hiking training plan Archives - Page 4 of 5

ReFit Week 5: The Home Stretch

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022

– – Week 5 of the ReFit Training began with a 4 mile treadmill run and arm weights on Monday. So, no big deal – but it got the job done.

Besides, I needed time to get ready for my field trip on Tuesday to Hanging Rock State Park.

The forecast called for highs in the 90’s, which is pretty hot for hiking, but it’s better than thunderstorms, so I stuck to the plan.

It’s been my habit to visit Hanging Rock every year in the early Spring, but this year the parks were closed due to COVID restrictions during the milder weather.

Most State Parks are at least partially open now, and the weather will only get warmer, so it was time to go!

Summer Heat is Back

Every year in North Carolina, sometime between March and late June, there’s a moment when you step outside and get smacked in the face with hot, humid air.

And you suddenly remember what Summer feels like in all of it’s intense sweaty glory. 🙂

We had a few hot days earlier this year, but this past week Summer let us know it’s really here to stay.

Summer includes higher temps, higher humidity and changes to the weather pattern. If you’re smart, it should include some some changes to your workout routine, too.

North Carolina heat and sun are just as intense inland as on the beach.

If you’re planning on doing anything really strenuous outdoors, you should probably get going as early as possible.

Not only will the heat get more intense later in the day, but we usually have a pretty good chance of heavy storms – possibly with lightning – in the late afternoon.

So my plan was to hit the road early, get to the Park by 9ish and be done hiking before the storms rolled in.

Midweek Field Trip to Hanging Rock

I’ve been to Hanging Rock many times over the years, so I decided to try something a little different this time.

Hanging Rock SP Visitors Center close due to COVID-19 restrictions — Hanging Rock SP Visitors Center closed due to COVID-19 restrictions

Instead of parking as usual at the Visitor’s Center (which is currently closed due to COVID restrictions anyway), I decided to park at the Tory’s Den parking lot and hike from there.

The Tory’s Den parking gives you access to the Ruben Mountain trail, plus Tory’s Den and Falls.

You can also get on the trail to Moore’s Knob from there as well – but be aware that it’s a 1 mile hike from the parking lot to get to the start of both Ruben Mountain Trail and Moore’s Wall Loop, so you need to add 2 miles to figure total distance.

Map of trails near Tory's Den parking area. — Map of trails near Tory’s Den parking area.

I’d hiked to Moore’s Knob before, but hadn’t hiked Ruben Mountain so I started with that trail.

Ruben Mountain Trail – 6ish mile loop

The Ruben Mountain Trail starts 1 mile from the parking area. It’s about 4 miles total, but with the additional miles to and from the parking, just to do the Ruben Mountain trail is around 6 miles.

Trailhead sign at Tory's Den parking — Trailhead sign at Tory’s Den parking

The trail is wide and lined with split-rail fences in some sections, and you can tell it’s a favorite trail for horseback riders.

It’s an okay trail, mostly flat and would be a great trail running route if you lived locally.

But I wouldn’t recommend traveling that far (it’s a 2 hour drive for me) just to hike the Ruben Mountain Trail.

I contemplated going up the hill to Moore’s Knob, but realized that would add another 4.5 miles to the 6 miles I’d already done, and I still wanted to be sure to see Tory’s Den and Falls before it was time to go.

So I walked back down the to the intersection with Tory’s Den Trail.

Tory's Falls at Hanging Rock State Park — Tory’s Falls at Hanging Rock State Park

The hike to Tory’s Falls was a soft dirt trail, mostly downhill.

After crossing a couple of streams, and finally going down a few flights of wooden steps, I stepped onto a large rock outcropping.

On the other side of a river channel were Tory’s Falls. It was a great place for a break 🙂

After eating an apple and chugging some water, I continued down more wooden steps (!) to Tory’s Den.

Looking into Tory's Den. — Looking into Tory’s Den.

History of Tory’s Den

During the American Revolution, Whig (revolutionaries) and Tory (loyal to Britain) neighbors occasionally clashed.

One of these skirmishes occurred in 1778 at Hanging Rock State Park.

The Tory’s Den (the cave shown above) was home to about 100 British sympathizers who lost their property to the Whigs after the war began.

