I just got my car back, but during the past two weeks I walked a whole bunch of steps. My lower back did not like it much at all, but I did walk quite a bit and I may have even lost a few pounds.

July 5th - 11th: 58,332 steps (best days: Mon-Thurs; 3 days over 13K steps)
June 28th - July 4th: 55,556 steps (best days: Mon-Fri; 2 dys over 12K steps)

There were a couple days I did not wear my FitBit. Today I only logged about 8K steps, but I will try to walk a bit more before bedtime and try to get 9K steps or 10K steps for today.

I have a suggestion for shoes, nycfem: A couple years ago, back when I was still with the Physical Therapy team? One of the therapists made a recommendation to me and I went to a nearby specialty shoe store. I bought a few shoes made by a New Zealand shoe company: Ziera.

I really like the several pairs of Ziera shoes I bought: I bought two pairs of Gummibear shoes (in Red Rouge and Navy Blue) and a pair of dressy Mary Jane dress shoes, which are super cute, all of them. They are SO comfy. I spent a lot of money on those three pairs of Ziera shoes, but they are absolutely worth the money you invest to make sure your feet love you for a pair of wonderful shoes.

Here is a page I found online which shows examples of Ziera shoes. They have many styles, to choose from. Check out the Ziera link I first listed, so you can read about how this shoe company started. Their shoes are orthotic friendly, and engineered and designed by doctors who specialize in foot care (podiatry).

Thanks for sharing about being able to get outdoors for a bit. I know it must have felt so good.

Oh, you mentioned wearing a high quality mask and glasses. I bought a pair of shaded safety glasses, which wrap around my regular optical glasses. I bought mine at an Optical store, a couple years ago. Those are a bit spendy too, but the wrap-around effect to block light and other things from touching your eyes is worth the investment (I think).

Today I walked 10K to the shoe store and back and through the park. It was the first time I was in a store since the pandemic. I bought Saucony brand shoes (Hurricane 22). I bought 2 pairs of the store's brand of socks because I always wear double socks. I wore my new shoes and socks home. When I got home my decades old foot injury (left foot sesamoid fracture) was really bothering me, perhaps more so than ever. Ugh, I can't tell you how upsetting this is to me. I think this means I MUST take a break from my walks because... what if I fracture it again? I'm so frustrated because I was really loving my 10K per day walks. It's not like I can switch over to swimming or something different because of the pandemic. My walks were getting me outside and so mentally and physically healing after four months of being inside. Maybe I should truly rest my feet for a week. And then on August 9th BB and I go to the beach again for a week, so does that mean I shouldn't do my 10K on the sand by the water- which I love? I hate dealing with injury, but I know I need to watch it because I've never had this original injury act up the way it has been in 20 years. It sucks not having the gym where I could have been mixing my exercise up so as not to be putting such repetitive pressure on my feet. Feel free to offer suggestions. I will definitely try to only wear Thorlos socks which are great for feet. Wearing the store brand socks could not have helped. Maybe I could give it a few days rest and then just walk to the park with my weights and do yoga and ground exercises. I really have to get creative. Thanks for the opportunity to vent.

That is so frustrating. Have you thought about seeing if your primary doctor can refer you to a orthopedic physician, so they could get xray pics of your foot? And to see what can be done about it? I think it is wise to back off on your walking until you find out what exactly is causing your foot pain. Limit stressors occuring with your foot until doctors can treat your specific foot issue?

Im so sorry to hear this is causing you troubles. I hope you find out soon the exact problem with your foot that is experiencing pain. :rrose:

You're in my thoughts for wellness and speedy recovery.
:bunchflowers:

My guess, barefoot with hard surfaces. Think about how many little muscles and bones are in our feet and what we ask them to do. I do a lot of barefoot walking but after any real time off of barefooting (a couple of months) I always work my way back into it increasing slowly over time so that all the mechanics get adjusted to not being braced by footwear. If you are barefoot around the house alot this might not apply, but if you are used to cushioned surfaces with structural support (shoes)and going straight to multiple days of 10k+ I would bet on it. Buying new shoes might not work right away because they are unfamiliar too. I would try regular or light routine with normal footwear for a few days and then start taking shoes of for shorter periods at the end of the day when your feet are already tired to judge it.

