Vacation part two: the mountains

We had decided to break down our vacation into three segments...beach, mountains and home.  The beach segment  flew by in a flash!  It was fun...but over. We went home for one night repacked our bags with fresh clothes and our hiking boots and in the morning headed off for the next segment....the mountains!

The weather was cool.  The mountains were gorgeous and we enjoyed the drive down to Front Royal.   Jason was having his first day of actually feeling ‘well’.  We contemplated a hike...but knew that the planned hike for the next day would be more strenuous, so we decided to take it easy.   We roamed around the town in the shadow of the mountains that we love so much.  We picked up some geocaches....hit up a few local shops and just had a relaxing day.  The photography bug has been rekindled and I played around with my good camera a bit....nothing fancy, but some.....

After we checked into our hotel,  we spent the evening  watching movies.  (

Hiking day arrived.  The air was crisp.  The leaves on the trees...still pretty green but we still had a vague hope that the top of the mountain would reveal some fall colors.  Truth be known, when I awoke...I was worried about the hike.   Really worried!  I knew I wasn’t in any shape for a strenuous hike.  But I vowed to push through, suck it up and just do it!

Jason at one point mentioned being a little worried about a strenuous hike (like the one we wanted to do).  Together we decided to tone it down and do a trail that was labelled as 'moderate' versus the 'strenuous' one that we had originally planned on doing.

We laced up our hiking boots and off we went!

We got to the trail head and checked out the overlook at the trailhead.

 Then started off.   Very early on I rounded a bend and boom....5 feet away from three bears.  (A mamma and two cubs).  We quickly retreated a somewhat safe distance away and we both grabbed a few pictures.  (no....sadly enough I didn't have my good camera with me.....I had a hydration pack...not my camera pack).

We enjoyed the bear sighting for a few minutes and then went onward with our hike (eyes peeled for more bears).

We made it to the top....and enjoyed that overlook before we continued on to complete our hike.

Now let me backtrack and say that the trail we chose to do was one that we had done a few years ago. I remembered the trail as relatively easy!   Uhhhhh what a difference a few years and a drop in fitness level makes!  This trail beat us up this time!  It was CRAZY!   But we did it!!!  We felt fabulously beat when we were done...but we were happy with our hike!

We drove home and enjoyed a home cooked dinner and some relaxation!   The rest of the vacation is relaxing...maybe a movie or two at the theater....some errands....maybe a bike ride....maybe a hike....just roll with some heavy relaxing times!  

Take away from this segment of vacation.......well it is still my fitness level that is first and foremost.  But it was very obvious that my cardio endurance has suffered.  My legs were sore by the END of the hike...but for most of the hike (mostly climbing) my legs felt great.  (My feet at the end were the worst).  It was the cardio that slowed me down.  I was huffing and puffing like mad!!!!  

beach segment

Mind over Matter

Ahhh another weekend!  Delightful!  It is actually still ongoing as we both have a vacation day today (Monday!). But what a weekend it has been this far!  Of course the normal weekend housecleaning was done and the grocery shopping and errands...they were finished first thing so that we could enjoy the weekend to the fullest!   I rediscovered the phrase ‘mind over matter’.  We hit up some fun events, we visited one of our favorite places to go as a couple, and we have spent time together.   Oh and let’s not forget the celebration of a birthday!!!

Mind over Matter

Years back when I was running a lot, I got in the habit of literally having to ask myself ‘are you dying’, Simply because I wanted to give up when things got hard.  I wanted to give up so badly that my head told me I was dying!.  It was a constant in my head as I pushed myself harder and further each time I went out.   Now,  I can’t take credit for the question.   Anyone that watched ‘The Biggest Loser’ tv show years back hear Jillian Michaels scream at the contestants ‘are you puking or dying?  No...then keep going’   And my brother has told me on many times that it’s a mental battle...our minds are honestly convinced that we are dying!  But his advice is that  that in reality we are not dying.   Our bodies are amazing things...if things do get too precarious, then our bodies will shut down and we will pass out...which is the bodies way of re-regulating us, cooling us down, calming our breathing and heart rate...etc.  I don’t know how true that is, since I’m not a doctor.  But it makes sense.