After a Tory raid, the Whigs retaliated by attacking the den. No Whigs were lost in the skirmish and most of the Tories were taken prisoner.

THE TRAIL continues down a little bit further, but you can’t get close to the water due to vegetation along the banks.

Current Park Restrictions

I climbed back up all of those stairs (!) and drove about 6 miles to the Visitors Center parking area, where I hiked a couple of the shorter waterfall trails before making the drive back home.

Though the swimming area at the lake is closed for COVID-19, people can still swim in the waterfalls 🙂

Unfortunately, the Visitor’s Center (and restrooms) are currently closed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

There are restrooms available at the bathhouse. (To see current conditions and restrictions at all State Parks, click here.)

Trail head for Upper Cascades Falls at the Visitor's Center — Trail head for Upper Cascades Falls at the Visitor’s Center

Puppy Hike and Bond Park Run

The middle of the week was even hotter at home!

I contented myself through the rest of the week with some kickboxing, treadmill running and weights indoors, a shorter outdoor morning run at Bond Park, and took the puppy on a shady greenway hike to Annie Jones Park and Lake Pine.

Hot, Hot, Hot! This Week’s Long Hike – 12.5 miles

This week’s long hike was on a very hot day, but we started pretty early.

The route began on the Loblolly Trail in Umstead State Park and followed Loblolly into Schenck Forest and back out onto the Reedy Creek Greenway.

The rest of the route would continue to follow the greenway all the way to the North Carolina Museum of Art Park.

(The Museum buildings and restrooms are still closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, so we made sure to take advantage of facilities at Umstead before heading out.)

Half of the group turned back to do a shorter 6.5 mile hike options, and the rest of us continued on along the Reedy Creek Trail.

Bees hang out at the Prairie Ridge EcoStation

Prairie Ridge EcoStation, NCMA Park

We took the Reedy Creek Greenway all the way past the Prairie Ridge EcoStation and on both natural and paved trails through the NCMA Park.

Our turnaround point was the far side of the pedestrian bridge over I-440.

Pedestrian Bridge over I-440 at the NCMA Park.

Some of us were dragging a bit by the time we got back to the Loblolly trailhead parking lot, but it was a really good hike with a great group! 🙂

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

On the way back to from NCMA to Umstead, I was reminded of how important it is to drink plenty of water before and during these hot summer hikes.

What reminded me were the excruciating foot and calf cramps I got in the last mile of the hike… 😉

Even an experienced hiker (like me) can get caught once in a while.

Drinking plenty of water before and during the hike helps by replenishing the fluids lost by excessive sweating.

But sometimes just drinking water isn’t enough.

When you sweat, you lose electrolytes, and if you lose too many, you can get dizzy, and have severe muscle cramps.

The easiest way to replace them is with a sports drink that contains electrolytes.

Carry electrolyte candy in your pack for longer summer hikes.

You can also get sports candy that does the same thing – with fewer calories.

Focus mostly on replacing sodium and potassium, but calcium and magnesium are also important.

My muscle cramps lasted for a couple of days, but with lots of water and mineral supplements they finally settled down 🙂

The Home Stretch

With 5 weeks down and one week to go of 6 weeks to get back in shape , I’m in the home stretch.

This next week I’ll keep the workouts going, but will also focus on eating a clean, portion-controlled diet – with extra electrolytes!

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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ReFit Week 4: Making It Interesting

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022

– – Week 4 of the ReFit Training began with a long group hike (<25 people in accordance with current restrictions) at Umstead State Park.

We hiked 8 miles on Company Mill trail to Big Lake and back on a combination natural trails and multi-use trails.

The route was designed to avoid the spots that were still muddy from last week’s rain.

I was starting to worry when we didn’t see our snake friend, but then we spotted him towards the end of the hike on higher ground.

And the hikers who joined were amazing as usual! 🙂

A Different Sort of Week

It was a holiday week, since the work week started with Memorial Day.

For me, that meant an extra day to hang out with That Man and explore some new (to us) local places on foot.

Specifically, we spent time checking out the Rolling View section of Falls Lake.

View of Falls Lake from the Rolling View side.

