Training Journal
An endurance hike is built through ordinary days of preparation. Here I will document the miles, the loaded walks, the gear tests, the rest, and the lessons that come between them.
The goal is to become steady enough to return to the trail day after day. I will share the progress honestly, including adjustments when my body or the conditions ask for them.
First milestone to write up: a 20-mile hike in the Chippewa Moraine.
Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area:
I took a light pack, a lunch, some water and some snacks. Curious about how far I could manage to hike in the hills of the Chippewa Moraine State Recreation Area within 8 hours. I was aiming for 16. I did a lot of thinking about my how and my why on this journey… The hike felt quite leisurely. Stopping for snacks, then for lunch, then to take my sock of and shake the sand out of it. I even stopped for a little stretching an yoga on top of a ginormous rock which had been existing in the middle of the woods since a glacier pushed it there 15,000 years ago.
All of that said, I came home to map out the distance, and I had trekked almost 21 miles in roughly 8 hours. I need to get better at monitoring my start/end times/distances traveled. I was pretttty sore upon my return, but I woke up feeling pretty great and I was pleasantly surprised. Shoes are my sore point at the moment. I need to get serious about shoes. I seriously hiked over a mile in my socks. (aaaand there are a lot of acorns out there right now, fellas!) Until next time, I am signing off!
