Now that 2023 is designated "The Year of the Trail" in North Carolina, the trails will likely be more popular than ever, especially the easy ones. All the more reason to join my 8 week hike training plan! It includes several hikes per week - and I'll post them on my Meetup, so you can hike with me!   And of course weight training and cardio each week, with stretching every day. Come train with us! #Idratherwalk #HikeTrainingPlan #GetInShape

The Awesome Year of the Trail

Most recently updated February 3rd, 2023

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes

Starting next week, as I have for the past 3 years, I’ll be spending  8 weeks training for an awesome epic hike.

I don’t know yet what hike that will be, but in any case it’s a good idea to be ready to hit the trails before Spring break and definitely before Summer vacations begin.

In fact, now that they (“they” are  the NC General Assembly) have designated 2023 to be “The Year of the Trail” in North Carolina, the trails will likely be more popular than ever.

I hiked the Flat Top Tower Trail in Moses H Cone Memorial park on the Blue Ridge Parkway this past summer. I found it by accident while hiking nearby Grandfather mountain, and I'm so glad I did! Read about the Blue Ridge Parkway, Cone Memorial Park, this hike and other local attractions, and how you can visit too. #Idratherwalk #Hiking
Hikers on the Flat Top Tower Trail in Moses H Cone Memorial park on the Blue Ridge Parkway this past summer.

The big challenge from NC State Parks and Rec is for people to walk 100 miles within the coming year.

One hundred miles in a year is not really a problem for regular hikers (I usually hike ~30+ miles per week) so while all of the trails will be busier,  it’s safe to say the shorter, easier, and easier to get to beginner-level trails will likely be the most crowded.

All the more reason to train up to tackle more ambitious trails, both locally and in your Bucket List locations!

The Holidays are just now winding down...
The Holidays are just now winding down…

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

That routine includes several hikes per week – and starting next week I’ll post the training hikes on my hiking Meetup, so you can hike with me!   

And of course, there’s weight training and cardio each week, with stretching every day.

Hiking down - and up! - 820 steps at the Kaymoor Miners Trail in New River Gorge NP.
Hiking down – and up! – 820 steps at the Kaymoor Miners Trail in New River Gorge NP.

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

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, breads and grains. 

And no more Holiday cheese platters!

Motivational sign in my home gym.
Motivational sign in my home gym.

Combined with intermittent fasting, this diet works pretty well for just about anyone, whether you’ve got asthma or not!

Luckily, I live within walking distance of a couple of different grocery stores, so I’ve also decided to walk to the store for smaller trips (that don’t include cat litter), and carry groceries home in my back pack.

Carrying your groceries on your back gives a whole new meaning to “eating light”  🙂

I just finished making a checklist/tracker to help everyone measure their hike progress, available now on the IRW Merch Shop!       See below:


NEW: Track Your “Awesome” Progress at Home!

Track your progress towards your fitness goals!
Track your progress towards your fitness goals!

You’ll get instructions and three printable trackers: 

    • Your Hike Plan Worksheet
    • Daily & Weekly Workouts
    • Weekly Meals tracker    

 Click Here to Order! 

A download link in your confirmation email let’s you get started right away. Happy training!  LJ


(Or, you could subscribe and download the pdf for FREE here.)

Anyway, gotta go sweat.  See you next time!

Hiking on the Brumley Mountain trail in Virginia.
Hiking on the Brumley Mountain trail in Virginia.

TAKEAWAY LESSON:  Any diet (and possibly strength training) 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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Published by

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.