10K at Antrim Lake

I was in Chicago for business Thursday and Friday and am now catching up on the blog.  I didn't exercise in Chicago, so I had two days off from the power walk streak.

Thursday - Day 12 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: hard boiled egg
Lunch: Chicago style pizza - yes, really, but since it was a personal deep dish pizza, I treated it like a bread bowl and didn't eat the bread at all - so I ate Canadian Bacon, tomatoes/sauce, mozzarella, spinach, and mushrooms
Dinner: Amish chicken and asparagus
Drinks: water all day plus 3 glasses of red wine at dinner and afterward in the hotel bar
Snack: peanuts

Friday - Day 13 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: 2 eggs scrambled and 3 strips of bacon
Lunch: fresh spinach salad, no dressing, turkey and roast beef lunch meat, provolone and cheddar cheese
Snack: red pepper hummus with cucumber, celery, and baby broccoli
Dinner: a soda pop sized can of tomato juice on the plane
Drinks: water all day

Today - Day 14 of South Beach Diet
Breakfast: South Beach book recipe for small spinach quiches - I had 2
Lunch: Chipotle salad with romaine, chicken, hot sauce, and guacamole (during break between Jason's double-header baseball game)
Snack: a few handfuls of Soy Nuts
Dinner: roast beef (from crock pot) and a 5.5oz V8
Drink: water all day

Since I took two days off, I was determined to get a great walk in today.  Despite the 87 degree F temperature and 80% humidity, I walked a 10K (6.2 miles) and did it in 1:35.48.  The 5K was 46:50.  The full miles were 15:33, 15:10, 14:47, 15:31, 15:39, and 15:53. 

Jason had a baseball game in Powell today, so I walked around a lake/pond on the way home after his game: Antrim Park.  It was more challenging than running on pavement since it's a trail with crushed rocks.  Some of the areas were a bit washed out and it wasn't smooth like I'm used to on the road.  However, as trails go, it is very sidewalk-like and easy to navigate.  The loop around the lake is 1.1 miles and about half of it is shady, thank goodness.  It was hot.  I carried my water bottle and did a pretty good job conserving water so I'd have it throughout the walk.

I was very tired and completely drenched afterward.  When I got home, I had to force myself in the shower to get off the salt because I just wanted to curl up on the bed and sleep.  I feel a little better after a shower, food, and more water, but still sleepy.  My finger swelled up more after my walk, but it seems to be draining at least somewhat. It's not going down to the size of the other pointer finger, but it's smaller than when I got home and took off the sweat-soaked wrap.

This morning before Jason's game, I saw the massage therapist, Ann Leighton today.  We talked about my Lymphedema and she showed me how to activate the draining process.  The goal is to try to teach the fluid a new route out of my left hand/arm because it is having trouble draining.  I think the session helped a little with the draining, but it was most helpful to just learn about it and ask her questions. Ken and I can do a better job working on it from home now.  I may also go in occasionally for maintenance.  We'll see what my physical therapist says about it on Monday.