Have you become a remote worker recently due to circumstances beyond your control? Whether you have chosen remote work, or it’s been thrust upon you, it can be a difficult transition for you and your whole family.
You can find yourself getting stressed, socially awkward, and extra fluffy 🙂
And this can add additional stress, which creates a really bad cycle that it’s best to avoid altogether.
So, that said, what’s the best way to protect your mental and physical health when you’re suddenly forced to work from your home???
Sign promoting hand-washing along local greenway trail
People who had already chosen to work remotely before any Stay At Home mandates have probably figured this out already.
But for those who became remote workers overnight due to the COVID-19 health crisis response or other sudden life change, this could be a problem – especially if there’s no end in sight.
As an aside, I joined the workforce when there was no such thing as “remote” work, because there were no laptops, internet or cell phones.
…. I’ll pause here so you can say “Okay, Boomer” 🙂
I also remember when working remotely was the shiny new Holy Grail of work situations, and only the Cool Kids got to do it.
The rest of us had to fight family, school buses and traffic to make it into the office on time despite a blizzard or an illness that had you burning with fever.
Your commute to work can be replaced by a nice long walk or bike ride
Those days are not entirely gone, but most companies now recognize natural disasters, communicable diseases, and different time-zones within Global teams as valid reasons to work off-site.
Fortunately, with today’s technology everyone is able to work remotely as needed, if your business will allow it.
Some people work remotely 100% of the time now and some younger workers have NEVER had an office-based job.
“Working from home” used to mean something very different.
At this point in my career, I’ve worked in all kinds of remote, half-remote, on-site only, etc etc situations, and I have to say – I really like working from home most of all!
But working remotely is not everyone’s favorite thing.
When working from home – whether it’s as someone’s else’s employee or as your own boss – there are a lot of bad habits you can fall into.
Finding the discipline to manage your time and ignore distractions, especially if you’ve also got kids at home – never mind anxiety about world events, or depression due to isolation – may be unusually difficult.
And staying focused enough to get some exercise and eat right can be almost impossible!
There are some tricks I’ve learned over the years that might help you 🙂
– – The persistent rain through the majority of the work week kept me indoors more than I like for Week 3 of the training.
I saved my “official” hikes for the end of the week when the sun reappeared, but earlier in the week I took some shorter walks (< 5 miles) between the raindrops in Bond Park and Davis Park along the Black Creek Greenway.
The water was really high in Bond Lake and Black Creek in Bond Park.
Strength Building – Company Mill & Multi-Use Trail, 6.5 miles
My Strength Building hike for the week went into Umstead State Park, from the Harrison Ave entrance side.
I loaded 20 pounds in the pack and walked the first half of the Company Mill trail, then took the multi-use trails past Reedy Creek Lake and returned on the last little bit of the Loblolly Trail to create a 6.5 mile route.
I saw our snake buddy near the same spot we saw him last Sunday. He seemed pretty calm….
A Modified Reopening Phase 2 started May 22….
The Guv released a modified Phase 2 on Friday, which included increasing allowed outdoor group size from <10 to < 25 people.
Snake crossing plank bridge on the Company Mill trail.
Long Hike – Company Mill & Sycamore, 8-9 miles
So I updated the week’s “long” group hike to hold up to 20 people (plus me) on an 8-9 mile loop using the Company Mill Trail and the Sycamore Trail in Umstead State Park.
We ran into our favorite snake on the trail again. He’s getting to be a regular 🙂
There were a lot of people in the park, but it’s still less crowded than normal ( and less crowded than the garden centers were this weekend).
High water in Reedy Creek, Umstead State Park
We had a shorter route option but everyone – even the first timers – chose to do the longer hike. What a great group!
Beaches Are Beckoning
Even with some restrictions still in place for North Carolina beaches, it’s hard not to head to the coast when the weather is nice.
If you’re not allowed to sunbathe, you might be able to get out on a hiking trail near the beach.
Though State and National Parks are still partly closed, some trails and facilities are available. I plan to check it out ASAP – and I’ll let you know what I find 🙂
While some State Park beaches and beach trails on the Coast are open, all inland swim beaches and swim areas are CLOSED.
