Thursday was a home workout and then a short 3 mile hike in the sunshine with That Man and the puppy at Blue Jay Point County Park.
The prettiest puppy at The Point in Blue Jay County Park.
About Blue Jay County Park
Blue Jay Point County Park is a 236-acre park located in the northern part of Wake County.
There are five miles of trails inside the park boundaries. (For a trail map, see pages 3–4 of Blue Jay Point’s Park Brochure .)
The Azalea Loop Trail is an interpretive experience. At the trail head, you can pick up a seasonal Interpretive Guide that corresponds with 18 numbered posts along the half-mile trail.
Hikers seeking longer trails opportunities will find that Blue Jay’s Section VI of the Falls Lake Trail connects with North Carolina’s Mountains to Sea Trail, thus extending the hiking opportunities well beyond the boundaries of Blue Jay Point – Falls Lake Trail Map and Falls Lake Trail sections .
We hiked just a few miles on the MST before sunset made us call it a night.
Brochure map of Blue Jay County Park trails.
Friday I was back at Eno State Park, leading a 12 mile hike on the MST. It’s the longest hike I’ve led so far this year.
The Eno River from the Cabelands Trail.
The route went from the Pleasant Green trailhead along the Laurel Bluffs trail, the Quarry Trail and to our resting spot and halfway point at the Pump Station ruins.
The Pump Station used to provide water for the whole area until Falls Lake and Jordan Lake were created.
It was a great group, including someone who had never hiked that far before!
Saturday was meant to be a “rest” day, but didn’t quite turn out that way.
I did my yoga/Pilates routine, and took a quick 3 mile hike in the morning to DTC Park before the rain, thinking that would be it.
DTC Bird play structures.
But later, the rain hadn’t materialized so we had time for another 3 miles in the woods at Falls Lake with That Man and our puppy friend.
And that’s a wrap for Week 5! 🙂
Next week, the weather forecast is….probably mostly wrong again!
But, no matter what, we know that:
You may have noticed that my hikes this week (the ones I was leading) were all pretty long.
Next week, hikes will be longer and I’ll also be adding more weight to my pack on the short ones.
Are you Ready????
View of the Eno from the Pump Station ruins
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.
If you’re like me, you’re getting tired of this training routine and are ready to move on to something else – hopefully something, you know, easier…
But don’t do it! Keep going, just for a couple of weeks longer.
Just a couple of weeks more – you can do it!
And with that encouragement… on to my Week 6 Training report!
Monday was a beautiful day, so I joined Lenore and a good group of hikers for what I thought was going to be a pretty flat 7-ish mile hike in Umstead State Park on the Multi-Use trails.
Gathering at the trailhead for a sunny Monday hike.
With that in mind, I loaded my pack with 15lbs extra to make it a strength-training day.
But in a mid-hike surprise twist, Lenore handed the reins over to Michael.
We ended up tromping through a less-traveled section of the woods, fording streams and climbing mud banks before we were through!
It turned out to be an 8.25 mile hike in all.
It was so much fun, I hardly noticed the extra weight in my pack 🙂
Tuesday was a kickboxing and upper body weights day in my home gym – despite the wonderful sunny Spring-like weather outside.
A beautiful sunny Winter’s day in Bond Park.
This is because Tuesday was also “refrigerator day” and I was trapped there until my new fridge was delivered and the old one removed.
Colleen, the prettiest puppy!
But it was also Valentine’s Day and That Man and the puppy came to my rescue, just moments after the fridge business was over.
We had just enough daylight left to have a picnic and take a nice 3 mile walk in Bond Park!
Wednesday was supposed to be my “rest” day, but it was another nice NOT rainy day and I couldn’t stand it!
A sunny afternoon in Bond Park.
So after some yoga, I loaded 15lbs extra weight (and a snack lunch) into my pack, and set off to explore a bushwack at Eno River State Park.
A “bushwack” is when there’s no official trail blazed from one point to the other, so you’re just using landmarks or info from other hikers to find your way.
This particular bushwack was an out-and-back from the Cole Mill Road trail access to the Pleasant Green Road trail access in Eno River State Park – about 6 miles in all.
