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.
– – I began this year’s second week of training on Sunday 1/14, leading another great group on a 7 mile morning hike in local Umstead State Park .
Started the week with another great group in Umstead State Park!
The weather was relatively mild when we started – around freezing – and it warmed up later to be a pretty nice day, with a high temp near 60F degrees.
I was feeling pretty good, too, starting to get some energy back, still battling some congestion – but SO happy to be out on the trail in the sunshine!
The weather through the rest of the week was not nearly as nice – a couple of rain days, followed by much lower temps with lows in the 20’s and teens.
Local weather during Week 2 of this year’s training.
The next day (Monday) happened to be Martin Luther King Jr day, and was forecast to be VERY rainy, so I opted to do my Yoga/Pilates, and then basically have a rest day.
A lot of people get MLK Jr day as a work holiday, and use it as a day to get outdoors, while others do a service project in honor of King’s ideas.
This year, unfortunately, the weather wasn’t cooperating and some of the service projects and outdoor plans got postponed.
The Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr Day is a US federal holiday honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983.
King was assassinated in 1968 at the age of 39 in Memphis, TN.
“Judge people not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
King preached against racial prejudice and political injustice, a warning politicians and political extremists should heed today, more than ever.
Since I exercise in the morning, and was still getting over the Creeping Crud, I opted for indoor workouts during the worst of the cold.
Too cold outside for a windbreaker….
Tuesday I did my usual 30 min Yoga/Pilates workout – upping the reps a bit – and then hit the treadmill for an indoor hike.
I hiked 3.5 miles uphill with a 10lb pack, which took about 45 minutes.
You can keep on going on a treadmill as long as you have time, I guess, but I find treadmill hikes REALLY boring, and can only stand it if I’m watching a movie or something while I do it.
Wednesday was more of the same 30 min Yoga/Pilates routine, followed by a more flat 4 miles on the treadmill – this time without a pack.
Don’t try this at home?
But for variety, I attempted to run for a while towards the end. (It wasn’t pretty.)
I used to run outdoors about 5 miles, 3-4 times per week (even when it was cold), but then I got a leg injury and stopped.
That injury got better, but now I have a knee thing….
Anyway, one of my goals is to work *some* running back into my routine.
Many mountains are frozen at the top!
It’s Cold Outside – Should You Still Work Out?
Part of your fitness and training journey is staying active every day.
But what do you do if it’s stormy or really really cold outside?
Your choices are to:
Exercise inside (not my favorite)
Watch a movie and eat Cheesy poofs instead (so tempting!)
Exercise outdoors anyway (with the proper gear)
Choice #3 is the one I like best, even if I have to keep it short. Luckily, according to experts from Harvard Health, even small amounts of exercise are beneficial.
Researchers found that only 15 minutes of moderate activity and as little as 8 minutes of vigorous activity each day can have an impact on your health.
So even if you can’t go do that 9 mile hike outdoors, practically anything you do – indoors or out – is better than doing nothing at all!
The good news is that the cold weather exercise you do manage to accomplish might have bonus benefits.
This means that exercising in the cold can boost calorie burn, making winter workouts even more effective.
But What About Breathing Cold Air?
Breathing extremely cold air can be dangerous for anyone, but the cold can really make things worse for those with chronic lung diseases.
People with respiratory disease, whether that’s asthma (like me!), COPD or other lung diseases, are more prone to aggravated symptoms if facing cold winter conditions – especially during exercise, when you inhale more deeply.
Breathe through a scarf in really cold air.
The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to dress for the weather and carry a quick action inhaler.
Your body does its best to keep your core temperature about 37 degrees, and unless your whole body is at risk, freezing your lungs should not be a risk.
I wear a scarf over my face on cold days to warm and moisturize the air before it reaches my lungs.
View of Lake Pine from the parking off of Lake Pine Dr.
Thursday (finally!) there was a little break in the weather.
So, in the morning I did the usual Yoga/Pilates thing, followed by 30 minutes on my Mountain Climber machine.
View from the greenway at the marshy end of Lake Pine.
But the afternoon was warmer and sunny, so I took a break for a quick 2 mile hike around Lake Pine.
It was nice to be outside for a change, and the wildlife was in full force!
Water birds of all sizes were out, and I spent some time stalking them with my camera 🙂
Water birds of all sizes made the most of the sunny warmer weather.
Friday the morning temps were back in the 30s, so I had organized a hike at Umstead State Parkon the Company Mill and MUT up to Big Lake.
Great group for Friday’s hike!
We ended up with an 8 mile hike in the rare sunshine!