Falls Lake State Recreation Area

Falls Lake State Recreation Area is made up of seven access areas scattered around the shoreline of an undeveloped 12,000-acre reservoir.

The Falls Lake Trail (a portion of the North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea State Trail) can be joined at the Rolling View access – which was one of the places open despite COVID restrictions – so that’s where we started.

Map showing the Falls Lake Trail in Rolling View section

The Falls Lake Trail follows the entire south shore of the lake, traveling over 50 miles from the shore of the Neuse River below the Falls Lake Dam all the way to the Eno River.

We were only able to go a couple of miles before the trail was too flooded to pass, due to the high water from recent heavy rain.

But we improvised on some other trails and got about 5 miles in anyway 🙂

Strength Building Hike – Bond Park, 6 miles

The middle of the week was dry (finally!) so I loaded 20 extra pounds into my pack on Tuesday for this week’s Strength Building hike in Bond Park, a 6-ish mile hike that included the Bond Park Lake Trail.

Midweek Beach Escape

After months of being unable to travel due to COVID restrictions, I decided to gamble on the weather and take a little overnight road trip to the Coast.

Though beaches and State and National Parks are still partly closed, some trails and facilities are available, and some coastal parks have beach access.

I booked a room in Atlantic Beach, and headed for Fort Macon State Park.

Fort Macon State Park

Nearly surrounded by water at the eastern tip of Bogue Banks, Fort Macon State Park is the site of a restored Civil War-era fort, a couple of hiking trails, and offers unspoiled shoreline for swimming.

Canons line the upper fort wall on the beach side

Unfortunately, the interior of the fort and the Visitor’s Center are currently closed due to COVID restrictions, but the beach and trails are open.

There are also restrooms available.

Trailhead sign in the Visitors Center parking lot

Elliott Coues’ Trail – 3.3 mile loop

The main thing I wanted to do at the park was hike the relatively new Elliott Coues Trail.

I started at the trailhead in the far corner of the Visitor’s Center parking lot.

Raised boardwalk on the Elliott Coues' Trail — Raised boardwalk on the Elliott Coues’ Trail

The trail is a 3.3 mile loop that goes along the beach, through salt march and forest, and even along the road beside the Coast Guard station for a short time before returning to the park.

It’s a beautiful trail, with the beach side of the loop paved with a new layer of soft wood chips.

The wooded side is a combination of soft dirt and some boardwalks.

You can see different kinds wildlife from the trail: there were a lot of different birds and I startled a young doe near the marsh side.

View of the beach from inside the upper fort wall.

You can find a list of North Carolina State Parks, and a map that shows which ones are near the beach here.

Atlantic Beach

Atlantic Beach is one of my favorite North Carolina beaches, not in the least because I usually stay in a place where can get up in the morning and walk to the beach – without worrying about trying to move my car or pay for parking.

When I’m there I usually do about 4 miles on the beach in the morning, more if time allows.

This time, I was able to get 4 miles in but couldn’t do any more because of a fast-moving thunderstorm.

The rain wasn’t going anywhere, so after my run I packed up and headed back inland.

Company Mill Accidentally Underwater Hike – 6 miles

Friday was rainy at home, too. But I decided to risk an afternoon hike between rain storms on the Company Mill Trail in Umstead State Park anyway.

Unfortunately, a couple of miles into the hike a downpour started.

I was on the natural trail when the rain started, but the trail quickly became a raging stream.

Reedy Creek Lake and multi-use trail on a sunny day.

So I diverted my route to get back to the the drier multi-use trails, and ended up with about 6.5 miles and lots of mud on my boots when I finished.

In addition to hiking at home and on the coast this week, I also kick-boxed, ran on my treadmill , lifted some weights, and did some Bodyweight Training exercises.

With 4 weeks down of the allotted 6 weeks to get back in shape , I’m still not seeing the kind of results the I’d hoped for, but I’ve still got a couple of weeks to keep trying 🙂

If you’re local and would like to join us, check out the I’d Rather Walk Meetup for hike postings.

Looking down Atlantic Beach towards the pier.

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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sent directly to your inbox (how convenient!) Click this Button!

ReFit Week 3: How Are We Doing?

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.

Snake crossing plank bridge on the Company Mill trail.

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).

