My husband received new Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trekking Poles for Christmas.
The trekking poles made a huge difference when we hiked in the Italian Dolomites this past fall, so we thought it would be good for him to have a pair of his own.
The area has had terrible landslides and the trails were closed in some places. The mountain hike led us through all types of terrain, or as my husband commented “the Dolomites has complex geomorphology” Go figure.
Despite the various aches, pains, and torn up knees, we’ve traveled a lot this year:
In February, we cruised through Asia – visiting Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia. We got to ride an elephant and saw temples in Siem Reap, including the Angkor Wat temple complex.
In May, we did a quick trip in the British Isles and France. Highlights of that trip included visiting Eric and Helen at their new home in Ripe, East Sussex. We then took a cruise that included biking on the island of Sark- an island in the southwestern English Channel, off the coast of Normandy, France.
We had to rent bikes because, with a population of about 600, Sark is one of the few remaining places in the world where cars are banned from roads and only tractors and horse-drawn vehicles are allowed.
Worth reading is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, about the people of Guernsey [also a Channel Island] during World War II, their taste in books, and the impact the German occupation had on their lives.
Dublin, of course included a trip to the Guinness Storehouse, as well as various pubs along the way.
![2017 Lismore, Ireland [County Waterford]](http://kickboxingdiva.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/IMG_0985-e1514086595347.jpg)
It was a treat to see Monet’s Gardens at Giverny, France. Some of his most famous paintings were of his garden in Giverny, with archways of climbing plants entwined around colored shrubs, as well as the water garden, formed by a tributary to the Epte, with the Japanese bridge, the pond with the water lilies, the wisterias and the azaleas.
Taking a break, we made our way to Las Vegas, Nevada in July. We watched the NBA Summer League and had a great time.
September saw us in the Alta Pusteria Valley, in the northern Italian Dolomites. It’s an area renowned for its 3000m jagged peaks of pale, heavily-eroded limestone that shoot up from green pastures and pretty meadows and is recognized by UNESCO as a unique and spectacular mountain environment. We stayed in Dobbiaco, Italy and hiked trails in the area.
Walking sticks were a must as it was unseasonably snowy. The days and the hiking trails became a little unpredictable. We will probably do something similar in the future as we met great people and had a ball.
We took a quick cruise to Mexico in November, stopping at Cozumel and Costa Maya to see the Chacchoben Ruins.
Wrapping up 2017 in Hawaii, healthy and happy. Taking golf lessons at the Mid Pacific Country Club, starting to work out again with my Body Opponent Bag, tennis and enjoying walks in the sunshine.
Mele Kalikimaka everyone!
What an amazing time we’ve had these past few months! We traveled to London, UK to visit with best friends and family and then headed out on a cruise through the Baltic. After that, we traveled to Jamaica to attend a friend’s wedding. Finally, we returned to New York!
When we began the cruise, we stopped off in Amsterdam, Netherlands and visited the Van Gogh Museum. Just a hint: be sure to order tickets online or be prepared to wait a long time to get into the very small museum.
Our next day was spent traveling from the North Sea to the Baltic via the Kiel Canal, Germany. We had an amazing suite overlooking the ship’s prow.
Once we arrived in Stockholm, Sweden, we took a tour of the waterways [boring] then walked through the Gamla stan (The Old Town). The streets were closed down for the 15th Stockholm Half Marathon. It was fun to see all the runners and the celebrations.
In Tallinn, Estonia, we walked on our own into the quaint old city and went shopping. The woolen goods are gorgeous, well made and reasonably priced. Woo hoo!
Two days in St. Petersburg, Russia meant we visited the Hermitage, Peterhof Palace, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood and cruised down the River Neva.
The Old Town of Riga, Latvia had lots of medieval culture and Art Noveau architecture to explore.
Despite mockery by our friend, Eric, our excursion to the former missile silo in the Zemaitija National Park in Klaipeda, Lithuania was terrific. The best par
t of it was listenin
g to the guide’s childhood stories and the gradual growth of his sense of Latvian pride and nationalism.
We had the opportunity to visit the Louisiana Museum outside of Copenhagen, Denmark and saw the Yayoi Kusama: In Infinity exhibit. It was terrific fun.
Thought I would try to do some easy exercises while I lay on the beach (while not attracting lots of attention):
Hand Exercises: Using a Hand/Finger/Forearm Strength Trainer, I did a hundred repetitions while suntanning on the beach.
Side Leg Lifts – Side leg lifts work the abs, especially the hard to get at obliques, as well as the inner thigh. Lie on your side with your legs stacked and your head resting on your arm. Tighten the muscle in the front of the top thigh and lift that leg into the air. Hold for one count, lower to touch the bottom leg and then lift again.
