Join me by pulling up a chair and pouring yourself a cup of coffee. As always, though, I’m sticking to water since I don’t care for coffee or tea. Let’s take a break and talk about more than just fitness related topics. Sound like a plan? I’ll kick us off..
If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that…..
We spent October exploring two incredible national parks: New River Gorge and the Great Smoky Mountains! While our hiking didn’t hit the numbers we hoped for, and leaving the bikes at home was a surprisingly smart move (not many great trails there), I’m still thrilled with my fitness stats and the sheer number of workouts I completed throughout the month.
If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that…..
After extensive research, I replaced my old watch with the Garmin Lily 2 Active. It’s the perfect size for everyday wear while offering the features my previous, larger Garmin lacked. Now that I wear the Lily daily, my Fitbit has been relegated to a drawer to await its fate.
During the few days I wore both devices, I noticed interesting tracking differences. The new Garmin is much more generous with recorded sleep time, seemingly less harsh on my occasional tossing and turning. Conversely, the Fitbit was much more generous with my daily step count.
While I’ll adapt to the new stats, I will certainly miss the friendly weekly Fitbit step competition I shared with my brother.
If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that…..
The new Garmin is great, but I’m still trying to build the habit of turning it on to track my weightlifting sessions. So far, I’m 0 for 4!
If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that…..
We transplanted this peach-colored rose from Mom’s garden back in early June. It’s blooming again for the third time since I brought it home from the farm. It’s in full bloom now – this picture of its tight bud is from October 26. Mom loved peach colored roses so I’ll do my best to keep this teacup rose bush thriving in her memory.
If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that…..
About a month ago, my car developed a horrific smell—we suspected a dead mouse. The true source was much worse: salmon liquid had leaked from a package after a Costco trip and sat in a reusable bag for two days. I’d unpacked the groceries and returned the bags to the car in the hot garage (for my next shopping trip), allowing the mess to ferment until it was truly beyond ripe. Unfortunately, both the stinky shopping bag and the organizing bag it sat in had to be sacrificed and thrown away.
If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that…..
I thought it would be fun to share a few more interesting facts about myself:
- • After playing the clarinet in 5th and 6th grade band, the director gently suggested I switch to sports in 7th grade. In 8th grade, I started track, and the rest is history!
- • In 8th grade, three nervous friends and I walked into the principal’s office during lunch and asked permission to start a girls’ track team. He said yes, our PE teacher agreed to coach (I doubt she was even paid that season!), and the team was formed. That’s a story I need to write a full post about someday.
- Questions:
- • Do you have any flowers that are still blooming? ~ We haven’t had a hard frost yet so I have dipladenia, clematis, impatiens, and the teacup rose I mentioned above still blooming.
- • Do you use a tracking device to record your non-cardio exercise? ~ I haven’t in the past, but plan to start if I ever remember…
- • If we were having coffee, what would you tell me?
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Today I’m joining Deborah at Confessions Of A Mother Runner and Coco at Running With Perseverance for their monthly Ultimate Coffee Date linkup which goes live the first Friday of every month. Be sure to stop by their blogs for a cup of coffee and to say hello; and while you’re there, be sure to check out some of the other bloggers who are participating in the linkup.
Actually, the differences in sleep and steps make sense to me. Compared to my Garmin stats, your sleep seemed quite low in your weekly reports. On the other hand, your steps were always much higher than mine although I run quite a bit and you are more of a cyclist than I am.
I’m excited to see your new stats! (for reference, my sleep is currently at 7h 32 minutes and my steps are at 16’000).
That’s a cool story about you starting a girls’ track team. Kudos to that PE teacher, too! And yes, you absolutely should write about it!
Yesterday’s bike ride really put things into perspective with the Garmin and Fitbit step comparison. Garmin recorded less than 700 steps over 70 miles – all from when I was off of my bike at porta potties, in the bike shop, etc. My Fitbit would have registered over 20,000 steps for the ride, and if it had been a bouncy gravel ride, a whole lot more.
I need to contact my friends to see what else they remember about our meeting with the principal and write about starting the track team. 🙂
I think I’ve got a Fitbit laying around here in a junk drawer…just saying. Your National Park trips look amazing. That’s on my bucket list for sure. Nothing blooming here. we’ve had several frosts. That rose is beautiful.
Thanks, Marcia – lots more national parks trips are being planned. 🙂
I really enjoyed having a Fitbit for over ten years, but with needing to replace my Garmin watch it seemed like a good time to combine the two methods of tracking sleep and steps. I don’t even know if Garmin watches back then recorded sleep and if they did, they were too huge for me to want to wear them all of the time.
My flowers are looking pretty sad at the moment and the deer ate the musk I planted out front. Thinking of replacing them with faux plants for the winter. Sigh
The peloton strength classes push to Garmin so I have a record of those but I don’t really use that for anything. Peloton itself keeps great track of everything! Are you still thinking of getting yourself one? Highly recommend -I know you would love the cycling and strength lmk if you have question
Funny thing – after my coffee update posted, I looked outside and all but the rose had succumb to the overnight frost.
Yes, I’ll let you know if I get the Peloton bike. I’m sure I’ll have lots of questions!
Ewww on the mouse.
I have an old Garmin but I don’t use it except for races and so far it does what I need. I use my apple watch for everyday stuff. My fitbit is who knows where. I remember those step counting days.
My cactus is blooming too. Though one has died. 🙁
I played violin but gave it up in HS..
Well, it wasn’t a dead mouse, just smelled like one!
I’m impressed you played violin, that sounds difficult.
Awh, I love that you have your mother’s rose bush, and it’s thriving! I have my grandmother’s diffenbachia, which has to be at least 40+ years old. Ice cut it back numerous times, and it’s still going strong. It reminds me of so many treasures times with my grandmother. As for outdoor plants…I’ll be bringing in my potted plants this weekend so they can “winter” in my basement.
I love that you still have your grandmother’s diffenbachia. I have my grandmother’s pencil cactus.
How nice to have that rose from your mom’s plants — and lovely that it is blooming now.
Ugh on the stinky salmon juice — hopefully the air cleared after you tossed the bags out.
I think Garmin stopped making the Venu Sq — did you notice that?
After you suggested I look at the Garmin Venu Sq I decided it was the one I wanted, only to learn it had been discontinued.
Luckily, there was no odor left in my car after we took the stinky bags out.
And yes, I love having Mom’s rose. It started budding right after we got home from her funeral.
Aww, yay for New River Gorge! I used to live about 40 min from there when I was in med school before it became a national park—I wish I could’ve gone there more often. *-*
So sorry to hear about the salmon juice leakage but glad you managed to find the culprit!
That’s awesome how you started the track team and props to that PE teacher!
That whole area is so pretty! One of the most stunning fall pictures I’ve ever taken was at Cooper’s Rock overlook when we visited our son who attended West Virginia University.
Oh, yuck! Your poor car! Hopefully the smell left with the gross bags!
Everything is always blooming here. Even on the coldest days, things are still mostly green.
I do track non cardio fitness. I like to see the numbers add up!
Fortunately, my car was fine once the bags were removed.
I’ve been surprised by how many of my flowers are still blooming this late in the year – roses, dianthus, and just the other day irises. It’s been such a nice bonus.
Your national park trips looked amazing!
Interestingly, we had a frost the night I posted this and all of my flowers except for the teacup rose were killed.