mom fitness Archives - Page 2 of 9

Week 1: Resolutions and Hope for the Future

Most recently updated February 3rd, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 2.3 minutes

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

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

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

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

Looking down at the Eno River from the trail.

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

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

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

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

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

So just some yoga and upper body weights.

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

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

Fountain at the Zinc House winery and brewery

Most Common New Year’s Resolutions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And of course, finding your way back.

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

View of a cut in the quarry from the bottom.

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

What Percentage of New Year’s Resolutions Fail?

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

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

Sadly, it’s not really a joke.

One survey (of those who responded) found that:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’m pretty much the same.

Well, crap.

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

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

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

But here’s the thing:

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

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

It’s just going to take a while.

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

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

NEW: Track Your “Awesome” Progress at Home!

Track your progress towards your fitness goals!

You’ll get instructions and three printable trackers:

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

Click Here to Order!

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

I hope you’ve found my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂 To see more of them go to my Training Log.

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

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

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

The Awesome Year of the Trail

Most recently updated February 3rd, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

Starting next week, as I have for the past 3 years, I’ll be spending 8 weeks training for an awesome epic hike.

I don’t know yet what hike that will be, but in any case it’s a good idea to be ready to hit the trails before Spring break and definitely before Summer vacations begin.

In fact, now that they (“they” are the NC General Assembly) have designated 2023 to be “The Year of the Trail” in North Carolina, the trails will likely be more popular than ever.

I hiked the Flat Top Tower Trail in Moses H Cone Memorial park on the Blue Ridge Parkway this past summer. I found it by accident while hiking nearby Grandfather mountain, and I'm so glad I did! Read about the Blue Ridge Parkway, Cone Memorial Park, this hike and other local attractions, and how you can visit too. #Idratherwalk #Hiking — Hikers on the Flat Top Tower Trail in Moses H Cone Memorial park on the Blue Ridge Parkway this past summer.

The big challenge from NC State Parks and Rec is for people to walk 100 miles within the coming year.

One hundred miles in a year is not really a problem for regular hikers (I usually hike ~30+ miles per week) so while all of the trails will be busier, it’s safe to say the shorter, easier, and easier to get to beginner-level trails will likely be the most crowded.

All the more reason to train up to tackle more ambitious trails, both locally and in your Bucket List locations!

The Holidays are just now winding down... — The Holidays are just now winding down…

The holiday season is just now winding down, so this past week I started to focus on getting back to my normally pretty disciplined training routine.

That routine includes several hikes per week – and starting next week I’ll post the training hikes on my hiking Meetup, so you can hike with me!

And of course, there’s weight training and cardio each week, with stretching every day.

Hiking down - and up! - 820 steps at the Kaymoor Miners Trail in New River Gorge NP. — Hiking down – and up! – 820 steps at the Kaymoor Miners Trail in New River Gorge NP.

Over the next couple of weeks, along with more focused and increased physical training, I’ll also try to clean up my diet.

Because of my asthma, I’ve adopted a “clean” diet ( you can read about my Anti-Asthma Diet here ) that focuses more on protein and veggies, and less on dairy, breads and grains.

And no more Holiday cheese platters!

Combined with intermittent fasting, this diet works pretty well for just about anyone, whether you’ve got asthma or not!

Luckily, I live within walking distance of a couple of different grocery stores, so I’ve also decided to walk to the store for smaller trips (that don’t include cat litter), and carry groceries home in my back pack.

Carrying your groceries on your back gives a whole new meaning to “eating light” 🙂

I just finished making a checklist/tracker to help everyone measure their hike progress, available now on the IRW Merch Shop! See below:

NEW: Track Your “Awesome” Progress at Home!

You’ll get instructions and three printable trackers:

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

Click Here to Order!

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

(Or, you could subscribe and download the pdf for FREE here.)

Anyway, gotta go sweat. See you next time!

Hiking on the Brumley Mountain trail in Virginia.

TAKEAWAY LESSON: Any diet (and possibly strength training) begins in the grocery store!!

I hope you’ll find my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂 To see more of them go to my Training Log.

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

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

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

Week 9: Bonus! (A.K.A. Training Never Stops)

Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Week 9 Training is a bonus!

Mostly because when we last left our training in Week 8, I was trying to work myself back from total lameness.