Saturday morning temperatures were back down into the 20s, with a high forecast of 30 for the day.
So, more yoga, more Pilates….grumble grumble. Basically a rest day.
Looks like we’ll get temps down into the teens again on Sunday.
That’s ok – we’ll be fine as long as we dress for it 🙂
And so ended Week 2, headed back into the deep freeze for the beginning of Week 3.
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This Week 9 Training Log is a bonus extra week of sharing my daily adventures in sweat!
Why? Because I don’t feel like we’re done yet.
When we last left our training in Week 8, I was trying to work in more vertical-gain training through use of my new Maxi-Climber, treadmill hikes, and more actual uphill hiking.
The uphill hiking close to home is very limited, so I’ll be getting creative with daytrips to uphill trails for the next few weeks – as weather and time allows.
Walking a nearby greenway while my car was in the shop.
So naturally, on Monday I did some yoga and about 5 miles of TOTALLY FLAT urban hiking in my own neighborhood because my car was in the shop again.
Sigh.
But I got redemption Tuesday, when a few of us met at Hanging Rock State Park for nice long steep hike 🙂
Diagram of the hike route at Hanging Rock State Park.
Hanging Rock State Parkis only a couple of hours drive away for me, so very do-able as a day-hike destination.
This was the first out of town State Park trip I took my daughter on, about 20 years ago – when she was just 8 years old – almost at this time of year.
We hiked the Hanging Rock Trail, slowly and with breaks, and her face just lit up when we reached the top.
Hanging Rock SP with Peanut!
She had such a sense of accomplishment and wonder – she was hooked!
From then until the dreaded Middle School years she was my little hiking buddy.
Maybe your kids would like Hanging Rock too 🙂
Besides good memories, Hanging Rock also has some very steep uphills, so it’s a great place to train for my bucket list hiking trip!
View from the top of Hanging Rock.
In fact, I devised this hike route specifically to take advantage of the FULL uphill experience all the way from the park’s Dan River Access up to the tippy-top at Hanging Rock.
So that was fun.
No, seriously, it was fun!
Kiosk at the Dan River parking access.
The hike starts from the river, then crosses the main park road, where it’s joined by the Mountains to Sea Trail (MST).
On the way up there are at least 9 creek crossings (we kept losing count) before eventually reaching Window Falls.
It’s just a hard slog uphill beyond that to the Visitor Center’s parking lot.
Hiking uphill on the Indian Creek Trail.
We took a quick break there, and then found the Hanging Rock trailhead across the lot, and started up again.
The Hanging Rock Trail is paved at the start, and then turns to natural trail heading uphill.
When the trail turns rocky, there are many stone steps to help you go up. It gets very wide, too, made so by the many many visitors that take this trail.
There are wide steps on the Hanging Rock Trail.
There was some significant erosion, too, so when you visit, try to take the steps so you don’t make it worse!
The view from the top is spectacular!
Up top was breathtaking as always, but populated by kids on a fieldtrip who were also enjoying the view.
Squirrely kids near ledges with steep drops made us all nervous, so we didn’t linger very long before starting back down the trail.
The Visitors Center was also very crowded, so we didn’t stop.
Trailhead to Indian Creek at the VC parking lot.
We crossed the parking lot to the Indian Creek trailhead and made our way back down to our starting point at the Dan River Access.
I have to say, going down the trail was a lot easier than going up.
One of the CCC-built picnic shelters at Hanging Rock.
I’m pretty sure I need more vertical training 😉
Wednesday, as you might expect, was a rest day.
Wednesday was a rest day.
Thursday I had scheduled a nice hike along the Eno that includes part of the MST and an old unmarked trail, the Sawmill Trail.
It turned to to be just Holly and I, and we had a great 8.5 mile hike.
Walking on the Old Sawmill ruins on Eno River.
The trail was pretty much deserted except for us – and no traffic noise either, so we could actually hear the river!
Friday was a cold rainy day, so I stuck to indoor training, starting with some longer yoga.
Then I did a quick 15 minutes on my vertical climber – and I do mean quick because I did 4000ft elevation gain!
I followed up with 45 minutes of kickboxing and called it good.
We did a short walk at Falls Lake.
Saturday training started with some yoga, followed up with a 1 hour/3.75mile treadmill hike uphill.
I carried a pack weighted 10lbs and hiked 1800 vertical feet.
Later, I joined That Man and the Puppy at Falls Lake for more uphill hiking, this time outdoors but only 3 miles RT to “our” beach and back.
The wind was high, and the water must have been pretty cold because the puppy didn’t want to swim!
