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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– – I started the Awesome hike training again this first Sunday, with a 30 minute Yoga/Pilates routine followed by a short 5.5mile hike in Umstead State Park.
Hikers in Umstead State Park
This was my first hike back after an extended respiratory illness – I’m still not anywhere near 100% – and my great group of hikers were incredibly kind.
And by that I mean, they didn’t hurt me 😉
The next couple of days, since I was still recovering from sinus and chest congestion, I thought it would be prudent to stay out of the cold and rain.
So, Monday I spent some time in my home gym, first with some stretches, then hiking 3 miles briskly on my treadmill uphill as far as it would incline.
It took about 45 minutes, with no weight in my pack this time.
Then I spent some time revving up my old Pilates routine!
What is Pilates?
Pilates is a type of workout that involves simple repetitive exercises to increase muscle strength, endurance, and flexibility.
Sydney Dance Company – example of modern dance
I first started doing Pilates (though I didn’t know it at the time) when the Director of my undergrad Modern Dance troupe held 45 minute Pilates warmups prior to each rehearsal.
Though there is some focus on breath-work, Pilates exercises don’t require a lot of cardio, which makes it a perfect way to get some strength exercise while I’m coming back from respiratory illness.
Even though my college days are long behind me, Pilates exercises have been around for even longer than that!
Joseph Pilates first developed the Pilates method and introduced his physical and mental conditioning to soldiers overseas during World War I. He then brought the exercise program to the United States in 1923.
Sometimes I like hiking in the rain. This was not one of those times…
Tuesday was extremely rainy all day, so I went for another Pilates workout, and later – when I couldn’t take it anymore – took a short greenway hike on my own in-between the cold raindrops.
Wednesday brought another indoor workout due to bad weather: another Pilates warmup, followed by a vigorous 3.5mile uphill hike on the treadmill with a weighted pack on my back.
It felt great to break a sweat – even if it was indoors in my home gym 🙂
Pilates Method History
To create his exercise method, Joseph Pilates studied and incorporated aspects of yoga, martial arts, Zen meditation, plus Greek/Roman exercise.
Pilates was plagued by asthma and rickets as a child, so he initially used his exercise method to strengthen his own frail body.
Later, while serving as an orderly in a hospital on the Isle of Man towards the end of World War I, Pilates began using his method for therapeutic rehabilitation on non-ambulatory soldiers.
Joseph Pilates
To do this, he attached springs to hospital beds to support the patient’s limbs while he worked them. Unique at the time, Pilates’ supported therapy method allowed movement early in the rehabilitation process.
After some time, the doctors noticed that the patients treated with the Pilates method seemed to recover more rapidly.
Students Taking a Mat Pilates Class
How Do You Do Pilates?
The Pilates program consists of 50 repetitive, simple exercises that involve muscle exertion.
Like Yoga, Pilates exercises are usually performed on a mat. In the mat class, participants sit or lie prone and use gravity to help stabilize the core.
Body weight is the main resistance used throughout the series of Pilates mat exercises.
Each exercise starts with stabilizing your core muscles (the abdominal, gluteal, and para-spinal muscles) and then goes through a controlled range of motion, and repeated as desired.
Pilates Upper Abdominal Curls
The Pilates Curl
The Pilates Curl is the most basic of the Pilates exercises, and is used to engage the core muscles at the beginning of each session.
To perform a Pilates curl, follow these steps:
Lie on the back with knees bent, arms at the sides, and feet flat on the floor.
Breathe out, curling the chin to the chest and bringing the shoulders off the mat.
Hold for a moment, and then lower back down to the mat slowly.
Lift from the chest to use the abdominal muscles and avoid crunching the neck.
I use the Pilates Curl as a basis to perform ~200 curl crunches each day (in 4 different positions) to strengthen and flatten my core, without straining my neck and back.
You can find Pilates classes online and offered in gyms, as well, if you’d like to try it out!
Umstead State Park Loblolly Trailhead sign
Thursday I was back in the woods, trying to lead a 7 mile hike I had planned for the Loblolly trail.
Unfortunately,, it had rained so much, the creek was impassable, so we rerouted.
We still had a great 7-ish mile hike, and no one had to fall in the creek 🙂
Creek on Loblolly Trail
Friday it was back indoors with some Pilates, another 3 mile treadmill hike – only this time with no pack- and I added on 20 minutes on my Mountain Climber to practice vertical gain.
