An easy hike the day before...

Friday, April 16, 2010


I was thinking with all I’d be doing on Saturday, that maybe I’d take another day off. I wanted to be rested for the birthday triathlon, but I was also itching to do something. I mean, I’ve gotten to the point where I actually want to do something a couple of times a day. It’s getting scary.

It was raining and that would eliminate a bike ride. I didn’t want to run because I didn’t want to risk messing with the calf the day before a 55-minute run. So…I decided hiking in the rain would be refreshing. I grabbed my rain jacket and umbrella, pulled on my cap, and headed for the trails.

They were sloppy, it was drizzling and I was happy. I had the park to myself and because of the rain, birds and animals were out everywhere. I figured I’d walk the same course I would run the next day, which should take me well over an hour. It did. I walked fast, broke a good sweat and ended with a pretty decent 80-minute hike. I felt loose and light and figured I was completely ready for tomorrow’s journey.

Oh…and a very special thanks to Glenn for suggesting I read ‘Born to Run’. I’m only about a third of the way through, but it’s already without a doubt, the best book I’ve ever read on running. And it’s really not a book about running in the way I’ve always thought of it - training, racing and such, but more about reason we run. I’d forgotten why I did, but after four chapters, it’s completely rekindled that initial love I had for the pure joy of running. I’ll get into this more as the days go by.

Forecast for tomorrow is cool, but agreeable.

Hike duration: 80 minutes.

Training Heart Rate: 70

Calories burned during workout: 500