High water in Reedy Creek, Umstead State Park

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.

Ferns enjoy the rain in the community composting garden in Bond Park.

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

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

ReFit Week 2: Into the Woods

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022

– – This week, the recent change to government restrictions meant I was able to lead a group hike (of <10 people) for my longer hike.

Our local Umstead State Park is partly open again, so I hosted a hike on the Loblolly Trail – which is officially an out and back trail – and created a loop for a 7 mile hike.

It feels great to be in the Park again and to be able to see people – even socially distanced 🙂

We shared the trail with a slithery friend

You can see all of the park’s current restrictions here.

(The next phase is supposed to start May 22, and hopefully we’ll be allowed to use more areas of the park then.)

One thing to be aware of when you go back into the woods is that the critters have had more free reign in the parks over the past 3 months, since humans have not been allowed in.

We almost stepped on a rat snake that was relaxing in the middle of the trail – – but we did some Matrix-style levitation backwards instead.

(We were seriously alert after running into that little guy.)

There are also unconfirmed reports that one hiker “screamed like a little girl” 🙂

I saw a coyote in the Park the other day, too, but from a distance and he just looked at me before slipping back into the trees.

The cemetery at Warren Hill in Umstead State Park

My Strength Building hike for the week also went into the park, but from the Old Reedy Creek trailhead side.

I loaded 20 pounds in the pack and walked all the way to Warren Hill cemetery and back to make about 6.5 miles.

Greenways are Still Good

I’ve been using our local greenways forever, but with State and National Parks closed for the past few months, I really started exploring because they were our only options for longer trails.

The Town of Cary has over 70 miles of paved greenways

If you’re on foot, natural trails are better for you and a harder workout, but I’m going to keep using the greenways weekly even after it’s allowed to use all of our State and National Park facilities again.

Especially for bikers, the greenways are a wonderful resource.

In fact, even though the State Parks were open again this weekend, That Man and I biked the southern portion of the Neuse River Trail greenway into Johnston County. It was a great ride!

In addition to hiking and biking this week, I also kick-boxed, ran on my treadmill, lifted some weights, and did some Bodyweight Training exercises.

Hiking the Loblolly Trail in Umstead State Park

It feels great on be back on the trails with some other hikers again!

If you’re local and would like to join us, check out the I’d Rather Walk Meetup for hike postings.

So that’s 2 weeks down of the allotted 6 weeks to get back in shape for my next medical checkup and hopefully a new hiking adventure this Summer.

Revisiting all of the allowed trails now that the parks are partly opened will help keep me motivated – even though I know progress towards my fitness goals will take some time.

Hikers on the Loblolly Trail in Schenck Forest

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

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

ReFit Week 1: Here We Go Again

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022

– – I started to get back in shape with my Refit Training last Sunday, well before The Guv decided we could tiptoe into the State Parks again.

That being the case, I started this 6 Week training with a Strength Building hike on one of the open approved trails in Lake Crabtree County Park.

I loaded 15 extra pounds in my pack and did a moderate 6-mile hike around the lake.

That trail is pretty flat and about half and half natural trails and paved trails, so no troubles.

And of course, I’ve been doing what I can on approved greenways and my own home gym all along.

That said, it was my first time with a weighted pack in a couple of months, though, and I did notice it 🙂

(Read more here about the trail and Lake Crabtree County Park.)

My other official weekly hike was a “long”one on the Loblolly Trail.

It was only 6.5 miles, but this time it was all natural trail, slightly hilly inside Umstead State Park.

Not a big deal from a length standpoint, but it was the first time I’d been able to hike that many miles on natural, slightly hilly, terrain since the State Parks were closed in March.

Even slightly hilly trails are very different than hiking on paved greenways.

We’re Baaack!

State Parks here are currently open on a “phased” basis, with restrictions in this first phase mainly around number of people in the park at once, and limited use of parking lots, shelters, picnic areas and restrooms.

Face coverings are recommended at crowded trailheads.

They still want social distancing (which isn’t a problem on the trails) and groups of 10 or less people.

Masks or face coverings that you can breathe through are recommended if there are other people around.

You can see all of the park’s current restrictions here.

The next phase is supposed to start May 22, and hopefully we’ll be allowed to use more areas of the park then.

