Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
– – It’s Training Week 4!
That means that at the end of the week we’ll have been doing this stuff on purpose for a whole month. Woot! 🙂
I started on Monday with some yoga, and then joined Lenore and some other hikers in a moderate-paced 6.5 mile hike on Umstead State Park’s Company Mill Trail in the afternoon.
I carried 10 lbs extra in my pack to make it a bit more strength building for me.
It was a beautiful warm sunny afternoon, and we took full advantage of it before the rainy colder weather set in for the week.
Tuesday, I did an 8 mile hike, again in Umstead State Park, on a route designed to not be too muddy in the rain – this time on my own.
I took advantage of being solo to hike at my own fastest pace and try a little bit of a different route than usual.
Wednesday was another cold rainy – and muddy! – day, so it was kickboxing and upper body weights day in my home gym.
Thursday was raining again, ALL DAY, so I went with the “rainy day” vibe and did a long yoga flow and uphill fast training hike on the treadmill in my home gym.
I missed the outdoors…but…so much mud!
Does the Surface You Hike on Matter?
Paved greenways are a great alternative for hikers, walkers and trail runners when natural trails aren’t available.
But be aware that paved surfaces have a different effect on your body than softer dirt trails.
“Concrete is the worst surface you can run on,” according to Joseph Herrera, DO, assistant professor of rehabilitation at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.
“In general, the softer the surface, the more joint-friendly it is,” says Dr. Herrera.
Uneven dirt or gravel trails also give you more balance exercise and work more of your core muscles naturally during your walk or run, so it’s a better workout.
Harder walking surfaces can be very hard on your knees, hips, and ankles. Be sure to choose the right footwear and stretch when you get home!
Friday, I had posted a greenway hike at the North Carolina Museum of Art Park, and a bunch of great hikers joined me!
I prefer hiking natural trails, but I was in “mud avoidance” mode.
It was nice to go see what was happening at the NCMA Park, anyway.
They’ve always got something new going on.
We hiked the Park trails, crossed the I-440 pedestrian bridge, and then took a left on the House Creek Trail (also a paved greenway) for something a little bit different.
I’m not a fan of hiking more than a couple of miles on pavement, but when you get so much rain, it’s better for you (AND for the natural forest trails!) to stay away until they’ve had a little time to dry out.
Total distance was about 7.5-8 miles, and I had an extra 10 lbs in my pack.
I stopped by nearby Schenk Forest afterwards to see how the construction was progressing.
Good news! They’ve closed off the pasture again near the main forest road, so the horses are back 🙂
Saturday was another kickboxing and upper weights day for me.
And after that there was a short cold walk in the woods followed by some jamming with musical friends, homemade guac and chips, and beer!
What? I earned it 🙂 Read about how I Hike for Beer. You could do it too!
Sunday morning, it was back to the woods!
Though half of the route was on the MUT trails inside the park to avoid most of the muddiness, it was still nice to get back to my favorite forest at Umstead State Park.
I spent a lot of time in Umstead this week – partly due to muddy conditions.
I’ll try to mix it up more next week.
A 6.5 mile hike Sunday morning with 10 extra lbs in my pack and a great groups of hiker friends was not a bad start to the day…
NEW: Track Your “Awesome” Progress at Home!
You’ll get instructions and three printable trackers:
-
- Your Hike Plan Worksheet
- Daily & Weekly Workouts
- Weekly Meals tracker
A download link in your confirmation email let’s you get started right away. Happy training! LJ
So, there we’ve done it! Week 4 is finished, with just another 4 weeks to go.
Harumph. I thought I’d be further along. This is getting kind of tedious…
The trick is to keep your goal (your ‘why”) in mind and keep on going! And also allow yourself to have some fun now and then.
Week 5 is next – with longer hikes, heavier weights, more uphill and more rain!! It should be lots of fun!
And I don’t mean that sarcastically.
Pretty sure…
Oh, and it’s also going to be Valentine’s Day pretty soon!
Look for snarky and fun gifts in the IRW MERCH SHOP Valentine’s Collection!
TAKEAWAY LESSON: Halfway there is also only halfway done – so don’t get stuck – keep going! But also take the time to reward yourself for hard work and celebrate your personal wins at any point in your fitness journey 🙂
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
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.