Snow on my deck Sunday morning.
Sunday I had posted a 10 mile hike in Umstead State Park, and a lot of people wanted to join me, but I had to cancel due to forecasted really unpleasant weather.
It was also the day after setting clocks forward for Daylight Saving Time, so probably a good morning to take off anyway…
We lost an hour of our lives overnight!!
I rescheduled the hike for the next weekend, and got some exercise in my home gym with yoga, kickboxing, upper body weights.
So that winds up Week 9.
But, here’s the deal: training never really stops.
Creek crossing on the Indian Creek Trail.
You can focus it more by training for a specific race or hike, or to get in shape for an epic hike or other event.
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!
Hiking a greenway in my neighborhood.
I’ll keep posting updates on my continued training for the next couple of months as I get ready for my bucket list hike in Greece.
And I really hope this year’s Awesome training has helped you reach your goals!
Hiking the MST and Indian Creek Trails.
If you’re new around here, but you still want to do the training from the start – you can!
– – Training Week 8 started Monday with some yoga, and I FINALLY had a chance to get back on my new Vertical Climber for a 35 minute session.
Still just lifting my own body weight, but I’ll see how it goes and probably add some pack weight later in the week.
I finally got some time on my vertical climber!
I hiked up about 2000ft, and I did 3lb weights on each wrist to work my arms and back a little bit harder.
This week I needed to “look up” and focus more on vertical gain training, either with actual uphill hikes, or treadmill or vertical climber workouts.
Tuesday was my fun/exploration day because the weather was amazing!
Started with kickboxing in my home gym, then went over to Umstead State Park.
My goal was to take a look at a social trail on the far side of Big Lake that I hadn’t been on for several years.
Hiking a social trail at Umstead State Park.
My time was limited, so I ended up hiking only about 4 miles, but it was good to get out in the unseasonably warm day and see what had happened to the social trail.
Wednesday I led a small but mighty group of hikers on a long hiking route I hadn’t done in a couple of years.
Laurel Bluffs Trailhead at Pleasant Green.
We started from the Pleasant Green trail access on the Eno River and hiked the Laurel Bluffs, Quarry and Pump Station Trail for a 12.5 mile RT hike.
Stopping for a halfway break at the Pump Station ruins.
We also had about 1400ft elevation gain, which I’d forgotten about (ugh!).
But I only had 5lbs extra in my pack, so it wasn’t that bad 🙂
It was a gorgeous hike, and I was also able to take the group on a short detour from the Laurel Bluffs trail to the old Cabe Cemetery site I found a couple of weeks ago.
Headstones in the old Cabe cemetery along the Laurel Bluffs trail.
We stopped for a break along the river at the Pump Station ruins, and then reversed our route back to Pleasant Green.
This hike kicked my butt! So Thursday was mostly a stretching and rest day 🙂
Thursday was mostly a rest day.
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It’s Week 8, so it’s time to do a final progress check. (You can click here to sign up and download your FREE “8 Weeks to Awesome” PDF.)
By Week 8:
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Walking a local greenway.
Friday I had to drop off my car in the morning for some maintenance work, so though the afternoon was nice, I was limited to exercise I could do around home.
So I did some longish yoga, and about 4 miles urban hiking in my neighborhood.
Spring is here in my neighborhood!
Saturday began with kickboxing and upper body weights in my home gym.
Later in the day I met with That Man and the puppy at Falls Lake for some exploratory hiking in the woods.
Hiking the MST towards the intersection with Hwy 98.
We have a short hike that we usually do from the Baptist Rd trailhead to a bench along the lake that’s along the MST.
We wanted to continue from there to the intersection with Hwy 98.
Kiosk at MST Trailhead on Hwy 98
The closest equivalent I could find was MST Hike L, which they say is about 6-7 miles RT.
We thought our route would be slightly shorter because of where we were starting, but…No!
The end point of MST Hike L.
It was actually longer.
We ended up going about 8 miles, which was a very long way for That Man (who is rehabilitating a knee) and the puppy (who has very short legs).
Hiking through the powerline cut towards Hwy 98.
Fortunately the route is mostly soft underfoot with pine needles and leaves, and doesn’t have much elevation gain .
Even so, we barely made it home before sundown and pretty much flaked out for the rest of the evening 🙂
Redbuds blooming on the MST.
Between kickboxing, weights, AND 8 miles of hiking, I think that was just the thing to do!
Hikers on the 1 Mile bridge on the Company Mill Trail.
Sunday I led a big group of hikers on a 9 mile Company Mill and Sycamore loop in Umstead State Park.