Pilates vs Yoga
Yoga focusses more in breathing and spiritual integration
There are significant differences between Pilates and yoga, both in origin and purpose.
While Pilates dates back to WWI, yoga dates back to ancient India.
Pilates works to control mind-body coordination, while yoga strives to integrate the mind, body, and spirit.
Scientists have conducted very little research comparing the benefits of yoga and Pilates.
However, there are some existing studies on the topic:
A 2020 study involving 28 people with multiple sclerosis compared the effects of Pilates and yoga. It found that both produced benefits in walking and breathing, but Pilates was superior in increasing:
balance confidence
walking speed
quality of life
Data from a different 2015 study of 56 patients with ongoing neck pain found that the two fitness programs were equally effective in reducing pain and disability.
The lake is cold but still pretty.
Saturday was another Pilates workout followed by a 3-mile uphill treadmill hike with 10lb pack early in the day.
Later, I walked a quick , frozen 2 miles in the woods with That Man and the dog.
I ended the week still not my normal self, but maintaining and slowly getting better – which is what this training is all about! 🙂
Wall Pilates – The latest fitness trend
About Wall Pilates and Chair Yoga
Wall Pilates has emerged as the latest fitness trend in this year’s “New Year New You” season, popping up in every social media feed, promising you’ll look just like the girls in the videos if only you sign up for personalized subscription!
It’s funny because it’s true!
I think the only thing you can know for sure is that you’ll no longer have your money, and that you’ll have a pretty hard time cancelling your automatically-renewing subscription.
Don’t get me wrong, any exercise is better than no exercise, and if you stick to it, you could be in great shape!
Honestly, though, I don’t see the benefit of Wall Pilates over just doing regular Pilates exercises.
The only difference in the exercise is that Wall Pilates uses a wall as a prop as you complete certain moves, in theory creating extra leverage and support as you do traditional Pilates exercises, like glute bridges, lunges, and leg circles.
Yoga for Seniors – Chair Yoga
As long as we’re talking about new modifications of exercise, we should mention Chair Yoga.
This is another New Year fitness craze that’s been showing up in my social media feeds. (How old do they think I am, anyway?)
This exercise is really meant for people with mobility issues or who have trouble standing up and holding their own weight, due to injury/illness or old age.
Chair yoga involves poseslike twists, hip stretches and bends that are modified to be done while sitting in a chair (or, sometimes, standing while using the chair for support).
Aside from just promoting movement in people who are basically sedentary, chair yoga can also be a good quick stretch if you’re stuck in an office chair for hours at a time.
If you’re injured or making your way back from an illness, this is a very basic place to start, and is certainly better than not moving at all!
Hiking on the greenway between raindrops.
This week, I did a couple of shorter outdoor hikes, several weighted uphill indoor treadmill hikes, and long-form Pilates or at least stretches every day.
My activity was somewhat limited due to both my lingering illness and the weather.
And now at the end of the first week…
I’m pretty much the same. Maybe a little bit better? IDK.
Logically, I know it will take longer than a week to see or feel any difference in my fitness, especially while I’m still trying to get well from a long illness.
It’s okay, though. As my kickboxing instructor says, “If you’re moving, you’re doing it!” And tomorrow is another day!
So I’ll just keep going and try not to hork up a lung….
NEW: Track Your “Awesome” Progress at Home!
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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.
Are You Getting Closer to Your Goals?
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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:
Your weekly Long Hike should be full goal-hike length, and
Your Strength Building hike should include full goal-weight pounds in your pack.
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Daily & Weekly Workouts
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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!
If you’re like me, you’re getting tired of this training routine and are ready to move on to something else – hopefully something, you know, easier…
But don’t do it! Keep going, just for a couple of weeks longer.
Just a couple of weeks more – you can do it!
And with that encouragement… on to my Week 6 Training report!
Monday was a beautiful day, so I joined Lenore and a good group of hikers for what I thought was going to be a pretty flat 7-ish mile hike in Umstead State Park on the Multi-Use trails.
Gathering at the trailhead for a sunny Monday hike.
With that in mind, I loaded my pack with 15lbs extra to make it a strength-training day.
But in a mid-hike surprise twist, Lenore handed the reins over to Michael.
We ended up tromping through a less-traveled section of the woods, fording streams and climbing mud banks before we were through!
It turned out to be an 8.25 mile hike in all.
It was so much fun, I hardly noticed the extra weight in my pack 🙂
Tuesday was a kickboxing and upper body weights day in my home gym – despite the wonderful sunny Spring-like weather outside.
