Week 1: Fun with Pilates and Rain?

Most recently updated January 21st, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 2.3 minutes

– – I started the Awesome hike training again  this first Sunday, with a 30 minute Yoga/Pilates routine followed by a short 5.5mile hike in Umstead State Park.  

Hikers in Umstead State Park
Hikers in Umstead State Park

This was my first hike back after an extended respiratory illness – I’m still not anywhere near 100% – and my great group of hikers were incredibly kind.

And by that I mean, they didn’t hurt me 😉

The next couple of days, since I was still recovering from sinus and chest congestion, I thought it would be prudent to stay out of the cold and rain.

So, Monday I spent some time in my home gym, first with some stretches, then hiking 3 miles briskly on my treadmill uphill as far as it would incline. 

It took about 45 minutes, with no weight in my pack this time.

Then I spent some time revving up my old Pilates routine!


What is Pilates?

Pilates is a type of workout that involves simple repetitive exercises to increase muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility. 

GiveNow - Sydney Dance Company
Sydney Dance Company – example of modern dance

I first started doing Pilates (though I didn’t know it at the time) when the Director of my undergrad Modern Dance troupe held 45 minute Pilates warmups prior to each rehearsal.

Though there is some focus on breath-work, Pilates exercises don’t require a lot of cardio, which makes it a perfect way to get some strength exercise while I’m coming back from respiratory illness.

Even though my college days are long behind me, Pilates exercises have been around for even longer than that!

Joseph Pilates first developed the Pilates method and introduced his physical and mental conditioning to soldiers overseas during World War I.   He then brought the exercise program to the United States in 1923.


How to Hike in the Rain and Enjoy It
Sometimes I like hiking in the rain. This was not one of those times…

Tuesday was extremely rainy all day, so I went for another Pilates workout, and later – when I couldn’t take it anymore – took a short greenway hike on my own in-between the cold raindrops.

Wednesday brought another indoor workout due to bad weather: another Pilates warmup, followed by a vigorous 3.5mile uphill hike on the treadmill with a weighted pack on my back.

It felt great to break a sweat – even if it was indoors in my home gym 🙂


Pilates Method History

To create his exercise method, Joseph Pilates studied and incorporated aspects of yoga, martial arts, Zen meditation,  plus Greek/Roman exercise.

Pilates was plagued by asthma and rickets as a child, so he initially used his exercise method to strengthen his own frail body.  

Later, while serving as an orderly in a hospital on the Isle of Man towards the end of World War I, Pilates began using his method for therapeutic rehabilitation on non-ambulatory soldiers.

47 Fotos de Joseph Pilates | Canal Pilates
Joseph Pilates

To do this, he attached springs to hospital beds to support the patient’s limbs while he worked them.   Unique at the time, Pilates’ supported therapy method allowed  movement early in the rehabilitation process. 

After some time, the doctors noticed that the patients treated with the Pilates method seemed to recover more rapidly.


Here Are the Benefits of Taking a Mat Pilates Class - The Warm Up
Students Taking a Mat Pilates Class

How Do You Do Pilates?

The Pilates program consists of 50 repetitive, simple exercises that involve muscle exertion.

Like Yoga, Pilates exercises are usually performed on a mat.  In the mat class, participants sit or lie prone and use gravity to help stabilize the core. 

Body weight is the main resistance used throughout the series of Pilates mat exercises. 

Each exercise starts with stabilizing your core muscles (the abdominal, gluteal, and para-spinal muscles) and then goes through a controlled range of motion, and repeated as desired. 

How to Do Pilates Upper Abdominal Curls - dummies
Pilates Upper Abdominal Curls

The Pilates Curl

The Pilates Curl is the most basic of the Pilates exercises, and is used to engage the core muscles at the beginning of each session. 