Just my totally uneducated but used to hurting myself guess! I hope it feels better soon, in the mean time I would take shoes to the beach to have for part time and barefoot part time when it feels okay. Depending on how coarse or fine the sand is it can be a really hard surface when wet..

I have been getting back out pretty regularly myself. I finally decided that it was worth the risk to get some PT for my knee, it was hampering my life too much. The PT I saw briefly a few months ago was standard issue pointless as provided by insurance, the kind where you see them for 5 minutes before being turned over to an intern watching 5 people. Went twice and saw that going nowhere.

A couple of weeks ago I signed on with a very good holistic PT and started twice a week 1 hour one on one work. Private room, all sanitized for each person, masks etc. I am making great progress and wish I had started this sooner, better now than not though. The pain is gone but for an occasional reminder when I am on very uneven ground, we are working on soft tissue manipulation in session and then I have work to do on the other days around posture and gait, no actual specific knee exercises but more on focusing on stabilizing muscle throughout my body. I don't have arthritis (what the Dr said) but have hyperextended it badly and had habits that kept exacerbating things. I am walking at the beach on sand 3 miles at a time barefoot 4 days a week virtually pain free. Hallelujah!

:theisland:

I ran 5K this morning and I'm going to go for a walk this evening!

Shortly after my post my foot stopped hurting :praying:. Then today it did not bother me at all. So I think my extensive barefoot beach walking, particularly on the wooden paths combined with wearing new shoes and new socks is what did me in. I went back to my old shoes (old model asics shoes) and old socks (double Thorlos socks) and walked 5K today with no problems :goodluck:. Whew, what a relief! I think my new shoe and new sock purchase were poor choices, BUT at least I bought OOFOS sandals. Oh my goodness, those are a revelation. They were started by athlete who saw a need for recovery footwear to wear between work-outs. Gosh, they are like magic. I went to the grocery store today in NYC- first time in 4 months, and I paid a homeless man to carry half my bags home. We had the nicest conversation while walking. I've been wearing an N95 mask. I think I forgot to wear my glasses today. So many things to remember during the pandemic :vigil:

I never heard about OOFOS sandals or recovery specific footwear. This looks interesting! Will have to do some research on these, thanks. :)

clementinefemme, you mentioned yoga channel recs! Would love if you could post for all of us to see. Totally interested!

3 miles of sandy toes this morning. :cheesy:

Wed. July 15: 10K steps
Th. July 16: 7.5K steps
Fri. July 17th 11K steps

Since I like the oofos sandals so much, I decided to buy oofos slip on gym shoes. I wore them today and could not believe how comfortable they were. I ordered them a size too big so I wore them with three pairs of Thorlos socks. Wow, 11K and my feet did great! What a find! I was very surprised that a simple pair of slip on shoes would work so well.

11K steps today too.

Your new shoes sound real comfy, nycfem.
Later on this fall, I'm going shoe shopping again. :tea:

Yesterday morning 3 miles of Sandy toes. The beach I’ve been using for this last month is friendly to dogs on leash and for me that adds an element of fun, especially when there are young pups out getting their first taste of beach. Yesterday I saw something new, someone had a pig on a leash walking the surfline. The pig was having an absolutely marvelous time!

:theisland:

So those oofos shoes that I did my 10K in yesterday did not agitate my old injury which is always my primary concern but they are clearly not good for long walks. When I woke up, my ankles were in bad shape! They went back to normal when I started walking around but as one might expect, slip on shoes are not good for a 10K walk. I really need to wear good stability shoes that also have good shock absorption. I still stand by my oofos as a good between work-out shoe to wear around the house but not for a several hour walk.