The weather was perfect, the pace was good, and everyone had a great time 🙂
Hikers taking a break on the Company Mill Trail.
And so ends Week 8.
Don’t worry if you haven’t reached your goals yet – just because it’s an 8-week program doesn’t mean you have to stop at 8 weeks.
In my case, I still have some training to do in terms of elevation gain.
Maybe you’ve still got some work to do, too?
Fortunately for me, my epic hike event doesn’t happen for about another 8 weeks.
I’ll be hiking Mount Olympus in a couple of months.
So, I’ll just keep training from here – while trying to NOT over-train.
And I’ll bet you thought this was going to be my last Training Log post! Not so fast, Grasshopper 😉
I’ll also keep posting weekly because telling you guys what I’m doing helps keep me motivated- and you know you’re all my accountability buddies.
But I’ll bet some of you are heartily and justifiably sick of these training posts – it’s just too much me, right???
Believe me, I’m getting kind of sick of me, too… 😉
So I also want to get back to writing about great parks and hikes you can try out – we’ve all got that to look forward to!
TAKEAWAY LESSON: For any kind of training – ongoing or towards a goal – it’s a good idea to stop every once in a while to appreciate how far you’ve come. But if you still have a way to go – don’t stop!
Stopping along the Eno for a break.
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 Asthma Diet , if you want to see what kind of things I’m eating. It might work for your diet goals, too.
– – Training Week 7 began on Monday with a quick kickboxing and upper body weights session before loading the car and heading for the beach!
Why? Because I needed a change of scene, wanted to spend time with my girls, and had hotel points that were expiring 🙂
On a morning beach hike!
Training shouldn’t be torture, but doing the same thing in the same place over and over again can be just that – so I decided to shake things up for a few days.
Tiny liittle bit of beach view from our lodgings.
I arrived too late at our lodgings to do much but get settled in and cook dinner.
By the time we were finished, it had gotten pretty cold on the beach.
It IS still February!!
So, I had to wait for a beach walk until Tuesday morning.
I did some quick yoga, then went out for an early beach hike before the girls woke up.
Walking North on the beach.
I went North (away from Myrtle Beach) about 3 miles and then turned around, for a total beach walk of ~ 6 miles.
After breakfast, we braved the (horrible) beach traffics to get to Brookgreen, a wonderful sculpture garden, arboretum and Nature conservancy that sits a few miles South of Myrtle Beach proper.
Peacock statues guard the entrance to one of the main paved paths at Brookgreen.
Brookgreen has a couple of very short unpaved “trails” but we stuck to the paved garden paths to see all of the outdoor exhibits.
The girls at Brookgreen Gardens. Aren’t they pretty???
We only walked a couple of leisurely miles before stopping for an outdoor lunch at one of the restaurants on the grounds.
That said, if you were determined to get a workout in, you could certainly plan a much longer route to get a longer hike in during your Brookgreen visit.
Wednesday I let the girls sleep, did some yoga and was out early again – this time for a bit of a longer walk.
It was about 10 miles by the time I was done and perfect weather!
I did learn that one should NOT walk long distance in water shoes – even with a “hiking” sole – because I ended up with a huge blister on the bottom of my big toe 🙁
Another beautiful beach hike!
During my walk I saw an Irish Pub, Molly Darcy’s, right on the beach and thought the girls might like to go there for lunch.
Bonus being we could walk there and wouldn’t have to drive in the terrible traffic…but, no. They didn’t want to walk but we ate there anyway, and it was pretty good. 🙂
Irish Pub on the beach.
There was a bunch of stuff in the air and we couldn’t figure it out – then I realized that Myrtle is a few weeks ahead of us weather-wise, and I checked my car.
Sure enough, my car was covered with yellow dust. It was The Pollening.
Gorgeous sunset at the beach.
That said, it was our last night at the beach, and the sunset was gorgeous. Perhaps partly due to pollen 😉
The next morning, the girls left before sunrise to get home in time for work, and I did a quick beach walk (about 3 miles) to say goodbye before checking out.
My plan was to check out, zip back down to Brookgreen (the ticket is good for 7 days) and get on an early tour of the historical and Nature preserve parts of the garden that you don’t normally see.
The Brookgreen Silent Cities Tour
The tour started from the promenade near the Welcome Center.
There are a few tours offered at Brookgreen that take you to places you don’t get to see with your general admission ticket.
The tours change seasonally – mostly because some of the places are inaccessible during wet weather.
We boarded an open-sided short bus (stop it!) and took off away from the paved garden area.
