Umstead State Park Archives - Page 2 of 3

Week 7: But Wait – There’s More!

Most recently updated February 26th, 2022

– – 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.

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.

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.

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 Saunas | Traditional Finnish Saunas — 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)

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.

9. INCREASE BRAIN-DERIVED NEUROTROPHIC FACTOR (BDNF)

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.

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%.

Harry Potter's scars — 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.

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!

Perhaps I’ll go back and read my article on training back from an injury and take my own advice 🙂

And focus, focus focus…..

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.

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

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

Week 6: Don’t Stop Now!

– – Training Week 6 started with a cold Saturday morning 9 mile hike on the MST at Falls Lake.

Cypress tress in the water near Little Lick Creek bridge on the MST.

This hike is one of my favorite sections of the MST, because it’s long enough to know you’ve had a hike, and has some interesting features along the way.

I normally don’t lead hikes on Saturday, but the weather forecast for Sunday was for snow, ice and extreme cold (again), so I switched it up.

Needlessly, as it turns out, because the forecast was completely wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong! Oh, those wacky meteorologists…..

Hiking at the North Carolina Museum of Art park.

So, instead of cowering inside all day Sunday and doing the dreaded housework, I did some kickboxing – and, yes, housework.

Pretending to be sculptures in the Rodin garden.

Then I convinced That Man and the puppy to join me in the afternoon for a nice 4 mile walk at the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Monday, it was forecast to be rainy all day and evening – and it was!!

So it was a treadmill training and weight lifting day.

Tuesday – I was able to join Lenore and other hiker friends at Umstead State Park – and this time I was not thwarted by a slow lumber truck!

We hiked the MUT about 6 miles, and I had a heavy pack, so this was my official Strength Building hike for the week.

View of the old boathouse at Umstead State Park.

THE SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION PART

A couple of weeks ago I got an email out of the blue from Mary Insprucker, host of the “Triangle 411” podcast.

She wanted to know if she could interview me about hiking and the I’d Rather Walk meetup group. How cool is that?

So I said okay, and the interview was just published. Here it is:

Triangle 411 I’d Rather Walk Hiking Interview

Please feel free to share with wild abandon!!!

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

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

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

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

Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve is a small 85-acre natural area in northeast Durham that is owned by the Army Corps of Engineers and managed by the NC Botanical Gardens.

Map on the kiosk at Penny's Bend. — Map on the kiosk at Penny’s Bend.

The nature preserve protects a peninsula of land that is surrounded on three sides by the Eno River just upstream of where the river flows into Falls Lake.

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

For some reason this hike kicked my butt…

Friday was such a gorgeous day, I spent most of the day hiking a new-to-me section of the MST with a wonderful group of hikers led by Rich B from the “Life is a Hike!” meetup.

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

It was fun, but after completing that hike, my legs hurt and I realized I’d hiked 51 miles during the week!

So, I got off my feet and let That Man pamper me with a nice dinner 🙂

This MST section runs opposite the Rollingview Marina on Falls Lake.

I may have slacked off a bit this week on the kickboxing and weight lifting because the sunny warm weather made me do a lot of hiking and ignore the rest.

That said, there’s still time to focus and get back on track before the 8-week program is over.

Okay, then – time to go work up a sweat somehow.

THE SHAMELESS SALESY PART

In case you haven’t noticed, Valentine’s Day is just a few days away.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

Week 5: Ice and Rain

– – Training Week 5 started with another snowy, icy Saturday morning – so it was treadmill training for me!

But Sunday the roads were clear – although it was still very cold! – and I went back into the woods with a great group of hikers for 6 miles on the Loblolly Trail in Umstead State Park.

We started a bit later than usual due to the cold, so I had time before we started for some extra yoga 🙂

A thin skim of ice on Big Lake in Umstead State Park.

Monday I attempted to join my friend Lenore for another hike, this time on the other side (Glenwood entrance) of Umstead State Park, to hike the multi-Use Trails.