This week, I also kick-boxed a few times, ran on my treadmill, lifted some light weights and tried out some new Bodyweight Training exercises in my home gym.

BTW, in case you were wondering, burpees are just as horrible now as they were in Junior High…. 🙁

Hikers with two and four legs enjoy the Loblolly Trail.

It feels great on be back on the trails again!

Even though I haven’t been completely idle over the past couple of months, I feel I’ve lost some ground while we’ve been shut out of the longer natural trails in State Parks.

Revisiting all of the trails will help keep me motivated – even though I know progress towards my fitness goals will take some time.

BTW, just in case you’re new around here, I’m spending the next 6 weeks getting back in shape and ready for another hiking adventure!

View from the greenway around Lake Crabtree

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

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

Training Log – 6 Weeks to Get Back in Shape

Most recently updated June 4th, 2020

[no_toc]

We were under COVID-19 restrictions almost overnight after I returned from an amazing hiking trip to New Zealand, and though I’ve stayed active, it’s been difficult not to lose fitness and gain Pandemic Pounds!

So I created a 6 Week Training Plan to get back in shape in time for summer trips, if they’re allowed.

I thought you might find some encouragement from training notes and videos from my 6 week training journey. Weekly logs are posted below:

Week 6 of the ReFit Training was another hot week, so I started with a lot of indoor training, but went back into the woods on foot and another long bike ride at the end of the week. I hadmy checkup and met most of my goals, but I'll keep on training for the next adventure. You could join us! #Idratherwalk #GetOutside

ReFit Week 6: It’s Never Over

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022– – Week 6 – the final week – of the ReFit Training is finished. Yay!!! And I did go...

Week 5 of the ReFit Training was a hot week, with a lot of indoor training and another out of town trip - this time to Hanging Rock State Park. With only 1 more week to go, it's time to fine tune our diet and training. You could join us! #Idratherwalk #GetOutside

ReFit Week 5: The Home Stretch

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022– – Week 5 of the ReFit Training began with a 4 mile treadmill run and arm weights on Monday. ...

Week 4 of the ReFit Training was a different kind of week, with Memorial Day at the start. It also included a midweek escape to hike at the beach, and an accidental "underwater" hike. With 2 more weeks to go, who knows what we'll do next? You could join us :-) #Idratherwalk #GetOutside

ReFit Week 4: Making It Interesting

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022– – Week 4 of the ReFit Training began with a long group hike (<25 people in accordance with current...

This was Week 3 of the ReFit Traiing plan, so we're halfway through! The persistent rain through the majority of the work week kept me indoors more than I like, but we were still able to get in a great long hike in Umstead State Park with a larger allowed group size of < 25 people under our Phase 2 reopinging in NC. Maybe you'd like to join us next time? #Idratherwalk #GetBackinShape

ReFit Week 3: How Are We Doing?

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022– – The persistent rain through the majority of the work week kept me indoors more than I like for...

This week, the recent change to government restrictions on group gatherings meant I was able to lead a group hike (of

ReFit Week 2: Into the Woods

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022– – This week, the recent change to government restrictions meant I was able to lead a group hike (of...

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I hope these training posts have inspired you to keep going and achieve your personal goals, whatever they are! 🙂

Remember – progress happens every day, a little bit at a time. See you next time! – LJ

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Week 8: Our Last Chance!

– – Training Week 8 started with a wonderful hike in Umstead State Park – with 6 mile and 10 mile options.

We combined Umstead State Park’s Company Mill trail, Sycamore Trail, and the Reedy Creek Multi-Use Trail. It was a little brisk (about 30 degrees) to start with, but warmed up quickly to about 50 degrees by the time we finished.

The weather was gorgeous and we had a great group of hikers – what a wonderful start to the day!

I had a moderately weighted pack and was planning on going a bit more slowly than normal, but some of the group wanted to go faster, so I added more frequent and a little bit longer breaks along the way.

Carved tree along the Sycamore Trail, Umstead State Park, Raleigh NC

For this week’s shorter Strength Building hike, I returned to Bond Park.

I’ve been slacking off in the pack weight department, so I added 5 more lbs to my pack.

The 5-6mi route around the lake is partially natural trails, and partially paved trails.