Our guide narrated local and Brookgreen history and wildlife as we went.
Fox Squirrels inhabit the Nature conservation area o Brookgreen.
Fox Squirrels
I was surprised by a fox squirrel – a creature I’d never seen before – staring at me from a tree limb as we drove along.
It was huge, and seemed a lot more intelligent than a regular squirrel….
Fox squirrels, the largest of all tree squirrels, are the true life ROUS’s.
Described by our guide as a cross between a squirrel, a fox, and a raccoon – because who really know what goes on in those woods at night? – the Fox Squirrel is a relative of the common gray squirrel, but about twice the size.
An adult Fox Squirrel can grow between 20-26 inches in length (tail included) and can weigh up to 2.5 pounds.
Stopping at an English-style walled cemetery.
Aside from Rodents of Unusual Size, this tour focused on the two cemeteries dating back to the 1700’s – one English style, and one slave (Gullah style) cemetery – encompassed by Brookgreen lands.
Alston family tree chart outside the cemetery walls.
Our first stop was at a walled, English-style cemetery from the 1700’s that had been restored by the Huntington’s when they purchased the land.
The original Alston family (previous landowners) were the primary inhabitants.
Alston family descendants also have a right to be buried there, and we did see a headstone from as recently as 2013.
Table and vault-style gravesites.
There were three kinds of graves in this cemetery: the kind of headstones we see mostly these days, “table” memorials, and raised vaults.
Our second stop was a slave cemetery, unwalled, and we followed a short natural trail through the woods to where some of the graves had been uncovered.
Some of the visible headstones from the slave cemetery.
Some of the earliest graves were unmarked save for a metal plaque or just a sack of tabby (old time cement made with oyster shells) without a name – and some with the words “Go Back” inscribed.
According to Gullah tradition , once buried, deceased loved ones would “go back” to where they were originally taken in Africa.
A handmade headstone.
The mourners would never again return to the grave after the initial burial.
And since there would be no spirit there to visit, there was no need for a long-lasting memorial.
That said, there were some hand-made headstones there, and some more modern memorials where descendants of these slaves also had a right to be buried.
No longer following Gullah tradition, these headstones are like you would see in any modern cemetery.
Along the way back, we stopped by the Waccamaw River, across from Sandy Island, home to one of the last existing Gullah communities.
Sandy Island can be access from the Intracoastal Waterway and the Waccamaw River.
Brookgreen is hoping to work out a deal with the community there to allow tours to visit from Brookgreen, but they haven’t worked it out yet.
We returned the way we came – but faster! – back to the Welcome Center.
Informational plaques outside the English cemetery.
I had hoped to get done with the tour and then go across the street to Huntington Beach for a quick hike before heading home.
I had a quick pack lunch outside Atalaya Castle.
But the tour took 2 hours, so I had to settle for a quick pack lunch outside Atalaya Castle before hitting the highway. (You can take tours of the castle, which I’ve done in years’ past, but didn’t do this time.)
So, I guess Thursday was basically my “rest” day.
The Mill at West Point on the Eno.
Friday morning I led a great group of hikers on one of my favorites routes – 9.3 miles on the MST on the Eno river, from the Pump Station trail all the way to West Point on the Eno park and back.
It was a beautiful day, and a great group!
I was ready for a good long hike after a light exercise day and long hours driving Thursday.
View of the Eno River from the rocks along the Eagle/MST Trail.
Saturday was a kickboxing and upper body weights day in my home gym – partly because the weather took a big dip to the colder side, and rain was predicted for most of the day.
It felt good to use my “El Supremo Butt-kicker” muscles again after a few days away.
Workout tools in my home gym.
Sunday morning it was back to a little bit warmer after Saturday’s cold rain, so I had a big group signed up to hike part of the the Company Mill trail in Umstead State Park and some of the MUT.
It was a pretty short hike, but I added 15 lbs to my pack to make it a strength-training hike.
My beach walks were all flat with no added weight.
The extra weight was especially needed because all of my beach hikes earlier in the week were flat, with no added weight!
What a great hike, with a good group of hikers – many newcomers, so that was wonderful to see, too 🙂
So that’s it for Week 7! You did it!
It’s time to take a look at your goals and see what progress you’ve made.
Just think about what you’ve done!
Everyone should be improved somehow from where you started – even if it’s only that you’ve stuck with an exercise plan this long!
Think back to how hard it was to make yourself do SOMETHING every day.
How scary was it at the beginning to take your first longer hike – especially if you were hiking on your own for the first time? But you did it!!
Week 8 is coming up – the last week of the Awesome training!!