Map of the Cole Mill to Pleasant Green bushwack
Aside from looking for a passable hiking route between the two access points, I was also hoping the find the old Cabe Ford in the river, and the old slave cemetery back in the woods behind the powerline cut.
Cole Mill to Pleasant Green Road Bushwack
I was fortunate to have some guidance from the Eno.com website to get me started on finding a route.
Starting from the Cole Mill Road Loop Parking area, I took the Eno Trace Trail, staying close to the river until it turned uphill to the left.
I went straight ahead, following the river.
At that point, I left the established trail and followed the river bank downriver.
There was still a trail to follow, but it was un-blazed.
Follow the power line cut until it goes away from the river.
I followed the trail south under the powerlines until it turned left away from the river.
I had to cross a small creek – fortunately someone had placed stepping stones to make it easier.
Creek crossing.
After a while I came to the remnants of the old Cabe Ford in the river.
Remnants of the Cabe Ford.
I knew from the map that the the historic cemetery for the slaves of the Cabe family was nearby – supposedly just a a few hundred yards away from the river.
I poked around, but I didn’t see anything, so continued to follow the river.
I noticed some pink ribbons.
After a bit, the trail turned back into the forest, and the way became less obvious and not so well-used.
Then I noticed the pink ribbons tied at intervals to the trees….
At first, I thought it was just some random surveyor’s marks, and I thought they’d stop after a couple of ribbons. But they kept going!
Pink and green ribbons were tied to the trees.
And not only did they keep going, but now there were both pink AND green ribbons tied to the trees.
I’d had my suspicions before, but now I knew for certain – it was Bushwack Fairies! 🙂
And thank goodness for the Bushwack Fairies, because the way became more and more obscure – especially hidden under fallen leaves – so I just followed the ribbons.
I just kept following the ribbons.
After a while, I had to cross a small creek, but couldn’t find a good place, so I followed it up on one side and came to another larger creek, with some little waterfalls.
This would be a good spot to take a break and have a snack on a sunny day.
I found a large creek with a series of little waterfalls upstream.
This was a pretty large creek with a series of waterfalls upstream adding to the water flow.
I crossed the creek on the rocks and kept going, staying on the high ridge and following the pink and green ribbons when I could see them.
I passed a house with a pond just outside the State Park lines, then emerged from the woods to the powerline cut again.
The route goes through the powerline cut again.
The trail goes back into the woods and follows the river.
Along the way, I saw some unexpected waterfalls on the other side!
Eventually, you end up going through some scrub brush along the river to a point where you approach some old farm buildings.
The trail goes through a tunnel of laurels.
Emerging from the bushes you can see the Pleasant Green Road Parking area on the other side of the river.
The Pleasant Green Road parking area can be seen across the river.
About a quarter mile further down, the trail ends at the bridge on Pleasant Green road. This is where you would cross the river to actually get to the Pleasant Green Road parking.
But since the bridge and road were under construction, and there were a lot of cars backed up, I decided that seeing it from across the river was good enough!
I went back down the trail the way I came, with no surprises.
But when I got back to the woods near the powercut, I decided to try again to find the Cabe slave cemetery.
Remnants of stone walls may mark the location of the cemetery.
I found remnants of stone walls in the cemetery location shown on the map.
I don’t know for sure that these were part of the cemetery, but there were no other ruins that I could see nearby.
Old cabin across the river from the Eno Trace Trail.
I retraced my steps back to the parking lot at Cole Mill, then got in the traffic line behind the flag guys on the Pleasant Green bridge 😉
Thursday started with a balmy 9.3 mile hike on the MST at Falls Lake with a great group of hikers!
Cypress tress in the water near Little Lick Creek bridge on the MST.
This hike is one of my favorite sections of the MST, because it’s long enough to know you’ve had a hike, and has some interesting features along the way – including the friendly horses in trail- adjacent corrals.
Feeding an apple to the friendly horses on Thursday’s hike.
Sometimes they ignore me, but this time I was worried I didn’t have enough apple to go around! I’ll bring more next time 🙂
I took my first spin on my new vertical climber!
Friday I finally did take a rest day, and just did some yoga…but I also put together my new Vertical Climber machine and tried it out for about 30 minutes.
The climber folds up and stands in a corner when not in use.
