mom fitness Archives - Page 3 of 9

8 Weeks to Awesome (Again) – Hike Training Plan

Most recently updated July 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Somehow we’re back again to the time of year when everyone resolves to change their lives (or themselves) for the better.

That also means it’s time to get into my hike training plan “8 Weeks to Awesome” again!

It's time for New Year's Resolutions again! Or, just set some goals . — It’s time for New Year’s Resolutions again! Or, just set some goals .

So, that’s why this year I’m calling it: “8 Weeks to Awesome (Again)”.

Also, my hiking group and this 8 week hiking plan was recently featured in Cary Magazine, so I guess I gotta keep doing it 😉

Though I don’t really think New Year’s Resolutions work, I do believe you can set a goal and achieve it!

This hike training plan starts with setting your own individual goal – basically, deciding what you’re training for.

One of the fun T-shirts available in the IRW Merch shop.

Your goal may be to increase your ability to:

- - Hike a longer distance, or
  - Hike at a faster speed, or
  - Be better at elevation gain – or even, yes,
  - The dreaded weight-loss goal!

Or, your goal could be to complete an epic Bucket List hike on a planned (or dreamed of!) trip for the coming year.

If you’re looking for a way to get back into shape before Spring – even if you don’t have a big trip coming – this hike training plan could be just what you need!

Read more to learn how to set up a hike training plan for your own individual goals!

Continue reading 8 Weeks to Awesome (Again) – Hike Training Plan

What’s the Best Medicine for Your Asthma?

Most recently updated July 7th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 17 minutes

If you or your children are asthmatic, you’ve probably spent a lot of time looking for the best medicine for your asthma.

Or maybe looking for better asthma treatments, if you’ve already been prescribed something.

If you’ve read some of my other posts, you know that I’ve had asthma and have been fighting it my whole life, with both medical and non-medical tools.

In the U.S., asthma affects more than 25 million people.

There is no cure, but some people do “grow out” of it (meaning you don’t have obvious symptoms), and medical drugs are available that treat the symptoms for those that have them.

I didn’t grow out of it, and from childhood through young adulthood, my parents tried all available medical options to make my illness better.

But in spite of allergy shots and prescribed inhalers and pills, my asthma got worse every year.

Pine pollen is a huge problem in the South

Finally, as a young adult, I had an epic attack that led to complete respiratory failure and several days unconscious on a ventilator.

When I woke up, the doctors just told me to take more medicine and stay in a controlled environment.

That’s when I became very pro-active in my search for better treatments and lifestyle choices to reduce my asthma symptoms and prevent future severe attacks.

Author happily viewing the Canyon for the first time! — Author happily viewing Bryce Canyon for the first time!

I’ve had some success 🙂

In this post I tell you about the prescribed medical options available now, and the ones I’ve used – and mostly still use – that appear to help my chronic asthma.

For inspiration I’m also sharing photos of beautiful places I’ve been able to hike, without any trouble breathing!

Continue reading What’s the Best Medicine for Your Asthma?

Forest Bathing – Walk to Improve Your Wellness

Most recently updated July 7th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is a Japanese form of healing therapy that started to gain popularity back in the 80’s.

In case you’ve never heard of forest bathing, rest assured you’re not going to need a towel or your rubber duckie.

You also won’t be required to wander the forest in your birthday suit 😉

At it’s simplest level, forest bathing could be described as taking a leisurely walk through the forest for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual benefits.

Shinrin-yoku in Japanese means “taking in the forest atmosphere”.

Forest bathing is best done where there are a lot of trees.

Research has long shown “green exercise” to have a positive impact on our overall health, and the practice of forest bathing grew out of that recognition.

Promoted by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, the practice has become a mainstay of preventive health care in Japanese culture.

Today, many spas, resorts, and retreat centers across the world offer guided forest bathing experiences as part of their services.

That said, you don’t necessarily need a guide to take a forest bath yourself or with a friend.

All you need is a park or forest, a pair of good outdoor walking shoes, and some simple instructions.

Continue reading Forest Bathing – Walk to Improve Your Wellness

Baby Goats, Emus and Peacocks – Visit Winterpast Farm and Petting Zoo!

Most recently updated November 6th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 11 minutes

Winterpast Farm in Wake Forest is not your regular alfalpha and soybeans kind of farm.

And though this 10-acre family farm near Falls Lake has previously been a tobacco farm, a Christmas tree farm, and a horse farm, in it’s current incarnation Winterpast is a working animal sanctuary.

“Bedhead” the guinea pig enjoys some attention.