You’ve come this far – it should be a piece of cake! Well, okay, maybe no cake.
Just focus, focus focus….. and some longer hikes 🙂
I was told there would be cake!
TAKEAWAY LESSON: Training towards a goal is a planned process, but you should be able to respond to changes in weather or location without giving up your training entirely.
Just keep going – but safely, of course.
If you’re new around here, but you still want to do the training from the start – you can!
– – I began the second week of training on Monday – which happened to be Martin Luther King Jr day – leading a great small group of hikers on another 7.5 mile hike on the Loblolly trail into Schenk Forest.
I added another 5 lbs extra pack weight (to make 10 lbs total extra) to make it a “strength training” hike for me.
Service project on MLK Jr Day at Umstead State Park
A lot of people get MLK Jr day as a work holiday, while others choose to use it as a day to get outdoors.
Others do a service project in honor of King’s ideas.
The Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr Day is a US federal holiday honoring the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983.
King won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 for his work, and at the time was the youngest person to have done so.
He was assassinated in 1968 at the age of 39 in Memphis, Tennessee. Sunday would have been King’s 95th birthday.
“Judge people not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
King preached against racial prejudice and political injustice, a warning politicians and political extremists should still heed today, more than ever.
Other people combined day of service with getting outdoors, as we saw at Umstead State Park on Monday.
Hikers gather before hitting the trail.
Hiking to get in shape is great when you have a day off or on the weekends, but you may be frustrated when you have very limited free time.
It’s true, hiking can be very time-consuming, especially if you:
Take longer hikes or
Go at a slower pace, or have to
Drive any distance to get to a trail.
If you’re constrained by office hours and caring for children, it can seem almost impossible to have time for any kind of fitness training! Believe me, I get it.
A view of Jordan Lake from the trail on the Wednesday hike.
Even if you can just sneak in 1 shorter hike and 1 longer hike per week, your hiking will still improve!
Tuesday was a kickboxing and weights day.
Wednesday was a great, beautiful, fun day!
It began with a 6-mile hike at Jordan Lake recreation area, on a trail I hadn’t seen for a while because it’s a longer drive from home for a regular workout hike.
Stopping at the overlook.
But it was worth it to get together with some other hikers, led by my friends Heidi and Jody.
Anyway, this time I hiked it with 10 extra lbs in my pack again. Yay 🙂
Sign in front of the farm.
Because it’s a longer drive, I decided to add another event on after the hike as long as I was down that way, and make a visit to the Carolina Sunshine Alpaca Farm.
(Carolina Sunshine took over the location after M&M Alpacaclosed.)
Heidi joined me for the visit, and it was a lot of fun.
They all ran over to take a look at us.
There aren’t so many animals in the herd right now – though they’re expecting more than 10 babies this summer! – but the alpaca that are on the farm all have a lot of character 🙂
This alpaca boy looks a little bit angry to me…
For sure I’ll go back again after all of the babies arrive!
Thursday was another beautiful day, so I did some yoga, then took the weights out of my pack and set out to look for an old unmarked trail on the Eno River.
The dam at the West Point on the Eno park.
I started at the West Point on the Eno Park, and hiked a known trail along the river for a while, then set off to explore!
I found a trail that looked used, though it wasn’t marked.
The Old Sawmill Trail goes right along the river.
It traveled along the river, and was supposed to only be about a mile long, but kept going.
Time finally made me turn around, but I’ll hike that trail again for sure, and maybe take it all the way to the end!
Friday I led a favorite 9ish mile hike out at Falls Lake on the white-blazed Mountains to Sea Trail, which will lead you all the way to Falls Lake Dam if you take it that far.
Colleen, the prettiest puppy!
Later I did another 3-ish miles on the MST in the other direction with That Man and the puppy.
So Saturday was a rest day. 🙂
Sunday had been forecast to rain all day, and lately I’ve started to hate indoor workouts, so I decided to have some fun with it!
Another view of the Sawmill Trail.
I posted a 6-mile Rain Hike on the dirt and gravel multi-use trails in Umstead State Park.
The idea was that we would hike in the rain on purpose and test out our rain gear. (I put the extra 10 lbs back into my pack for this hike.)
Well, we did it, and it was fun – and most of us only got wet on the outside!
So……drumroll please… 39+ miles of hiking this week! Not a bad Week 2, though I kind of slacked off with the kickboxing.
Every day is a new opportunity – keep it going!
But I’m still good with the New Year goals, and (so far) I’m still doing better than the 11% who quit before the end of the first month.