I got the machine because I really need to get more training in really steep vertical gain hikes.
The hike I’m training for has several miles of almost straight vertical climbing up rock faces – almost as steep as cliff climbing.
Saturday was a rainy day, so I did a treadmill climb in my home gym with 10lbs on my back.
I did 2 miles in 35 mins with 1000ft vert gain, then another 2 miles in 30 mins with 700ft elev loss.
We had a great hike on Sunday!
Sunday I led a great group of hikers in what ended up around 9 miles at Umstead State Park.
It was a long hike but a fast one, with an average pace of 3.7 mph.
Next up: Week 7!! Let’s make it a good one 🙂
TAKEAWAY LESSON: Don’t give up if you’re getting bored or worn out in the middle of the program – change it up, make it fun, or take a rest day – but keep on going!
We’re winding down with this year’s 8-week hike training, but you can get started and do it on your own whenever you want!
– – Training Week 5 started with another nice day, but I decided to give my hiking boots a break and do kickboxing and upper body weights in my home gym.
Trailhead at Rock Nut Hollow near Duke Forest.
Tuesday temps were going to be well above freezing and the sun came out again just in time for a short 5 mile hike at Rock Nut Hollow near Duke Forest.
Lenore led the hike with a great group of hikers!
View from the rock scramble.
It’s a scenic and fun route along the creek with a very steep (but mercifully short) hike up a “mountain” with a nice rock scramble on the return route.
I hiked with 10 lbs of extra weight in my pack, and we went at a moderate pace.
Kiosk on the Black Creek Greenway at Lake Crabtree.
Wednesday, still trying to avoid mud, I scheduled a hike at Lake Crabtree where half of the trail is on paved greenway.
The sun came out and it was a beautiful hike!
The natural trails were closed due to mud, but we went far enough to see the eagle’s nest at the pond across Aviation Parkway before turning back.
Some parts of the Black Creek Greenway are still closed due to construction.
In spite of ongoing construction on the Black Creek Greenway, Silvia and I were able to get some time on natural sections of the blue-blazed Lake Trail on the way back, and finished at about 6-6.5 miles.
I carried 15 extra lbs on this hike, and I could really feel it in my legs afterwards!
In case you’re feeling proud of yourself (and you should!), I designed some Awesome T-Shirts to commemorate your training:
Thursday this week was the last day forecast to NOT have rain, so I took advantage to do some exploratory hiking at Eno River State Park.
View of the Eno River from the Cabelands Trail.
It was my “rest day” for the week, so I just did some yoga stretches before heading out, and the hike itself was only a few miles and not very fast.
Exploratory hiking is never a sure thing – it’s more about the discovery than the miles!
This time I started from the Cabelands trailhead on the Eno River.
Who were the Cabes?
The area is called “Cabe Lands” because Barnaby Cabe and his family were settled there in the years prior to the American Revolution.
After America won her independance, the Cabes were patriots and loyal citizens, even representing Orange County in Congress and serving in the militia.
Remains of the Cabe Mill on the Eno River.
John Cabe built a grist mill on the Eno and owned many acres in the “Cabelands” area.
He eventually had 9 daughters (with three wives) and many of his daughters married other mill owners along the Eno River.
Portrait of the owners of Cole Mill, Anothy(sic) Cole and Susan Browning Cole. ca. 1875.
One of the daughters, Rachel, married John McCown and together they built what was to become known as Cole Mill – which is another major trailhead access further downriver in Eno River State Park.
In the hard times after the defeat of Culloden in 1746, family groups – even whole villages – left Scotland for America.
The shipping lists of 1776 show the McColes landing at Wilmington, NC – but we have no evidence that these early Coles ever made their way this far inland, though many other families did.
The Eno River from the Cabelands Trail.
Levi Cole, an older brother of Anthony Cole, said to have travelled from the English town of Leeds, appears to have been the earliest Cole in the Eno Valley.
After her first husband died, Rachel married Colonel Sims and together they owned and operated West Point Mill at Roxboro Road.
This mill is still in operation for demonstration purposes, and is the centerpiece for the West Point on the Eno park.
Grave markers of Elizabeth Arnold McCowan and John Cabe McCowen in the Cabe Cemetery.