(This includes the swim beaches at: Cliffs of the Neuse, Goose Creek, Hanging Rock, Jones Lake, Lake James, Lake Norman, and New River (Elk Shoals access) state parks; the swim piers at Lake Waccamaw, Pettigrew, and Singletary Lake state parks; and all swim areas at Falls Lake, Jordan Lake, and Kerr Lake state recreation areas.)
All Visitor’s Centers are also still closed.
In addition to hiking this week, I also kick-boxed, ran on my treadmill and outdoors, lifted some weights, and did some Bodyweight Training exercises.
So with 3 weeks down of the allotted 6 weeks to get back in shape , we’re halfway through. I’m not seeing the results I’d hoped for yet, but I’ll keep trying 🙂
If you’re local and would like to join us, check out the I’d Rather Walk Meetupfor hike postings.
Ferns enjoy the rain in the community composting garden in Bond Park.
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 Planpost 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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– – This week, the recent change to government restrictions meant I was able to lead a group hike (of <10 people) for my longer hike.
Our local Umstead State Park is partly open again, so I hosted a hike on the Loblolly Trail – which is officially an out and back trail – and created a loop for a 7 mile hike.
It feels great to be in the Park again and to be able to see people – even socially distanced 🙂
(The next phase is supposed to start May 22, and hopefully we’ll be allowed to use more areas of the park then.)
One thing to be aware of when you go back into the woods is that the critters have had more free reign in the parks over the past 3 months, since humans have not been allowed in.
We almost stepped on a rat snake that was relaxing in the middle of the trail – – but we did some Matrix-style levitation backwards instead.
(We were seriously alert after running into that little guy.)
There are also unconfirmed reports that one hiker “screamed like a little girl” 🙂
I saw a coyote in the Park the other day, too, but from a distance and he just looked at me before slipping back into the trees.
The cemetery at Warren Hill in Umstead State Park
My Strength Building hike for the week also went into the park, but from the Old Reedy Creek trailhead side.
I loaded 20 pounds in the pack and walked all the way to Warren Hill cemetery and back to make about 6.5 miles.
Greenways are Still Good
I’ve been using our local greenways forever, but with State and National Parks closed for the past few months, I really started exploring because they were our only options for longer trails.
The Town of Cary has over 70 miles of paved greenways
If you’re on foot, natural trails are better for you and a harder workout, but I’m going to keep using the greenways weekly even after it’s allowed to use all of our State and National Park facilities again.
Especially for bikers, the greenways are a wonderful resource.
In fact, even though the State Parks were open again this weekend, That Man and I biked the southern portion of the Neuse River Trail greenway into Johnston County. It was a great ride!
In addition to hiking and biking this week, I also kick-boxed, ran on my treadmill, lifted some weights, and did some Bodyweight Training exercises.
Hiking the Loblolly Trail in Umstead State Park
It feels great on be back on the trails with some other hikers again!
If you’re local and would like to join us, check out the I’d Rather Walk Meetupfor hike postings.
So that’s 2 weeks down of the allotted 6 weeks to get back in shape for my next medical checkup and hopefully a new hiking adventure this Summer.
Revisiting all of the allowed trails now that the parks are partly opened will help keep me motivated – even though I know progress towards my fitness goals will take some time.
Hikers on the Loblolly Trail in Schenck Forest
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 Planpost 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
To get New Idratherwalk Posts sent directly to your inbox (how convenient!) Click this Button!
My other official weekly hike was a “long”one on the Loblolly Trail.
It was only 6.5 miles, but this time it was all natural trail, slightly hilly inside Umstead State Park.
Not a big deal from a length standpoint, but it was the first time I’d been able to hike that many miles on natural, slightly hilly, terrain since the State Parks were closed in March.
State Parks here are currently open on a “phased” basis, with restrictions in this first phase mainly around number of people in the park at once, and limited use of parking lots, shelters, picnic areas and restrooms.
Face coverings are recommended at crowded trailheads.
They still want social distancing (which isn’t a problem on the trails) and groups of 10 or less people.
Masks or face coverings that you can breathe through are recommended if there are other people around.
The next phase is supposed to start May 22, and hopefully we’ll be allowed to use more areas of the park then.
This week, I also kick-boxed a few times, ran on my treadmill, lifted some light weights and tried out some new Bodyweight Training exercises in my home gym.
BTW, in case you were wondering, burpees are just as horrible now as they were in Junior High…. 🙁
Hikers with two and four legs enjoy the Loblolly Trail.