And, actually, that’s going pretty well. 🙂

But, to save myself from myself, I didn’t post my usual weekend hikes on my Meetup.

Well, actually, it was to save myself from my regular hikers, who have grown to expect high-paced longer hikes from me – and I just can’t NOT do that when I’m with them!

So, instead on Saturday I did some yoga, and then joined my friend Douglas for a shorter more moderately-paced hike on the Sal’s Branch Trail in Umstead State Park.

Sal's Branch trail is adjacent to Big Lake in Umstead State Park. — Sal’s Branch trail is adjacent to Big Lake in Umstead State Park.

Sunday was a rainy day so I did the kickboxing (minus hi-impact) and upper body weights again.

Escape to the Beach

In an effort to do something fun, use some expiring hotel points – and still avoid hurting myself – I decided to take myself down the Coast to Myrtle Beach for a few days.

I like the beach in the Winter, when it’s less crowded and you can walk the beach for miles without suffering heat stroke 😉

This isn’t my first mid-Winter escape to the beach.

The Fountain of Youth in St Augustine is surrounded by peacocks!

Last February (when it was raining like Noah was still afloat) I drove all the way to St. Augustine, FL then made my way back up with stops at Hilton Head, and a lovely weekend visit at St Simon’s Island.

Visiting a historical cemetery on St Simon's Island. — Visiting a historical cemetery on St Simon’s Island.

In this part of the world, there are many beaches to choose from – and lots of hiking and walking opportunities at each one.

I’ve written about a few of them:

- Hiking Cannon’s Point Preserve on St Simon’s Island.
- Hiking the beach at Fort Macon State Park.
- Hiking the longest trail at First Landing State Park.

I’m sure I’ll also get around to writing something about walking and hiking around Myrtle Beach soon, too 🙂

Monday I did some more kickboxing and weights, then loaded the car and hit the road!

On the way down the coast, I stopped at Bird Island on Sunset Beach, home of the famous Kindred Spirit Mailbox.

At about 2.25 miles down the beach from the 39th Street public access, I did find the mailbox.

I also found a Memorial to one of the mailbox founders, and a couple of benches.

The Kindred Spirit Mailbox and benches, about 2 miles form the last Public Beach Access. — The Kindred Spirit Mailbox and benches, about 2 miles from the last Public Beach Access.

What’s the Kindred Spirit Mailbox?

For over 35 years, a small black mailbox printed with the words “Kindred Spirit” has stood in the dunes on the shore of Bird Island, an uninhabited island at the west end of Sunset Beach, NC.

The Mailbox first appeared in 1981 on a small sandspit near Tubbs Inlet between Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle.

For a many years, visitors had to wade across Mad Inlet to Bird Island at low tide to reach the mailbox, but since then several large hurricanes changed the location of the box and the island’s surrounding waterways.

Most stories say the mailbox was first put up after the Kindred Spirit saw a mirage of a mailbox on the shore during low tide.

This vision inspired them to plant a mailbox, with a communal notebook inside, so visitors could leave a message.

The mailbox caught on quickly, and many visitors used the mailbox to express their hopes and thoughts, even saving the island with their handwritten pleas.

Once a prime target for resort development, Bird Island is now a Nature Preserve operated by the State.

The original placement of the mailbox was done by Claudia Sailor -the Kindred Spirit – a woman from Hope Mills, NC.

She maintained the mailbox in secret along with Frank Nesmith (the mailbox co-founder) since its inception.

Memorial to one of the Kindred Spirit co-founders.

Sailor passed away in 2013, so local author Jacqueline DeGroot recruited a team of volunteers to help watch over the landmark.

Nesmith preserved Claudia’s life work by having the notebooks (over 30 years worth) accepted into UNCW’s William Madison Randall Library.

The collection now numbers over 500 journals, and is still growing! Each summer DeGroot brings the handwritten notes, prayers, and letters to UNCW to add to the collection.

Along with the messages that saved Bird Island, many of the personal thoughts and hopes left in the mailbox are now published on the Kindred Spirit’s website.

Access Sunset Beach from the last Public Beach Access to get to the mailbox.

After a quick sit-down for some water (and nuts and berries) I continued the rest of the way down to the Point.

I didn’t write a note for the mailbox – THIS is my message!