In my explorations, I was looking specifically for an old cabin from the 1770’s and also the Cabe Cemetery.
But also in the area are the remnants of the Cabe Mill.
Following the Cabelands Trail from the official trailhead, blazed in red, the map shows a left-hand trail-split, marked by two red blazes.
I followed the red blazes for the Cabelands Trail.
The Cabelands Trail continues downhill to the Eno River – and this is the way I went.
Turning downriver, I followed the trail until just before the two wooden footbridges.
Off to the right through the trees, I could see the well-preserved stone foundations for the old mill.
Two footbridges beside the river cross the old mill race from the Cabe Mill.
I tromped around a bit, but couldn’t find a passable way to the mill ruins, so I continued on along the Cabelands trail beside the river.
Back on the trail, I followed the trail up toward the bluffs, now looking for the old cabin and the cemetery.
As I followed the marked trail uphill, and noticed a long flat area of land overlooking the lowlands below.
Daffodils cover the hillside where the old homestead used to be.
It turns out this was the site of the old John Cabe homestead, but nothing remains of the cabin.
Instead, only a field of daffodils appear in the Spring to mark the spot where Cabe’s daughters grew up playing in the yard.
I (reluctantly) left the daffodil-covered hillside and went in search of the Cabe Cemetery.
The daffodils are everywhere!
I was just about to give up, when I saw what looked like an unmarked trail to the right of the “official” path.
I followed that path straight to an area dotted with old headstones, some illegible and in disrepair, but some easy to read even after all of the years in the forest.
Marker in the Cabe Cemetery.
Friday I led an 8-mile hike that combined the Company Mill and part of the Sycamore Trail in Umstead State Park.
MUT intersection with the Company Mill Trail.
I only carried 5 lbs extra on this hike, and went for speed – rain was forecast to start again at noon, and some of us had meetings to get to as well.
We ended up going about 4 mph!
Saturday the weather was pretty good all day, but I was waiting for some contractors at my house (which is another story!) so I had to settle for kickboxing and weights in my home gym.
Sunday I had posted an 8-10 mile hike, but it was forecast for 95% chance of cold rain (about 40 degrees) and 15-20mph gusting winds for the whole hike.
That really didn’t sound like much fun.
So I rescheduled the hike for next week, and spent a good long time hiking uphill indoors on my treadmill wearing 10lbs extra in a pack.
I hiked 3 miles with 1500ft elev gain in 45 mins, then another 2 miles in 35 mins descending 2162 ft. I’ll be ready for Mt Olympus in no time! 🙂
Next week, the weather forecast is much more normal.
Whatever that means around here…. But, no matter what, we know that:
Are you ready????
TAKEAWAY LESSON: The weather can have a big impact on your workout plans! Have a bad weather workout plan, check trail conditions before you head out, and don’t be afraid to wait for better conditions!
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.
– – Training Week 7 began with That Man and I taking advantage of the last forecast day of mild, Spring-like weather with our first bike ride of the season.
We biked about 25 miles on some of our favorite local greenways, including the American Tobacco trail.
Some of our local greenways have fun tunnels!
A gorgeous day, and lots of other people were out enjoying it, too.
Biking hits a different set of muscles than hiking, so I was worried I would be sore the next day – but I wasn’t! The training must be working 🙂
Sunday morning it was back to a colder and rainy weather forecast, but I had a big group signed up to hike the 6.5 mile Company Mill trail in Umstead State Park before the rain set in for the rest of the day.
Monday I was planning to just do some kickboxing and weights, when Lenore posted a hike at Umstead so I signed up … but, it was not to be!
Work intervened, and I ended up doing the kickboxing and weights, and also a short urban hike with That Man in the cold sunshine later.
Seriously, this is really us.
Which was probably a good thing to do on Valentine’s Day anyway 🙂
Tuesday we were back to the MST at Falls Lake for a 9.3 mile hike with a small group from the trailhead on Baptist Rd to Little Lick Creek Bridge and back again.
View from the middle of Little Lick Creek Bridge.
A great hike, as always!
That said, my ankle started hurting badly on the last half of the hike, even though I didn’t remember doing anything to it….
I was relieved when the hike was over, so I could go ice it and put my foot up!