It feels great on be back on the trails again!
Even though I haven’t been completely idle over the past couple of months, I feel I’ve lost some ground while we’ve been shut out of the longer natural trails in State Parks.
Revisiting all of the trails will help keep me motivated – even though I know progress towards my fitness goals will take some time.
BTW, just in case you’re new around here, I’m spending the next 6 weeks getting back in shape and ready for another hiking adventure!
View from the greenway around Lake Crabtree
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 Planpost 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
To get New Idratherwalk Posts sent directly to your inbox (how convenient!) Click this Button!
It’s time to get back in shape after…..whatever happened to make you feel less than your optimal buff self.
Maybe you’ve just been really busy, or worn out from your Summer and Fall adventures, or – like me – you’ve been laid low by allergies or seasonal cold and flu?
Or maybe some of you – also like me – can’t remember how to dress yourself to go anywhere if it’s not 100 degrees and 99% humidity outside?
Author ready for a hike
Well, you’d better get over it pretty quick, because Fall is here, and you know what that means?
Resort travel and Holiday parties. That’s right, and you won’t be able to hide under that bulky “ugly” sweater for all of them.
Some Resort travel will require swimwear (ack!!) and some gatherings will require the dreaded slinky dress.
The Ugly Christmas Sweater isn’t appropriate at the beach…
And then there are all of those relatives and former classmates – perhaps even at the same resorts and gatherings…..
In North Carolina, it’s pretty much always warm enough to get outdoors and exercise – even in the Winter.
So, now that it’s cooled down enough that spontaneous combustion isn’t a concern, I’ll start getting serious again 😉
Get The FREE PDF!
Sign up and get your FREE pdf download of this training!
Everything that you need to start your 6 week training plan is included in this post.
But it’s a long read and may be hard to refer to while you’re training.
For your convenience, you can click here to sign up and download your FREE “Get Back in Shape” PDF file.
Then you can print it out and refer to your plan anytime you want. Happy training! LJ
Honestly though, I never really stopped hiking.
That said, ever since late May, when I returned from my epic 2-week hiking trip to Greece, I HAVE slacked off on my indoor cross-training – and it shows!
View on Mount Olympus
I worked my butt off for months prior to that trip, so I’d be able to do the 2-day Mount Olympus hike without hurting myself – and it was great!
But that was a few months ago, and now I could use a quick tune-up before slipping into that slinky party dress.
Keep reading to learn more about how I’m doing a quick tune-up for my upcoming Holiday trips and gatherings – and how you could, too!
The Tongariro Alpine Crossing, a 12 mile day hike on New Zealand’s North Island, is one of the most popular day hikes in the country.
New Zealand is where the Hobbits live!
Located inside The Tongariro National Park, the alpine crossing is part of a larger 3-4 day hike that is one of New Zealand’s Great Walks.
Tongariro National Park was made famous – like so many places in New Zealand – by it’s appearance in the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.
The park’s alpine, volcanic scenery is the setting of Mordor, home of Mount Doom – aka Mt Ngauruhoe – the object of Frodo and Sam’s quest throughout the series.
I had the opportunity to take this trek as part of an active group trip to the North Island early this Spring.
(Fortunately, I was able to return home before travel became restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)
Here’s how hiking the Tangeriro Alpine Crossing went for me, and some information that will help if you want to go try it for yourself!
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.
Footpath in Lake Crabtree County Park
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.
We started in Barcelona and made our way across the country to end the tour in Madrid – all in 8 days!
For me, the highlight of the tour was a short day hike in the Aragonese Pyrenees.
Gaudi house museum in Barcelona, Spain
Don’t get me wrong – the rest of the tour was great, too.
But I’m not usually a fan of big cities, even cities as beautiful as Madrid and Barcelona.
I usually like to spend my holiday time away from cities, sweating in a desert canyon, searching for ruins in a rainforest, or hiking up a steep slope to a mountain view.
To be honest, the hike in the Pyrenees was the main reason I signed up 🙂
I’d been planning another trip that cancelled at the last minute, so I decided to take a chance on a different sort of trip for me. I’m very glad I did!
– – 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 🙂
Canoe rack on Bond Lake
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.
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…. 🙂
Stargate or boarding tunnel??
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 Planpost, 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 postsabout New Zealand in the next month or so….
