Alone in the dark...

Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Since leaving for Tour Ohio, I have stopped writing my blog.  Like exercise and other things we do without thinking about it too awfully much, it was a habit – and a good one.  I found many times over the past several years that I was doing my exercise so I’d have something to write about.  Lately, I’ve been skipping workouts and with nothing to hold me accountable, realized this could become a bad habit.  Well, time to end that pattern.

I’m planning a trip to the Adirondacks this weekend and hoping to climb Sawteeth, which will be a rugged 15-mile hike with a few thousand feet of elevation change in one, 2-mile segment.  My hips have continued to bother me since the Tour and are far from healthy at this point.  Off and on, I’ve been hiking in the Metroparks with a 30-pound pack to get some conditioning for the trip.  Last night was one of those efforts.

I arrived at the park around 7:30 p.m. after having Dan change my oil for the drive.  Earlier, I’d had a late lunch with Heidi, who was celebrating her 25^th birthday.  I’d eaten a big burger and fries and both were still with me as I strapped on the pack.

It’s October and the days are much shorter.  It was practically dark as I walked across the rugby field, waving to Jason.  I stuck to the bridle path as I entered the woods since I didn’t want to risk a twisted ankle so close to my trip.  I made my way to karaoke hill, the steepest in the park, and headed up in almost total darkness.  The climb took a little more than 3 minutes and once on top, I turned and came back immediately.  Once at the bottom, I performed 60 step-ups on a boulder nearby and then headed up again, repeating the step-ups when I returned.  I was breaking a good sweat as I returned to the car and once there, realized only Jason remained of the rugby players.  He walked over as I took off the pack.

“I can’t believe you were walking in the woods when it’s this dark.  It gives me the creeps,” he said.

“I never think about it being creepy.  I kind of like hearing the sounds of the woods and knowing I’m the only person listening,” I said.

He wasn’t convinced and had no intentions of finding out.  I headed home with only 35 minutes of hiking, but it something and now knowing I have to write again tomorrow means I’ll do even more then. 

Hike duration:  35 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  90 bpm.
Calories burned during workout:  200.