Most recently updated January 17th, 2022
– – The persistent rain through the majority of the work week kept me indoors more than I like for Week 3 of the training.
I saved my “official” hikes for the end of the week when the sun reappeared, but earlier in the week I took some shorter walks (< 5 miles) between the raindrops in Bond Park and Davis Park along the Black Creek Greenway.
The water was really high in Bond Lake and Black Creek in Bond Park.
Strength Building – Company Mill & Multi-Use Trail, 6.5 miles
My Strength Building hike for the week went into Umstead State Park, from the Harrison Ave entrance side.
I loaded 20 pounds in the pack and walked the first half of the Company Mill trail, then took the multi-use trails past Reedy Creek Lake and returned on the last little bit of the Loblolly Trail to create a 6.5 mile route.
I saw our snake buddy near the same spot we saw him last Sunday. He seemed pretty calm….
A Modified Reopening Phase 2 started May 22….
The Guv released a modified Phase 2 on Friday, which included increasing allowed outdoor group size from <10 to < 25 people.
Long Hike – Company Mill & Sycamore, 8-9 miles
So I updated the week’s “long” group hike to hold up to 20 people (plus me) on an 8-9 mile loop using the Company Mill Trail and the Sycamore Trail in Umstead State Park.
(You can see all of the park’s current restrictions here.)
We ran into our favorite snake on the trail again. He’s getting to be a regular 🙂
There were a lot of people in the park, but it’s still less crowded than normal ( and less crowded than the garden centers were this weekend).
We had a shorter route option but everyone – even the first timers – chose to do the longer hike. What a great group!
Beaches Are Beckoning
Even with some restrictions still in place for North Carolina beaches, it’s hard not to head to the coast when the weather is nice.
If you’re not allowed to sunbathe, you might be able to get out on a hiking trail near the beach.
Though State and National Parks are still partly closed, some trails and facilities are available. I plan to check it out ASAP – and I’ll let you know what I find 🙂
You can find a list of North Carolina State Parks, and a map that shows which ones are near the beach here.
While some State Park beaches and beach trails on the Coast are open, all inland swim beaches and swim areas are CLOSED.
(This includes the swim beaches at: Cliffs of the Neuse, Goose Creek, Hanging Rock, Jones Lake, Lake James, Lake Norman, and New River (Elk Shoals access) state parks; the swim piers at Lake Waccamaw, Pettigrew, and Singletary Lake state parks; and all swim areas at Falls Lake, Jordan Lake, and Kerr Lake state recreation areas.)
All Visitor’s Centers are also still closed.
In addition to hiking this week, I also kick-boxed, ran on my treadmill and outdoors, lifted some weights, and did some Bodyweight Training exercises.
So with 3 weeks down of the allotted 6 weeks to get back in shape , we’re halfway through. I’m not seeing the results I’d hoped for yet, but I’ll keep trying 🙂
If you’re local and would like to join us, check out the I’d Rather Walk Meetup for hike postings.
I hope you’ve found my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂 To see more of them go to my Training Log.
Take a look at my 6 Week Training Plan post to see what other kinds of training I’m doing, and what other hikes I’ll have coming up.
Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ
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LJ has spent much of her free time as a single Mom – and now as an empty-nester – hiking in the US and around the world. She shares lessons learned from adventures both local and in exotic locations, and tips on how to be active with asthma, plus travel, gear, and hike planning advice for parents hiking with kids and beginners of all ages. Read more on the About page.