First Hike

Yesterday evening, I went out for my first hike since starting treatment for my injury.  Because I have a reevaluation of how things are progressing with my hip joint, I needed to get out there and see how things were working on the trail.  I opted to take along my pack with some weight in it too.  I was carrying about 14 pounds- roughly half of what I had on the trip we took. 
I started out and had very little problem with the first hill.  In the past, I'd normally have to stop at least twice going up this incline, but other than stopping to answer my husband's phone call, I was good.  The next two inclines were ok too- no stopping and only a slight ache in my hip.  But by the next hill, one that was a longer incline, I was in a little bit of pain.
While I was definitely hurting, the pain level was closer to the every day ache that I had been experiencing rather than the excruciating pain I was in on day 2 of our backpacking trip.  So this was definitely an improvement.  I have to keep reminding myself of that because I was hoping for a pain free miracle the first time out, and in reality that just isn't going to happen.  I do need to focus on the fact that I made it halfway through an almost 2 mile hike carrying 14 pounds without pain or needing to rest much.  And when the pain came, it wasn't on the same intense level it was in the past.  So there is progress being made.  I'll discuss it all today at the chiropractor and go from there.  
In the meantime, I'm hoping to get back in shape and start doing some short hikes without the pack.  Perhaps working on building up muscles that haven't been working properly in the last 2 years.
All in all, it was a positive experience, and I'm hoping to be able to plan a trip in the fall.