Hiking a bridge on the Loblolly Trail in Umstead State Park.
Wednesday was to be my Strength-Building hike for the week, and I had a good crew signed up for a 6-7 mile hike on Loblolly trail 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 Reedy Creek Greenway to create a 6.5mile loop.
Sign at the Loblolly Trailhead
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.
But even with ankle compression – and a sleeve on my opposite knee that was hurting from compensating for the ankle – it was just too painful to continue more than a mile or two.
Fortunately, I had a group of strong hikers who were familiar with the route, so they were able to continue on without me.
I went straight to the pharmacy to get the strongest ankle brace I could find – and more ibuprofen 😉
Between that and rest in the meantime, I’m determined to be ready for my next posted hike!
Thursday was going to be a kickboxing day, but I opted for some heavy core yoga work and arm weights instead, to keep from stressing my ankle.
I tried an urban walk, just a few miles, on Thursday evening, and found that there hadn’t been much improvement – so I decided to try something different.
Workout tools in my home gym.
Friday after more core yoga, I made an appointment to take a session in an Infrared sauna.
I mainly wanted a sauna to work up a sweat to take the place of the cardio workouts that I can’t do until my ankle is healed.
But, Infrared is very different than a traditional sauna, and I also discovered that the Infrared sauna has a lot more to offer than just a good sweat.
Before we get into the benefits, let me explain exactly what an Infrared sauna is.
The use of sweat bathing or “hot air baths” were a part of Chinese, Native American, and Eastern European culture, and have been used all over the world for centuries.
Traditional Sauna
These traditional saunas use heat or steam to create an atmosphere that will raise your core body temperature by raising the temperature of the air inside the sauna.
The appeal of saunas in general is that they cause your body to react as if you’re exercising, with sweating and an increased heart rate.
Infrared saunas use infrared light to heat your body without changing the air temperature around you.
Infrared saunas are built using three different sauna therapies:
Near IR impacts the surface of the body, namely the skin.
Mid IR affects the muscles, and
Far IR permeates far into the body to reach the organs. (ref)
Infrared Sauna
Benefits of Using an Infrared Sauna
1. DETOXIFICATION
Sauna therapy, especially far IR, is excellent for detox. By using an infrared sauna, you can rid your body of built-up and dangerous mold, chemicals, and heavy metals.
2. CIRCULATION
Mid IR sauna therapy improves circulation and can give muscles a greater degree of flexibility, increased range of motion, decreased stiffness, and less joint pain.
3. REPAIR AND REGENERATE CELLS
Near IR sauna therapy promotes faster cell regeneration and tissue growth, which speeds up the skin’s healing process. By activating heat shock proteins, infrared sauna therapy also repairs cellular damage in the body.
4. LOWER INFLAMMATION
Near IR consists of extremely short wavelengths, which lowers inflammation. The short wavelengths can improve the quality of your skin and diminish the appearance of unwanted blemishes.
5. BOOST IMMUNITY
Near IR sauna therapy increases blood circulation and oxygenation in blood cells, strengthening the immune system, improving cellular health, and aiding in muscle recovery.
6. WEIGHT LOSS
Studies show that a single far IR sauna therapy session can burn up to 600 calories. In cases of patients who must remain sedentary, a sauna could be used as a substitute for traditional exercise.
8. ACTIVATE MITOCHONDRIAL ACTIVITY
There is evidence that heat exposure is very healthy for your energy-producing mitochondria.
The Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein in your brain that helps keep your brain young and healthy. Studies show that heat exposure can help boost your levels of this all-important protein in your brain!
In some studies, people who used Infrared saunas experienced an improvement in their asthma symptoms.
Canoe launch, Umstead State Park
Improve Wound Healing and Chronic Disease
Infrared saunas are unique in that they can help to improve wound healing – though you shouldn’t use one with an open wound.
Specifically, research out of NASA has shown that infrared light significantly increases tissue growth and cell regeneration due to our mitochondria readily accepting infrared light (ref).
This increases the cellular activity needed for wound healing.
In the study, wound size decreased by as much as 36%, and cell growth was enhanced by 150-170%.
Infrared sauna can help with healing wounds and scars.
The young woman who helped me at my local spa said that she had scars on her abdomen from several surgeries, and that the Infrared sauna made them heal and disappear very quickly!