Today I wore my old tried and trusted asics (gel kay-ayono 21). Since it was not dark I was able to walk in the park instead of on the streets which helps since the ground in the park is a kinder surface for feet. I was listening to a podcast on ticks while I walked called Tick Bootcamp. Then when I got home, I washed my hair and a bug fell out. Lovely! I don't think it was a tick but it was close enough that it freaked me out! Perhaps I should always wear a cap when I walk, even when it's not sunny, since I am walking under so many trees. I killed it between my fingers because when I started to shampoo my hair it fell from my hair onto my chest and was crawling there. I did NOT want to lose sight of it! Then I wrapped it in toilet paper and yelled for BB to come in to flush it down the toilet, lest it come back to life :|.

Anyway, I walked 10K today. It's really so nice to walk at sunset by the river. The park right by me is so vast and puts me by water and within so much green. It's a treat all around except for... that bug! :rainbowAfro:

That's funny that you say that because I also found that one of my favorite things about walking on the beach in Fire Island was seeing how happy the dogs were! My goodness- they just love the beach and ocean, and it's joyful to witness! The pig story is amazing! I want to have a pig and walk the pig along the ocean. That sounds like a life goal!

Since I pretty much never buy shoes and I’m super picky about what I put on my feet from a comfort point of view, I’ll throw my recommendation in the ring too.

I was looking for something I could use on the trails and on the beach when the sand is too cold that would mimic as closely as possible barefoot walking. I went to one of these runner stores that has the scanning device you stand on and measures your foot 16 ways from Sunday and told them what I was looking for. What they came up with and what I bought was a pair of Altra brand shoes in the “Escalante“ model. It is a zero lift shoe with no elevation under the heel, a wide toebox for unrestricted toes, and practically no padding for surface feel. For me they are magic and I love them, they suit my needs perfectly and while less than stunning in the looks department I don’t think they stand out in anyway. You would have to look down on them from the top to see how wide the toebox is, maybe something for Gemme.

My .02

I did not have an exercise experience today because it is Sunday and the beaches will be crowded with idiots. There will be a good low tide early tomorrow morning though and I will go be with the local regulars distancing and being safe.

Hey nycfem, are you doing 10Km or 10Ksteps?

Today I walked 7.5K steps (so yes to steps, Kelt, not miles). I have been walking slow, just two miles per hour, very relaxing. I tried out New Balance shoes -agreed, Gemme- like them very much! Thanks for the ideas and hints, friends. And, yes, I agree, Gemme, I am definitely adjusting to exercising after having been 4 months sedentary. Today is Day 19 walking! I also added in a neck fan (charges on the computer). Geeky but pleasant on super hot days! Since I can't do the gym I'm working with what I got... which is- being outside!

3 miles of Sandy toes this morning. Glad I skipped the weekend crazies. Early this morning foggy, only the dedicated walkers out. Just right. :cheesy:

Same as this today, for some reason tons of surf fishing going on.

:fishingboot:

My last three days of walking were:

July 20th 10K steps, 4.5 miles, New Balance shoes, size 11, concrete. My feet hurt after but not my old foot injury. Hard to know if it was from trying out New Balance or from walking on all concrete.

July 21st 11K steps, 5.1 miles, my beloved old asics gel-kayano 21 and in the park, no foot pain at all. Oh, the wish to be able to buy more of the old versions of perfect shoes. Size 10.5.

July 22nd 12K steps, 5.3 miles, Hoka shoes. Size 11- which was too large. Some pain after but manageable, walked in the park.

I feel like I am really getting in the groove of this walk routine. It has been since the beginning of July.

I have gotten lucky twice and been able to buy duplicates of perfect shoes on Amazon from independent sellers. One time I had to settle for a different color, but they were the same model. In both cases, there was only one pair for sale in my size, which leads me to think the sellers had found some closeout somewhere and bought them to resell. Both pairs were brand new in the box. It might be worth a try.

* * *

I did my PT exercises, a bit half-heartedly today. My right foot is flaring up a little, and I haven't yet decided if it makes it worse or better to exercise it, or to rest it for a day when this happens.