A few months ago we went biking on a trail at the Little Bennet Park.  It was difficult on my old bike but I worked it...and walked quite a bit of the uphills.  I mentioned it to my brother.  In a brotherly way, he reminded me that I wasn’t going to die...that I should have kept riding and not walked!   Yesterday, on my new bike we went back to that same trail.   I’m not used to my bike, so at times I was quite terrified as I don’t really know how my bike will handle in certain situations.  And I almost went down...I somehow saved myself from falling into a pit of mud that I was trying to avoid. (And my bike gave me my first set of bruises as I wrestled with the bike to keep from falling in the aforementioned mud pit.).  But I wanted to ride  the WHOLE climb up the fire road (which I previously walked). And I was determined to ride the whole trail without putting my feet down.   That meant NO breaks and NO walking up the inclines!!!   I managed the fire road.  The trail...wowzer!  I was pushing it!  Hard.  I was breathing like a freight train!  I just wanted it to end...the last bit was bad.  (At one point I even muttered a prayer ‘Dear God when will it end!’  All I could think about was coming to the trail head, getting my bike an inch off the trail and laying down in the grass!  I was pushing it HARD!  So hard that from behind me Jason said ‘it’s not worth killing yourself’.  But by that point I knew I was close to the end and I KNEW I was going to complete it unless my body MADE me stop!  I counted my breathing to try to regulate the gasps for air!   I pushed!  And when I rolled my tires off the dirt trail into the grass at the trailhead I wanted to cry from the exhaustion exhilaration.  I sat on the grass for a bit...sipping water and then I was ready to load up the bikes and head home and on to our next activity.

Bike Race

Next up in the weekend fun was a bike race! No...not one in which I was participating!!!  I was a spectator!!!

It is touted as the only race of its kind in America!   I went to it a few years back with my parents and brother’s family.  Now that We live in Frederick where the event it held and the fact that Jason has  never been to the race, it was decided that we should attend.   It is a high wheel race.   Definitely neat to see.   Some riders come decked out in period style clothes.  

Some riders are on new bikes...some riders are on old vintage bikes (the oldest bike in the race was from the late 1880’s early 1890’s)

The winner just ripped it up!  In this race the riders have 30 minutes to make as many laps as possible.  The winner actually passed and lapped the second runner up!   He was strong the whole way through!!!  He was actually from Sweden, and if I understood the race announcer right, the winner is the owner of the only place that is still.  making high wheel bikes...in the world. So here is a picture of the winner.

We were not at the finish line...that was around the corner on a different block...but our spot was perfect...shaded...front line and they had speakers set up so we could hear the announcers....but we didn’t need to brave the wall to wall people that was crowding the finish line area.  It was fun...and added walking to our list of activities...as we parked way out and walked down to the town center!  And Frederick had done a nice job with their downtown area!

A Visit South

The birthday boy (ok and myself also) decided to head south into Virginia to stay in Front Royal for a night.  We have always just really liked this area.  We have spent a lot of time in this area...it’s the closest access to the Shenandoah National Park and the pretty Skyline Drive and miles upon miles of hiking!  Here is a picture from a January hike.

A second bike ride

We took our bikes to Virginia with us.   I had grand plans...I found a mountain bike trail last year.   (Sherando Park) We actually hiked it.   I didn’t remember it as being too rough...so we headed in that direction.    Oh yeah...it was a bit over my head in technical skills!  Walking it made it seem easy...but it was a bit more than I could handle on a bike!!!   I was creeping and had to walk my bike around some steep downhill switchbacks and up some technical rocky inclines.  Ohh...and my legs were shot from the day before at the Little Bemnet Park ride.  And as if that wasn’t enough. The skies that were blue turned dark and lightening started to pop in the sky.  So it was a short ride.  Luckily we cut it short as it was a downpour of rain within 15 minutes or so after we got off the bikes.

We relaxed the rest of Saturday evening in Front Royal...visiting our favorite stores and eating at our favorite choice for dinner.  

Food and weight

My weight was looking good at each weigh in.  But I am nervous about the scales...I was ravenous on Sunday!  To the point of headaches from hunger.  I ate way over my normal calorie range.  I try to keep it at 1200-1300....I ate 2100 calories.  I did burn some biking though...so that’s good!

Monday plans

We are still in Front Royal.  We will make our way home today. We plan on trying to ride today...if the weather cooperates.  It may be on the canal...the deluge of rain from yesterday (and the overnight rain that I believe we got) will have probably made the mountain bike trails too wet.  Overall though, I think it will be a relaxing day.

