Squeezing in exercise where I can

With my days being very busy these last few days, fitting in exercise was a bigger challenge, especially when fighting off a cold, but I think I found a new way to do it when the weather cooperates. My 5 year old's school is just under a half a mile from where we live and when the weather is nice, I walk him there and walk back - same for picking him up. However, even with walking him twice, it's total would only be eight tenths of a mile and half of it would be at a 5 year old's speed, not exactly strenuous exercise. Good for us both, yes, but hardly breaking a sweat. But... who says I have to walk directly home from his school in the morning and directly there in the afternoon? His school happens to be very near the lake too, so I can do a loop around the lake after dropping him off and before picking him up. That would make 2.6 miles at a fast pace for me, and then warm-up/cool down pace with him of the remaining .8 miles for the day. Going from zero miles walked when I drive him to 3.4 miles if I walk him and continue the walk.

I didn't think about extending the walk yesterday morning, but I did walk him and then carried on. Here's our route, near the lake on the way to school and away from the lake walking home:

But when I picked him up from school, I walked around the lake to get him and then walked a shorter route home:

The first half of the walk (upper portion) is completely flat. I was walking that portion about 4 miles per hour and my heart rate was 130 beats per minute average. The bottom half is all hilly, mostly going up in the direction I was going and there I was walking 3 miles her hour and my heart rate average there was 150 beats per minute and I was really pushing myself HARD because I was running late to get my son from school. I was supposed to be there at 12:15 pm yesterday, but made it at 12:17 pm, huffing and puffing and super red in the face from the exertion.

From the school back home, it was a leisurely 2.5 miles an hour walk, mostly flat, slightly downhill with the happy five year old. My shins are hurting a bit this morning.

Later that day I scrubbed the bathrooms which included on my hands and knees for the floors and our master bathroom is the size of a small bedroom. I hate cleaning that bathroom. Twice the floor means twice as long. The kid's bathroom (which only the five year old really uses much as our teen prefers the separate shower in the master bathroom) is much easier and faster to clean, but by the time I got to that, I was just plum tired.

Got my friend and her son from the airport and that was easier than it could have been traffic wise and now we're off to have a nice weekend. Starting with going to the National Zoo today on this gorgeous mid February day where the high is supposed to be 72 degrees and light breeze and partly cloudy skies. Perfection!

Stats for 2/18/11:

Beginning Weight: 255.6  Now: 243.0

Exercise totals walking in 2011: 149.55 miles
Hours exercised in 2011: approximately 43 hours