I arrived at the North Chagrin Reservation for a Survival Workout early Sunday morning. The trail was frozen from an overnight dip in the temperature, which eliminated the mud issues, but would likely make it exceedingly difficult to pick up stuff frozen to the permafrost. Dakota came along for the trip and the cold, frozen conditions did not affect her workout in the least. That, and she was sparkly clean from yesterday’s bath.
I pulled off my first several sets without a hitch and moved down the trail. At my second station, I was greeted by rocks frozen to the earth. I tried jumping on them to loosen the grip of the frost, and was marginally successful in freeing some. I lifted those while Dakota wrestled with sticks frozen in the ground which she was sure I wanted to throw.
My logs remained cemented to the earth and I had to find other things to lift along the way. Crossing Clear Creek presented an issue in that the water was high and the rocks I’d normally walk across were covered in ice. I could have tried them and would have likely ended up taking a spill in the icy water, but I was smarter than that. I moved upstream and found a downed log across the water, which I used to cross. Dakota simply jumped.
The trail remains partially covered in ice in places of highest hiking. Hikers and runners pound the snow down in certain areas and they may remain frozen for a week past the general snow melt. I found similar conditions in the Adirondacks, but there the snow is packed a few feet thick, which means it can still cover the trail as late as the end of May. Anyway, I managed the rest of the workout, but was also kept from doing some of my lower body activities by the slippery conditions.
Spring is five days away. Warm weather is sure to follow and I promise not to complain about the heat (I’ll bitch like hell about humidity, though). Still, how good it feels to get out and challenge the elements to some degree. Looking ahead, I may be able to ride tomorrow and the next day before lousy weather returns.
Survival Workout: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100-150 bpm.
Calories Burned: 600.
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