It was only another .25 miles or so – then I turned around and made my way back to my car (for a total of ~5 miles beach hiking) and got to my lodgings just ahead of sundown.

Tuesday was supposed to be a cloudy, cold day, so I hadn’t planned any big excursions.

Luckily for me, it turned out to be another beautiful warmish sunny day!!

Bonus Good-Weather Day!!!

So after some yoga and breakfast, I hit the road again, this time to visit Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve.

Rumor had it (okay, it was Alltrails) that there was a 4 mile hike there that would be different than the beach.

Well, rumor – and Alltrails – had it wrong.

Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve entry.

I showed up and went inside the park gate, and the road was just a simple dirt track cut out of the forest.

I kept driving to see if there was a Visitor’s Center or something, maybe some trailhead signs.

Nope. Finally after a few miles, I saw a white pickup parked along the road, so I pulled up and rolled down my window to talk to the folks inside.

The whole Preserve looked like this, basically.

The two young women (and their dogs) said that the place was basically a hunting preserve, and that you could walk the fire-breaks, but they’d just done that and found some bear scat.

Hmmmm. There HAD been a sign that said all visitors were required to wear Blaze Orange during deer hunting season…

But it was the bear scat that was the deal-breaker. I decided to head for Huntington Beach State Park instead.

I first visited the Park on my last trip to the area about 6 months ago, so I already had a general idea of the layout.

Hiking down the beach towards the Jetty at Huntington Beach State Park.

This time, I specifically wanted to do the hike to the Jetty, which is usually frequented more by Birders, but at ~ 6miles it’s also one of the longer available hikes in the area.

With all of the screwing around with the driving and not-hiking at the Preserve place, it was almost 2pm by the time I reached Huntington.

I was concerned I wouldn’t have time to finish the Jetty hike before they closed at 6pm – but I did it, and it was sooo worth it!

View from the Jetty back down the beach.

Wednesday I decided to stick around near where I was staying, because traffic in Myrtle is already heavy (in February!), and I didn’t want to waste any more beach time stuck in my car.

So I started with 45 mins of yoga, then did a quick 10 miles (!) on the beach right outside my door.

The beach I didn't have to drive to was also very nice! — The beach I didn’t have to drive to was also very nice!

I really hadn’t meant to hike that far, but I was in the zone. Later, I accidentally hiked 3 more miles. Oops. 🙂

Thursday was more yoga and a quick 3 mile beach walk, and then I scampered up the Coast to home again.

A view from the Jetty on the Marsh side.

Friday I had posted my first Meetup hike in a week or so, just the 6.5 mile Company Mill trail in Umstead State Park.

I had a great group of hikers join me, and we went at a good clip!

I was wearing ankle and knee compression for a little help, and I’m happy to say I didn’t have any issues 🙂

Later, That Man and the puppy joined me for another 4 mile urban hike – and we discovered a new pub!

Not sure if the cider and stout canceled out the exercise, but anyway, it’s nice to have another dog-friendly pub within walking distance.

So that winds up Week 9.

But, here’s the deal: training never really stops.

You can focus it more by training for a specific race or hike, or to get in shape for:

- your daughter’s wedding,
- or a school reunion,
- or your next doctor visit.

But that’s not the real goal.

More than tuning up for a single event, we train to be fit enough to enjoy our lives and activities every day.

TAKEAWAY LESSON: We’re really training for life. We all want to be able to do whatever we want to – both ordinary and extraordinary things – for as long as we can. And have fun doing it!

See you next time 🙂

Hiking the Jetty at Huntington Beach State Park.

I hope you’ll find my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂 To see more of them go to my Training Log.

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

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

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

Week 8: Don’t Be a Lame Duck!

– – Training Week 8 started Saturday with a 45 minute yoga flow session.

I also tried out a short hike in the afternoon at Falls Lake with That Man and the puppy, but my leg started hurting after about 2 miles. (Heavy sigh.)

Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine.

But I REALLY want to stop being so, well, lame. Literally.

Sunday, anticipating that I would NOT be ready for my already-posted 9.3 mile hike on the Mountains to Sea Trail along the Eno River, I got one of my regular hikers to take over and lead the hike for me.

All reports are he did very well 🙂

And I did more bleeping yoga. And 45 minutes of *very mild* treadmilling in my home gym.

