The Plan

So my sister and I sent off our reservation and down payment for the Inca Trail trek. It’s exciting until I actually think about what I’m going to be doing and how greasy my hair is going to be. Then it’s not exciting at all. And naturally, I put off starting to get in shape for it until after Christmas. I’ve still got plenty of time, but just enough that I can’t waste any.  Every day counts.

My plan is that in January I just exercise. Cardio, strength, yoga, whatever.  I just have to move and stretch and work up a sweat however I can.  In February I am going to ramp all that up and maybe try to add some distance walks in there if the weather is nice enough.  In March the weather should be good enough that I can start the hills. Luckily for me, I live in a place where I can get to the mountains easily, and if I don’t want to actually get in the mud and dirt of the mountain trails, I can still walk around the neighborhoods that are built on the mountain sides.  I’ve walked some of the streets before and they can be steep.  And in April, I ramp up the inclines and add more distance. Then by the time we leave for Peru, if I have a hard time with the hike, it won’t be for lack of trying.

Snow shoes

On Saturday, I tried snow shoeing for the first time. I had a great time, although I think that can mostly be attributed to the fact that the sun was shining and there was blue sky and it was really a perfect morning to be outside.  But the snow shoes weren’t bad either.

Back in December my sister had told me about a sale the local sporting/camping goods store was having so I went and checked it out and ended up with a pair of snow shoes, poles, and bag to put them in.  My sister and then my brother also decided to get a pair.  I’ve wanted to try it for a few years now.

So the three of us went to the Mt. Ogden Park and golf course on Saturday and gave it a go. There was another group with some snow shoes, a man and woman cross country skiing, and a group that was sledding.  It was a great place to go for my first time. We followed the cross country tracks for a bit and then I decided to tackle one of the hills. I really had a great time and it’s just a plus that it was also a good workout.