30 Miles Equals

After the fabulous weekend I decided to keep the activity rolling.

On Monday I was at work and slipped on my tennis shoes and out I went on my lunch break!

That wasn't enough so I planned to head out for a walk at after work.  Jason heard my plans and decided to join me!!!   We met at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal  That's a double win for me!!!
This tree caught my eye for some reason

Love our shadows! Even though our hands look like they are twisted and warped. 

And of course the setting sun over the river!

We walked roughly two and a half miles in one direction and then went back to the car where we grabbed more water.  Then we headed out and went roughly one and a half miles in the other direction....for just about 8 miles on the legs.   My legs were SHOT!

I had vowed to run in the morning on Tuesday.  I had worn a new pair of tennis shoes for half or my miles on Monday and I had picked up a blister.  OUCH!  My legs were still feeling the effects of soooooo many miles in the preceeding 4 days. (Three days of hiking and one day of lots of walking).    But, I had told Jason....and I knew he was going to ask. (We are working on a challenge.....more on that in a future blog post)  So I covered my blister with a gauze pad and some duct tape and laced up my running shoes.   I planned a two mile run since it had been so long since I've run.   I completed 2.21 miles ALL running (no walking break).  It wasn't fast but I did it!

My legs were REALLY shot by this point.  I went to work and sitting caused my muscles to stiffen up.  It took EVERYTHING in me to get myself up and walking on my lunch break.  But I did it!!!!!!

So what in the world does the title of this blog mean?  Thirty Miles Equals?     It could equal so many things!

*  30 miles = one gallon of gas (for my car at least....)
*  30 miles =distance to the next town
*  30 miles =  48.28032 kilometers
*  30 miles =  if I add per hour it could mean a speeding ticket in a 15 MPH zone
*  30 miles = 158,400 feet

But those things, while absolutely true are not what I am talking about.  I am talking about what in the world does 30 miles of walking, running and hiking in a six day period equal.  It actually means a few things to me!

*  30 miles = sore legs (deliciously sore...but sore none the less)
*  30 miles = extreme satisfaction in my accomplishment
*  30 miles = happiness....many of those miles were spent with Jason
*  30 miles = 3.4 pounds

Yes, I lost 3.4 pounds this week!   YIPPEE!!!!!   Can you say happy???

It wasn't just walking the caused the weight loss.  All but one day I simply ate reasonably. Although I will admit that  on that one off day that the  BLizzard (yeah, I've now caved twice recently) and the king size package  of Reece's Cups tasted SO good!  Sadly, the bad eating day was NOT a day where I even walked much!  That blizzard made me feel bloated and icky though, and that is what sparked me to walk at work on Thursday...the day that started my crazy streak of activity.     On the steady and in line food intake days, I didn't starve myself.  I didn't go crazy over my calories though.  I just ate reasonably.  (Pizza for 6 meals is reasonable right?   Yes 6...three dinners  and three leftover breakfasts!)

I have long said that I would rather exercise a whole bunch to give myself the freedom to eat what I want (within reason) and to not have to be overly anal about my food intake.  Well last week has proven that it works!!!  Lots of walking pus food not crazy but definitely not perfect (pizza for six meals!) and I lost 3.4 pounds!   That's what I'm talking about!

So it's Wednesday and time for my weekly check in for my year goals!

1.  Setting a PR in running.  I started running....just need to do it consistently!   And I am totally working on a plan for consistency and accountability!

2.  Be at weight goal!   Oh yeah, a loss of 3.4 is definitely working on that goal

3. .  Exercise at lest 3x a week.  Every day except last Wednesday!

4.  Track food   I tracked every bite...and all but that one day stayed pretty close to budget (that one day I was between 2000-2100 calories so still not as bad as it COULD have been....but definitely NOT a win!

This was a successful week!

Sunburnt Smiles

Here it is Monday....another weekend in the books!   And oh what a weekend!  (Wait...don't I say all my weekends are good now that I spend them primarily with Jason??)

Let's start with the eating for the last week.    I was pretty good with the exception of one day.....

That is calories alone....And here is calories with exercise added in.  (The net result!)

   So what happened Thursday with my eating?   I was planned out (as far as I could be) and then hey mentioned A Dairy Queen run.   I didn't indulge in the greasy fast food lunch from Dairy Queen. I DID resist that and stick with my packed lunch.   However a Blizzard called my name.   Waaaaay to many calories and honestly...they are quite expensive!    I ate my blizzard and enjoyed every drop, and then sat there feeling bloated and icky!   That is NOT a good feeling!   So I carted myself off my chair, utilized my 30 minute inch break and I went for a walk around town.  

