Slow and Steady

Remember the story of the tortoise and the hare?  Its an old fable written by Aesop.  As the story goes, a hare teases a tortoise because he is slow.  He challenges him to a race.  It doesn't really take much effort for the hare to leave the tortoise far behind.  So confident is the hare, that he decides to take a nap part way through the race.  Well, as you might have figured, while the hare is sleeping, the tortoise has passed him.  The tortoise ends up winning the race.  Well, I may have been born in the "Year of the Rabbit", but I am definitely more of a tortoise.  I've never been the fastest but I do keep going.   I think that's what important, don't you?
Last night, my husband replaced the parts on our ever dysfunctional sleep number bed.  When he was done, he called me upstairs to set my new number.  I should have known better, but I set the bed at 55.  When we originally bought it, I was a 35, but lately I've been sleeping on his side and he's a 65.  Lost yet?  Well, with my back issues, I don't do well on firm mattresses.  Its been an issue for years especially when staying in hotels.  It is often quite painful, so we tend to lean toward the ones with softer beds.  You know?  If Mamma's not happy, no one is.  To make a long story short, I screwed up.  I had set the bed too high and this morning, at around 0430hrs, I woke up with excruciating pain in my back.  I could not move.  I rolled just a bit and was in tears.  My husband went down and got Soy Milk so I could take Motrin.  Before long, I fell back to sleep.  Just before 0600hrs, the alarm sounded and we got up to start the day.  I moved very slowly.  I didn't think I would be able to work out.  I had one thing going for me.  I knew my body.  I knew what I was feeling was not something I needed to see a doctor for.  There was no distinct twinge like in past injuries.  It was just a muscle strain from sleeping on a hard mattress.  I knew I would recovery quickly.  I just had to move slowly...like the tortoise from Aesop's fable.  I thought about it.  When I had back pain, what had helped in the past?  One answer.  Yoga.  So, I went down to the gym and got my thick mat.  Just to be safe, I wanted all the cushion I could get.  Then, I turned on the television.  Just five steps towards relief...Step One- On Demand, Step Two- Sports and Fitness, Step three- Exercise TV, Step four- Yoga and Pilates, and Step Five- Athletic Stretch with Kathy Faulstich (a 17 minute yoga based recovery workout).  No charge.  After just seventeen minutes, I felt much more flexible.   I was ready to walk.  http://www.exercisetv.tv/ 
I didn't want to walk the treadmill.  I didn't even want to walk outside.  I needed someplace where I felt comfortable taking my time.  So, I went to the mall and walked.  The mall is an excellent place to walk if you are recovering from an injury.  You see all types there.  There's the older folks (some of the older couples even hold hands while they walk), the mom's pushing strollers (today, I saw a dad pushing a stroller), the vets (I've noticed its a great place for veterans to hang out and tell war stories), the folks with canes or crutches, the ones who never seem to stop talking on their cell phones, the non-English speakers, and the Olympians (that's what I call the ones who think its a race).  Most smile and say "Good Morning."  Some just smile.
In the end, I did three complete laps.  According to my pedometer reading, I did 6.028 miles or 12, 719 steps.  Of course, I did make a stop at Target on the way home, but I was in and out.
While I was there picking up ingredients for BLT's and TLT's (Bacon, Lettuce and tomato sandwiches and Turkey Bacon, Lettuce and tomato sandwiches), I decided to give these Fiber Plus bars a try.  I grabbed all four flavors (Chocolate Chip, Dark Chocolate Almond, Chocolatey Peanut Butter, and Caramel Coconut Fudge).  They are all 35 % of your daily fiber, and only 7 grams of sugar.
Chocolately Peanut Butter is 3 grams of protein, the others are 2 grams.
Most are 130 calories per serving (except for the Chocolate Chip which is only 120 calories).
The chocolate chip also has a coupon on the back for 70 cents off of a box of Fiber Plus cereal.  http://www.kelloggsfiberplus.com/home.aspx  I'm thinking of having another family taste taste.   I hope they agree.  They didn't really like the Kashi bars.  Thought they were too dry and reverted back to the higher sugar Nature Valley.  I can't say much.  The Nature Valley bars are yummy.  : )   http://www.naturevalley.com/