Most recently updated February 29th, 2024
Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
– – Training Week 5 started with another nice day, and leading another great group of hikers in on an 8.5 mile hike in Umstead State Park.
The rest of the week was forecast to be colder and kind of rainy – and some of the mornings got really cold!
But for the most part, the forecast for the mornings was wrong and we got nice Spring temps in the afternoons.
Sadly, I had planned for yucky weather so Monday I did the yoga/Pilates thing and did a short 3 mile walk in town with That Man.
Tuesday was also just yoga/Pilates and an indoor treadmill workout due to pesky meetings 🙂
Wednesday I was able to get back into the woods and lead a small feisty group on a 7.5 mile exploratory hike!
Exploratory hiking is never a sure thing – it’s more about the discovery than the miles!
FYI, In case you’re feeling proud of yourself (and you should!), I designed some T-Shirts commemorate your training.
You Can See the Awesome T-Shirts Here
Thursday was a home workout and then a short 3 mile hike in the sunshine with That Man and the puppy at Blue Jay Point County Park.
About Blue Jay County Park
Blue Jay Point County Park is a 236-acre park located in the northern part of Wake County.
There are five miles of trails inside the park boundaries. (For a trail map, see pages 3–4 of Blue Jay Point’s Park Brochure .)
The Azalea Loop Trail is an interpretive experience. At the trail head, you can pick up a seasonal Interpretive Guide that corresponds with 18 numbered posts along the half-mile trail.
Hikers seeking longer trails opportunities will find that Blue Jay’s Section VI of the Falls Lake Trail connects with North Carolina’s Mountains to Sea Trail, thus extending the hiking opportunities well beyond the boundaries of Blue Jay Point – Falls Lake Trail Map and Falls Lake Trail sections .
We hiked just a few miles on the MST before sunset made us call it a night.
Friday I was back at Eno State Park, leading a 12 mile hike on the MST. It’s the longest hike I’ve led so far this year.
The route went from the Pleasant Green trailhead along the Laurel Bluffs trail, the Quarry Trail and to our resting spot and halfway point at the Pump Station ruins.
The Pump Station used to provide water for the whole area until Falls Lake and Jordan Lake were created.
It was a great group, including someone who had never hiked that far before!
Saturday was meant to be a “rest” day, but didn’t quite turn out that way.
I did my yoga/Pilates routine, and took a quick 3 mile hike in the morning to DTC Park before the rain, thinking that would be it.
But later, the rain hadn’t materialized so we had time for another 3 miles in the woods at Falls Lake with That Man and our puppy friend.
And that’s a wrap for Week 5! 🙂
Next week, the weather forecast is….probably mostly wrong again!
But, no matter what, we know that:
You may have noticed that my hikes this week (the ones I was leading) were all pretty long.
Next week, hikes will be longer and I’ll also be adding more weight to my pack on the short ones.
Are you Ready????
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.