Tuesday, March 1, 2016

A simple hike...a lot of steps

Monday, February 29, 2016
Though my heel continues to ache, and probably worse than ever, I keep heading for the park and a hike.  It was in the middle forties and sunny…and February…so how could I resist?  Dakota jumped in the car and we drove to pick up Kimberly, who also didn’t think any hiking opportunity in the park should be missed. 

I’ve been rediscovering trails I’ve long abandoned only because I stick to the Survival Course and because I don’t run any longer.  When running, I’d try to mix it up quite a bit and there are so many to choose from in our park.  Now with Kimberly along, I’m trying to show her just how much this park has to offer. 

We walked along Butternut Creek ridge, stopping often to stare into the depths of the ravine that little creek had cut or to simply enjoy the wind, the beauty of a hollowed out tree, and the peace that comes with walking through any woods when you take the time to let all your senses enjoy the experience.  Though we didn’t go off-trail on this hike, it is worth noting that it burns about 25% more calories than walking the designated trails.

The hike took an hour and I found that I’d done over 15,000 steps for the day by the time we reached the car.  I suppose this is the reason my heel is always sore…I average over 11,000 without a hike Monday through Friday, which never gives my plantar any opportunity to heal.  I’m going to schedule a visit to the foot doc because serious hiking is just around the corner and I don’t like limping.

We went out to eat at Willoughby Brewery and as I often do when eating out, I ordered a burger and fries.  It’s probably only once every two weeks or so and I like them.  I could do better, and I did receive some crap from my dining partner, though she had little to say when I reminded her she was sucking on a candy cane when I picked her up.
Hike Duration: 60 minutes
Training Heart Rate: 75 bpm.
Calories Burned: 350

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