Monday, I did another Infrared sauna session (see Week 7) and then joined Lenore and some other hikers for a 5ish mile hike in Hollow Rock Nature Park and Duke Forest.

I was feeling lucky, so I didn’t wear any ankle support, but I also didn’t add any extra weight to my pack.

I also thought about bringing hiking poles – which I almost never use.

In fact, the last time I carried hiking poles, was years ago hiking in Italy with a group – where they “strongly encouraged” everyone to rent poles. (Mine never left my pack.)

I was encouraged to use hiking poles in Italy.

I forgot to bring my poles on Monday, but did end up finding a sturdy hiking stick along the way, which helped support the bad ankle crossing streams and rock scrambling.

I did okay, and we had fun exploring! When I returned home, I snarfed some ibuprofen and applied a bag of frozen veggies to the ankle.

Part of my adventure for the past few weeks is that my asthma meds have run out, because my prescription order for new ones have gone missing from the Port of Los Angeles. (Read story from CBS here.)

Cargo Container Theft in LA Is a Big Problem

Anyway, I’ve had to get creative with alternate asthma treatments. (Learn more about vitamins and supplements that help your asthma.)

That means my challenge lately has been to try to stay in shape and at the same time avoid triggering massive asthma attacks or further injuring my leg.

So, I’m just focusing on what I CAN do – and planning for new hikes when I’m on the trail in earnest again. 🙂

That Man's REAL girlfriend :-) — That Man’s REAL girlfriend 🙂

Tuesday, I broke out the Pilates!!

AND I also treadmilled a couple of miles, and took another 2-3 mile urban hike with That Man and his (real) girlfriend, Colleen.

Wednesday I was supposed to join Heidi’s hike on another 6 mile section of the MST at Falls Lake, but it was a rainy day and slipping in the mud while nursing an injury seemed like a SPECTACULARLY bad idea.

If it seems like a bad idea.... — If it seems like a bad idea….

So I did the stoopid yoga again, PLUS Pilates and took myself on a soft-surface hike in Bond Park for about 4 miles – wearing compression on my ankle AND my knee.

Thursday I did my long-form yoga and took another Infrared sauna session.

Rock scramble at Rock Hollow. There's a trail there somewhere... — Rock scramble at Rock Hollow. There’s a trail there somewhere…

Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that Chromotherapy is included in the Infrared sauna sessions.

Colored light is turned on in addition to the Infrared inside the sauna to complement the treatment.

What is Chromatic Light Therapy?

Chromotherapy is a centuries-old concept that uses the visible spectrum (colors) of electromagnetic radiation to cure diseases, on the premise that each color is associated with a different bodily response.

Color has been used to treat all kinds of medical conditions since ancient times. Color light therapy history dates back to ancient Egypt, India, China, and even as far back as the Mayan culture.

10 Benefits of Color Light Therapy

Color light therapy is attributed with many benefits, ranging from emotional to physical, including:

- - - Reduced Swelling and Inflammation
    - Pain Relief
    - Accelerated Healing
    - Increased Range of Motion
    - Decreased Muscle Tension
    - Improved Circulation
    - Regulated Mood
    - Improved Sleeping Patterns
    - Relief of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)
    - Anti-Aging Benefits

Although thought of as “alternative” medicine, a recent scientific study from the NIH explores Chromotherapy’s history, uses and effectiveness in treating different disorders or illnesses.

In fact, today the medical benefits of color light therapy are being investigated and implemented in major hospitals and medical research centers worldwide.

The other thing I did on Thursday was to go and consult my new friend Joe at B.E.S.T. Physical Therapy in Cary, NC.

I’ll let him introduce himself to you as he did to me:

“Hello –

Joe's actual face :-) — Joe’s actual face 🙂

My name is Joe Villecco and I’m a physical therapist with B.E.S.T. Physical Therapy in Cary.

As the new year begins, I can’t tell you how many people I talk to about starting new habits and ways that they can do that.

For many of my patients, running or traditional gym workouts are just not their cup of tea. I have frequently recommended hiking in the past but with no resource to point them to!

Enter, the I’d Rather Walk blog and Meetup! “

(What Joe didn’t tell me until later is that he earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University and has his Bachelors of Science degree in Biology from SUNY Oneonta, where he also became an ACE Certified Personal Trainer.)

