Nicola Cameron Writes

Time on Treadmill: 30 minutes.
Sweat Level: Dripping like a honeysuckle after the rain.

No, I’m serious about the post title. Because I spent about two hours in the garage tonight working on jewelry, unaware that it was 86°F with a heat index of 95°F, and I am freaking drenched. (Yes, I rehydrated and took electrolytes, and I feel okay, just moist.) I suppose all that really does is get rid of water weight, which is kind of a shame but whatevs. That being said, I have an awesome amethyst and silver bracelet in progress along with the blue jasper one, so there will be new pretties in the Etsy store soon along with the pendant and earrings I just put up today (I need to photograph two other earring sets tomorrow and add those as well — if you like garnet and silver, make sure you check them out).

In writing news, I did not write today because I kinda got distracted with the business side of the job — namely, doing promo, asking people what kind of swag they would prefer, talking with other writers about best promo methods, and looking into costs for things I can’t make like enamel pins. It did not help that the cats were crawling all over me today for reasons I still do not understand. I think tomorrow will be a bagel store writing day because I can get 3K cranked out there.

Time on Treadmill: 30 minutes.

So I’m incredibly late to the party, I know this, but I’ve learned that if I watch Stranger Things on my computer I can walk for at least twenty minutes without a problem. So that’s what I’ve been doing — I finished season one over the weekend and now I’m halfway through season two and really, really enjoying this show (yeah, I know there are some issues with season three, so don’t spoil me).

I also *touches fingertips together guiltily* kinda want to write an 80’s romance with SF or spooky overtones? I mean, I was a teenager during that time so I should be able to dredge up the appropriate memories and come up with SOMETHING, you know? Seeing as I already have three books on the writing desk, however, I think I have to let the back brain muse on the idea for a bit and see what it comes up with.

That is a perfectly reasonable question. I’m numbering these posts for two reasons — number one, it lets me keep track of how many days I’ve been doing this, which is useful from a statistics and goal achievement point of view. Number two, I’ve decided that I’m going to do this for a full year. Well, hopefully longer than that, but I’m going to record my walking workouts for 365 days and see how I feel at the end of it.

I know that nineteen days on, it’s already sooooooo much easier to walk around. I can go shopping without mentally wincing at the thought of having to slog around Kroger picking up food, I can step down from a curb onto the road without being super cautious in case my landing leg decides to buckle, I can get up from a sitting position without having to haul myself up — hell, even climbing stairs has gotten easier. And I have to say, my calves look sorta amazing right now. I always put on muscle fast, especially in my legs, and you can really tell from the knee down that I’ve been doing this for nineteen days.

But now that I’m feeling better, I have more endurance, and I actually have an appetite for more exercise, it’s time to take things up a notch. Tomorrow I’m going to start back at the gym for a three times weekly weights workout. My knee and thigh muscles need more work — my tendons keep popping out of place every time I sit down for longer than ten minutes — and putting in some upper body and core work sounds like a good idea.

And in case anyone’s wondering, I’ve lost seven pounds. Which is a drop in the bucket if I must be honest, so I’m not worrying about it. It’s more important that I can get around more easily and gracefully again. Man, if I can get back to a point where I can go dancing again, that in itself will make everything worth it.

MAN, I woke up feeling productive. Did my thirty minutes on the treadmill, got two sets of earrings done, tumbled the settings for the blue jasper bracelet, put a hammered texture on a piece of silver that will be die cut into circles for the amethyst bracelet, made word quota, and started watching season one of Stranger Things because I tried watching episode one of season three and I have no idea who any of these people are (it doesn’t help that two of the boys look remarkably alike). That being said, as a 53-year-old I am very much digging the Eighties vibe of this show, and I’m looking forward to seasons two and three.

I have also learned that if I spend more than an hour in a really hot garage I need to hydrate and take electrolytes, otherwise my hands start shaking and I can’t solder accurately. So at least I know about that now.