Several studies have looked at using infrared saunas and found some evidence of benefit, in the treatment of chronic health problems, too, such as:
high blood pressure,
congestive heart failure,
dementia and Alzheimer’s disease,
headache,
type 2 diabetes and
rheumatoid arthritis
However, larger and more-rigorous studies are needed to confirm these results. On the other hand, no adverse effects have been reported with infrared saunas.
Cost for one 45 minute session at my local salon is around $40, though you can get discount packages.
If you try Infrared Sauna and really like it, you can even get one for your own home at relatively small expense.
Sunny winter day at Falls Lake.
I went for another short urban walk with That Man on Friday evening – around 2-3 miles – and found that there was some improvement in my ankle already!
Was the improvement due to the Infrared sauna treatment? Hard to say, but it probably didn’t hurt.
So, I think I’ll do a few more sessions in the Infrared sauna – at least until the ankle is a lot more healed up.
Who knows, I may see some other improvements as well 🙂
Week 8 is coming up – the last week of the training!!
It might be difficult with my bum ankle, but I’ll find a way. If I can do it, so can you!
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.
– – Training Week 6 started with a cold Saturday morning 9 mile hike on the MST at Falls Lake.
Cypress tress in the water near Little Lick Creek bridge on the MST.
This hike is one of my favorite sections of the MST, because it’s long enough to know you’ve had a hike, and has some interesting features along the way.
I normally don’t lead hikes on Saturday, but the weather forecast for Sunday was for snow, ice and extreme cold (again), so I switched it up.
Needlessly, as it turns out, because the forecast was completely wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong! Oh, those wacky meteorologists…..
Hiking at the North Carolina Museum of Art park.
So, instead of cowering inside all day Sunday and doing the dreaded housework, I did some kickboxing – and, yes, housework.
Pretending to be sculptures in the Rodin garden.
Then I convinced That Man and the puppy to join me in the afternoon for a nice 4 mile walk at the North Carolina Museum of Art.
Monday, it was forecast to be rainy all day and evening – and it was!!
So it was a treadmill training and weight lifting day.
Tuesday – I was able to join Lenore and other hiker friends at Umstead State Park – and this time I was not thwarted by a slow lumber truck!
We hiked the MUT about 6 miles, and I had a heavy pack, so this was my official Strength Building hike for the week.
View of the old boathouse at Umstead State Park.
THE SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION PART
A couple of weeks ago I got an email out of the blue from Mary Insprucker, host of the “Triangle 411” podcast.
She wanted to know if she could interview me about hiking and the I’d Rather Walk meetup group. How cool is that?
So I said okay, and the interview was just published. Here it is:
Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve is a small 85-acre natural area in northeast Durham that is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers and managed by the NC Botanical Gardens.
Map on the kiosk at Penny’s Bend.
The nature preserve protects a peninsula of land that is surrounded on three sides by the Eno River just upstream of where the river flows into Falls Lake.
Friday was such a gorgeous day, I spent most of the day hiking a new-to-me section of the MST with a wonderful group of hikers led by Rich B from the “Life is a Hike!” meetup.
It was fun, but after completing that hike, my legs hurt and I realized I’d hiked 51 miles during the week!
So, I got off my feet and let That Man pamper me with a nice dinner 🙂
This MST section runs opposite the Rollingview Marina on Falls Lake.
I may have slacked off a bit this week on the kickboxing and weight lifting because the sunny warm weather made me do a lot of hiking and ignore the rest.
That said, there’s still time to focus and get back on track before the 8-week program is over.
Okay, then – time to go work up a sweat somehow.
THE SHAMELESS SALESY PART
In case you haven’t noticed, Valentine’s Day is just a few days away.
– – Training Week 5 started with another snowy, icy Saturday morning – so it was treadmill training for me!
But Sunday the roads were clear – although it was still very cold! – and I went back into the woods with a great group of hikers for 6 miles on the Loblolly Trail in Umstead State Park.
We started a bit later than usual due to the cold, so I had time before we started for some extra yoga 🙂
A thin skim of ice on Big Lake in Umstead State Park.