But I was thwarted by a slow lumber truck that made me late, so I went my own way.

This was a short Strength Building hike for me, so I carried extra weight in my pack and hiked around 6.5 miles.

I decided to check out a trail at Forest Ridge Park.

Tuesday was supposed to be kickboxing, but it was an unusually warm day, and I just had to get outdoors, so I went to check out a new trail – recommended by another hiker – at Forest Ridge Park, and did a short 5 miles on the Shoreline Trail.

It was another trail along the shore of Falls Lake, but this time not part of the Falls Lake Trail or the MST.

Hiking the Shoreline Trail at Forest Ridge Park.

Wednesday I scheduled a long hike (`9 miles) that we hadn’t done in a while, due to weather.

The hike follows the MST along the Eno River from the Old Pump Station ruins to the Old Mill at West Point on the Eno.

There’s been construction along there for a couple of years, and it looks like it’s finally winding down.

Construction is finally winding down at the dam at West Point on the Eno.

Thursday was another long hike at Umstead – 9mi on the Co Mill & Sycamore trails, followed later in the day by another 4 miles on Loblolly and MUT with That Man and puppy.

Second hike of the day at Umstead with Colleen, the prettiest puppy :-) — Second hike of the day at Umstead with Colleen, the prettiest puppy 🙂

Friday it was supposed to rain all day, so I’d planned for kickboxing and indoor work.

Turns out we got hardly any rain at all. Hmmmph.

Nevermind, we’ve made it through 5 weeks so far.

In case you’re feeling proud of yourself (and you should!), I designed some Awesome T-Shirts to commemorate your training:

Wednesday this week was Groundhog Day, and the Rodent says we have 6 more weeks of winter.

Whatever that means around here…. But, no matter what, we know that:

Are you ready????

TAKEAWAY LESSON: The weather can have a big impact on your workout plans! Always check the weather and trail conditions before you head out, and even though the forecast is wrong A LOT, plan as if you believe them 😉

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

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

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

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

Most recently updated May 4th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ReFit Week 6: It’s Never Over

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022

– – Week 6 – the final week – of the ReFit Training is finished. Yay!!!

And I did go to see the Doc – which you may recall, was the endpoint for this training series because with all of the COVID-19 trail closures, it was hard to plan for a specific hike .

Here’s what I did this week and how the Doc visit went….

Week 6 Recap

Week 6 was another hot, hot, hot! week weather-wise, and I was still recovering from some dehydration from the week before.

So the first couple of days I did my main daily exercise indoors – kickboxing, treadmill runs, weights.

Some tools for indoor training in the home gym.

Midweek I was back out on the trail locally in Bond Park for a quick 6 mile walk before it got too hot.

Thursday I did the unthinkable – I took a rest day 🙂

That was also the day I went in for my checkup with the Doc.

The Checkup

The good news is, apparently I’m going to live forever!

The bad news is, I didn’t reach my weight goal. I blame licorice and chocolate sorbet…. 😉

But seriously, I’m not too worried.

My clothes all still fit, and the weight loss was my own goal – not mandated by illness or anything.

I just generally feel better and more energetic when I’m a bit lighter.

I’ll keep working on it – hopefully without obsessing too much. Because no one needs more stress these days!

Actually, with all of the stress and forced inactivity due to COVID-19 restrictions, it could be a lot worse…

Stress and Weight Gain

Stress can leave you open to a lot of illnesses.

With all that’s been going on the past few months – health worries, job and financial losses, enforced isolation, restricted movements, killings and riots, incessant political noise, etc – we’ve all had a lot of reason to be stressed out.

And we can all agree that too much stress is bad for you.

Excess stress can lead to headaches, digestive and sleep problems, and depression.

Stress can also wreak havoc on metabolism and cause stress-induced weight gain.

For some time we’ve known about the connection between stress and weight gain, specifically due to an increase in cortisol levels.

What is Cortisol?

Cortisol is a hormone that your body releases when you’re feeling physical or psychological stress.

The hormone raises your blood pressure and blood sugar and can suppress the immune system.

Higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol have also been shown to increase appetite.

Stressed to the Max

Fresh fruits and veggies are part of a healthy diet.

Psychologist Leslie Heinberg, PhD. , Director of Behavioral Services for the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at Cleveland Clinic, agrees that the link between stress and weight gain is real.

Healthy habits like getting enough sleep, exercising and eating a healthy diet are harder to maintain when you feel like you’re maxed out emotionally, she says.

3 Tips to Fight Weight Gain

But even if you can’t fix the causes of your stress, you can make small changes to try to minimize offset the effects.

Here are three tips that might help you fight stress-induced weight gain:

ONE: Choose Your Fats Wisely

Fat is important to feel full, and it’s also one of your body’s key building blocks. But to keep it in balance, try to choose only one high-fat item per meal.

For example, if you have a healthy salad for lunch, don’t include both olive oil and avocado – just choose one of those things.

So, if you want avocado on your salad, use a balsamic vinegar dressing rather than an oil-based vinaigrette.

TWO: Adjust Your Meal Proportions

To reduce calories, shift your servings a bit to slash calories without having to eat less food.

Trading in a portion of dense grains for low-cal veggies is an easy way to accomplish a quick calorie savings that doesn’t require sacrificing volume.

For example, if you’re eating rice and veggies for a meal, shift the balance to include more veggies and less rice.

Eating 1.5 cups of veggies and .5 cup of brown rice instead of 1 cup of each can easily save you 60-75 calories. Those small savings will add up over time.

THREE: Take a Quick Post-Meal Walk

Take a short walk to boost your metabolism.

A study from George Washington University found that taking a 15-minute walk after meals helped normalize blood sugar levels for up to three hours after eating.

If you don’t have 15 minutes, even a 5 minute walk – just to break from sitting to get your blood pumping – can shift your metabolism.

It can also be a time to clear your head, connect with nature, or catch up with a walking buddy – all of which can help reduce feelings of stress.

Back to the Woods

Later in the week, the weather cooled down a bit and I’d recovered from my dehydration, so I was ready to hit the woods again!

The Lake Trail goes past the Observation Tower at Lake Crabtree.

So on Friday (after a treadmill run indoors in the morning), I hiked around Lake Crabtree in the afternoon.

It was beautiful as usual – though I miss seeing the sailboats on the lake! (They’re not allowed now due to COVID-19 restrictions.)

Saturday, That Man and I got on the bikes and had a nice 20-mile ride on the greenways and the ATT.

A new section of the White Oak greenway connects Bond park and Davis Drive Park.

It was a gorgeous day, and the trails were surprisingly un-crowded.

Sunday, was my long hike for the week, a 8-9 miler in Umstead State Park, on a combination of Company Mill and Sycamore Trails.

A great group of hikers came with me 🙂

That hike was the end of my training week, and of this training series. But I’ll keep on going!

A stroller-friendly trial in Umstead State Park — A stroller-friendly trail in Umstead State Park

Training for Life

For me, training is never really over. Many active people are the same.

Even though our goals change from week to week, or year to year, we always keep moving forward and striving to improve.

Whether it’s a hiking to a new mountain summit, getting into a new dress, or mastering a new sport or skill, training towards a goal is what keeps us motivated and interested in what we’re doing.

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing was one of my Bucket List hikes.

What’s Your Next Adventure?

Although some destinations are still out of reach due to continuing COVID-19 restrictions, many State and National Parks are opening back up now.

I’ve got my eye on a few new adventures within driving distance of home, and I’m starting to get excited about it!

I might even start some new training hikes soon 🙂

If you’re local and would like to join us, check out the I’d Rather Walk Meetup for hike postings.

The Hawksbill Summit in Shenandoah National Park is an attainable goal for most hikers.

I hope you’ve found my Training Log ramblings to be helpful- or at least amusing! 🙂 To see more of them go to my Training Log. Take a look at my 6 Week Training Plan post to see the whole plan.

