.

First I got an abs, glutes, and core workout in the shuttle that took us to the airport. As it careened out of the hotel parking lot, Larry grabbed the back of the seat in front of him. My legs were tucked under the seat and as I clutched my purse to my chest I squeezed the seat cushion with my legs. There wasn't much room in the seat so to keep myself from falling into my husband, (and subsequently pushing him onto the floor), I remembered the words of my pilates instructor and sucked my belly button back to my spine and held myself upright. At the traffic light, I relaxed and took a breath until the light turned green and we took off. It may have only been 15 minutes, but it was a great Tabata Interval workout.

Once we got to the airport, there was a discussion as to whether we needed the domestic or international terminal. We started to walk towards the international shuttle. Larry saw the domestic terminal nearby so while I kept our bags safely corralled so they couldn't run away, he headed for the door. Ten minutes later, he reappeared to say we wanted the domestic terminal, and off we headed. I'm pretty sure, he got at least half of his 10,000 steps just making those two trips.

I know by the end of the day, I had 10,000 steps in for the day, and I spent most of it 7 miles in the air, reading.

I did manage to avoid the Body Pump Weight Lifting exercise. This time I had my husband along to hoist the carry-on bag into the overhead compartment. And I was glad! That bag was heavy!!

Stay tuned for tales about the actual cruise!

Challenges and Conquests

February came and went and we are almost finished with March. Yea!! Most winters I get to spend a few weeks in Florida, but this year we made the Great Trek at Christmas to both Iowa AND Florida. And we are moving soon to Georgia, so winter travel just wasn't in the cards. Even with trips to the land of the sun, usually by now I am deep into a jug of OJ and Vodka. This winter, one would think I would be well into my second jug. It's been long, cold, and snowy. One could get a little tired of it all.

In search of endorphins, I take Yoga at a gym. It's a great class, with a great group of  women. This winter the gym did its best to give us another reason to feel sorry for ourselves. The Plank Challenge! What is the Plank Challenge? To see how long we could hold ourselves in Plank position, of course!

Every class from Yoga to Zumba began with us holding the plank position for as long as the instructor challenged us...or as long as we could make it. It started at 20 seconds at the beginning of February. At the end of the month we were challenged to last for 3 minutes! I decided early on if I could make it for one minute I'd be happy!

There was another side to February that was more fun. I signed up for 2 months of voice lessons to evaluate my voice and learn better breathing techniques. As a teen I sang soprano. After I got married and had kids, I didn't sing in a choir for years. By the time I went back to choir, the high notes were gone, so I started singing alto.

I learned a few things at those lessons. First, I discovered I should be a soprano, but I really need to stretch my voice. I also discovered that if you want to prove to yourself that you really can't sing, try voice lessons! I can carry a tune pretty well, and put me in a choir surrounded by other average voices like mine and it sounds lovely. Put me in a room by myself with just a piano to keep me on pitch and I sound remarkably like those poor kids trying out for American Idol whose parents assured them they were the next Mariah Carey.... but werent'! The ones that made Simon, Paula AND Randy wince.

So when February was over how did I do? All I can say is I amazed myself!

As for the Plank Challenge, I hung in for 3 minutes and 20 seconds! I was so proud of myself!

My voice lessons are just finishing up, but I started with a range of about an octave and a half, and ended with a range of two and a half octaves. I hit high notes I hadn't heard in years. It doesn't sound pretty yet...more like a bad wheel bearing, but in time it will. It just takes daily practice. Just like holding plank in yoga.

I will never be a Yoga instructor, or sing solos in a choir, but I stretched myself in ways I haven't done for a long time. It was probably healthier than fighting through February with the jug of OJ and Vodka. One thing is certain. If you want to feel good, endorphins only go so far. Conquering a challenge is a feeling that lasts a lot longer.

Silver Sneakers and Golden Girls

Silver Sneakers and Golden Girls

I've developed a problem with my feet. My feet are not my strongest feature. For years I've worn orthotics in my sneakers. I never wear truly flat shoes (like the ones in vogue right now... with all the support of a ballet slipper). I rarely wear sandals, and only for a few hours at a time, like to church or out to dinner. And those heels every one wears on TV. Really? No way. I have flat feet and they tire easily when I am on them for hours at a time. All that being said....

This summer I have added a new problem. I don't know if it is because I am working out more, but the toes next to my big toe have learned how to scream when I've exercised a lot. For years, yoga was not a problem. Suddenly, this summer, after a yoga class I would find I couldn't do my traditional 2 mile walk around the township building. Then one day after an aquatics work out, they said the same thing.... YOOWWWW!

I imagined turf toe. I suspected arthritis. I hoped for a bandaid or toe pad that would make it feel better. What I got was the diagnosis of a 'neuroma', and a cortisone shot. The pain in my toes diminished, but the bruise from the cortisone stayed for days. In a way the good news was that the doctor didn't tell me I had to cut back and stay off my feet. I've worked hard this summer. I don't feel like losing the gain.