Monday I attempted to join my friend Lenore for another hike, this time on the other side (Glenwood entrance) of Umstead State Park, to hike the multi-Use Trails.
But I was thwarted by a slow lumber truck that made me late, so I went my own way.
This was a short Strength Building hike for me, so I carried extra weight in my pack and hiked around 6.5 miles.
I decided to check out a trail at Forest Ridge Park.
Tuesday was supposed to be kickboxing, but it was an unusually warm day, and I just had to get outdoors, so I went to check out a new trail – recommended by another hiker – at Forest Ridge Park, and did a short 5 miles on the Shoreline Trail.
It was another trail along the shore of Falls Lake, but this time not part of the Falls Lake Trail or the MST.
Hiking the Shoreline Trail at Forest Ridge Park.
Wednesday I scheduled a long hike (`9 miles) that we hadn’t done in a while, due to weather.
The hike follows the MST along the Eno River from the Old Pump Station ruins to the Old Mill at West Point on the Eno.
There’s been construction along there for a couple of years, and it looks like it’s finally winding down.
Construction is finally winding down at the dam at West Point on the Eno.
Thursday was another long hike at Umstead – 9mi on the Co Mill & Sycamore trails, followed later in the day by another 4 miles on Loblolly and MUT with That Man and puppy.
Second hike of the day at Umstead with Colleen, the prettiest puppy 🙂
Friday it was supposed to rain all day, so I’d planned for kickboxing and indoor work.
Turns out we got hardly any rain at all. Hmmmph.
Nevermind, we’ve made it through 5 weeks so far.
In case you’re feeling proud of yourself (and you should!), I designed some Awesome T-Shirts to commemorate your training:
Wednesday this week was Groundhog Day, and the Rodent says we have 6 more weeks of winter.
Whatever that means around here…. But, no matter what, we know that:
Are you ready????
TAKEAWAY LESSON: The weather can have a big impact on your workout plans! Always check the weather and trail conditions before you head out, and even though the forecast is wrong A LOT, plan as if you believe them 😉
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.
– – Week 6 – the final week – of the ReFit Training is finished. Yay!!!
And I did go to see the Doc – which you may recall, was the endpoint for this training series because with all of the COVID-19 trail closures, it was hard to plan for a specific hike .
Here’s what I did this week and how the Doc visit went….
Week 6 Recap
Week 6 was another hot, hot, hot! week weather-wise, and I was still recovering from some dehydration from the week before.
So the first couple of days I did my main daily exercise indoors – kickboxing, treadmill runs, weights.
Some tools for indoor training in the home gym.
Midweek I was back out on the trail locally in Bond Park for a quick 6 mile walk before it got too hot.
Thursday I did the unthinkable – I took a rest day 🙂
That was also the day I went in for my checkup with the Doc.
The Checkup
The good news is, apparently I’m going to live forever!
The bad news is, I didn’t reach my weight goal. I blame licorice and chocolate sorbet…. 😉
But seriously, I’m not too worried.
My clothes all still fit, and the weight loss was my own goal – not mandated by illness or anything.
Hiking the Lake Trail in Bond Park.
I just generally feel better and more energetic when I’m a bit lighter.
I’ll keep working on it – hopefully without obsessing too much. Because no one needs more stress these days!
Actually, with all of the stress and forced inactivity due to COVID-19 restrictions, it could be a lot worse…
Stress and Weight Gain
Stress can leave you open to a lot of illnesses.
With all that’s been going on the past few months – health worries, job and financial losses, enforced isolation, restricted movements, killings and riots, incessant political noise, etc – we’ve all had a lot of reason to be stressed out.
And we can all agree that too much stress is bad for you.
Excess stress can lead to headaches, digestive and sleep problems, and depression.
Stress can also wreak havoc on metabolism and cause stress-induced weight gain.
For some time we’ve known about the connection between stress and weight gain, specifically due to an increase in cortisol levels.
What is Cortisol?
Cortisol is a hormone that your body releases when you’re feeling physical or psychological stress.
The hormone raises your blood pressure and blood sugar and can suppress the immune system.
Higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol have also been shown to increase appetite.
Stressed to the Max
Fresh fruits and veggies are part of a healthy diet.
