Time Marches On

It’s felt very much like spring this past week, and I’m seeing signs of Mother Nature waking up from her winter slumber.

While I’m still angry, sad, and frustrated on a daily basis at the state of things in the U.S., I am trying very hard to focus on what’s still good in the world. Hiking helps a lot — there is no better balm for the soul than being out in nature.

I had my hardest hike to date last weekend — 9.5 miles at Tar Hollow State Forest. This trail was brutal. It’s not maintained, so there were dozens of fallen trees we had to climb over, crawl under, or go off trail to get around. We also had about 1,600 feet of elevation on this hike — pretty much all at once. Despite the obstacle course and elevation, I finished… barely.

My biggest lesson learned is to eat more than I think I need to eat on long, arduous hikes. We had two snack breaks during this hike. I only had two homemade protein cookies with me, and I ate them both on the first snack break after we crested the highest hill. (I was unaware that we would have a second break or I would have saved one of my cookies.) The result of this is that I nearly threw up right at the very end of the hike because I needed more calories. (Thankfully, another hiker in our group gave me a packet of fruit snacks and some electrolyte mix.)

Another lesson learned is that I wasn’t ready for a hike of that intensity. I still have several months before MammothMarch. I can do 8-9 miles on more moderate trails than the one I did last week, so I can continue to build from there.

Some recent photos from my hikes:

I was diagnosed with hallux rigidus last month — arthritis of the big toe (complete with bone spurs). I have it in both feet, but it’s worse in the right foot and can get really painful during hikes. The ortho recommended Morton’s extension orthotics for my hiking shoes and to wear shoes with rocker soles. He specifically recommended Hoka, so I probably need to get a proper pair of Hoka hiking shoes before MammothMarch. The Topo trail runners I have now are fine for the moment — not to mention expensive. The Merrells I bought in November will now become my backyard work shoes. I can’t go more than 5 miles in those without a bad flare.

Anyway, I’ve now hiked twice with the Morton’s extension and I find that it actually hurts my feet more than hiking without it. Though maybe they just take some getting used to? I am now also trying taping to stabilize the joint and limit flexion. There is no real treatment for this issue. My ortho is against steroid shots because he says in the long run they do more harm than good. Surgery is the only way to fix the problem, and that involves fusing the joint so you can’t flex it at all. Oh, and I started taking turmeric supplements to help decrease inflammation.

So, that’s been my life lately. Aside from work, I go hiking as much as possible. But I’m also enjoying yoga classes at the YMCA, and I am doing weight training as well as part of my preparation for MammothMarch. I’ve lost 25 pounds since I started this journey in October and I’m feeling good overall.

Looking forward to the start of gardening season. I wanted to sow spinach and lettuce this weekend, along with my seed potatoes. But we’re getting a lot of rain right now and possible flooding. Maybe next weekend.