Joe at B.E.S.T. Physical Therapy in Cary

I took the opportunity to visit Joe at his office, and talk to him about my leg problems.

I stressed out my leg with too much activity all at once.

He examined my leg and moved it around a bit, gauging pain level etc. – and assured me that it was NOT a stress fracture in a leg bone. (Yayy!!)

He did say that it was probably a stress injury caused from jumping up activity too much all at once.

So anyway, yeah, I know exactly when and why that happened – beautiful weather, lots of fun hikes posted, FOMO.

Joe recommended only bumping up your activity by 10% each week to avoid injury. Now I have to carefully build back up to my previous level.

More About B.E.S.T Physical Therapy

In addition to his other qualifications, Joe is a Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopedic Physical Therapy (OCS) and completed his Orthopedic Residency through Evidence In Motion in 2018.

Orthopedic Clinical Specialists are experts in evaluating and treating musculoskeletal conditions – an honor that is held by < 5% of all physical therapists in the United States!

At their practice at B.E.S.T. Physical Therapy in Cary, they focus on a 3-step approach.

Step One – is to reduce pain and improve function as quickly as possible to return to activity.

Step Two – is complete symptom resolution and working on correcting weaknesses, mobility deficits, movement impairments, etc.

Step Three – is to create a daily at-home plan to attack ongoing weaknesses to reduce the risk of any future injuries or problems.

During a typical visit, they use various hands-on techniques to reduce pain and improve mobility, and then they go on to use individually designed corrective exercises to further improve any weaknesses.

The goal at B.E.S.T. Physical Therapy is always to get you back to what you enjoy doing as soon as you can, and Joe truly loves to see his clients leave the clinic more resilient and with a higher quality of life than they had before!

For those of you who might also be interested in seeing if some PT might help you, I’ve invited Joe to come give a short talk and some pre-hike stretches at one of my regular Meetup hikes in March.

Keep your eyes peeled for that notice!

Winter hiking isn't the most scenic, but it's still great exercise! — Winter hiking isn’t the most scenic, but it’s still great exercise!

Now, I’m sure all of this stuff about my total lameness is entertaining – but for those of you who are NOT lame, Week 8 training should be kicking your butt!

If you go back to the beginning and look at the 8 Weeks to Awesome plan, by this time:

- - Your weekly Long Hike should be about 10 miles, and
  - Your Strength Building hike should include an extra 25-30 lbs in your pack.

Regular weekly maintenance (whatever level you are) should look like this:

- - (3 days) Strength training workouts,
  - (2-3 days) 1.5-2 hour moderate endurance hiking or jogging workout, and
  - (1 day) high intensity workout – like fast hiking or running
  - Stretch every day

Sample Weekly Workout Schedule
Monday	Strength	Stretch
Tuesday	Endurance	Stretch
Wednesday	Strength	Stretch
Thursday	Endurance	Stretch
Friday	Strength	Stretch
Saturday	Hi Intensity	Stretch
Sunday	Endurance	Stretch

Some people think a daily workout is too much, but it’s okay as long as you vary the intensity – for instance, don’t do two really long, high intensity workouts back to back.

And as I learned (the hard way), don’t go jump up your activity by more than 10% per week!

Friday was the ankle mobility exercises Joe gave me plus more yoga, kickboxing (without the hi-impact parts), upper body weights, and another leisurely 2-3 mile walk with That Man and his furry side-kick in the forest.

And so ends Week 8.

….and I’ll bet you thought this was going to be my last Training Log post! Nope.

Because I’ve been so lame this week, I’m adding a Bonus Week to the training log, including a special event. 🙂

So you’ve got that to look forward to!

TAKEAWAY LESSON: Training towards a goal should include a rest period just before the event. For any kind of training – ongoing or towards a goal – it’s a good idea to only bump up your activity by 10% each week, or you risk injury.

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.

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

Week 6: Don’t Stop Now!

– – 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:

Triangle 411 I’d Rather Walk Hiking Interview

Please feel free to share with wild abandon!!!

I just hope I don’t sound like a doofus…

View of the Eno from the MST at Penny's Bend. — View of the Eno from the MST at Penny’s Bend.