For some ideas for your next adventures, check out my Hiking Destinations page for outdoor vacation spots for you and your family.

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

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ReFit Week 5: The Home Stretch

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022

– – Week 5 of the ReFit Training began with a 4 mile treadmill run and arm weights on Monday. So, no big deal – but it got the job done.

Besides, I needed time to get ready for my field trip on Tuesday to Hanging Rock State Park.

The forecast called for highs in the 90’s, which is pretty hot for hiking, but it’s better than thunderstorms, so I stuck to the plan.

It’s been my habit to visit Hanging Rock every year in the early Spring, but this year the parks were closed due to COVID restrictions during the milder weather.

Most State Parks are at least partially open now, and the weather will only get warmer, so it was time to go!

Summer Heat is Back

Every year in North Carolina, sometime between March and late June, there’s a moment when you step outside and get smacked in the face with hot, humid air.

And you suddenly remember what Summer feels like in all of it’s intense sweaty glory. 🙂

We had a few hot days earlier this year, but this past week Summer let us know it’s really here to stay.

Summer includes higher temps, higher humidity and changes to the weather pattern. If you’re smart, it should include some some changes to your workout routine, too.

North Carolina heat and sun are just as intense inland as on the beach.

If you’re planning on doing anything really strenuous outdoors, you should probably get going as early as possible.

Not only will the heat get more intense later in the day, but we usually have a pretty good chance of heavy storms – possibly with lightning – in the late afternoon.

So my plan was to hit the road early, get to the Park by 9ish and be done hiking before the storms rolled in.

Midweek Field Trip to Hanging Rock

I’ve been to Hanging Rock many times over the years, so I decided to try something a little different this time.

Hanging Rock SP Visitors Center close due to COVID-19 restrictions — Hanging Rock SP Visitors Center closed due to COVID-19 restrictions

Instead of parking as usual at the Visitor’s Center (which is currently closed due to COVID restrictions anyway), I decided to park at the Tory’s Den parking lot and hike from there.

The Tory’s Den parking gives you access to the Ruben Mountain trail, plus Tory’s Den and Falls.

You can also get on the trail to Moore’s Knob from there as well – but be aware that it’s a 1 mile hike from the parking lot to get to the start of both Ruben Mountain Trail and Moore’s Wall Loop, so you need to add 2 miles to figure total distance.

Map of trails near Tory's Den parking area. — Map of trails near Tory’s Den parking area.

I’d hiked to Moore’s Knob before, but hadn’t hiked Ruben Mountain so I started with that trail.

Ruben Mountain Trail – 6ish mile loop

The Ruben Mountain Trail starts 1 mile from the parking area. It’s about 4 miles total, but with the additional miles to and from the parking, just to do the Ruben Mountain trail is around 6 miles.

Trailhead sign at Tory's Den parking — Trailhead sign at Tory’s Den parking

The trail is wide and lined with split-rail fences in some sections, and you can tell it’s a favorite trail for horseback riders.

It’s an okay trail, mostly flat and would be a great trail running route if you lived locally.

But I wouldn’t recommend traveling that far (it’s a 2 hour drive for me) just to hike the Ruben Mountain Trail.

I contemplated going up the hill to Moore’s Knob, but realized that would add another 4.5 miles to the 6 miles I’d already done, and I still wanted to be sure to see Tory’s Den and Falls before it was time to go.

So I walked back down the to the intersection with Tory’s Den Trail.

Tory's Falls at Hanging Rock State Park — Tory’s Falls at Hanging Rock State Park

The hike to Tory’s Falls was a soft dirt trail, mostly downhill.

After crossing a couple of streams, and finally going down a few flights of wooden steps, I stepped onto a large rock outcropping.

On the other side of a river channel were Tory’s Falls. It was a great place for a break 🙂

After eating an apple and chugging some water, I continued down more wooden steps (!) to Tory’s Den.

Looking into Tory's Den. — Looking into Tory’s Den.

