walking Archives - Page 3 of 10

Week 8: Don’t Be a Lame Duck!

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

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

Don’t get me wrong, it’s fine.

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

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

All reports are he did very well 🙂

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

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

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

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

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

I was encouraged to use hiking poles in Italy.

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

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

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

Cargo Container Theft in LA Is a Big Problem

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, I broke out the Pilates!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is Chromatic Light Therapy?

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

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

10 Benefits of Color Light Therapy

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Hello –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More About B.E.S.T Physical Therapy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep your eyes peeled for that notice!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And so ends Week 8.

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

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

So you’ve got that to look forward to!

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

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

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

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

Week 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

Asthma’s Effects on Mental Health

Most recently updated July 7th, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 17 minutes

It’s been a while since I’ve written about anything asthma-related.

Of course, those of you living with this chronic illness already know that for us, everything is asthma related 😉

That’s kind-of what I’d like to talk about today…

I'm not really one for sharing my feelings, especially about my chronic asthma. — I’m not one for sharing my feelings about my chronic asthma.

One reason I started this blog was to share my ongoing quest to enjoy a “wheeze free” life – in hopes that my experience could help someone else.

I’ve written posts about what kind of diet and supplements helped, what kind of exercises worked, the latest medications, how to clean the air inside your home – and much more.

But one thing I’ve never written about is how chronic asthma makes you feel.

I’ll share my experience – and of course, the latest research – here, in hopes it might help you or someone you care for!

Continue reading Asthma’s Effects on Mental Health

Week 4: The Glass is Half Full

Most recently updated January 29th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What? Nothing wrong with being useful AND decorative 🙂

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

Week 3: Well, it IS winter…

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

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

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

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

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

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

Puppy on a leash — This puppy loves to snuggle!

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

And then the week went to crap!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

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Week 2: Make Your Steps Count

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

– – I began the second week of training on Monday, leading a great group of hikers on another 6.5 mile hike on the Company Mill trail in Umstead State Park.

Company Mill trail has the most elevation gain of any of the Park’s trails, and you especially feel it on the final hill at the end of the hike!

Umstead State Park has been my go-to hiking place for at least the past ten years. Company Mill trail, Loblolly Trail and Sycamore Trail are the longest natural trails in the area. I hike in the forest, or with the forest as a starting place, at least twice per week. Located in Wake County, NC between Raleigh, Cary and Durham, this 5,579 acre park is at most a 15 minute drive (or a 5 mile walk) from my house. — Millstone and plaque along the Company Mill Trail

I call that one the “you gotta be kidding me” hill.

Anyway, this time I hiked it with 10 extra lbs in my pack again. Yay 😐

(If you’re wondering what we’re all training for, we’re spending the next 8 weeks training for an awesome hike (TBD) that we can drive to in the Spring.

Old gravestone alongside the MUT in Umstead State Park.

Tuesday, I did some weights and stuff at home, then joined my friend Lenore’s shorter hike (5-6mi hike) on the Multi-Use Trails in a different part of Umstead.

The MUT is a gravel/dirt road that has some mild elevation gain/loss but is pretty smooth.

The MUT is also usually pretty dry, even after heavy rains.

Wilkerson Nature Preserve

On Wednesday, I was supposed to kickbox, but I blew it off and instead just did my yoga and then joined my friend Heidi’s hike.

It was about 7-8 miles, starting with some of the trails in Wilkerson Nature Preserve, and then following the MST to Falls Lake Dam, where we turned around and came back to our starting place.

I joined this hike because I like those guys, and also I’d never been to Wilkerson Nature Preserve – and I’m always interested in trying out another local section of the MST.

There are a number of fun trails within the Preserve, especially designed for younger children, and also a playground.

One of the regular trails specifically links to the white-blazed Mountains to Sea Trail, which will lead you all the way to Falls Lake Dam (which is the beginning of the Falls Lake Trail.)

Turtle stepping stones at Wilkerson Nature Preserve.

Loblolly Trail to Schenk Forest

Thursday I led another group of hikers on an 8.5 mile hike, starting from the Loblolly trail in Umstead State Park, following it all the way and crossing over to the Schenk Forest and back.

You can create this longer-distance hike combo and several others starting from the Harrison Ave entrance to Umstead State Park. This is especially useful when you’re training locally for a longer-distance hiking trip.

Every hike this week (whether long or short) I’ve hiked with at least an extra 10 lbs in the pack, bumping it up on some of the shorter hikes to an 15 extra lbs.