To perform a Pilates curl, follow these steps:

        1. Lie on the back with knees bent, arms at the sides, and feet flat on the floor.
        2. Breathe out, curling the chin to the chest and bringing the shoulders off the mat.
        3. Hold for a moment, and then lower back down to the mat slowly.
        4. Lift from the chest to use the abdominal muscles and avoid crunching the neck.

I use the Pilates Curl as a basis to perform ~200 curl crunches each day (in 4 different positions) to strengthen and flatten my core, without straining my neck and back.

You can find Pilates classes online and offered in gyms, as well, if you’d like to try it out!


Umstead State Park: Combining Trails for Longer Hikes
Umstead State Park Loblolly Trailhead sign

Thursday I was back in the woods, trying to lead a 7 mile hike I had planned for the Loblolly trail.

Unfortunately,, it had rained so much, the creek was impassable, so we rerouted.

We still had a great 7-ish mile hike, and no one had to fall in the creek 🙂

Loblolly Trail - North Carolina | AllTrails
Creek on Loblolly Trail

Friday it was back indoors with some Pilates, another 3 mile treadmill hike – only this time with no pack-  and I added on 20 minutes on my Mountain Climber to practice vertical gain.


Pilates vs Yoga

How To Prepare For Your Yoga Classes? - punkinternational
Yoga focusses more in breathing and spiritual integration

There are significant differences between Pilates and yoga, both in origin and purpose.

      • While Pilates dates back to WWI, yoga dates back to ancient India.
      • Pilates works to control mind-body coordination, while yoga strives to integrate the mind, body, and spirit.

Scientists have conducted very little research comparing the benefits of yoga and Pilates.   

However, there are some existing studies on the topic:

2020 study involving 28 people with multiple sclerosis compared the effects of Pilates and yoga. It found that both produced benefits in walking and breathing, but Pilates was superior in increasing:

        • balance confidence
        • walking speed
        • quality of life

Data from a different 2015 study of 56 patients with ongoing neck pain found that the two fitness programs were equally effective in reducing pain and disability.


The lake is cold but still pretty.
The lake is cold but still pretty.

Saturday was another Pilates workout followed by a 3-mile uphill treadmill hike with 10lb pack early in the day.

Later, I walked a quick , frozen 2 miles in the woods with That Man and the dog.

I ended the week still not my normal self, but maintaining and slowly getting better – which is what this training is all about!  🙂


Wall Pilates: Your Guide To The Easy Peasy FitTok Trend
Wall Pilates – The latest fitness trend

About Wall Pilates and Chair Yoga

Wall Pilates has emerged as the latest fitness trend in this year’s “New Year New You” season, popping up in every social media feed, promising you’ll look just like the girls in the videos if only you sign up for personalized subscription!

Hide the Pain Harold Meme - Imgflip
It’s funny because it’s true!

I think the only thing you can know for sure is that you’ll no longer have your money, and that you’ll have a pretty hard time cancelling your automatically-renewing subscription.

Don’t get me wrong, any exercise is better than no exercise, and if you stick to it, you could be in great shape!

Honestly, though,  I don’t see the benefit of Wall Pilates over just doing regular Pilates exercises.  

The only difference in the exercise is that Wall Pilates uses a wall as a prop as you complete certain moves, in theory creating extra leverage and support as you do traditional Pilates exercises, like glute bridges, lunges, and leg circles.

Yoga for Seniors - The Complete Guide - Vive Health
Yoga for Seniors – Chair Yoga

As long as we’re talking about new modifications of exercise, we should mention Chair Yoga. 

This is another New Year fitness craze that’s been showing up in my social media feeds. (How old do they think I am, anyway?)

This exercise is really meant for people with mobility issues or  who have trouble standing up and holding their own weight, due to injury/illness or old age.

Chair yoga involves poseslike twists, hip stretches and bends that are modified to be done while sitting in a chair (or, sometimes, standing while using the chair for support).

Aside from just promoting movement  in people who are basically sedentary, chair yoga can also be a good quick stretch if you’re stuck in an office chair for hours at a time.

