My new year's resolution!

One of my New year's resolutions is to get a lot more foot miles under my belt. I want to see how many i can get. My goal is to hit at least 500 miles of on trail hiking/ walking. Bike Paths work also so long as I walk them. I won't be counting street miles though, mainly because even though I do walk along them sometimes I want to encourage myself to head for more interesting areas.

I took a walk this morning, bundled up against the cold cutting wind because for at least today, we've been free of ice, snow and rain for the first time in a while and I wanted to give my new camera it's first work out as there are a lot of features and setting on it that I have to figure out. It's much more complicated then my old camera, which died early in the year. I either wore it out with my excessive picture taking or I dropped it one too many times. I'm going to try not to drop this new one.

Greetings

67*, 30.03" and steady barometer, 79% humidity, N 6 mph wind, partly cloudy
I'm slowly but steady trekking on down in weight. Last weekend I went ahead and rode my bicycle again the same route as before but I did a tiny bit more exploring when things caught my interest, like a pond with a great blue heron standing in it's shallows.
Sunday, which was supposed to be my rest day, was cooler then it had been in a while so instead of 'resting' I took Nathan and we went for a walk in the woods in a near by park. We sometimes followed the trail, but explored many animal trails and hills off the main trail. Climbing over mounds of dead trees, slipping carefully past stinging nettle and poison ivy, we explored and both had a blast. The kid wants to go again this weekend. This time wearing pants so that we can explore even bushier places.
As a result of all this exercise, my legs were very tired Monday and Tuesday. Not sore, just tired. I definitely needed to rest so on Monday I just did my core work out and today, absolutely nothing. Tomorrow I resume.

I have some plans for possible upcoming trips.
August (date unknown yet) Neighbors want to go camping with me.
September 19-21 poss backpacking trip in southern Indiana
October 2oth or thereabouts, poss backpacking trip with dear husband and Nathan, perhaps others in Hoosier.

Goals

One of my get fit goals is to revisit some of my old favorite hiking trails. I can't squeeze 6.5 months of non stop hiking into my life any time soon to do the PCT BUT a somewhat shorter hike I think I can squeeze in. So that leaves me trails like the TRT (guidebook and map above) which take two weeks or so to complete.


Just a little carrot in front of the donkey---

I know it's been a while...

..since I posted anything. I've been very busy and I haven't done much hiking or exploring unfortunately. Last weekend, however, I did go on a new bike route. I rode a 21 mile loop Sunday in the country and It was great weather, and great scenery (for around here, anyway) No photos as i no longer have a working camera. maybe I'll get a new one next month.

New Hiking Partners!, Tuning Up the Bike, And Shin Splints

59*, 30.11 in and steady barometer, 36% humidity, VAR 5 mph wind, fair

This weekend has been busy for me. We not only cleaned house from top to bottom and put up new curtains, but I took the dog and a neighbors kid on their first hike with my husband (who normally doesn't join me on these types of outdoor excursions). We had a good time (even though I have a shin splint from exercising so much more lately) and I learned some new wildflowers:
Cutleaf Toothwort, Spring Beauty, and Rue Anemone, alone with seeing plenty of wildflowers I already knew like trillium and jack-in-the-pulpit. What a great place the dunes are for spring wildflowers!
Here the Kid is studying poison ivy, something he didn't know how it looked.
Enjoying a healthy trail snack.
Contemplating...
It was a short hike as I wanted to make it fun for all 3 of my companions so that they wouldn't be discouraged from coming again. The kid is very excited to go on his next hike and I am glad to be able to share my love of nature with a youngster who hasn't had much experience with the outdoors.

Today, Sunday, after dreaming about buying a touring bike in my sleep, I just had to get my bike out. I tuned it up, oiled and tested it and even pimped my ride a bit with a basket so that I can go to the farm when I want and carry my produce home easily and comfortably. I've never tuned up a bike before...I'm mighty proud of myself for doing it myself. And if you want to feel freedom.....the first ride feels fantastic and it didn't aggravate my shin splint at all as I use different muscles to peddle then to jog, hike or walk the dog. The high I felt after the short ride was fantastic to say the least...I was floating on a cloud.

I spent the rest of the sunny day weeding the garden, cleaning house, and icing my shin splint down. What a good weekend :)

Changing!

I feel like changing. For the past few weeks I've been mulling it over in my head and my new fitness buddy, Brandi, has convinced me that I can feel more energetic and fit more fitness into my life. I have to walk her 3 times a day to keep her happy and its an energetic walk with her. Not meandering along slowly with this pooch. I look a little better in the mirror to me, perhaps that's in my head, perhaps it's not but its kind of jump started something. I find myself less willing to consume gads of junk food and soda pop at work or at home. That stuff is becoming less important, especially as I get closer to that 30 mark. I see people all around me with diabetes and all kinds of health issues. It's scary really!

So I am going to make it a point to try VERY hard not to put bad things in my body. I'm doing pretty good so far this week. After all, I am hoping to increase my trail conditioning this year and to achieve better timing when backpacking and hiking--to stretch myself and become the best me ever. :)

Hike your own hike and good night!

Walk Hard