Winterpast provides a home for goats, sheep, emu, two mini donkeys, several types of ducklings, peacocks, a goose, pigs, lots of bunnies, hedgehogs, guinea pigs and many varieties of chickens.

And – luckily for us – Winterpast is now a place where families, students, scouts, and pretty much anyone can go to pet and play with all of the animals.

If you get really attached, you can rent a pet to take home for a week… or maybe keep fur-ever 🙂

Except maybe for the hedgehogs, because they’re hardly ever home. The hedgehogs are really popular…

These days, masks are required to visit – and never fear! There is a hand-washing facility with soap and bleach wipes available for your safety.

Anyway, if you want to visit the rest of the critters, all you have to do is look up the open hours for the week and text Farmer Mary to schedule a visit!

Continue reading Baby Goats, Emus and Peacocks – Visit Winterpast Farm and Petting Zoo!

On the Comeback Trail – Training After An Injury

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Training back to your “normal” fitness level after an injury or illness can be very discouraging.

It’s especially devastating if you’d been training towards a specific goal, like a race or an epic hike.

I’m currently training back from illness/injury for the third time this year. Ugh!

But it sure beats not being able to work out at all.

So, just in case you’re new around here, I’ve been spending 8 weeks training (again!) for a specific amazing hike.

Last time, I did this training to hike the Tongariro Alpine Crossing in New Zealand.

The hike was wonderful!

I just managed to squeak that trip in very early last Spring before travel was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

So this time, I’m training for an amazing hike in Kauai.

This trip has already been rescheduled twice due to COVID travel restrictions.

But even if the hike has to be cancelled again, training as if it’s going to happen will get me back in great shape 🙂

While I’m very impatient with it, I’ve found that it’s possible to do meaningful training while you’re still recovering from injury without pushing yourself too far, too soon.

It’s always good to have a plan! 🙂

Continue reading On the Comeback Trail – Training After An Injury

Hike to the Zombie Tunnels! – Schenck Forest’s Richland Creek Trail

Most recently updated May 4th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

The Zombie Tunnel Hike is a route that goes from Umstead State Park, and all the way through Carl Alwin Schenck Memorial Forest – with the help of the Richland Creek Trail.

All tunnels could be zombie tunnels... — All tunnels could be zombie tunnels…

I’ve been leading this hike for years, and people really enjoy it.

At over 11 miles, it’s a good long hike, but it’s pretty flat, and has a lot of different features – like Zombie tunnels!

Okay, there may not *actually* be any Zombies, but it sure looks like there could be….and one time I did find a mutant fish in there 🙂

According to legend, Brigadoon only appears for one day every 300 years.

I don’t host this hike very often because conditions need to be just right or the route is impassable, and I hate to disappoint anyone.

The other thing about this route is that, depending on recent weather conditions or new construction, parts of the trail have been known to disappear like Brigadoon at sunrise.

So earlier this year, before I posted the hike for others to join me, I decided to take a look and see if the route was still there – and still the same.

Good news! The route was still there – and still mostly the same. In fact some parts had actually been improved!

Now – just in time for Halloween! – I’ll tell you what I found, and how to get there – and maybe you can go try this somewhat spooky trail for yourself…

UPDATE: There have been some major changes to the Schenck Forest access area over the past few months. Read on for more updated info.

New construction on the Schenk access road off of Reedy Creek road. — New construction on the Schenck access road off of Reedy Creek road.

Continue reading Hike to the Zombie Tunnels! – Schenck Forest’s Richland Creek Trail

Have a Kids’ Day of Adventure at Raven Rock State Park

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes

Raven Rock State Park, a North Carolina state park, was a favorite destination when my daughter was in grade school.

Located near Lillington, North Carolina, it covers 4810 acres along the banks of the Cape Fear River.

We would go on our own, or with another single Mom friend who also had young kids, and make a day of it.

The kids loved the access to the Cape Fear River at the Fish Traps rapids, and scrambling on tree roots and rocks on the trail to the massive Raven Rock.

The trails were short enough that we hardly ever had to carry them back to the trailhead – a big plus, since neither of us were all that much bigger than the kids 🙂

I haven’t had much reason lately to make the 50-minute drive to Raven Rock, since my daughter (though still pretty short) has been out of grade school for much longer than a decade now – and I usually like longer trails.

I’d also lost touch with my friend, and though we’d comment on social media now and then, hadn’t really talked for at least ten years – no reason, just the kids got older and we had drifted apart.

Then, when I went to wish her a happy birthday, I found that she’d recently passed away.

So I decided to take a trip down to Raven Rock, walk the trails, and remember my friend.