Wednesday was another gorgeous day, so another hiker and I explored a new-to-me trail from Penny’s Bend to the River Forest trailhead.

The whole RT route was about 8.8 miles on the MST – our turnaround spot was just a mile or so from West Point on the Eno.

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. — 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.

Thursday I hosted a longer training hike at Umstead State Park with a great group of hikers, hiking about 9 miles on the Loblolly Trail into Schenk Forest and back.

For some reason this hike kicked my butt…

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.

MST Hike K is a 14 miles out-and-back between Hwy 98 and NC 50 near Falls Lake.

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.

If you haven’t planned anything yet, here are few suggestions from the IRW Merch Shop Valentine’s Collection:

At this point, your gifts won’t get there in time, but you could tell your sweetie it’s on the way!

Week 7 is next. Let’s make it a good one 🙂

TAKEAWAY LESSON: Don’t give up if you miss a cross-training workout or snarf too many jelly beans – every day is a new opportunity to do better!!

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: Ice and Rain

– – 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 :-) — 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.

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 4: The Glass is Half Full

Most recently updated January 29th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

– – Training Week 4 started on Saturday with the world all socked-in with snow and ice from Friday’s storm, so Saturday was a treadmill with heavy pack day for me.

Sunday morning, everything was still iced in, so it was kickboxing for me early.

A little bit later things were starting to melt, so thanks to some other local hikers, I decided to take it outdoors to enjoy some sunshine and company!

A few of the local hike leaders, hosted by my friend Michael, ventured out to Umstead State Park, and took the multi-use trail from Old Reedy Creek Road into the Park.

Checking out the MUT in Umstead State Park. — Checking out the MUT into Umstead State Park.

Some of the group went into the woods on a snow-covered trail, but another hiker and I just took the MUT back the way we came because of time constraints.

The walk out was a lot easier and less treacherous than the earlier walk in!

Monday was my first posted hike, and I hosted a great group of people in Bond Park, on natural trails and the greenway for about 6.25 miles.

This was my “strength-building” hike for the week, so I had an extra 20 lbs in my pack.

It was still a little bit icy, but most of the trails and greenways were no trouble at all – in fact, it got more difficult as the ice melted and the mud thawed.

Bond Park is a great place for shorter walks or hikes, and has a lot of paved trails for strollers.

Tuesday was more kickboxing and I was able to entice That Man and the puppy out to walk a few miles in the afternoon, because it was a balmy 50ish degrees!

Week 4 included adding more extra weight, so I carried at least an extra 15lbs on every hike – including the treadmill hikes.

Here are their smiling faces! (They promised not to sue me....) — Here are their smiling faces! (They promised not to sue me….)

Wednesday, I led a another group on one of my favorite MST section hikes at Falls Lake.

Officially, the section is ~ 9 miles from the Baptist Rd trailhead out to the Little Lick Creek Bridge and back.

It was a little windy and cold on the bridge and exposed boardwalk, so some folks held back in the shelter of the bridge for that section.

View from the top of the Little Lick Creek bridge on a windy wintery day.

We were protected from the wind and all got much warmer once we returned to the shelter of the woods.

Thursday was *sort of* a rest day for me, so I only did a few miles with a pack uphill on the treadmill, and some yoga.

Friday, was more kickboxing and a chilly 3 mile urban hike.

I kind of hate the gym – even my home gym – so I’m counting those indoor workouts this week as a personal win!

As a celebration of being half-way through my 8-week program, I bought 2 new pairs of hiking pants – after a friend told me my butt looked amazing in them…

What? Nothing wrong with being useful AND decorative 🙂

Bumble | Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer Wiki | FANDOM ... — Looking forward to more Wintery weather this weekend…

Week 5 is next – with longer hikes, heavier weights, and more Winter weather!! It should be lots of fun!

And I don’t mean that sarcastically. Pretty sure…

TAKEAWAY LESSON: Reward yourself for hard work and celebrate your personal wins!

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 3: Well, it IS winter…

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

– – Awesome Training Week 3 got off to a great start with a 9ish mile Saturday morning hike hosted by my friend Heidi on the Mountains to Sea Trail, beginning from the Shinleaf parking lot at Falls Lake.

The Mountains to Sea Trail is blazed with a white circle.

This was a good hike with a good group – but the weather was a bit cold!