OK, so shoes we loved from the past got me to thinking and I remember shoes I had in high school that were all the rage, ugly as sin, and also simulated walking in sand designed by a Danish yoga teacher. I remember having to have them and so did everybody else, they were called earth shoes. Does anybody else remember these?

Anyway I decided to look them up to see if I could find an image to post and I found a throwback article about them and thought I would post it here. Earth Shoes.

Not an exercise post, just a blast from the past!

I didn't have earth shoes, but I did have a subsequent rendition - Birkenstocks. They widened my feet and now I have to wear a wide sized shoe. They sure were comfortable, though.

* * *

My physical therapist really gave my upper body a workout today. He was all about that giant rubber band, and adding extra resistance. He added some new positions today as well, including one overhead behind-the-head reach that nearly made me fall over backward. I moved one foot off the bed (I was sitting) to stabilize myself, and he was all like, "Put your foot back! Use the muscles in your core to stay upright!"

Today was PT for me too, tomorrow morning will be beach time before the weekend crazies descend. I was just thinking of picking up a pair of Birkies, it's been since about '78 but they were great and I need a pair of garden shoes to replace what I have worn out..



Okay, okay, I'll quit derailing.. :)

Tonight was 10K in the park. It was one of those days where a thunderstorm kept being expected, and I was overly tired from lack of sleep the night before... and I was just so down, thinking maybe I wouldn't get my walk in. But lo and behold I did! :cigar2:

I wore my asics gel-kayano 21 size 10.5 (newer versions suck for me). Also, thanks to Georgeoma'am I checked again to find them online and I found a super cheap used pair of them on ebay (just one there!), so I bought them. They look in pretty good condition, and these shoes do eventually fall apart, so an extra pair of my Cinderella gym shoe :blueheels: is very helpful! First Georgiama'am added Gochujang to my life which revolutionized my cooking, and now she led me to an extra pair of my favorite shoes. I think I have a guardian angel :praying:

I am quite the sight on my walks: airpods, mask, utility vest with pandemic-y supplies, blue gloves, neck fan, cell phone, cap... It's a bit like being inside a bubble. The park is glorious.

I took a walk with my mom this morning. It has been so hot that exercise has been suffering. No AC at work so the thought of exercising after sitting in a swamp all day is not very appealing. But it was nice and cool out this morning so I called my mom to see if she wanted to go walk before I went to work and she did so we put on our masks and had a nice walk chat. We will do that more often.

Got out for a great beach walk this morning, when I started it was cloudy from marine layer but pleasant and not many people out. I was nearing the end of my three mile route when the sun burned through and it was absolutely gorgeous, so I tacked on another mile and made it 4 for the day.

:theisland:

11,722 steps (5.35 miles), is what my Fitbit shows right now.

It was a beautiful day here, today, but scorching hot weather is just around the corner (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday). Over 100 degrees on those 3 days next week.

Just got through with water sets, and it's cool with a light breeze. Very enjoyable tonight.

Pretty sunset, too.

10K steps, 4.6 miles. I walked on the streets the whole time because it was too late for the park.

I wore my Hoka gym shoes, but this time with 3 pairs of Thorlos socks, and it worked! They had been too large, but tying the laces tight and wearing triple sports socks did the trick. Actually I never quite know if shoes worked until the next day, but my feet feel pretty good for walking two hours on concrete.

It was a Friday night so people were outdoor dining. They are not always really six feet apart, and it's kinda freaky to see people sitting at tables talking without masks. Even though it's outside, it still seems a little risky to me. At the same time, it was good people watching and nice to see the city not like a ghost town. And people were not acting wild... I just wouldn't feel comfortable with it myself. I would not feel relaxed. Honestly, even with a mask, I wasn't relaxed walking by them :vigil:

Today was Day 24 of my long walks. I feel so relieved that I was able to find a way to transition from my unavailable gym to the outdoors. Exercise always makes my day :goodluck:

I spoke too soon on my Hoka shoes. I woke up this morning, and my ankles were in such pain. Once I got up and took a bath and walked around, I was okay but I think Hoka, as much hype as they get, are too platform-y and big for me. One confounding variable: my walk last night was 100% concrete instead of the park.