If you’re injured or making your way back from an illness, this is a very basic place to start,  and is certainly better than not moving at all! 

Hiking on the greenway between raindrops.
Hiking on the greenway between raindrops.

This week, I did a couple of shorter outdoor hikes, several weighted uphill indoor treadmill hikes, and long-form Pilates or at least stretches every day. 

My activity was somewhat limited due to both my lingering illness and the weather.

And now at the end of the first week… 

I’m pretty much the same.  Maybe a little bit better? IDK.

Logically, I know it will take longer than a week to see or feel any difference in my fitness, especially while I’m still trying to get well from a long illness.

It’s okay, though.   As my kickboxing instructor says, “If you’re moving, you’re doing it!”  And tomorrow is another day!

So I’ll just keep going and try not to hork up a lung….


NEW: Track Your “Awesome” Progress at Home!

Track your progress towards your fitness goals!
Track your progress towards your fitness goals!

You’ll get instructions and three printable trackers: 

    • Your Hike Plan Worksheet
    • Daily & Weekly Workouts
    • Weekly Meals tracker    

 Click Here to Order! 

A download link in your confirmation email let’s you get started right away. Happy training!  LJ


Greenway hike!
Greenway hike!

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.

You could also take a look at my 8 Weeks to Awesome Training Plan post, if you want to see what kind of training I’m doing.

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time!  LJ

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Week 1: Resolutions and Hope for the Future

Most recently updated February 3rd, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 2.3 minutes

– – I started the Awesome hike training again  this past Monday, with some yoga followed by a Dam hike  (that’s a moderate-paced 7-miler to the Dam and back).

A view from the shore of Falls Lake.
A view from the shore of Falls Lake.

This hike was on the MST at Falls Lake in the warm sunshine with friends, led by my hiker friend Heidi.

The day before I’d led a brisk 9-mile fitness hike in the morning cold, so a warmer “moderate” hike sounded like a great idea!

Well, Heidi was extra-energetic, so the pace was a bit MORE than moderate!  (Maybe it was the sunshine.) But it was still fun 🙂

Looking down at the Eno River from the trail.
Looking down at the Eno River from the trail.

Tuesday was another 7.5 miles hike, this time on part of the MST trail on the Eno river.   I also added 5 lbs extra weight to my pack.

It was a cold morning, so my hike group had dwindled to just myself and one other stalwart hiker by hike time.

That’s fine – in fact, it was so pretty we took advantage of it being “just us” to hike an extra 1.5 miles along the river.

Wednesday I took as a very light, almost rest day, because at that point I realized I’d already hiked ~25 miles in the previous 4 days, and had committed to another 20 before the end of the week.

Last year I found out the hard way that over-doing can screw up your whole season!

That Man enjoying a birthday beer!
That Man enjoying a birthday beer!

So just some yoga and upper body weights.   

Besides, it was That Man’s birthday, so we took the afternoon off and went to check out  Zinc House, a new brewery/winery in the Falls Lake area.

It was a good day to visit, because we had the place mostly to ourselves, and got a chance to meet  Muskie, the owner’s golden retriever, who was making his rounds and getting pets 🙂

Fountain at the Zinc House winery and brewery
Fountain at the Zinc House winery and brewery

Most Common New Year’s Resolutions

Even if you aren’t doing the Awesome training because of a New Year’s resolution, there’s something about the start of a new year that causes people to commit (or re-commit) to some goals for improvement.

So, what do people want to change about themselves and their lives?

A Forbes Health/OnePoll survey found the most popular resolutions for 2023 to be (in order of most to least common):

      • Improved mental health (45%)
      • Improved fitness (39%)
      • Lose weight (37%)
      • Improved diet (33%)
      • Improved finances (30%)

Some less popular resolutions include stop smoking (14%), learn a new skill (12%) and make time for hobbies (11%). 

Fitness, weight and diet were all on my radar this year – and every year!  What about you?