Some things had changed, but the park is still a good place to go for a walk – with your kids or on your own. 🙂

Continue reading Have a Kids’ Day of Adventure at Raven Rock State Park

Hike Virginia’s Triple Crown – an Appalachian Trail Section

Most recently updated October 15th, 2024

Estimated Reading Time: 22 minutes

The Appalachian Trail (AT) runs through or very near areas of North Carolina and Virginia that were hardest hit by Hurricane Helene.

Portions of the AT are open, along with many other Virginia and NC State Parks and trails in the Eastern part of the State. That said, Parks and the AT on the Western side of the State have been damaged and may be inaccessible.

Go to my Hurricane Helene page to get the latest updates on the latest area Park, Trail and road repairs before you travel.

Mists rise from the mountains after a summer rain. — Smoky Mountains get their name from the mist that settles in the valleys.

As soon as I heard about the Triple Crown hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I knew I had to do it!

View of the Dragon's Tooth at the hike summit. — View of the Dragon’s Tooth at the hike summit.

It’s an epic hike within easy driving distance from my home in North Carolina, do-able as a solo hiker – with reasonable precautions – even in the heat of summer.

Most importantly the summer of 2020, the Triple Crown trails and trailhead parking were just re-opened for use.

Effective June 13: The National Park Service has reopened the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in Virginia’s Blue Ridge, including the Triple Crown section of Dragon’s Tooth, McAfee Knob, and Tinker Cliffs.

The Triple Crown hike is actually a group of three hikes – Dragon’s Tooth, McAfee Knob, and Tinker Cliffs – that can be done individually or tackled as an overnight backpacking hike all together.

The Triple Crown trail loop is 35 miles of the best hiking in the Roanoke Valley and arguably some of the best overlooks in the entire state of Virginia.

If you decide to explore this portion of the Appalachian Trail, you’ll be rewarded with incredible overlooks, unique rock formations, shelters for rustic camping, and challenging, bucket-list-worthy trails 🙂 Continue reading Hike Virginia’s Triple Crown – an Appalachian Trail Section

Historic Yates Mill County Park – Hike and Learn

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 18 minutes

Historic Yates Mill County Park is not on my usual round of go-to parks.

This is mainly because it’s a longer drive for me than either Umstead State Park or Bond Park, both of those parks have longer trails – and these days I’m usually looking more for a place to have a serious hike than to entertain kids.

Raven Rock State Park is another great place to take younger kids, but it’s an hours drive away….

But a couple of weeks ago, I had an hour to spend and didn’t want to get too sweaty.

So I dropped by Historic Yates Mill County Park to take an active break.

I’d visited Yates Mill once before, in the winter, but this visit I got to see what it was like in the summertime.

I wasn’t disappointed.

There’s a pond, a few shorter – mostly shady – flat hiking trails, and fishing (with a permit).

Plus, it’s got a historic working water-driven grist mill. So there’s that 🙂

Based on what I found, if you’ve got grade school or younger kids, or even Middle-schoolers who (unlike mine) DON’T refer to hikes as “forced marches”, Historic Yates Mill County Park could be a wonderful hang-out for your family!

Continue reading Historic Yates Mill County Park – Hike and Learn

Asthma and COVID-19: Are You at Higher Risk?

Most recently updated July 7th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 20 minutes

If you have asthma, like I do, you may be extra concerned about how COVID-19 could affect your health.

COVID-19, after all, is a respiratory disease and those of us with asthma have had bad experiences with those.

And by “concerned” I might also mean frightened, anxious, panicky… 😉

The COVID-19 virus is known to cause problems in the respiratory tract (nose, throat and lungs).

Because asthma is also a respiratory disease, it’s been assumed that people with asthma have a greater chance of catching the virus and getting very sick from it than other people.

It’s a reasonable assumption, and asthmatics have been classified as “high risk” since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But I’m here to tell you, I’ve done the research, and at this point – maybe for the first time ever – asthmatics are just like everyone else 🙂

It’s important to know that currently there’s no evidence of increased COVID-19 infection rates in those with asthma.

And now, after months of studying this new disease, medical and infectious disease experts have been able to create a more exact picture of the risk to asthmatics.

Since the release of the vaccines, there have also been questions about the possible risk to people with allergic reactions. I’ll tell you what I found about the current CDC advice.

(I’ve included photos of my garden and places I’ve traveled, as a reminder both that while there is beauty to be found at home, the world is still full of amazing places waiting for us to find them!)

Continue reading Asthma and COVID-19: Are You at Higher Risk?