Well, I got today’s half hour in, and I dusted and vacuumed the dining room in between Sections One and Two because Lord, we have five cats and cat hair everywhere. Oh, and then I decided to wipe down the treadmill because it was kinda dusty in places. And then I folded laundry, and went out to get dinner, and did some jewelry fabrication out in the garage …

And I kinda want to get back on the treadmill and walk some more? Either my endurance is coming back or I’m genuinely becoming addicted to cardio, I’m not sure which. Also, the cats are quite offended that I keep stealing their favorite place to snooze, but seriously, guys, we have THREE CAT TREES. Not to mention all of the cat baskets, a sofa, a futon, and the guest room bed. You do not have to camp on the treadmill just because I’m using it, honestly.

EDIT: It is now 2:39 AM and I just finished twenty minutes on the treadmill because I could NOT get to sleep. My brain kept saying, “You didn’t walk today.”

“I know, but I spent two hours in a pool and have the sunburn to prove it.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t walk.”

“But I walked around in water.”

“Yeah, but …”

“Fine. I’ll get up and knock out twenty minutes. Will that keep you happy?”

“Yes.”

So there you are. Apparently cardio is addictive.

I did not walk on the treadmill today, people. I freely admit that, and will take whatever ridicule and castigation you choose to hand out.

Before you dish out said ridicule and castigation, however, let me say that I did not walk on the treadmill because I spent two hours in a pool walking back and forth, bouncing up and down, and generally hanging out with my writing group while celebrating the Fourth of July. And considering that I am 1) somewhat sunburned, 2) completely wiped, and 3) just want to go to bed, I figure the pool time more than fulfilled my walking goal for the day.

Also, I took a shower before climbing into my jammies and I don’t want to change back into workout clothes and get all sweated up again. Hey, a girl has to have some standards.

I wish I could say the sweat was from treadmilling (yes, I got thirty minutes in), or lifting weights, or doing some sort of healthy exercise. But it’s mainly from working in a hot garage while I added to the heat with butane and propane torches.

Yeah, I’m making jewelry. The pendant shown at left, to be specific (although I decided against the silver balls, as they made the top look crowded once the bezels had been soldered on) — fossilized yellow coral set with citrines on an 18 GA sterling silver backplate. After getting everything cleaned up and polished, I put it in the tumbler where it’ll be burnished by steel shot overnight (seriously, this works great. I add about a pound of different shapes of steel shot to water, a cupful of burnishing compound and a couple of drops of Dawn dish detergent, then pop in whatever needs to be burnished, and it comes out gleaming the next morning.

And I hear you saying, “Well, that’s nice, Nic, but did you do any, you know, writing today?” As a matter of fact I did, on both King of Blades (up to 10K and three chapters now) and the holiday novella One Sweet Christmas. Depending on how much work I get done in the next two weeks I may have to bump Blades to an August release, which wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing since it could get included in a NYT list of indie releases in August – October if I do that. We’ll have to see.

I don’t know why I’m so tired, but I am. I just want to go to bed, but I know if I do it now (8:47 PM) I’ll be up at 1 AM and whoops, there goes my circadian cycle.

So I’m making myself stay up until 10 PM at least, at which point Grandma here can go to bed. While I’m waiting, I’ll knock out that thirty minutes on the treadmill. Maybe the cardio will help keep me awake. Or I’ll fall over and break something, who knows.

That beings said, this also makes two complete weeks of walking for thirty minutes, give or take, every day, and I’m here to tell you that it really has made a difference. My legs are more toned, as is my butt (the skin on it has gotten the tiniest bit deflated, which makes me happy), it’s easier to bend over, it’s easier to walk around, and I just don’t feel as sick and defeated as I had two weeks ago. And yeah, there’s been some minor weight loss as well, which is nice, but once again that’s not the goal. Nic wants to be able to walk long distances without wanting to be put out of her misery, and this is really the only way to do it. Thank God Ramón bought that treadmill 15 years ago, that’s all I have to say.

I’ve also learned that a 24-hour Claritin every day is a must, not only to dry up my sinuses but to stop my joints from reacting to whatever allergen is freaking them out. Good to know.