But the doctor also said there wasn't too much that could be done. The cortisone was the first step. The verdict is still out as to how much relief it will bring, but it has put a definite crimp in my workouts. Hopefully it will take care of the problem and I can get back to normal.

The rules are simple. Shoes feel best. Slippers even work. Barefeet (Yoga) bring on the pain. Although the doctor didn't feel as if I needed to take it easy on my feet, common sense says cutting back can't hurt, (no pun intended).

I hate getting old. A few years ago I started walking and exercising hard, pelvic tilts were my new focus. I ended up with shooting pains in my butt and down my legs. It felt like electric shock! Fortunately it was short lived. After 2 weeks it stopped. But so had my walking workouts.

Bad ankles, worn out knees, arthritic hips, sore feet. It's a wonder any of us over 50 can get out of bed in the morning, let alone get into an exercise maintenance program. If this keeps up, I'm going to have to head over to the Senior Center and join the Silver Sneakers gals. I'm not ready for that. I may have a lot in common with the Golden Girls, but in my heart I just see the GIRL part.

Until I get up and walk.

Humph!

Happy Birthday, Mom

Last night was a long one, again. I couldn't fall asleep and I have no idea why. I had followed all the rules; no caffeine, no alcohol, nothing after 8:30. But it was to no avail. I finally crawled in bed this morning around 4:30 and slept until 10:30.

If waking up was slow, trying to get moving was slower, but I finally went for my "morning" walk around 1:00pm. I was hoping to coax a mile walk out of my tired body. 1 hour and 3 miles later I dragged myself in the front door and collapsed on the couch.

I totally get Nike's slogan of "Just Do It". It's true. When I left for my walk I wasn't going to push, but as I got going I kept adjusting my route. When it was all over I had gone way beyond my expectations. One reason was simple. The start out route was all downhill and it was easy to motivate myself to going further. Half way through I realized that the remaining route was going to be all uphill! Too late now!

But there was a secondary reason. I knew what dinner was going to be and I needed to burn some calories!

We just finished dinner and it was worth it. Steak, cooked to perfection by my husband, corn on the cob, roasted on the grill, and homemade blueberry pie...my mother's recipe. I wish I had taken a picture, but nothing could have conveyed that taste! Oh my! It was the perfect summer meal. All that's left is the pie.

Of all the kinds of fruit pies, blueberry has a special place in my heart. Every summer my family went to our cabins in Connecticut. My uncle raised blueberries there and fresh blueberries were the prize on cereal, in muffins, or pancakes and the best...pie!

There is a beautiful photo of Mom taken many years ago holding a freshly baked pie. In our family, pie baking became a family skill that we all learned growing up. Of course, today when I went searching for that photo I couldn't find it. But I've always loved this one, too. It was taken in her later years, in the woods in Connecticut, near our cabins.

Tomorrow would have been Mom's birthday. The family often got together to celebrate her birthday. After my dad died, she often visited us over her birthday. Those days may be gone, but not the memories.

Happy Birthday, Mom.

Yoga: It's Not For Sissies!

 I love my yoga class...usually. It's a great way to start the day. The stretches feel wonderful. Most of the core strengthening is empowering. And at my age, working on that flexibility is a must. But sometimes it's just a joke.

YOGA INSTRUCTOR: Such a soothing voice... the music provides a quiet, rhythmic background...

"Cross your left leg behind your right leg... Slowly lower yourself to the ground with your left leg tucked under your body, bending your right leg... Inhale slowly ...as you wrap your left arm around your right leg and hug it to your body... Right hand on your back hip... Slowly twist to the right.  Exhale gently... Extend right arm behind you, palm up. ...."

Me: You had me at "hug it to your body".

YOGA INSTRUCTOR: Always spoken in such gentle, encouraging and hopeful tones...

"Sit in an upright position, extending both legs out in front of you... Arms raised, extend your body forward. Exhale... Left hand touches your toes, as you reach your right hand under across your body under your left, hand up. Pivot your body to the left...."

HUH???

Note to self: Never play twister with a Yoga Instructor!

Balance

I'm starting a new fitness program. I use the word program loosely. I'm high on planning but pretty low when it comes to execution. Currently I'm a walker. For the past year I've walked pretty regularly.
As winter approaches (I know--it is still a couple of months off) the threat of walking on icy hills leaves me cold. (Pun intended.) I've decided yoga would be good. It is a good muscle toner and bone builder. And I've noticed once in awhile lately, when I stand up I may take a side step or two. Hmm, balance? Nah. But maybe? I am getting older, much as I prefer to deny it.
10 years ago I decided to start horseback riding. I had always been a litte aftraid of being way up on that big horse. Actually, I was ok with the UP part. I was more concerned with the falling off part. Then one day I went white water rafting for the first time and I realized I had good balance. Why worry about falling off? So I started to ride. I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, I gave it up when we moved here.
Now I was back to wondering if my balance was as good as I thought it was. So I'm trying yoga. I'll let you know how it goes.

Snow

It's that time of year when snow brings mixed feelings. Well, maybe 'mixed' is a nice way to put it. Truth is, it's that time of year when the prediction of snow makes one sigh and want to pull the covers over one's head.

