The Score So Far (Health & Fitness)

[_Jersey Girl]

Poor Animal! I can only imagine how he felt. But he got out there and did some of it. I'm fully impressed by that! It seems to me that one thing all the hikers have in common out there is that everyone wants to try.

Same thing here:

It's not easy when you're being passed up by younger or fitter hikers. When I was creeping down the descent into Port Clinton today a young hiking machine skipped past us and it was totally demoralizing. Demoralizing because you can't get your youth back. Demoralizing because you know your weight is causing unnecessary stress on your feet, joints, and muscles. Demoralizing because as much as you know not to run other people's races in your head, you still do a bit, wanting to be those guys who clock 20 to 30 miles a day.

Let us review who you really are.

You got your ass out of your house and your comfort zone, you got on a plane and shot yourselves across the country, got OUT there and you are DOING it. I'm sure it feels crappy to compare yourself to younger folks. Stop it. Compare yourself to the you that was sitting his ass at home, set a goal, made it happen, who is now hiking the Appalachian Trail with his lady.

If it's any consolation to you at all, these meds they put me on for my flippy heart won't let my heart rate go high when I'm in AFIB. What that also means, is I couldn't climb steep stairs at Universal Orlando to get on the Hogwarts Express without feeling like my heart was going to straight up explode. I had to use ***the elevator*** the second time around. Talk about humbling. I wasn't like this AT ALL before the meds. Last year this time I was running my driveway (!) and tread milling my butt off. I freaking hate this. This isn't me. This is me being treated for a heart arrhythmia because if left untreated, it increases one's risk for stroke 5x's.

I have no choice but to accept it right now. And I'm not the only one. Folks of all ages have it. Football players have it. Celebrities have it. I can't go steeply uphill, but I can by God go pretty fast on a level surface and do some incline, because eff this stupid crap. You have no idea how much I envy and admire you both. As much as you look at those young guys and think you can never do what they're doing again, I can't do what you're doing either, Cam. Everyone has their challenges.

So don't beat yourself up. I am so much enjoying your travelogue and photos. Be happy for what you can do, for where you are in the world, and that you and Mrs. Cam can do it together. It's an experience of a lifetime! Come on, you're going to the Promised Land--Jersey!

There's a snack size lady out here in CO taking her meds, fighting BS AFIB like it's her job, and so excited to hear about your travels. All of us are. I was tempted to mention what you're doing up in Terrestrial, but I thought better of it because then a bunch of fly-by-nights would show up and contaminate the thread with lip service. The folks who are tuning in down here are truly interested and inspired. Look what you did to Xeno!

Keep moving, buddy. You amaze the crap out of me.

[_Jersey Girl]

So a "memory" came up in my Facebook feed and omg, look at the movie trailer of a movie I posted about wanting to see in 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOF2LIAp9bw


:-D

See how I'm crazy about this stuff? I wanted to see the trail...

[_canpakes]

Remember, Doc - if you find that you are losing too much weight and want to slow that process down a bit, it's possible that a box of Ruby Snaps can be sent to intercept you somewhere along the way.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Remember, Doc - if you find that you are losing too much weight and want to slow that process down a bit, it's possible that a box of Ruby Snaps can be sent to intercept you somewhere along the way.

Ha! Begone carbohydrate devil! :D

I was just getting ready to post an update since my wife and I are taking a zero day in the Lehigh Danielsville, PA area. Hikers call this stretch of PA "Rocksylvania" because the trail is so thoroughly sadistic. The "planners", and I use that term loosely, will deliberately re-route the trail away from perfectly good trail to this:











My wife's shoes, by the way, were brand new and supposed to last up to 700 miles of hiking. They made it to ~240 trail miles, which is probably 300 total miles with all the other walking you do. Kirkham's Outdoor, in SLC, sold us a bill of lies! That, or Rocksylvania takes everone's shoes as an offering to the AT gods.

- Doc

[_Jersey Girl]

- Doc

Ouch! I bet they cost a pretty penny, too.

I can't believe the trail surface is so rocky like that. Most of the pics online don't really do justice to it. Usually just a nice fairly level trail winding through the woods.

Fake news!



(I so miss the woods back there, it's just beautiful.)

[_Jersey Girl]

No one else is saying how they're doing with regard to exercise/diet and such.

I've just been working at gardening which this year means: hauling bags of dirt, moving bricks (I re-did an area that had bricks--still working on it), thinning some plants, putting in annuals, moving some landscape timbers around, and going to roll some tires around today to plant pumpkins in. Started picking up the dreaded "slash" which happens every stinking year only this year I got a good jump on it.

Starting to walk the driveway again in preparation for getting back on the blessed treadmills. Still dragging around the 4 pounds I gained over winter. Totally back to my normal healthy diet. They'll soon be gone!

Eat less. Move more. Keep going.

[_Xenophon]

Thanks for the continued updates, Doc. Making me jealous behind my desk today.

My wife's shoes, by the way, were brand new and supposed to last up to 700 miles of hiking. They made it to ~240 trail miles, which is probably 300 total miles with all the other walking you do. Kirkham's Outdoor, in SLC, sold us a bill of lies! That, or Rocksylvania takes everone's shoes as an offering to the AT gods.

I have found very few brands where the mileage claims hold up on terrain like you are encountering, they mean 700 miles of city parks. I'm generally pretty pleased if I can get 500-600 hard miles out of a hiking boot.

I don't know what brand you were using or what your price range is but my wife has absolutely loved the Salewa Mountain Trainer line (dirty hiking shoe lovers, boots for life). She is currently using the GTX-w but has found a lot of value in their other styles. As I said before, we've never hit the AT yet but they have survived some of our longest and toughest runs through the Rockies and Alps.

[_Jersey Girl]

Xeno those are amazing! I was looking at that pic he posted again and wondering...my hikers are boys boots. I wonder if a boys/mens boot would be less likely to blow out on the side like that?

Maybe not, since they're going over some pretty rough stuff and water? Like you said manufacturer's claims...

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

I don't know what brand you were using or what your price range is but my wife has absolutely loved the Salewa Mountain Trainer line (dirty hiking shoe lovers, boots for life). She is currently using the GTX-w but has found a lot of value in their other styles. As I said before, we've never hit the AT yet but they have survived some of our longest and toughest runs through the Rockies and Alps.

Thanks! We're literally laying in bed in our hotel room looking at shoes right now. She was settling on Salomos but I just showed her your post.

Don't be jealous. My feet are destroyed right now. Lol. Post pics of your own hike! I have a feeling you got something epic brewing around inside of you...

- Doc

[_Xenophon]

Xeno those are amazing! I was looking at that pic he posted again and wondering...my hikers are boys boots. I wonder if a boys/mens boot would be less likely to blow out on the side like that?

Maybe not, since they're going over some pretty rough stuff and water? Like you said manufacturer's claims...

I haven't seen too many issues with women's shoes/boots being a lesser quality as long as you stick to some of the better brands. Terrain, manufacturing error, personal gait and age of shoe are all far bigger factors in my opinion. If you have particularly small feet (like my my wife) you'll also find it nearly impossible to find a men's shoe that will ever fit perfectly. You may get the length right but that will be about it; typically it will end up being too wide in the heel cup and/or toe. And where these brave adventurers are an ill fitting shoe can be a trek ender.