Awoke this morning thinking about this blog. It’s been ages since writing a single word here. Maybe someone will read this or maybe not–maybe this ends up to be a personal journal. Either way, here’s an update that comes on the heels of two days at Disney World walking 20,000 steps per day or roughly 8 miles. Granted, we’re talking flat terrain for the most part–minimal uphill or steps. Yet, the body was no worse for the wear really. This enabled me to feel encouraged about my physical abilities as it applies to the dream of hiking the A.T. — maybe just a very small portion of it.
My legs and knees were fine but the bottoms of my feet were not too happy–even with the perfect shoes that were actually newer but broken in. And if I had to do a full squat, not sure about handling that in the midst of the fervor of walking from one ride adventure to the next. But a more serious hike (where one is not determined to ‘see it all’ and get one’s money worth out of the day), would surely include more breaks for stretches.
Oh and we were carrying backpacks both days and while not knowing what the pack weighed, will say that while it was no problem to carry for two days, after getting back home my gym bag and pocketbook felt like feathers!
Weightlifting class is still part of my life 3 times per week — this includes a bar with about 35# on the back doing lunges, squats and also biceps, triceps, pecks and yeah pushups, sit-ups. Pretty well-rounded strength training. especially the core.
Yoga has been a more regular part of my exercise routine than ever before. This enables one to determine where the muscle imbalance is in the body so that stretching in the asanas (postures) enabled me to stretch the quad, calf, hamstrings, and hip flexors which released the knees, equating to less discomfort.
I’ve lost a total of 22#’s since last summer — but have been stagnating in that area since the beginning of the year, having gained and lost and gained again the same 2 or 3#’s getting nowhere with additional weight loss. But the weight loss does help my knees feel better too, which is of course obvious.
I do some uphill and downhill work just around my own apartment which is located on a hill and surprisingly the knees handle it like champs! Must soon get myself out to the state park and see how it goes on that 5-mile uphill/downhill hike. Planning that sometime soon before it gets unbearably hot. It’s early May and our temperatures here in North Carolina are as follows: highs 70’s/low 80’s daytime and 50’s/low 60’s at night.
That’s it for now. The photo with this post is me with one of my youngest daughters last week.
If you are still reading this: How are your hike’s going?
Appalachian Trail Obsession 