History of Tory’s Den

During the American Revolution, Whig (revolutionaries) and Tory (loyal to Britain) neighbors occasionally clashed.

One of these skirmishes occurred in 1778 at Hanging Rock State Park.

The Tory’s Den (the cave shown above) was home to about 100 British sympathizers who lost their property to the Whigs after the war began.

After a Tory raid, the Whigs retaliated by attacking the den. No Whigs were lost in the skirmish and most of the Tories were taken prisoner.

THE TRAIL continues down a little bit further, but you can’t get close to the water due to vegetation along the banks.

Current Park Restrictions

I climbed back up all of those stairs (!) and drove about 6 miles to the Visitors Center parking area, where I hiked a couple of the shorter waterfall trails before making the drive back home.

Though the swimming area at the lake is closed for COVID-19, people can still swim in the waterfalls 🙂

Unfortunately, the Visitor’s Center (and restrooms) are currently closed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

There are restrooms available at the bathhouse. (To see current conditions and restrictions at all State Parks, click here.)

Trail head for Upper Cascades Falls at the Visitor's Center — Trail head for Upper Cascades Falls at the Visitor’s Center

Puppy Hike and Bond Park Run

The middle of the week was even hotter at home!

I contented myself through the rest of the week with some kickboxing, treadmill running and weights indoors, a shorter outdoor morning run at Bond Park, and took the puppy on a shady greenway hike to Annie Jones Park and Lake Pine.

Hot, Hot, Hot! This Week’s Long Hike – 12.5 miles

This week’s long hike was on a very hot day, but we started pretty early.

The route began on the Loblolly Trail in Umstead State Park and followed Loblolly into Schenck Forest and back out onto the Reedy Creek Greenway.

The rest of the route would continue to follow the greenway all the way to the North Carolina Museum of Art Park.

(The Museum buildings and restrooms are still closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, so we made sure to take advantage of facilities at Umstead before heading out.)

Half of the group turned back to do a shorter 6.5 mile hike options, and the rest of us continued on along the Reedy Creek Trail.

Bees hang out at the Prairie Ridge EcoStation

Prairie Ridge EcoStation, NCMA Park

We took the Reedy Creek Greenway all the way past the Prairie Ridge EcoStation and on both natural and paved trails through the NCMA Park.

Our turnaround point was the far side of the pedestrian bridge over I-440.

Pedestrian Bridge over I-440 at the NCMA Park.

Some of us were dragging a bit by the time we got back to the Loblolly trailhead parking lot, but it was a really good hike with a great group! 🙂

Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!

On the way back to from NCMA to Umstead, I was reminded of how important it is to drink plenty of water before and during these hot summer hikes.

What reminded me were the excruciating foot and calf cramps I got in the last mile of the hike… 😉

Even an experienced hiker (like me) can get caught once in a while.

Drinking plenty of water before and during the hike helps by replenishing the fluids lost by excessive sweating.

But sometimes just drinking water isn’t enough.

When you sweat, you lose electrolytes, and if you lose too many, you can get dizzy, and have severe muscle cramps.

The easiest way to replace them is with a sports drink that contains electrolytes.

Carry electrolyte candy in your pack for longer summer hikes.

You can also get sports candy that does the same thing – with fewer calories.

Focus mostly on replacing sodium and potassium, but calcium and magnesium are also important.

My muscle cramps lasted for a couple of days, but with lots of water and mineral supplements they finally settled down 🙂

The Home Stretch

With 5 weeks down and one week to go of 6 weeks to get back in shape , I’m in the home stretch.

This next week I’ll keep the workouts going, but will also focus on eating a clean, portion-controlled diet – with extra electrolytes!

If you’re local and would like to join us, check out the I’d Rather Walk Meetup for hike postings.

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

Take a look at my 6 Week Training Plan post to see what other kinds of training I’m doing, and what other hikes I’ll have coming up.

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

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ReFit Week 4: Making It Interesting

Most recently updated January 17th, 2022

– – Week 4 of the ReFit Training began with a long group hike (<25 people in accordance with current restrictions) at Umstead State Park.