Tell you what, though, the motivation really flags sometimes – strangely enough it’s worse when I have a lot of time.
Like if there’s no urgency, I have the leisure to procrastinate until there’s no time left. Not good.
Buddha Quote: “The trouble is, you think you have time.”
I think if you’re having trouble doing the exercise you’re “supposed to” be doing, you need to forget about that, and seize any opportunity to work out that seems more fun – so you’ll actually do it.
Whatever gets you moving is your best workout option!
TAKEAWAY LESSON: The right workout is one that you not only have the opportunity to do, but actually want to do. So be ready to seize the day and try make your workouts fun!
NEW: Track Your “Awesome” Progress at Home!
Track your progress towards your fitness goals!
You’ll get instructions and three printable trackers:
– – I started the Awesome hike training again this past Monday, with some yoga followed by a Dam hike (that’s a moderate-paced 7-miler to the Dam and back).
A view from the shore of Falls Lake.
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!
That Man enjoying a birthday beer!
So just some yoga and upper body weights.
Besides, it was That Man’s birthday, so we took the afternoon off and went to check out Zinc House, a new brewery/winery in the Falls Lake area.
It was a good day to visit, because we had the place mostly to ourselves, and got a chance to meet Muskie, the owner’s golden retriever, who was making his rounds and getting pets 🙂
Fountain at the Zinc House winery and brewery
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 🙂
Moss covered ruins near the old quarry.
Sunday, I had a great group of hikers join me on the 6.5 mile Company Mill Trail in Umstead State Park – despite temps in the 20’s to start!
This trail has some noticeable hills, especially right toward the end (ugh!) so it’s a great training hike. (I still had an extra 5lbs in my pack.)
We also ran into a huge number of blackbirds flocked to a single tree in the middle of the forest. We only saw them because of how loud they were!
I’d never seen that in the forest before, and it was probably due to the very cold temps.
Blackbirds congregate for warmth, to find food, and keep an eye out for predators.
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:
The Mountains-to-Sea-Trail (MST) is a simple hiking trail that spans almost 1200 miles across North Carolina, from the Great Smoky Mountains in the West to the Outer Banks on the East Coast.
Even though I’ve known about the MST for a good while, I didn’t really start hiking it on purpose until this past year.
MST Day Hike #22 in Winter.
Lately more and more people have been moving to my local area, and the easy-to-get-to hiking trails have become really crowded – especially on the weekends.
So I’ve had to look a little bit farther away for new trails – and that’s how I started paying more attention to the MST.
As of January 2019, 669 miles of the trail were completed, and even more have been done since then.
The MST across North Carolina.
That’s just over half of the planned MST miles that are now completed in multiple segments across the state!
With temporary routes (for the unfinished parts of the MST) on backroads and bicycle paths, hikers can now follow the MST all the way across North Carolina.
One of the longest finished segments goes ~60 miles along the Southern shore of Falls Lake, just to the North of Raleigh near Wake Forest.
View of Falls Lake from the trail.
Even 60 miles (out of 1200) is an epic hike to most of us – but never fear!
You can hike smaller sections of the MST to make it an overnight backpacking trip, a day trip, or even just a few hours on the trail.
Today, I’ll tell you about the MST, and how you can hike my favorite local MST section (so far): MST Day Hike #22 at Rolling View in Falls Lake Recreation Area.
– – 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.
– – I began the second week of training on Monday, leading a great group of hikers on another 6.5 mile hike on the Company Mill trail inUmstead State Park.
Company Mill trail has the most elevation gain of any of the Park’s trails, and you especially feel it on the final hill at the end of the hike!
Millstone and plaque along the Company Mill Trail
I call that one the “you gotta be kidding me” hill.
Anyway, this time I hiked it with 10 extra lbs in my pack again. Yay 😐
Old gravestone alongside the MUT in Umstead State Park.
Tuesday, I did some weights and stuff at home, then joined my friend Lenore’s shorter hike (5-6mi hike) on the Multi-Use Trails in a different part of Umstead.
The MUT is a gravel/dirt road that has some mild elevation gain/loss but is pretty smooth.
The MUT is also usually pretty dry, even after heavy rains.
Visitors Center at Wilkerson Nature Preserve in Raleigh.
Wilkerson Nature Preserve
On Wednesday, I was supposed to kickbox, but I blew it off and instead just did my yoga and then joined my friend Heidi’s hike.
It was about 7-8 miles, starting with some of the trails in Wilkerson Nature Preserve, and then following the MST to Falls Lake Dam, where we turned around and came back to our starting place.
Hikers at Wilkerson Nature Preserve.