A beautiful sunny Winter’s day in Bond Park.
This is because Tuesday was also “refrigerator day” and I was trapped there until my new fridge was delivered and the old one removed.
Colleen, the prettiest puppy!
But it was also Valentine’s Day and That Man and the puppy came to my rescue, just moments after the fridge business was over.
We had just enough daylight left to have a picnic and take a nice 3 mile walk in Bond Park!
Wednesday was supposed to be my “rest” day, but it was another nice NOT rainy day and I couldn’t stand it!
A sunny afternoon in Bond Park.
So after some yoga, I loaded 15lbs extra weight (and a snack lunch) into my pack, and set off to explore a bushwack at Eno River State Park.
A “bushwack” is when there’s no official trail blazed from one point to the other, so you’re just using landmarks or info from other hikers to find your way.
This particular bushwack was an out-and-back from the Cole Mill Road trail access to the Pleasant Green Road trail access in Eno River State Park – about 6 miles in all.
Map of the Cole Mill to Pleasant Green bushwack
Aside from looking for a passable hiking route between the two access points, I was also hoping the find the old Cabe Ford in the river, and the old slave cemetery back in the woods behind the powerline cut.
Cole Mill to Pleasant Green Road Bushwack
I was fortunate to have some guidance from the Eno.com website to get me started on finding a route.
Starting from the Cole Mill Road Loop Parking area, I took the Eno Trace Trail, staying close to the river until it turned uphill to the left.
I went straight ahead, following the river.
At that point, I left the established trail and followed the river bank downriver.
There was still a trail to follow, but it was un-blazed.
Follow the power line cut until it goes away from the river.
I followed the trail south under the powerlines until it turned left away from the river.
I had to cross a small creek – fortunately someone had placed stepping stones to make it easier.
Creek crossing.
After a while I came to the remnants of the old Cabe Ford in the river.
Remnants of the Cabe Ford.
I knew from the map that the the historic cemetery for the slaves of the Cabe family was nearby – supposedly just a a few hundred yards away from the river.
I poked around, but I didn’t see anything, so continued to follow the river.
I noticed some pink ribbons.
After a bit, the trail turned back into the forest, and the way became less obvious and not so well-used.
Then I noticed the pink ribbons tied at intervals to the trees….
At first, I thought it was just some random surveyor’s marks, and I thought they’d stop after a couple of ribbons. But they kept going!
Pink and green ribbons were tied to the trees.
And not only did they keep going, but now there were both pink AND green ribbons tied to the trees.
I’d had my suspicions before, but now I knew for certain – it was Bushwack Fairies! 🙂
And thank goodness for the Bushwack Fairies, because the way became more and more obscure – especially hidden under fallen leaves – so I just followed the ribbons.
I just kept following the ribbons.
After a while, I had to cross a small creek, but couldn’t find a good place, so I followed it up on one side and came to another larger creek, with some little waterfalls.
This would be a good spot to take a break and have a snack on a sunny day.
I found a large creek with a series of little waterfalls upstream.
This was a pretty large creek with a series of waterfalls upstream adding to the water flow.
I crossed the creek on the rocks and kept going, staying on the high ridge and following the pink and green ribbons when I could see them.
I passed a house with a pond just outside the State Park lines, then emerged from the woods to the powerline cut again.
The route goes through the powerline cut again.
The trail goes back into the woods and follows the river.
Along the way, I saw some unexpected waterfalls on the other side!
Eventually, you end up going through some scrub brush along the river to a point where you approach some old farm buildings.
The trail goes through a tunnel of laurels.
Emerging from the bushes you can see the Pleasant Green Road Parking area on the other side of the river.
The Pleasant Green Road parking area can be seen across the river.
About a quarter mile further down, the trail ends at the bridge on Pleasant Green road. This is where you would cross the river to actually get to the Pleasant Green Road parking.
But since the bridge and road were under construction, and there were a lot of cars backed up, I decided that seeing it from across the river was good enough!
I went back down the trail the way I came, with no surprises.
But when I got back to the woods near the powercut, I decided to try again to find the Cabe slave cemetery.
Remnants of stone walls may mark the location of the cemetery.
I found remnants of stone walls in the cemetery location shown on the map.
I don’t know for sure that these were part of the cemetery, but there were no other ruins that I could see nearby.
Old cabin across the river from the Eno Trace Trail.
