3,000 Crunches a Day

While I struggle at the gym with my routine, I'll be thinking of this athlete doing 3,000 sit-ups a day.

Fitness on the Road

Just outside of Patty's front door, on the northeastern slope of Mount Tamalpais, is a trail reserved for rugged recreational hiking.  After a leisurely and scenic morning coffee klatch on her deck, overlooking eastern Marin County and the bay, we communed with nature on a 90-minute hike down the canyon to Phoenix Lake.  Sally, the family's chocolate Lab, set an enthusiastic pace.  Despite my rigorous workouts over the past month, the return climb up, about 600 feet, seemed surprisingly strenuous.  The next day, Mike joined us on another hike, which we started at the trailhead off of Lagunitas Road in Ross.  We combined a few trails, with Hidden Meadows, being one of my favorites.  We all chatted, sometimes catching our breath among the redwoods, oaks and California bays, while maneuvering around tangles of tree roots, rocks and narrow paths with death-defying edges.  I'm asking Santa for hiking boots.  What an awesome workout!  Spectacular!

A New Look

Body changes are starting to occur. Amazing how you can see the same people at the gym, week after week, and they always look the same. Not me. My body is starting to take on a toner look. The butt is getting a lift, midriff is getting flatter, upper-thighs narrower, upper arms getting definition, and the face looks healthier and slimmer. I started taking a multi-vitamin to help supplement my excellent, but sometimes, iron-deficient diet. I'm beginning to feel like my 'ol self again. The blog has a new look, too.