Reworking Mileage

I pulled out my data book and maps and began working on a game plan for the redo trip this spring.  Basing everything on our first attempt, I kept the mileage no more than 10 miles per day, most days are below that.  It's possible that we can do more, but I thought it was safe to stick with something close to what we were managing before. 
I think all of us will be making sure we really keep an eye on the weight we're packing this time, and that might help us out a lot. Food weight was an issue for me, that and clothing.  I'm hoping for a warm weekend so I can wear shorts.
The biggest thing I need to do to prepare is hit the gym.  Stress has been at an all time high for me lately, and that makes me eat a lot of things I shouldn't.  A lot of things.  So I gained nearly 20 pounds on top of what I wanted to lose a year ago.  So tomorrow, I hit the YMCA to start building stamina, strength and getting rid of fat.  Wish me luck!

Snow Day

Today we had a snow day.  Or, rather, we had a day off school and work because of snow that was forecasted but never actually happened.  So I spent a good part of the day being extremely lazy nursing a sore back and attempting to get some work done from home and cleaning the house.  When my husband came home early, he was ready to hit the gym.  We switched into gym clothes and headed down the road to the local YMCA.  I was pretty disappointed with my performance, or lack thereof.  At one point I had no problem pumping out 30 minutes on the elliptical machine.  Today I barely made it to 5 minutes.  It was a definite wake up call that I need to really step up the work outs to be able to get ready for this hike.  So I hit the weight machines and worked my arm and back muscled and my core muscles and my legs.  I'm fairly certain I won't be able to move tomorrow, but it's that good kind of soreness and stiffness that reminds you that you're working on a better you (at least that's what I'm going to tell myself in the morning).  After the weights, my son and I spent some time on the indoor track.  We walked and then jogged a little.  He jogged faster than I did, but as a competitive person, that was just more motivation.  I rewarded myself with a 15 minute soak in the hot tub. 

I've known that I would need to have a pretty extensive training plan to prepare myself for this hike.  My game plan, based on information I've gathered from books and websites, is to work all my muscle groups on the weight machines.  I'm especially focused on my core muscles and my back muscles because I'm especially weak in those areas and I think if I get those areas in shape, carrying a pack will be a little easier.  I'm also going to be building my endurance on the elliptical machine.  I've also read that Yoga is a good idea as it helps with flexibility and loosening muscles.  In the end though, nothing compares to actually getting out there and hiking.  The group I'm hiking with has plans to try to get in 1 day a week to hit a trail and hike.  We will eventually be adding our packs and gradually increasing the pack weight as we go.  The hope is that we'll all be in pretty good physical shape and the trip will be more enjoyable.

First Step Towards Training

Well, I did it.  I joined the local gym.  I see this as the first big step towards getting myself trail ready by October.  My husband and I have been debating about whether or not we were going to join a gym.  With a membership, there's a monthly fee, and with walking/hiking outside there isn't.  However, it's January and that means outside is cold and when it's cold, I can come up with many different reasons why I can't possibly go out to get some exercise. So while it's a great idea in theory to save some money and exercise on your own, the reality is that never happens.  Plus, I have more reason to start getting into more of an exercise routine- my health issues.  Getting more consistent exercise and maybe shedding those last 30 pounds I need to shed will help quite a bit with my high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol.  I realize that all that makes me sound like someone who is averse to working out or being active, but I assure you, that isn't the case.  I am an active person.  I just don't want to be active outside with a 10 degree windchill.  So, since my husband was working late, I headed over to the Y to see what they had to offer in the way of promotions.  And because they were not only waiving the registration fee but also offering the first month free, I signed up.  Now there are no excuses not to be ready for this hike.  My game plan is to build up my core and back muscles and also building up my endurance.  While I could leave now and hike long distances no problem, with a 20-30 pound pack on my back things would be different. 

So here's to working out 

(and rewarding myself after with a soak in the whirlpool)