The route is pretty flat, but unfortunately the natural trails have a tendency to get muddy after a rain.

Luckily for us, the weather was pretty dry for a couple of days before the hike so all we had to deal with was bright sunshine 🙂

This week’s training included these two hikes along with kick-boxing a few times, treadmill runs (on rainy days), shorter fast walks and a gym trip or two.

So, in case you’re just joining us, I’ve been spending 8 weeks training for an awesome hiking trip to New Zealand.

I’ve done all I can to train for the hikes, the biking, canoeing, and yes – even zorbing. But how do you train for excessively long air travel???

My flight from the US to New Zealand will take two calendar days, while on the return I will actually get home BEFORE I leave New Zealand.

Time travel is REAL!!! I knew it…. 🙂

Seriously, although I have taken flights this long before (Patagonia comes to mind), I can’t say I’m looking forward to it.

But I think I’ve done everything I can – other than purchasing the incredibly expensive Business Class pod – to make this trip more comfortable and less exhausting.

Some people sedate themselves (herbally or otherwise), but I’m not a fan.

Besides, as soon as I land, I’ll need to board a shuttle (I already have tickets) to get to a kickoff dinner, and then we leave the next morning on our first hike.

So I will literally need to hit the ground running – and the less travel-worn I am, the better.

There a few things I’ve learned to do, both to make a long flight more bearable and to deal with jet-lag once I’ve landed.

TIPS TO SURVIVE YOUR OVERNIGHT FLIGHT

Choose Your Seats ASAP for the Best Choices

I always start with the least expensive Economy flight I can find, but somehow end up paying much more for things that I think should just be included.

(“What? You say you want to breathe while you’re in flight?? That’ll be $40 more! And a pint of blood, please.”)

Sometimes, they won’t let you choose a seat online before check-in UNLESS you pony up more cash. And we all know you’re more likely to get bumped if you don’t have an assigned seat.

As annoying as it is to be financially nibbled to death, for overnight flights and tight connections, I’ve learned to just suck it up and pay extra for at least a Priority seat.

Choose the Best Seat for You

I prefer the window so I can lean against it – and away from my neighbor – to sleep, but you might want the aisle for ease of access or to sneak your long legs into the aisle. (My legs are pretty short.)

Nobody wants to be in the middle seat, imprisoned by seat backs and stranger’s shoulders for longer than you usually spend in bed each night….

Priority seating may also allow you priority boarding (to ensure space for your carry-on) and put you closer to the front of the plane so you can exit more quickly when you land.

The time you save de-planing may let you make a connection with time to hit the restroom, or beat the rush to Immigration.

Hydrate Before You Travel

I always bring water on the plane with me, but try to use the restroom just prior to boarding and drink sparingly while in flight so I don’t have to use the plane lav more than a couple of times.

Especially since my trips tend to be outdoorsy, I don’t want to be dehydrated at the outset.

So I drink a lot of water the day before I leave, and chug a bunch of water when I reach the destination airport. Getting hydrated again ASAP will also help with any jet-lag.

Airplane Food

Eat real food at home before you go. It’s healthier and less expensive than airport food.

But once you’re imprisoned in the metal tube, eat sparingly. (You probably won’t have to work hard at this… 😉

Once you’ve landed, though, try to eat and sleep in accordance with your destination time-frame.

Toiletries and Meds

Don’t put all of your toiletries in your checked baggage – make sure you’ve at least got your toothbrush and any daily meds you need in your carry-on.

You may even want to bring a change of clothes to freshen up before you leave the plane.

I just realized Daylight Savings Time is also happening during my trip. Man, am I going to be messed up when I get home….

Take Care of Nagging Details

Before a major trip, I always try to wrap up any of life’s details – paying bills in advance, finishing up projects if I can, answering any emails, etc.

When I return, I likely won’t remember much of what I was in the middle of before I left, which is kind of the point.

A big trip is supposed to bring you home with fresh eyes and a “cleansed” brain.

The Tardis has more legroom than Economy Class

Bonus Week – The last planned Training Week is over, so now it’s time to try on all of my pants! Seriously.

I”ll continue with maintenance training as long as I’m here – but nothing too ambitious.