We hiked 8 miles on Company Mill trail to Big Lake and back on a combination natural trails and multi-use trails.

The route was designed to avoid the spots that were still muddy from last week’s rain.

I was starting to worry when we didn’t see our snake friend, but then we spotted him towards the end of the hike on higher ground.

And the hikers who joined were amazing as usual! 🙂

A Different Sort of Week

It was a holiday week, since the work week started with Memorial Day.

For me, that meant an extra day to hang out with That Man and explore some new (to us) local places on foot.

Specifically, we spent time checking out the Rolling View section of Falls Lake.

View of Falls Lake from the Rolling View side.

Falls Lake State Recreation Area

Falls Lake State Recreation Area is made up of seven access areas scattered around the shoreline of an undeveloped 12,000-acre reservoir.

The Falls Lake Trail (a portion of the North Carolina Mountains-to-Sea State Trail) can be joined at the Rolling View access – which was one of the places open despite COVID restrictions – so that’s where we started.

Map showing the Falls Lake Trail in Rolling View section

The Falls Lake Trail follows the entire south shore of the lake, traveling over 50 miles from the shore of the Neuse River below the Falls Lake Dam all the way to the Eno River.

We were only able to go a couple of miles before the trail was too flooded to pass, due to the high water from recent heavy rain.

But we improvised on some other trails and got about 5 miles in anyway 🙂

Strength Building Hike – Bond Park, 6 miles

The middle of the week was dry (finally!) so I loaded 20 extra pounds into my pack on Tuesday for this week’s Strength Building hike in Bond Park, a 6-ish mile hike that included the Bond Park Lake Trail.

Midweek Beach Escape

After months of being unable to travel due to COVID restrictions, I decided to gamble on the weather and take a little overnight road trip to the Coast.

Though beaches and State and National Parks are still partly closed, some trails and facilities are available, and some coastal parks have beach access.

I booked a room in Atlantic Beach, and headed for Fort Macon State Park.

Fort Macon State Park

Nearly surrounded by water at the eastern tip of Bogue Banks, Fort Macon State Park is the site of a restored Civil War-era fort, a couple of hiking trails, and offers unspoiled shoreline for swimming.

Canons line the upper fort wall on the beach side

Unfortunately, the interior of the fort and the Visitor’s Center are currently closed due to COVID restrictions, but the beach and trails are open.

There are also restrooms available.

Trailhead sign in the Visitors Center parking lot

Elliott Coues’ Trail – 3.3 mile loop

The main thing I wanted to do at the park was hike the relatively new Elliott Coues Trail.

I started at the trailhead in the far corner of the Visitor’s Center parking lot.

Raised boardwalk on the Elliott Coues' Trail — Raised boardwalk on the Elliott Coues’ Trail

The trail is a 3.3 mile loop that goes along the beach, through salt march and forest, and even along the road beside the Coast Guard station for a short time before returning to the park.

It’s a beautiful trail, with the beach side of the loop paved with a new layer of soft wood chips.

The wooded side is a combination of soft dirt and some boardwalks.

You can see different kinds wildlife from the trail: there were a lot of different birds and I startled a young doe near the marsh side.

View of the beach from inside the upper fort wall.

You can find a list of North Carolina State Parks, and a map that shows which ones are near the beach here.

Atlantic Beach

Atlantic Beach is one of my favorite North Carolina beaches, not in the least because I usually stay in a place where can get up in the morning and walk to the beach – without worrying about trying to move my car or pay for parking.

When I’m there I usually do about 4 miles on the beach in the morning, more if time allows.

This time, I was able to get 4 miles in but couldn’t do any more because of a fast-moving thunderstorm.

The rain wasn’t going anywhere, so after my run I packed up and headed back inland.

Company Mill Accidentally Underwater Hike – 6 miles

Friday was rainy at home, too. But I decided to risk an afternoon hike between rain storms on the Company Mill Trail in Umstead State Park anyway.