I did this because I’m already in pretty good shape – and the training needs to work for me, too 🙂

Ferns line the Loblolly Trail in Schenk Forest.

Charities for Steps

Speaking of making my training count – another thing I did this week was sign up for a couple of charities that use my hiking miles to donate money to good causes.

Maybe you’d like to do it, too!

Biking on a raised boardwalk greenway in Cary.

St Jude’s Cycle for Charity

Heidi was doing the St Jude’s Cycle for Charity, and asked if I’d like to join.

I’ve been known to ride a bike, but mostly I move around on foot, so I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do it.

So far, I've done 76 of the 200 miles. — So far, I’ve done 76 of the 200 miles.

But we found out that they allow hiking/running steps, too – so I joined up!

Learn more about this charity ride here.

Wooftrax

I use to use Wooftrax all the time (I did 860 miles for this one), but lost the app when I changed phones.

I just loaded it back up this week, and start the app- when I remember – on every hike.

WoofTrax’ Walk for a Dog (Android and iOS) app lets you raise money for your favorite animal organization while you walk your dog.

The app is funded by ads and sponsors, and the longer you walk, the more money you’ll raise for your charity.

HOW TO DO IT:

1. Download the Wooftrax app to your phone.
2. Submit your name and email address, then confirm your email address by clicking on a link sent to that address.
3. The app will then ask you to add your dog (or dogs), but you can also choose “Walk for Cassie” or add in a fake dog’s info — you don’t actually need a dog to use the app.
4. Hit “Start Walking,” and the app will track your steps, distance, and map your walk using GPS.

iPhone users can use the app on a treadmill or stationary bike, but Android users will need to get outside for the app to work.

We have miles and miles of local greenways available near where I live in North Carolina. Greenways are a great off-road resource for healthy outdoor family activities like bike rides, hikes and walks. Learn details of the Black Creek, White Oak Creek, Crabtree Creek, Reedy Creek and American Tobacco Trail greenways - and have fun exploring them all! #Idratherwalk #GetKidsOutside #Hike — Charity Miles gives to your favorite cause based on the miles you run, bike or hike.

Charity Miles

Charity Miles (Android and iOS), is a free app that rewards the charity of your choice for every mile you walk, run or bike. Corporate sponsors pledge up to $0.25 for each mile you log in the app.

The Charity Miles app features 37 participating charities, including the World Wildlife Fund, charity: water, and Habitat for Humanity.

HOW TO DO IT:

1. Download and install the app and sign up for a Charity Miles account.
2. Before each workout, open the app and pick the charity you want to help.
3. Select the type of activity you’re doing and start your workout.
4. When you’re finished with your workout, hit the stop button.

I haven’t used this one, but all the reviews say it’s great.

I use my hike miles for several charities at a time, like “double coupon” day 🙂

Hiking the burn on Bond Park's Lake Trail. — Hiking the burn on Bond Park’s Lake Trail.

Friday was just kickboxing and weights, and pleasant 4mi walk in the woods at Bond Park with That Man and the prettiest puppy Colleen to take advantage of some of the last warmish weather forecast this week.

This week I did a lot of my hikes with other people.

I hike both solo and with a group – and I’m good either way. Hiking is an activity that’s good for introverts and party animals as well 🙂

But lately I’ve found that if I’m not committed to meeting other people for a workout – whether I’m leading it or not – I’m more likely to let other things interfere and keep me from getting my exercise.

It may be because of ongoing pandemic stress, or colder weather – whatever it is, I’m fighting hard against giving in.

Other people have told me they are having the same issues.

I think if you’re having trouble doing the exercise you’re “supposed to” be doing, you need to forget about all that, and seize any opportunity that seems more fun.

Whatever gets you moving is your best option!

TAKEAWAY LESSON: The right workout is one that you will do – so be ready to seize the opportunity to make your workouts fun!

The Fairy Footpath at Wilkerson Nature Preserve in Raleigh.

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

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

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

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Week 1: Training Went … Meh

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 2.3 minutes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

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

Return to the Road to Awesome….

Most recently updated January 18th, 2022

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

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

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

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

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

Domestic Cheese Tray – holiday food. So much cheese!

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

And then my birthday is this week…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He was not convinced. Neither was I, really.

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

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

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

They even have caffeine 🙂

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

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

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

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

Thanks for stopping by – see you next time! LJ

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