I’ll be resting up for time travel 🙂

TAKEAWAY LESSON: Training towards a goal should include a rest period just before the event. Relax, trust in your excellent training work and your body will know what to do!!

I hope you’ve found my Training Log ramblings to be helpful in your training process – 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. It might work for your goals, too.

Keep an eye out for new posts about New Zealand in the next month or so….

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

Week 7: More More More!

Most recently updated February 25th, 2020

– – Training Week 7 began with the longest training hike yet – a combination of Umstead State Park’s Loblolly trail, the Reedy Creek Greenway, and multiple trails in the North Carolina Museum of Art Park. We even added in the short tunnel to the back gate at the Prairie Ridge Ecostation on the way!

We took a short break near the NCMA amphitheater then made our way to the I-440 pedestrian bridge – our mid-point on this 14 mile hike.

On the return, we took the long way around so we could stop and take a look at the community apiary (beehives) before we left the park.

This was a beautiful day with a great group of hikers – even so, 14 miles is a long way! Plenty of sunshine and good conversation made it go quickly, though 🙂

Community Apriary at NCMA Park — Community Apiary at NCMA Park

Due to the length of the hike, I cut back my extra pack weight to only 10lbs, and because my knees were hurting I kept it at 10lbs for this week’s Strength Building hike on the Loblolly trail and MUT in Umstead State Park.

Technically the Loblolly Trail is an out-and-back from the trailhead to the edge of the park, but I add on a portion of the Schenck Forest Loblolly and the MUT to create a 6.5mile loop.

This route is primarily natural trails with a portion of the compacted dirt multi-use trail and paved Reedy Creek trail.

The Loblolly route is not as rocky as the Company Mill Trail, and has less elevation gain, though there are a couple of long uphill climbs.

I wasn’t totally wiped out at the end of the hike, but I sure was happy to get rid of my weighted pack!!

This week’s training included these two hikes along with the usual kick-boxing a few times, short walks and a gym trip or two.

PLUS another bonus walk just for fun – because we had fresh snowfall and it was sunny outside 🙂

So, in case you’re just joining us, I’ve been spending 8 weeks training for an awesome hiking trip to New Zealand.

One of the optional activities on my NZ trip is Zorbing. Honestly, I don’t know how to train for that – maybe turn cartwheels down a steep hill?

What the heck is zorbing, you ask?

Although it’s one of the stranger sports out there, zorbing is actually pretty simple:

You climb inside a big inflated ball and roll down a hill.

The zorb rolled onto the scene in the mid-1990s in New Zealand, and hit extreme sports in 1998.

The ball has two skins, and the area between them is inflated, but the inner chamber is always open to the outside – so you have fresh air coming in all the time.

I will have the opportunity to try this, and I might. But I think I want to take a look at how steep the hill is before I commit 🙂

I’m closing in on all of the trip planning details, but still have a few things to do to get ready.

I’m also still hoping to drop a pound or two of “extra” me, with the help of my clean eating anti-asthma diet 🙂

There’s still time to get it done, but no more time to procrastinate. Focus, focus focus…..

Week 8 is coming up – the last planned training week!!

TAKEAWAY LESSON: Training towards a goal is a planned process, but you should be able to respond to unplanned events like injury or weather changes without giving up your training entirely. Just keep going – but safely, of course.

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

Week 6: Longer and Stronger

– – Training Week 6 started with a morning hike combining Company Mill, multi use trails and the Sal’s Branch Trail in Umstead State Park for a total of about 12 miles.

Sign for Sal's Branch Trail — Sign for Sal’s Branch Trail

The route crosses the park from the Harrison Ave entrance all the way to the Visitor’s center on the Glenwood Ave side of the park.

This week’s long hike was a few miles longer than last week, so I kept my extra pack weight at 15 lbs.

It’s a beautiful hike beside the lake to Sal’s Branch and then it’s into the woods again until you reach the Visitor’s Center at the halfway point.

We took a brief break at the Visitor’s Center, and then hiked down the other side of Sal’s Branch back to the lake for the return.

The natural trails portion of this route is rockier than the Loblolly trail, and has more elevation gain, especially on the return trip because a long stretch of the MUT is all uphill from the lakeside.