Unfortunately, a couple of miles into the hike a downpour started.

I was on the natural trail when the rain started, but the trail quickly became a raging stream.

Reedy Creek Lake and multi-use trail on a sunny day.

So I diverted my route to get back to the the drier multi-use trails, and ended up with about 6.5 miles and lots of mud on my boots when I finished.

In addition to hiking at home and on the coast this week, I also kick-boxed, ran on my treadmill , lifted some weights, and did some Bodyweight Training exercises.

With 4 weeks down of the allotted 6 weeks to get back in shape , I’m still not seeing the kind of results the I’d hoped for, but I’ve still got a couple of weeks to keep trying 🙂

If you’re local and would like to join us, check out the I’d Rather Walk Meetup for hike postings.

Looking down Atlantic Beach towards the pier.

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

Take a look at my 6 Week Training Plan post to see what other kinds of training I’m doing, and what other hikes I’ll have coming up.

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

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

Harness the Health Benefits of Sunshine

Most recently updated January 20th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 16 minutes

The idea that sunshine has health benefits isn’t anything new.

The Earth has been basking in the sun for more than 3 billion years.

And as our planet’s early life forms evolved in the ocean, they were exposed to – and adapted to – sunlight.

It makes sense that all lifeforms on our planet, including humans, have evolved to use the power of the sun to their advantage.

The sun is vitally important to all life forms on Earth.

But sun exposure has a particularly wide array of health benefits for humans.

We have a long history of using sunlight therapy – called “heliotherapy” today – that dates back to the ancient Greeks.

Here are some ways you can harness the power of the sun to maintain and even improve your own health – even if you can’t go outdoors!

Continue reading Harness the Health Benefits of Sunshine

Outdoor Activity Ideas for Homeschool Kids

Most recently updated January 20th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

Home school kids need to get outdoors in the sunshine and play – for their physical and mental health and for ours, too.

If you’ve recently become a remote worker AND a home-schooler all at once, courtesy of COVID-19, you’re probably already running short on patience.

Getting outdoors, either in your own yard or in a local park or forest, can help boost the entire family’s mood and immune system.

Sitting still for long periods of time is hard for everyone, but it’s especially difficult for energetic young ones who may have shorter attention spans.

When children have the space and freedom to move around, they can work off their excess energy and be more focused on learning when playtime is over.

Through physical outdoor learning activities children can improve their speed, strength, stamina and motor skills, too.

Here are some ideas for incorporating outdoor time into your new at-home daily schedule, and some tips on places to go for outdoor fun where you can still avoid crowds, for social distancing purposes.

Continue reading Outdoor Activity Ideas for Homeschool Kids

Week 8: Our Last Chance!

– – Training Week 8 started with a wonderful hike in Umstead State Park – with 6 mile and 10 mile options.

We combined Umstead State Park’s Company Mill trail, Sycamore Trail, and the Reedy Creek Multi-Use Trail. It was a little brisk (about 30 degrees) to start with, but warmed up quickly to about 50 degrees by the time we finished.

The weather was gorgeous and we had a great group of hikers – what a wonderful start to the day!

I had a moderately weighted pack and was planning on going a bit more slowly than normal, but some of the group wanted to go faster, so I added more frequent and a little bit longer breaks along the way.

Carved tree along the Sycamore Trail, Umstead State Park, Raleigh NC

For this week’s shorter Strength Building hike, I returned to Bond Park.

I’ve been slacking off in the pack weight department, so I added 5 more lbs to my pack.

The 5-6mi route around the lake is partially natural trails, and partially paved trails.

The route is pretty flat, but unfortunately the natural trails have a tendency to get muddy after a rain.

Luckily for us, the weather was pretty dry for a couple of days before the hike so all we had to deal with was bright sunshine 🙂

This week’s training included these two hikes along with kick-boxing a few times, treadmill runs (on rainy days), shorter fast walks and a gym trip or two.

So, in case you’re just joining us, I’ve been spending 8 weeks training for an awesome hiking trip to New Zealand.