Psychologist Leslie Heinberg, PhD. , Director of Behavioral Services for the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at Cleveland Clinic, agrees that the link between stress and weight gain is real.
Healthy habits like getting enough sleep, exercising and eating a healthy diet are harder to maintain when you feel like you’re maxed out emotionally, she says.
3 Tips to Fight Weight Gain
But even if you can’t fix the causes of your stress, you can make small changes to try to minimize offset the effects.
Here are three tips that might help you fight stress-induced weight gain:
ONE: Choose Your Fats Wisely
Fat is important to feel full, and it’s also one of your body’s key building blocks. But to keep it in balance, try to choose only one high-fat item per meal.
For example, if you have a healthy salad for lunch, don’t include both olive oil and avocado – just choose one of those things.
So, if you want avocado on your salad, use a balsamic vinegar dressing rather than an oil-based vinaigrette.
TWO: Adjust Your Meal Proportions
To reduce calories, shift your servings a bit to slash calories without having to eat less food.
Trading in a portion of dense grains for low-cal veggies is an easy way to accomplish a quick calorie savings that doesn’t require sacrificing volume.
For example, if you’re eating rice and veggies for a meal, shift the balance to include more veggies and less rice.
Eating 1.5 cups of veggies and .5 cup of brown rice instead of 1 cup of each can easily save you 60-75 calories. Those small savings will add up over time.
THREE: Take a Quick Post-Meal Walk
Take a short walk to boost your metabolism.
A study from George Washington University found that taking a 15-minute walk after meals helped normalize blood sugar levels for up to three hours after eating.
If you don’t have 15 minutes, even a 5 minute walk – just to break from sitting to get your blood pumping – can shift your metabolism.
It can also be a time to clear your head, connect with nature, or catch up with a walking buddy – all of which can help reduce feelings of stress.
Back to the Woods
Later in the week, the weather cooled down a bit and I’d recovered from my dehydration, so I was ready to hit the woods again!
The Lake Trail goes past the Observation Tower at Lake Crabtree.
So on Friday (after a treadmill run indoors in the morning), I hiked around Lake Crabtree in the afternoon.
It was beautiful as usual – though I miss seeing the sailboats on the lake! (They’re not allowed now due to COVID-19 restrictions.)
Saturday, That Man and I got on the bikes and had a nice 20-mile ride on the greenways and the ATT.
A new section of the White Oak greenway connects Bond park and Davis Drive Park.
It was a gorgeous day, and the trails were surprisingly un-crowded.
Sunday, was my long hike for the week, a 8-9 miler in Umstead State Park, on a combination of Company Mill and Sycamore Trails.
A great group of hikers came with me 🙂
That hike was the end of my training week, and of this training series. But I’ll keep on going!
A stroller-friendly trail in Umstead State Park
Training for Life
For me, training is never really over. Many active people are the same.
Even though our goals change from week to week, or year to year, we always keep moving forward and striving to improve.
Whether it’s a hiking to a new mountain summit, getting into a new dress, or mastering a new sport or skill, training towards a goal is what keeps us motivated and interested in what we’re doing.
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing was one of my Bucket List hikes.
What’s Your Next Adventure?
Although some destinations are still out of reach due to continuing COVID-19 restrictions, many State and National Parks are opening back up now.
I’ve got my eye on a few new adventures within driving distance of home, and I’m starting to get excited about it!
I might even start some new training hikes soon 🙂
If you’re local and would like to join us, check out the I’d Rather Walk Meetupfor hike postings.
The Hawksbill Summit in Shenandoah National Park is an attainable goal for most hikers.
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 Planpost to see the whole plan.
For some ideas for your next adventures, check out my Hiking Destinations page for outdoor vacation spots for you and your family.
Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ
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– – 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 🙂
Canoe rack on Bond Lake
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.
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…. 🙂
Stargate or boarding tunnel??
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 Planpost, 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 postsabout New Zealand in the next month or so….
– – 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 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.
Sign at the Loblolly Trailhead
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.
A snowy day in the neighborhood
PLUS another bonus walk just for fun – because we had fresh snowfall and it was sunny outside 🙂
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?
Zorbing in Rotorua, New Zealand
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.
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.
But in a mid-hike surprise twist, Lenore handed the reins over to Michael.