Thursday I led a (small but feisty) group on the Lake Trail and greenways in Bond Park and all the way to Davis Drive park and back.   

I chose this route for strength training, because it’s pretty flat and can be a good choice after a recent rain.

Friday I joined a fun exploratory hike led by another hiker friend, Michael, in search of a lost quarry in Eno State Park. 

I still had 5lbs extra weight in my pack for mild strength training.

The hike was about 8 miles altogether, with around half (I think) off trail, and some hills. 

Off-trail is harder hiking, carefully choosing your steps to avoid rocks and potholes hidden under fallen leaves, and lifting your knees high over the grasses and other obstacles. 

And of course, finding your way back.

But we did find the quarry (and our way back)  and had a lot of fun doing it!

View of a cut in the quarry from the bottom.
View of a cut in the quarry from the bottom.

Saturday was cold and rainy, so I did my kickboxing and weightlifting indoors and called it good.


What Percentage of New Year’s Resolutions Fail?

The second Friday in January has been nicknamed “Quitter’s Day”, which might give us a clue 😉

And the joke with fitness friends is that machine lines at the gym will for sure be back to normal by March.

Sadly, it’s not really a joke.

One survey (of those who responded) found that:

      • 11% lasted less than a month.
      • 19% made it at least one month,
      • 14% made it at least three months,
      • 11% made it at least six months, and only
      • 55% kept their resolution from 6 months-year.

Ugh!  That’s kind of discouraging – on the other hand, it’s more than I expected.

So, if you just keep doing something for at least 6 months – even if you start from scratch every day – you’re still doing better than half of the people!

That means if you just have persistence, and hope to do better in the future, you’ve already won 🙂


Moss covered ruins near the old quarry.
Moss covered ruins near the old quarry.

Sunday, I had a great group of hikers join me on the 6.5 mile Company Mill Trail in Umstead State Park – despite temps in the 20’s to start!   

This trail has some noticeable hills, especially right toward the end (ugh!) so it’s a great training hike.  (I still had an extra 5lbs in my pack.)

We also ran into a huge number of  blackbirds flocked to a single tree in the  middle of the forest.  We only saw them because of how loud they were!

I’d never seen that in the forest before, and it was probably due to the very cold temps.

Blackbirds congregate for warmth, to find food, and keep an eye out for predators.  
Blackbirds congregate for warmth, to find food, and keep an eye out for predators.  

This week, I also did long-form yoga or at least stretches every day.  And as for my diet… I don’t want to talk about it.  I’ll do better next week 😉

And now at the end of the week… drum roll, please…   

I’m pretty much the same.  

Well, crap.   

Hikers at the lost quarry site we found in Eno State Park.
Hikers at the lost quarry site we found in Eno State Park.

Logically, I know it will take longer than a week to see or feel any difference.

It’s okay, though.   As my kickboxing instructor says, “If you’re moving, you’re doing it!”  And tomorrow is another day!

But here’s the thing:

You DO have to do the work  – or at least some of it – every day.

      • Even if it’s boring, painful, inconvenient or all of those. 
      • Even if you start over every single day. 

It’s just going to take a while.

So, on to the next hike – which is tomorrow morning 🙂

TAKEAWAY LESSON:  Patience and hope for the future is required for training, and instant gratification is never fast enough!!


NEW: Track Your “Awesome” Progress at Home!

Track your progress towards your fitness goals!
Track your progress towards your fitness goals!

You’ll get instructions and three printable trackers: 

    • Your Hike Plan Worksheet
    • Daily & Weekly Workouts
    • Weekly Meals tracker    

 Click Here to Order! 

A download link in your confirmation email let’s you get started right away. Happy training!  LJ


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.

You could also take a look at my 8 Weeks to Awesome Training Plan post, if you want to see what kind of training I’m doing.

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time!  LJ

To get New Idratherwalk Posts
sent directly to your inbox (how convenient!) Click this Button!