I retraced my steps back to the parking lot at Cole Mill, then got in the traffic line behind the flag guys on the Pleasant Green bridge 😉
Thursday started with a balmy 9.3 mile hike on the MST at Falls Lake with a great group of hikers!
Cypress tress in the water near Little Lick Creek bridge on the MST.
This hike is one of my favorite sections of the MST, because it’s long enough to know you’ve had a hike, and has some interesting features along the way – including the friendly horses in trail- adjacent corrals.
Feeding an apple to the friendly horses on Thursday’s hike.
Sometimes they ignore me, but this time I was worried I didn’t have enough apple to go around! I’ll bring more next time 🙂
I took my first spin on my new vertical climber!
Friday I finally did take a rest day, and just did some yoga…but I also put together my new Vertical Climber machine and tried it out for about 30 minutes.
The climber folds up and stands in a corner when not in use.
I got the machine because I really need to get more training in really steep vertical gain hikes.
The hike I’m training for has several miles of almost straight vertical climbing up rock faces – almost as steep as cliff climbing.
Saturday was a rainy day, so I did a treadmill climb in my home gym with 10lbs on my back.
I did 2 miles in 35 mins with 1000ft vert gain, then another 2 miles in 30 mins with 700ft elev loss.
We had a great hike on Sunday!
Sunday I led a great group of hikers in what ended up around 9 miles at Umstead State Park.
It was a long hike but a fast one, with an average pace of 3.7 mph.
Next up: Week 7!! Let’s make it a good one 🙂
TAKEAWAY LESSON: Don’t give up if you’re getting bored or worn out in the middle of the program – change it up, make it fun, or take a rest day – but keep on going!
We’re winding down with this year’s 8-week hike training, but you can get started and do it on your own whenever you want!
– – Training Week 5 started with another nice day, but I decided to give my hiking boots a break and do kickboxing and upper body weights in my home gym.
Trailhead at Rock Nut Hollow near Duke Forest.
Tuesday temps were going to be well above freezing and the sun came out again just in time for a short 5 mile hike at Rock Nut Hollow near Duke Forest.
Lenore led the hike with a great group of hikers!
View from the rock scramble.
It’s a scenic and fun route along the creek with a very steep (but mercifully short) hike up a “mountain” with a nice rock scramble on the return route.
I hiked with 10 lbs of extra weight in my pack, and we went at a moderate pace.
Kiosk on the Black Creek Greenway at Lake Crabtree.
Wednesday, still trying to avoid mud, I scheduled a hike at Lake Crabtree where half of the trail is on paved greenway.
The sun came out and it was a beautiful hike!
The natural trails were closed due to mud, but we went far enough to see the eagle’s nest at the pond across Aviation Parkway before turning back.
Some parts of the Black Creek Greenway are still closed due to construction.
In spite of ongoing construction on the Black Creek Greenway, Silvia and I were able to get some time on natural sections of the blue-blazed Lake Trail on the way back, and finished at about 6-6.5 miles.
I carried 15 extra lbs on this hike, and I could really feel it in my legs afterwards!
In case you’re feeling proud of yourself (and you should!), I designed some Awesome T-Shirts to commemorate your training:
Thursday this week was the last day forecast to NOT have rain, so I took advantage to do some exploratory hiking at Eno River State Park.
View of the Eno River from the Cabelands Trail.
It was my “rest day” for the week, so I just did some yoga stretches before heading out, and the hike itself was only a few miles and not very fast.
Exploratory hiking is never a sure thing – it’s more about the discovery than the miles!
This time I started from the Cabelands trailhead on the Eno River.
Who were the Cabes?
The area is called “Cabe Lands” because Barnaby Cabe and his family were settled there in the years prior to the American Revolution.
After America won her independance, the Cabes were patriots and loyal citizens, even representing Orange County in Congress and serving in the militia.
Remains of the Cabe Mill on the Eno River.
John Cabe built a grist mill on the Eno and owned many acres in the “Cabelands” area.
He eventually had 9 daughters (with three wives) and many of his daughters married other mill owners along the Eno River.
Portrait of the owners of Cole Mill, Anothy(sic) Cole and Susan Browning Cole. ca. 1875.
One of the daughters, Rachel, married John McCown and together they built what was to become known as Cole Mill – which is another major trailhead access further downriver in Eno River State Park.
In the hard times after the defeat of Culloden in 1746, family groups – even whole villages – left Scotland for America.
The shipping lists of 1776 show the McColes landing at Wilmington, NC – but we have no evidence that these early Coles ever made their way this far inland, though many other families did.