We started off briskly enough – and I had enough extra weight in my pack – that by the time we reached the midpoint, I was sweating through my jacket.

We started to go more slowly on the return, and I got chilled, so I sped up for warmth and finished a bit sooner than the group.

Puppy on a leash — This puppy loves to snuggle!

It was a great way to start the day – and I felt good about snuggling in for the afternoon with That Man and Colleen (the prettiest puppy).

And then the week went to crap!!

You might think I’m kidding, but I’m not.

So far this year we’d been spared the legendary ice storms (and snow that turns to ice, which then turns into a bazillion car accidents), but last weekend the Snow Miser finally caught up with us on Sunday.

Here in the South, that ice can also turn into many power outages, and thankfully we never lost power throughout the bad weather.

The next day, Sunday, I had scheduled a favorite 9.3mi hike, another section of the MST, starting at the Baptist Rd Trailhead – but I had to cancel because the weather was just too bad.

Trees in the lake at the mid-point of the MST section hike from Baptist Rd trailhead.

Cold isn’t a problem if people bundle up, but driving to the trailhead can be treacherous, and I don’t want to ask anyone to come out in unsafe road conditions.

So, I had to disappoint the hikers signed up for Sunday, and contented myself with elevated treadmilling with a weighted pack.

I actually enjoy exercising in my home gym (if outdoors isn’t do-able) because I can watch a movie while I’m on the machine – but I would much rather be outside!

The forecast looked like our only outdoor opportunities would be maybe Tuesday and Wednesday, and then the rest of the week would have to be indoors again.

Monday the weather was still crap, too, so I did some kickboxing and weights.

Meanwhile I constantly refreshed my weather app, in hopes the forecast would get nice enough to post an outdoor hike!

My mania paid off and I was able to post a last-minute hike for Tuesday, and a few hardy souls joined me 🙂

We hiked 6 miles on the multi-use trail (a gravel/packed dirt road) from the Old Reedy Creek trailhead, across the old I-40 bridge, all the way to Warren Cemetery inside Umstead State Park.

Joggers on the old I-40 bridge that is part of the MUT into Umstead from Old Reedy Creek trailhead.

This is a good route when the trails may be too muddy or icy from recent rain and snow.

I used this for my weekly Strength-Building hike, and added some more weight to my pack – so I was at around 15-20 lbs per the hike training plan.

The next day, Wednesday, was a beautiful day, with highs in the 60’s (N Carolina is so weird) so we took advantage of the day with another long hike!

A great group of hikers joined me at Umstead State Park, where we started off on the Company Mill Trail, and then took the MUT out to Big Lake and back – for a total of ~ 8 miles.

The weather was so beautiful that after I got cleaned up from that hike, I persuaded That Man and the puppy to join me for another 4 miles in Bond Park before sundown.

We were even able to have dinner at our favorite sidewalk cafe before it got too cold 🙂

Thursday the weather had turned to rain and sleet, so I had to be content with Yoga and 1 hour (4 miles) at top incline with weights on the treadmill.

By Friday, the rain had frozen on the ground and some snow had fallen on top of it, soooo – kickboxing and weightlifting indoors – to avoid road traffic.

Good thing, because we had about 600 accidents locally due to icy roads!!

Altogether, a somewhat disappointing week for hiking outdoors. That said, we still managed to get some time in the sunshine – so it could’ve been worse.

Like next week. Next week the weather forecast is even crappier. 🙁

But it doesn’t matter – we’ll find a way to get some exercise anyway, and I guarantee we’ll feel better about everything when it’s done!

Meanwhile, there’s a jigsaw puzzle and wine with my name on it 🙂

Not so far, but it could happen!! — Not so far, but it could happen Friday night!!

Okay are you ready for Week 4? It’s going to be intense. Here we go!

TAKEAWAY LESSON: Stick to your workout plan, even if the weather is crap and you don’t feel like it. You’ll feel better physically after you exercise, and you’ll be proud of yourself, too!

I hope you’ve found my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂 To see more of them go to my Training Log.

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

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

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Week 1: Training Went … Meh

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 2.3 minutes

– – I started the Awesome Training Again this past week, with a moderate 6-mile hike on Umstead State Park’s Company Mill Trail, which is a little bit hilly.