Spring was evident in the gorgeous blooms on this tree.   The weather was perfect!   I grabbed a geocache that I've been putting off for while. But the best thing?   That stuffed bloated feeling disappeared!!!

Did I learn my lesson?   Nope....that evening I bought a king size package of Reece's cups.   

Friday was a new day!   I was a few hundred calories over my low end goal...but when I added in the walking/hiking we did in Front Royal...I was just fine!!!  

We walked on a path called the William E. Carson trail.  I found this trail because I was going after some geocaches.   It was a nice path...and there were some smaller billy-goat trails that veered off the gravel path that we explored.  

The path has gorgeous views

Neat sights

And interesting flora and fauna

All in all we got about 3.5 miles on our legs on Friday.  

Saturday dawned gorgeous!   We got a slow start but we were pleasantly surprised to arrive at the gates of the SkyLine Drive (Shenandoah National Park) and found that it was the free week for national parks!  Woohoo!   I had been prepared to pay not just the $20 entry fee (7 day access) but up it to $40 for the annual pass.  I happily put my money away and utilized the free pass!  

   We hit up a nice path and explored some in the northern district.   We chose The Fox Hollow Trail as our main trail.   It wasn't too long...but tacked on with the exploring around other areas, I managed about 4 mountainous miles.

Yeah, mushrooms and fungus growth has been catching my eye this year!

This small graveyard was on the side of the mountain and had family of the people that farmed this area back at the turn of the century (early 1900's).   

We enjoyed the Fox Hollow Trail greatly. It was full of history as we saw remnants of a farm and the inhabitants.  

We both got a little pink from the sun...but nothing that was too bothersome.

Sunday the weather was even more gorgeous!!!!   We headed back into the park and found a different trail, also in the northern district.  We hit up the Snead Farm Trail Loop.   This is a 3.5 mile loop. (With our other exploring I got just shy of 7 miles on my legs).   This trail also took us to an old farm stead.   Once again it was really neat to see the history.

This homestead site has the only remaining original farmstead buildings still standing.   The barn is still standing.

(I fear the longevity of the barn as I could see that it's being maintained...just barely).

The root cellar is also still standing and in pretty good shape.

The house is gone...but the front steps and front yard and wall are still standing firm and solid.

I did a cursory look on the Internet when I got home...but this far I haven't found any pictures of this farm when it was in operation.  There should be some out there as this farm was privately owned and in operation through the 1950's  (I will keep looking)

We inspected the spring...and watched the frogs enjoying the water...

We figured out their water system...the spring fed a cistern through that was a few feet down the hill......

And the cistern fed the water trough (that's what we assumed it was) through more underground pipes.  (We could see the pipes as this spring was mostly dry (or rather was no longer feeding into the man made pool.

We didn't take the out and back option for this hike (which would have been a round trip of about 1.3 miles).  We headed for the big loop.   2 miles of steady uphill.   Yup.  I burnt off my breakfast and worked up quite a deficit for my dinner!!!!

This is where we got burnt.  Yes we were walking in the forest.   But in the mountains....in early spring where the leaves are still none existent.  

We had plans to walk another trail...our legs were fine....but the sun beat us into submission.

So we drove in the skyline drive.  We explored picnic grounds, overlooks, visitor centers and all sorts of fun places.

I will make it quite clear....we hiked 40 miles away from where some careless (dumb) person accidentally set fire to the forest!  I was innocent and I would like to think a whole lot more responsible than that!!!   We did drive down that way on Sunday in our travels...probably within 15miles of the fire.   And from what we have read, the fire is in a location that they are letting it burn....fire ecology zone they call it.    

This picture is still probably 30 miles or more away from the fire.  

We drive home....and let me tell you.   We arrived home exhausted!!!!

I took a quick peek at the scales this morning....it's looking nice.   :-).   This hiking stuff really does burn calories!

And once again, Jason and I ran into an older couple...easily in their 60's.   They were heading out with backpacks and camping gear.  It is really making us cognizant of the fact that our behavior right  now is building us and creating a health that will lead us to be active into our 60's.  And we want to be active...and not 'old'.   (Jason said when we hit 80 we can stop camping and buy an RV.)