I will not forget the mind over matter lesson!  I experienced great joy and satisfaction from pushing myself and conquering what I set out to do!  My body is responding to my efforts.  My legs grow stronger and my endurance builds. I will be back to the mountain bike park that we visited near Front Royal. I will conquer it.  It may not be next week...or even next month.  I have some skills to learn and some comfort to gain on my bike...and a bit more endurance to build.  But mark my words, I’ll be back...with a vengeance!

Rambunctious Reptile

Monday and back to the grind!!!  It was a busy weekend.  :-)

I didn't come out of the weekend weighing less.  That disappoints me.  We were active and my eating wasn't  too far out of whack!  So it should have been less!!

And when I added in my exercise for a net ...it's pretty good!!

So I feel as if I did good....but the weight just didn't fall. It could be TOM. Or it could be a touch of dehydration.   Saturday was HOT!!!   I know I didn't pee anywhere near what I usually do!!!   And I know on both Sunday and today I woke up thirsty which is a bad sign.   So I'm not going to panic.   I am just going to drink up and keep moving on and trust that the activity and on target eating will level out and I will see results!    This journey is not a fast one....it is one that requires patience!   Patience is not a strong trait of mine....guess it is time to learn!!!

So this weekend, I already said that I was pretty good with my food.  I was also pretty active!

On Friday I got off work and we headed up for a late afternoon/early evening hike at Caledonia Stare Park. We checked out the furnace...

And hit a few trails.... Some easy ones like a history trail, but also some that were rated more difficult 

On Saturday we headed south to the Front Royal area.   We hit up the trail leading to Buzzard Rock. 

It was hot hot hot!!!

Drenched with sweat!!

I had a great trauma on this hike!   We were heading up the mountain and a huge snake jumped out and slithered across my foot!   I screamed!  The snake slithered away back to the relative safety of the side of the trail!   It was huge!!!!   Ok...it was not really huge....

It was probably more scared than I!  Jason's comment, "I'm glad you didn't step on him...it would have killed the little thing."    

Great trauma!!!

We also did some swimming at the hotel pool on Saturday!

On Sunday we got up and headed out. We explored an old graveyard!   I loved this undated stone.

"Mammy". Emily Early Faithful servant and friend  for four generations

I wish I could find out more about this mammy!!   It totally sparked my interest!  Jason wants to go back to get a charcoal  tracing so that we can try to make out the words on the bottom!

After our adventure in the graveyard we headed to Bluemont, VA and hopped onto the Appalachian Trail.    We just enjoyed the sights!   And the Bears Den Rocks are pretty cool and gave nice views!!

After our hike, we did a bit of geocaching on our way home.    Another great weekend!!!

Mileage for the weekend was right at about 20-25 miles.  Not amazingly tons of miles but respectable nonetheless!!!

Welcome Monday

Happy Monday!   Back to the salt mines! I am going to put it out there right now that I don't think that my weigh I this week will be complimentary.   

I was active.....that's not the problem! (Ok not as active as the mad miles previous week..but still active!).

On Wednesday I walked at Cowans Gap...about 6 miles.  

I took Thursday off and did absolutely no exercise!   It was the right choice!  My legs needed the day of rest.

Friday I woke up and ran 3.52 miles....in the evening  Jason and I walked about 2 miles!   (For some reason we did a speed walk pace too....probably because we are goofballs!)

Saturday we ended up in Front Royal, VA.    We didn't have a whole bunch of time so we walked on a path in a park.  (Yeah....there were a bunch of geocaches along the path which may have helped us decide to go to this park...ok it may have helped ME decide to go there!!)

On Sunday we headed to Sky Meadows State Park.   We walked around and inspected the historic area and buildings.  

And then we headed off on the trails....up up up we went.  We inspected the ruins high on the mountain (ok actually this was only about one mile up...we still had another mile or so of climbing after this.  

The overlooks were not as awe inspiring as some others we have visited but the valley was still pretty!  The trails were key well...and it was another pretty hike.  

So two miles of steady climbing.....two miles of walking along the ridge line (part in the A.T.) one mile of gradual downhill and then one mile of a steep descent.  My legs were jelly!!!    We were sunburnt (again.....and this time it's rather stupid as I had sunscreen in the daypack)!!!   We were happy!!!   We slowly made our way home...stopping in quaint towns, driving through ritzy areas with huge horse farms, picked up one or two geocaches, stopped at some old cemetaries and just had a delightful time.

So why do I not expect the scales to show me the love?  There was some stress eating on Wednesday and Thursday.  And that's ok.  I recognize it and I can move on from it.   

Upward and onward!!!!