Lying on your back, bend your knees into your chest and bring your arms out at a T. As you exhale lower your knees to ground on the right. Keep both shoulders pressing down firmly. If the left shoulder lifts, lower your knees further away from the right arm. Hold for 1-2 minutes each side
Lying on your stomach, prop yourself up on your forearms. Align your elbows directly under your shoulders. Press firmly through your palms and the tops of your feet. Press your pubic bone forward. You will feel sensations in your lower back, but breathe through it. You are allowing blood flow into the lower back for healing. Hold for 1-3 minutes.OK- It’s been a couple of years since I’ve had a gym that offers kickboxing classes near to me anymore so I thought I would start up again with the very basics. I’ve copied a Fitness Magazine article that includes a 10 minute kickboxing workout [with pictures] into my Guidance and Exercise section. There is a nice short workout and illustrates how to do each move.
10-Minute Fat-Burning Routine (Do it twice and you’ll burn about 170 calories.)
| Minutes: | Combination Moves: |
| 0:00–2:00 | Jab, cross, hook, uppercut lead with left (30 seconds each) |
| 2:00–4:00 | Jab, cross, hook, uppercut lead with right (30 seconds each) |
| 4:00–5:00 | Front Kick (30 seconds each, left and right) |
| 5:00–6:00 | Roundhouse kick (30 seconds each, left and right) |
| 6:00–7:00 | Side kick (30 seconds each, left and right) |
| 7:00–7:30 | Combination (left foot forward): Jab (L), uppercut (R), Front Kick (L) |
| 7:30–8:00 | Combination (right foot forward): Jab (R), uppercut (L), Front Kick (R) |
| 8:00–8:30 | Combination (left foot forward): Jab (L), cross (R), Roundhouse kick (L) |
| 8:30–9:00 | Combination (right foot forward): Jab (R), cross (L), Roundhouse kick (R) |
Workout designed by Ilaria Montagnani, creator of Powerstrike kickboxing and a black belt in karate.
Time to retest baseline fitness! (It’s been a crazy couple of years so I did not have high expectations.) I used the tests outlined on The TopEnd Sports Page. These are tests that can be done at home with minimal or no equipment. The tests are designed to quickly gauge a person’s general fitness level and to act as a benchmark for future testing. After taking the test, you may wish to train for a few months. Then, take the test again and compare the results.
Although there are six tests, I did only the first three — Push ups, Sit ups and Squats.
Push Ups: I did the modified push up with a “bent knee” position. (To do this, kneel on the floor, hands on either side of the chest and keep your back straight. Lower the chest down towards the floor, always to the same level each time, either till your elbows are at right angles or your chest touches the ground.) I was able to complete 35 push ups vs the 25 expected for my age group. Woo Hoo!
Sit Ups: You must count the number of sit ups you can do within one minute. The sit ups required that you (a) squeeze your stomach, (b) push your back flat and (c) raise high enough for your hands to slide along your thighs to touch the tops of your knees. I was able to do 45 sit ups versus the 27 expected for my age group. Again, I was cooking with gas.
Squats: The test has you stand in front of a chair or bench with your feet at shoulder’s width apart, facing away from it. Placing your hands on your hips, you squat down and lightly touch the chair before standing back up. A good sized chair is one that makes your knees at right angles when you are sitting. You keep doing this until you’re fatigued. I was able to complete 20 squats which is the level appropriate for my age group but I have to admit that I was not lightly touching the chair before standing back up. My knees were making a racket as well. I will stay away from squats for the time being.
Listening to old episodes of Fat2Fit radio (still my favorite although they’ve stopped recording), I remembered that I have to do weight training so I get my metabolism at a higher rate. I think it’s great that I can do some light weight training at home or while traveling with little or no equipment. Good luck with your training everyone!
We did the Lanikai Pillbox Hike on the Ka’iwa Ridge Trail in Oahu with Liz and Becca. The beginning of the trail is steep but the views of Lanikai and Kailua beaches are great. Currently, the state owns 4.07 acres of Lanikai Pillboxes trail, but it does not maintain the trail or put up signs on it. It is deemed an “unimproved trail.” That means it is not designated for public use or maintenance.
More information on Hawaiian walking trails can be found here:
http://alltrails.com/trail/us/hawaii/kaiwa-ridge-pillbox-trail
Desciption of the Lanikai ‘Pillbox’ Trail:
We are trying new sports! Hiking and swimming are our primary activities. We are also learning to play tennis and how to paddleboard. The weather has been great.
We are setting off for Tanzania next week!!! This will be my first safari and I’m not sure what to expect. I’m reading up a bit on Tanzania and it’s wildlife. The first book I read was My Serengeti Years: The Memoirs of an African Game Warden by Turner Myles. It was an interesting read because it presented stories of a world that is clearly gone. Myles wrote how much the Serengeti and the world had changed in his lifetime; I can’t imagine how much different it is today [can’t wait!!!].
I’ll be joining my husband there. Hopefully, we’ve packed appropriately. 🙂
Yes! I’m back!!!! It’s been a few months since I updated this site and I am in the process of revamping it. To bring you up to speed….over the past 6 months, we’ve been to:
All of it was simply amazing– we enjoyed ourselves tremendously!