I was delighted to find that even with the extra miles, I wasn’t nearly as tired climbing the last hill on Company Mill back to the trailhead as I was in Week 5. The training must be working!!!

For this week’s Strength-Building hike, I chose another mostly multi-use trail hike because of very wet weather through the week.

I started from the Old Reedy Creek trailhead beside Lake Crabtree County Park. and walked from there over the I-40 bridge access into Umstead to the Warren Hill Cemetery and back.

I carried an extra 20lbs and total hike distance was about 6 miles – mostly uphill for the first half.

Even with extra weight and elevation gain, average speed for the hike was at 3.75 mph – which is a respectable speed even without a pack!

This week’s training included those two hikes along with the usual kick-boxing a few times, short walks and a gym trip or two. On one of the gym trips, I tried out a new machine (to me) – the rowing machine!

So, just in case you’re new around here, I’m spending the next 8 weeks training for an awesome hiking trip to New Zealand.

My NZ trip includes canoeing in the Whanganui River, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to do some rowing ahead of time.

The Whanganui River – in the heart of the heart of Whanganui National Park – winds its way from the mountains to the Tasman Sea.

The area has a unique history and Maori culture is an important part of the park.

I’m getting more excited about the trip, but worried that I may have slacked off a bit this week due to the rainy weather and an overwhelming need for coffee sorbet…..

That said, there’s still enough time to focus and get back on track before it’s time to go. Okay, then- gotta go work up a sweat somehow.

Week 7 is next, and it’s a doozy 🙂

TAKEAWAY LESSON: Don’t give up if you miss a workout or snarf too many doughnuts: every day is a new opportunity!!

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

Week 5: More is Better – Sometimes

Most recently updated February 14th, 2020

– – Training Week 5 started with another 8.5 mile morning hike combining the Company Mill and Sycamore trails in Umstead State Park to create a big figure-8 shaped route across the center of the park.

This route is rockier than the Loblolly trail, and has more elevation gain, especially on the return trip to the trailhead.

It’s a beautiful hike alongside the creek for a good portion, with a few bridges and step-stone crossings.

Hikers take a break at the tree carving near the Sycamore trail

For a little change of pace, I took us on the MUT for about .5 mile on the return trip.

This allowed us to take a break and also admire the wonderful trailside wood carving!

The length of the long hike this week was the same as last week, but I had 5 lbs more in the pack, and the trail had more elevation gain.

I was doing just fine until we got to the last mile or so on the return – which is all uphill! I admit, by that point the extra pack weight was kicking my butt….

My extra pack weight for Week 5 was 15lbs on the Company Mill-Sycamore route, and I upped it to 20lbs for the shorter Lake Crabtree circuit.

One of the spots that can get wet on the Crabtree Lake Trail

My Strength-Building hike, the second posted hike this week, was around the lake on paved greenways and natural trails in Lake Crabtree County Park.

Total distance was about 6 miles.

This route can get very muddy after hard rains, and sometimes they close access to the natural trails.

When that happens I come around from the other side – starting on the paved greenways – and if I’m lucky the trail won’t be too bad and the park’s access gate will be open by the time I get around to that side!

If you do this, there’s a chance you’ll need to turn around due to trail conditions and end up hiking more miles than you planned. I got lucky this time 🙂

Along with the usual kick-boxing a few times, short runs and a gym trip, this week I took advantage of the Spring-like weather to get out on my bike and ride some of the paved greenways in and around Bond Park.

FYI, just in case you’re new around here, I’m spending the next 8 weeks training for an awesome hiking trip to New Zealand.

My NZ trip itinerary includes a day of biking in the Karangahake Gorge, so I need to do a little bike training, too!

A view of the karangahake gorge bike trail

I’m not one of those all-spandex-all-the-time bikers, but I do ok 🙂

I just need to remind those muscles how to ride a few times before I go.

And as scary as biking a gorge sounds, this particular bike route is a very scenic but pretty tame rail trail for a good part of the way.

Tame is fine with me – I got my share of biking steep hills on the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland a few years back!

Week 6 is coming!!!

TAKEAWAY LESSON: The weather can have a big impact on your workout plans! Always check the weather and trail conditions before you head out.

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