I’ve done all I can to train for the hikes, the biking, canoeing, and yes – even zorbing. But how do you train for excessively long air travel???

My flight from the US to New Zealand will take two calendar days, while on the return I will actually get home BEFORE I leave New Zealand.

Time travel is REAL!!! I knew it…. 🙂

Seriously, although I have taken flights this long before (Patagonia comes to mind), I can’t say I’m looking forward to it.

But I think I’ve done everything I can – other than purchasing the incredibly expensive Business Class pod – to make this trip more comfortable and less exhausting.

Some people sedate themselves (herbally or otherwise), but I’m not a fan.

Besides, as soon as I land, I’ll need to board a shuttle (I already have tickets) to get to a kickoff dinner, and then we leave the next morning on our first hike.

So I will literally need to hit the ground running – and the less travel-worn I am, the better.

There a few things I’ve learned to do, both to make a long flight more bearable and to deal with jet-lag once I’ve landed.

TIPS TO SURVIVE YOUR OVERNIGHT FLIGHT

Choose Your Seats ASAP for the Best Choices

I always start with the least expensive Economy flight I can find, but somehow end up paying much more for things that I think should just be included.

(“What? You say you want to breathe while you’re in flight?? That’ll be $40 more! And a pint of blood, please.”)

Sometimes, they won’t let you choose a seat online before check-in UNLESS you pony up more cash. And we all know you’re more likely to get bumped if you don’t have an assigned seat.

As annoying as it is to be financially nibbled to death, for overnight flights and tight connections, I’ve learned to just suck it up and pay extra for at least a Priority seat.

Choose the Best Seat for You

I prefer the window so I can lean against it – and away from my neighbor – to sleep, but you might want the aisle for ease of access or to sneak your long legs into the aisle. (My legs are pretty short.)

Nobody wants to be in the middle seat, imprisoned by seat backs and stranger’s shoulders for longer than you usually spend in bed each night….

Priority seating may also allow you priority boarding (to ensure space for your carry-on) and put you closer to the front of the plane so you can exit more quickly when you land.

The time you save de-planing may let you make a connection with time to hit the restroom, or beat the rush to Immigration.

Hydrate Before You Travel

I always bring water on the plane with me, but try to use the restroom just prior to boarding and drink sparingly while in flight so I don’t have to use the plane lav more than a couple of times.

Especially since my trips tend to be outdoorsy, I don’t want to be dehydrated at the outset.

So I drink a lot of water the day before I leave, and chug a bunch of water when I reach the destination airport. Getting hydrated again ASAP will also help with any jet-lag.

Airplane Food

Eat real food at home before you go. It’s healthier and less expensive than airport food.

But once you’re imprisoned in the metal tube, eat sparingly. (You probably won’t have to work hard at this… 😉

Once you’ve landed, though, try to eat and sleep in accordance with your destination time-frame.

Toiletries and Meds

Don’t put all of your toiletries in your checked baggage – make sure you’ve at least got your toothbrush and any daily meds you need in your carry-on.

You may even want to bring a change of clothes to freshen up before you leave the plane.

I just realized Daylight Savings Time is also happening during my trip. Man, am I going to be messed up when I get home….

Take Care of Nagging Details

Before a major trip, I always try to wrap up any of life’s details – paying bills in advance, finishing up projects if I can, answering any emails, etc.

When I return, I likely won’t remember much of what I was in the middle of before I left, which is kind of the point.

A big trip is supposed to bring you home with fresh eyes and a “cleansed” brain.

The Tardis has more legroom than Economy Class

Bonus Week – The last planned Training Week is over, so now it’s time to try on all of my pants! Seriously.

I”ll continue with maintenance training as long as I’m here – but nothing too ambitious.

I’ll be resting up for time travel 🙂

TAKEAWAY LESSON: Training towards a goal should include a rest period just before the event. Relax, trust in your excellent training work and your body will know what to do!!

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

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

Keep an eye out for new posts about New Zealand in the next month or so….

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