I biked briefly on Monday. Very briefly but enough to get my blood moving. I hiked with Sara on Wednesday at Misery and Joy, biked about an hour on Thursday and today I met Sara and Michael at Heinz Refuge. I hiked they ran. When I arrived there just before 8 am I realized that I had never been there in Summer before. My previous visits were in late winter or early spring. The vegetation growth and color of all the flowers was startling! Fortunately the paths were clear. I completed 9 miles. And because it was so flat I was done in less than 3 hours despite lots of stops to enjoy the views.
I wore my new pack today. I didn't that much water or cargo space for 3 hours but I wanted to get the feel of it. It fits me perfectly! The only negative reviews I could find on this pack mentioned chafing on the neck. I did not have any of that. Not even a light rub. I seem to have the perfect torso length for it. It was very comfortable. I tried it in different spots on my back just to see and felt good all around.
I did have a little bit of tension across my back just below my shoulders. I attribute a little of this to carrying double the water weight and a little to being away from hiking for so long - not carrying anything on my back. However, the undeniable truth is that I have a upper body and core. I need to commit to more work there.
The hike itself was uneventful. My legs and feet held up fine despite the lay off. I was a little uncomfortable at the end but I think that's because of the lack of climbing. I've noticed that I do better when there are hills mixed in. Who'd a thunk it, huh?
Tonight I'm meeting the group for ice cream miles at Peace Valley Park. :)
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