The Eno River from the Cabelands Trail.
Levi Cole, an older brother of Anthony Cole, said to have travelled from the English town of Leeds, appears to have been the earliest Cole in the Eno Valley.
After her first husband died, Rachel married Colonel Sims and together they owned and operated West Point Mill at Roxboro Road.
This mill is still in operation for demonstration purposes, and is the centerpiece for the West Point on the Eno park.
Grave markers of Elizabeth Arnold McCowan and John Cabe McCowen in the Cabe Cemetery.
In my explorations, I was looking specifically for an old cabin from the 1770’s and also the Cabe Cemetery.
But also in the area are the remnants of the Cabe Mill.
Following the Cabelands Trail from the official trailhead, blazed in red, the map shows a left-hand trail-split, marked by two red blazes.
I followed the red blazes for the Cabelands Trail.
The Cabelands Trail continues downhill to the Eno River – and this is the way I went.
Turning downriver, I followed the trail until just before the two wooden footbridges.
Off to the right through the trees, I could see the well-preserved stone foundations for the old mill.
Two footbridges beside the river cross the old mill race from the Cabe Mill.
I tromped around a bit, but couldn’t find a passable way to the mill ruins, so I continued on along the Cabelands trail beside the river.
Back on the trail, I followed the trail up toward the bluffs, now looking for the old cabin and the cemetery.
As I followed the marked trail uphill, and noticed a long flat area of land overlooking the lowlands below.
Daffodils cover the hillside where the old homestead used to be.
It turns out this was the site of the old John Cabe homestead, but nothing remains of the cabin.
Instead, only a field of daffodils appear in the Spring to mark the spot where Cabe’s daughters grew up playing in the yard.
I (reluctantly) left the daffodil-covered hillside and went in search of the Cabe Cemetery.
The daffodils are everywhere!
I was just about to give up, when I saw what looked like an unmarked trail to the right of the “official” path.
I followed that path straight to an area dotted with old headstones, some illegible and in disrepair, but some easy to read even after all of the years in the forest.
Marker in the Cabe Cemetery.
Friday I led an 8-mile hike that combined the Company Mill and part of the Sycamore Trail in Umstead State Park.
MUT intersection with the Company Mill Trail.
I only carried 5 lbs extra on this hike, and went for speed – rain was forecast to start again at noon, and some of us had meetings to get to as well.
We ended up going about 4 mph!
Saturday the weather was pretty good all day, but I was waiting for some contractors at my house (which is another story!) so I had to settle for kickboxing and weights in my home gym.
Sunday I had posted an 8-10 mile hike, but it was forecast for 95% chance of cold rain (about 40 degrees) and 15-20mph gusting winds for the whole hike.
That really didn’t sound like much fun.
So I rescheduled the hike for next week, and spent a good long time hiking uphill indoors on my treadmill wearing 10lbs extra in a pack.
I hiked 3 miles with 1500ft elev gain in 45 mins, then another 2 miles in 35 mins descending 2162 ft. I’ll be ready for Mt Olympus in no time! 🙂
Next week, the weather forecast is much more normal.
Whatever that means around here…. But, no matter what, we know that:
Are you ready????
TAKEAWAY LESSON: The weather can have a big impact on your workout plans! Have a bad weather workout plan, check trail conditions before you head out, and don’t be afraid to wait for better conditions!
I hope you’ve found my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂 To see more of them go to my Training Log.
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.
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.
In this part of the world, there are many beaches to choose from – and lots of hiking and walking opportunities at each one.
I’m sure I’ll also get around to writing something about walking and hiking around Myrtle Beach soon, too 🙂
Hiking Sunset Beach, NC.
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 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.
The Kindred Spirit Mailbox and bench.
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 theKindred 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.
The point at Sunset Beach.
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!!
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!
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 🙂
That Man and the puppy.
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.
– – 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 🙂
Trailhead at the Pump Station Trail
And I did more bleeping yoga. And 45 minutes of *very mild* treadmilling in my home gym.
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.
Hiking into Duke Forest
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.)
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 🙂
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….
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…
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 🙂
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.
P
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!
P
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!
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.
P
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!
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!
Hiking with That Man and Colleen.
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!
Flowers blooming in Duke Forest.
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 Planpost, if you want to see what kind of training I’m doing. It might work for your goals, too.
![[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)
But in a mid-hike surprise twist, Lenore handed the reins over to Michael.
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. 
