Hiking Practice: Bertha's Peak in Big Bear

9:18
7-16-2017

My muscles are sore and I'm tired.  I know that I've been working my body out more, and I'm happy that I'm doing enough for my body to notice...but it sucks that my muscles are so tight that I walk like I'm 80. But I know that I have to embrace the suck.  : |

I completed my first full arm weight and ab workout this past Friday...and Saturday I went for a hike up in Big Bear.  My iphone says that I walked 8.8 miles! This was especially great because I walked up a mountain (via Cougar Crest trail) and then on the Pacific Crest Trail itself, and then summited Bertha's Peak.  This wasn't exactly easy so I'm jazzed that I accomplished it.  The first day of walking the Camino will be hiking out of France, over the Pyrenees Mountains, and into Spain.  I needed to get in some practice walking at an altitude higher than home, and hiking uphill.  I certainly got both in with this hike.  And I just  want to mention, I increased my mileage!

We had such a great hike!  It was sooo pretty...seeing the lake from that high.  I've seen it from Cougar Crest before, but never have I gone higher and experienced the complete view of the lake.  It was worth the struggle it took to get up those hills covered in white, loose rocks.



We met great people...some of them were really different!  One guy was wearing a ranger shirt and a pair of shorts.  He was standing on top of a broken branch, dancing, and smoking a cigarette.  When he saw us approaching from around the corner, he immediately asked if we had our wilderness permits on us.  He took me off guard and it took me a moment to remember that we didn't need a permit.  He was just joking around with everyone who walked to the junctions were people traditionally stop to rest.



He called himself Ranger Brian.  RB had a speaker hanging from a belt loop and was playing 80's and 90's music.  His dancing was contagious...some of us started dancing with him.  Now, I've hiked many times, but that's the first time I danced on the top of a mountain.  It was a really random, ridiculous scene...but it was fun!  I tried to post a video I took of him...it wouldn't work.  If I get it working I will repost it.

I feel even more inspired to keep going with my training now.  I can see that I have enough time to get strong enough for the Camino if I just stay with the plan.  I analyzed my walking habits (thank you iPhone Health app) and noted how many days since January 2017 have I walked.  It turns out  that  I walked over 1 mile 72 days out of  that 162 day period. They were usually all at least 2 mile days so I know they were days I actually left the house and hiked in the neighborhood.  The days I didn't were pitiful.  One day I recorded less than .1 mile covered in the day.  I must have been in bed all day. WTH!

It was great to see the data and really look at what it meant and how it made me want to change my walking routine.  I ended up with this:  I am going to walk 6 days out of the week.  On 3 of those days I will only walk 2-3 miles, come home and begin my arm/ab workout.  On the other 3 days I will go on a more serious hike...like to Mt. Baldy, Mt. Waterman...etc.  I will keep monitoring my miles as I have been, and continue to increase my miles every week.  On the 3rd day of serious hiking, I will carry a bag with increasing amounts of weight. (BTW: I carried 6.5 lbs. on Saturday. I'm planning to carry about 17 on the Camino.

I have also started using a serious meal planner from Forks Over Knives.  The planner is really easy to use and I hoping it will help me drop some weight before the Camino.  I had one of the snacks they include as a breakfast today.  It was really good...but then, when is avocado NOT good?

I still have about 60 days left to train. I figure that if I use those 60 days right, I might have a shot at this thing.




Take a great hike,
Patt!

Peace