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– – 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 🙂
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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LJ has spent much of her free time as a single Mom – and now as an empty-nester – hiking in the US and around the world. She shares lessons learned from adventures both local and in exotic locations, and tips on how to be active with asthma, plus travel, gear, and hike planning advice for parents hiking with kids and beginners of all ages. Read more on the About page.