The truth is, how I feel about snow depends entirely on how much we have, and how often we've had it. The first snowfall is beautiful. A heavy snowfall can be fun. Sledding, snowmen, snow days are the best parts of winter. But while kids cheer when they have a snow day, after a week of snow days they are more than ready to get out of the house and go back to school and parents are holding that door wide open! After 4 months of cold weather and snow covered ground, we are all ready to see the bulbs poke through the ground and buds appear on the trees. We may have another several weeks of snow covered ground, so before it leaves I'd like to remind myself what I really like about the white stuff.

There are 4 things I really like about snow.

1) Snow fall softens the world. Stand outside while it snows and the world is silent. Snow doesn't make a sound as it falls. The birds and animals are quiet. And when it is over, the edges of the world have been smoothed over in a blanket of white. (I'm referring to a gentle, normal snowfall, not a Blizzard so keep that in mind!) When the sun comes out, the world sparkles.




Deer in the ravine



View of the ravine below our house.

 2) I can see the deer! This is probably my favorite thing about snow. There is a small herd of deer that travel around and through our neighborhood. They usually move at night and bed down during the day. Frequently they settle in the ravine below our house. I rarely see them most of the year, but when the snow is on the ground I can sometimes pick them out in the underbrush. Their camouflage is very effective, but I've learned to look for the 'rocks' on the hillside and pick out the ones that change location from day to day. There is one tree stump with underbrush that can look remarkably like a buck, but I've never seen a buck down there and it never moves. Rarely can I see all 4 deer in the herd, but I know if I see 2 the other 2 are there somewhere. When the snow is gone, the 'rocks' are well hidden in the underbrush and my deer viewing is over.



Close up of  ravine hideaway. Deer like to hide in the thicket during the day. Sometimes I can see them. Other times....not so much!

3) The exercise--The first winter we were here I was really annoyed by the daily inch or two of snowfall. By the end of that winter I had to admit all that shoveling helped keep me in shape. A little snow fall is as good as a 2 mile walk for getting the blood moving. After enduring 3 heavy snowfalls last winter, this year we bought a snow blower. I still shovel when we get just an inch or two. The snow blower on the other hand is a psychological boost when we get a good snowfall. So far this year, it has kept my primal scream at bay and proved it's value.


4) At night my view of the neighborhood reminds me of a Currier and Ives picture. We live on a hill and when I look out our window I have a great view of the town below. Houses line the street as it winds down the hillside. The night view is one of lights; lights in windows, by front doors, on lamp posts. The lights tie us together in a sense of community. Cover the terrain in white snow and the night takes on a brighter glow. It reminds me of the old Currier and Ives pictures of New England neighborhoods, minus the horse and buggys.


I've lived in the sunny south too long for winter to ever become my favorite season, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy certain aspects of it. So for the next few weeks, I'll continue to watch the deer and get my workouts, even as I count the days until I head to Florida for a two week warm-up!

10,000 Steps

I've been on a quest lately. It is to increase my activity. To that end, I have set a goal of 10,000 steps a day. This is not a random number. It is one that keeps popping up in various places. One year at work someone gave us pedometers to help us track the number of steps we walked each day. That was probably the first time I heard we should try to walk 10,000 steps a day. Being teachers, and always on our feet, I am sure most of us figured that was going to be easy. I was surprised to see I didn't walk that much. Of course, at that school the library was located right next to the office, mailboxes, bathrooms and cafeteria. I soon realized that being on my feet didn't automatically translate into walking. It just wasn't happening.

After I retired and moved, it got much worse. Not only wasn't I walking a lot, I was much more sedentary. I wasn't on my feet nearly as much. I could grab a beer and a bag of chips and settle down to watch TV in only 10 steps. I didn't need a pedometer to know I was in trouble. But those fitness experts, health experts, and others kept telling me my heart, muscles, and bones needed 10,000 steps to stay fit. Well-meaning nags!

A couple of months ago I read a book called The Wildwater Walking Club. The main character was trying to do the same thing...walk more. She got a pedometer and started walking. I loved the beginning. Day 1--11,032 steps. Day 2--OUCH 232 steps. The book was a fun read but I was most impressed when I read the author's note at the end. While she had been writing the book, she managed to get in 10,000 steps every day. I was impressed.

Recently I was given a new pedometer. I decided it was time to reach the goal. I have begun walking purposefully on a daily basis. Over the years I've let Maggie's interest in checking out who's been where influence my gait. No more. If she wants to walk with me, she has to stop sniffing at every tree or mailbox. For the most part I have been successful.

It seemed to be a lot easier in the summer. I was pretty active working in the yard and keeping busy. Now with fall approaching I'm not as busy. It's getting harder. Weekends are the worst. We go, but that doesn't mean we walk. Last Saturday I counted off 4300 steps! Hmm, not good. The challenge continues. As of this writing, I'm only at 9400 for the day. Guess I'd better get off the computer and go run around the house a few times.