I also had an extra 10 lbs of weight in my pack.

You’d be surprised how heavy that extra 10 lbs in your pack gets by the time you’re climbing the hill back to the trailhead!

But it didn’t seem like a big deal, since I had some great hikers come along with me 🙂

My second posted hike was also in Umstead State Park, but this time it was the Loblolly Trail.

That hike was a bit longer, also with extra weight – and it was my birthday!

So, hiking with a good group of hikers, but no cake.

In other words just another great day for me, but on paper, another year older 🙂

I posted a third hike this week, around 6 miles on the Mountains to Sea Trail on the Eno River, to take advantage of some great weather!

The white blaze of the MST trail can be found along trails in many of the State Parks.

I was supposed to go on a fourth hike (led by another Leader), too, but just ran out of time, so I had to cancel.

Because apparently sometimes there are things you have to tend to outside of the woods 😉

I was – and am – impatient with anything that keeps me from my training goals, be it bad weather, other commitments, or even an injury.

This week, I also kick-boxed a couple of times, hiked on my treadmill with a heavy pack, did some arm weights, and did yoga every day.

And now at the end of the week…… I’m pretty much the same. Hmmphh.

I hiked the Triple Crown this summer! It's a group of three hikes - Dragon's Tooth, McAfee Knob, and Tinker Cliffs - that can be done individually or tackled all together as a backpacking trip. This 35 mile loop contains some of the best hiking in the Roanoke Valley and some of the best overlooks in the entire state of Virginia! I'll tell you what I found on this bucket-list-worthy portion of the Appalachian Trail, and how you can do it too :-) #Idratherwalk #KidsOutdoors #Hiking — Most of us just can’t hike McAfee Knob every day.

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

But I feel like I should be able to decide something and it instantly happens like magic!

Here’s the thing though: you have to do the work every day.

Even if it’s boring, or painful, or both. It’s just going to take a while.

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

TAKEAWAY LESSON: Patience is required for training, and instant gratification isn’t fast enough!!

I hope you’ve found my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂 To see more of them go to my Training Log.

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

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

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

Return to the Road to Awesome….

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

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

The holiday season is just now winding down, so I’ve started this week to focus on getting back to my usually pretty disciplined training routine.

That routine includes several hikes per week – which I’ll post on my Meetup, so you can go, too – along with weight training, cardio and of course stretching every day.

Over the next couple of weeks, along with more focused and increased physical training, I’ll also try to clean up my diet.

Domestic Cheese Tray – holiday food. So much cheese!

Specifically, now that the socially condoned Holiday eating extravagance is behind us, I’m working on getting back to my normal (pretty healthy) eating habits before Super Bowl Sunday.

And then my birthday is this week…

Throughout the holiday season – which for me starts in October and doesn’t end until mid January – I’ve been plagued by a super-abundance of cheese. So much cheese.

Special Cheese Tray Idea, c1964 | Superbowl snacks, Super ... — Special Cheese Tray Idea, c1964 | Superbowl snacks. More cheese.

Because of my asthma, I’ve adopted a “clean” diet ( you can read about my Anti-Asthma Diet here ) that focuses more on protein and veggies, and less on dairy and grains.

Fun fact: Cheese activates the same receptors in your brain as opioids. So, you CAN get addicted to cheese…

But, even past the hurdle of Christmas and New Year’s, we’ve got the Super Bowl and then Valentines Day to deal with….

Valentine's Day Snack - Fruit & Cheese Heart Platter ... — Valentine’s Day Snack – Fruit & Cheese Heart Platter. Cheese again.

After Valentine’s Day, Easter is just a short hop away.

And you know what that means – jellybeans. I admit I’ve got a jellybean problem – I even tried to explain to That Man how jellybeans are actually vegetables.

He was not convinced. Neither was I, really.

Jellybeans are so small... — Jellybeans are so small… nd they’re beans, right?

Clearly, I can’t be trusted, so no more jellybeans for me – I won’t even bring them in the house.

Except for my magic Sports Beans – which have saved my bacon (no! no bacon!) many times on the trail in the heat of summer.

They even have caffeine 🙂

And just get away from me with that cheese tray….

TAKEAWAY LESSON: Any diet begins in the grocery store!!

I hope you’ll find my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂 To see more of them go to my Training Log.

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

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

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