It was less than three weeks ago that I first hooked my feet on a fence rail and did my push-ups in that fashion. I’d managed 31 at that time and figured it would be months before I was able to work my way to 100. And then I did 50 three days ago and 60 today. I suppose the primary muscles doing the work…those of the chest and triceps…are still actively involved and even though I’m at such a different angle and effectively adding weight…I’m moving up quickly because I’m in shape for that exercise. I still think it’ll take some time to make it the rest of the way…but less than several months.
The trails were under water again. I’ve been reading about ground saturation from the record rainfalls of last year and how that could lead to flooding this spring. I can’t remember the last time we had 3-4 days without precipitation…or when the trails were really dry…but I think it’ll be two years this summer. I’m so used to splashing through the mud that I hardly try to go around it any more. What’s the point? I couldn’t get across Clear Creek without submersing, so I altered my workout course and found other rocks and logs to lift.
I returned home and hopped on the trainer watching ‘Grizzly Man’ – the Tim Treadwell story as I rode. John and I had gone to the theatre to see the movie when it came out a few years back and I remember thinking and discussing with John that the guy had a death wish and was extremely unbalanced. My opinion changed little in the rewatching.
For those of you unfamiliar with the story, Tim Treadwell was a self-professed protector of the Grizzly Bears of Katmai National Park for 13 years. He spent his summers camping amongst the bears and studied them as an amateur biologist while claiming to be protecting them from…well…no one knows for sure. He clearly crossed the line by habituating the animals to humans, going so far as to touch them during his observations. He admitted to wanting to be one of them and in the last few years, made numerous comments that led people to believe he thought he had connected on some higher level with the animals and was accepted by them...having left the human race, which he seemed to despise…far behind. As a Leave No Trace Master Educator, back country back packer and amateur nature photographer, I completely concur with the ‘see…but don’t be seen’ philosophy of animal encounters. As much as possible, humans should never interfere with normal animal behavior…don’t feed, disturb, or increase their already heightened sense of tension. Tim paid no mind to these basic principles, feeling it would seem that he knew better than the collective world with regards to animal behavior. In any event, the show is definitely worth a watch.
Survival Workout: 60 minutes. Bike duration: 72 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100-150 for SW and 120 for the hike.
Calories burned: 600 for SW, 1000 for the bike.
No comments:
Post a Comment