I joined this hike because I like those guys, and also I’d never been to Wilkerson Nature Preserve – and I’m always interested in trying out another local section of the MST.
There are a number of fun trails within the Preserve, especially designed for younger children, and also a playground.
One of the regular trails specifically links to the white-blazed Mountains to Sea Trail, which will lead you all the way to Falls Lake Dam (which is the beginning of the Falls Lake Trail.)
Turtle stepping stones at Wilkerson Nature Preserve.
Loblolly Trail to Schenk Forest
Thursday I led another group of hikers on an 8.5 mile hike, starting from the Loblolly trail in Umstead State Park, following it all the way and crossing over to the Schenk Forest and back.
You can create this longer-distance hike combo and several others starting from the Harrison Ave entrance to Umstead State Park. This is especially useful when you’re training locally for a longer-distance hiking trip.
Every hike this week (whether long or short) I’ve hiked with at least an extra 10 lbs in the pack, bumping it up on some of the shorter hikes to an 15 extra lbs.
I did this because I’m already in pretty good shape – and the training needs to work for me, too 🙂
Ferns line the Loblolly Trail in Schenk Forest.
Charities for Steps
Speaking of making my training count – another thing I did this week was sign up for a couple of charities that use my hiking miles to donate money to good causes.
Maybe you’d like to do it, too!
Biking on a raised boardwalk greenway in Cary.
St Jude’s Cycle for Charity
Heidi was doing the St Jude’s Cycle for Charity, and asked if I’d like to join.
I’ve been known to ride a bike, but mostly I move around on foot, so I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do it.
So far, I’ve done 76 of the 200 miles.
But we found out that they allow hiking/running steps, too – so I joined up!
I use to use Wooftrax all the time (I did 860 miles for this one), but lost the app when I changed phones.
I just loaded it back up this week, and start the app- when I remember – on every hike.
WoofTrax’ Walk for a Dog (Android andiOS) app lets you raise money for your favorite animal organization while you walk your dog.
The app is funded by ads and sponsors, and the longer you walk, the more money you’ll raise for your charity.
HOW TO DO IT:
Download the Wooftrax app to your phone.
Submit your name and email address, then confirm your email address by clicking on a link sent to that address.
The app will then ask you to add your dog (or dogs), but you can also choose “Walk for Cassie” or add in a fake dog’s info — you don’t actually need a dog to use the app.
Hit “Start Walking,” and the app will track your steps, distance, and map your walk using GPS.
iPhone users can use the app on a treadmill or stationary bike, but Android users will need to get outside for the app to work.
Charity Miles gives to your favorite cause based on the miles you run, bike or hike.
Charity Miles
Charity Miles (Android and iOS), is a free app that rewards the charity of your choice for every mile you walk, run or bike. Corporate sponsors pledge up to $0.25 for each mile you log in the app.
The Charity Miles app features 37 participating charities, including the World Wildlife Fund, charity: water, and Habitat for Humanity.
HOW TO DO IT:
Download and install the app and sign up for a Charity Miles account.
Before each workout, open the app and pick the charity you want to help.
Select the type of activity you’re doing and start your workout.
When you’re finished with your workout, hit the stop button.
I haven’t used this one, but all the reviews say it’s great.
I use my hike miles for several charities at a time, like “double coupon” day 🙂
Hiking the burn on Bond Park’s Lake Trail.
Friday was just kickboxing and weights, and pleasant 4mi walk in the woods at Bond Park with That Man and the prettiest puppy Colleen to take advantage of some of the last warmish weather forecast this week.
This week I did a lot of my hikes with other people.
But lately I’ve found that if I’m not committed to meeting other people for a workout – whether I’m leading it or not – I’m more likely to let other things interfere and keep me from getting my exercise.
It may be because of ongoing pandemic stress, or colder weather – whatever it is, I’m fighting hard against giving in.
Hiking the MST on the Eno River.
Other people have told me they are having the same issues.
I think if you’re having trouble doing the exercise you’re “supposed to” be doing, you need to forget about all that, and seize any opportunity that seems more fun.
Whatever gets you moving is your best option!
TAKEAWAY LESSON: The right workout is one that you will do – so be ready to seize the opportunity to make your workouts fun!
The Fairy Footpath at Wilkerson Nature Preserve in Raleigh.
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.
![[42+] Patience Grasshopper](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-na.ssl-images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2FA16aOZsqa6L._SL1500_.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=27d1f4e4f450dca640d2dbd925545ca88638125e3d5cd2b77ab44cc7f01bd3a9&ipo=images)