Today I received my ebay 2nd pair of so-hard-to-find old version asics gel kayano-21 gym shoes, size 10.5 (worn w/2 pairs of Thorlos socks, one medium cushion and one maximum cushion). Gosh, for "used" they look better than mine. This person clearly didn't walk in the woods. I would have payed so much more for these. 20 dollars, what a deal.

So I walked in the park (sunset walk) with my fave shoes on trails, so nice. It was just an amazing evening. I walked 5K steps (2.25 miles), then did half hour of "gym floor" exercises (yoga, weights, 100 five-second sit-ups, etc), then another 5K steps (2.25 miles). The weather was just beautiful, and it was so nice to see people out safely on a Saturday evening. I brought two six pound weights with me and a Bearz waterproof tarp. I set them out in the park while I walked, which was cool, because neither are really worthy of stealing, though I guess one never knows. The weights hold down the tarp which works out well. Looking up at the sky while doing stretching and ab exercises never gets old.

Our apt is only half a block from the park but ideally I don't like to go back and forth from home to use the bathroom, especially if I'm deep into the park. I found a perfect spot to pee tonight. I always need to find a place that is not so hidden that I will be mugged or bitten by a tick and not so open that I will be seen. I found a great secret place. It involves walking up an incline that is covered in burrs, like so many of them. On the way down the little hill of burrs, I was caught off guard, and the burrs functioned like walking on top of little wheels, and I slid down onto my ass. Luckily my ass is very cushioned so it was nothing more than a bit of a surprise! And the best part was that no one saw me. Next time I'll try to do a little better with not slipping on them. This story is a little TMI but it's the reality of not being in the gym.

When I get home, I always have to wash my lower legs because they are covered in a layer of dirt. The trails generate a lot of dirt, but they sure are good for the feet.

Tomorrow night I set up a zoom with BB's relatives. I felt bad because I nixed us getting together with them, even outside, for obvious reasons. I will miss getting to walk during sunset when it's not as hot, but I do have my neck fan :rainbowAfro:.

@ nycfem
 

Your "tmi" about walking the trail with burrs reminded me of the urgent need to go pee and not close to a place where one can go pee in private.

One day, a few months ago, out on a 'mission', *lol*, I needed to do exactly that, but was not close to any place safe to go pee. In a panic, desperation set in, and luckily no one was in sight of my location, so behind a grove of trees, was the place safest to do it. I couldnt wait until i got home to take a long shower.

It is going to be terribly hot here today, so i do not have plans to get any steps in today. With things i plan to do at my stay-cation locale, I might get in about 3k-4k steps.

Better to stay inside and stay hydrated is probably the best thing i can do during this heat wave.

I am glad you are exercising alternative ways to visit your family, though. I have resisted visiting friends here at home or going to see my family because it is too huge of a health risk, right now. Texting with close friends and arranging to not be in the same place at the same time with close friends and kin (family) is the best defense right now.

Hope you have a wonderful visit with your family. :bouquet:

Shaved down my 5K time by a minute!

Gosh, when I wear my fave shoes and walk in the park I have no problems. I woke up with happy feet today. I walked 12K in the park (5.5 miles). And did my zoom meeting with Cindy's relatives laying on my tarp. It was breezy, and I brought my weights which held the tarp down (along with sticks in the ground through the corner holes. And carrying the weights was good exercise too. Summer loving, had me a blast :).

3.5 miles barefoot in sand, early morning, just the regulars were out. My favorite!

How long did that take you?

Evening walk in the park. 5.2 miles, 11.5K steps.

Riverside Park has an influx of raccoons. They are beautiful and fascinating but it's weird. I wonder why this has happened. It's like someone dropped off a truck full of raccoons. I take cool photos of them and we both keep a distance from each other. At one point I heard what sounded like a combination of a snort and a snarf, and it was one of the raccoons!

I continue to wear my favorite shoes and be happy in them.