Almost a Half Century

I find myself up earlier than I want to be and with some time to kill before we go out for breakfast, so I figured it was time for an update.

I’m now less than 3 weeks away from turning 50. I’m finalizing my plans — after all, it’s a pretty big milestone year. My birthday falls on a Wednesday (which, incidentally, is the same day of the week that I was born), and I took Wednesday-Friday off work. So I’m trying to plan a 5-day weekend. My actual birthday is pretty much planned. I want to get cinnamon rolls for breakfast at our favorite coffee shop (and cook eggs on our outdoor griddle), rent a kayak at Trapper John’s, get a massage, have dinner at Hofbrauhaus, and get dessert at the Chocolate Cafe. Maybe I’ll squeeze in some hiking, too, if there’s time.

The following day, my mom and I are booked on an overnight “Sip & Stay” tour, which involves a shuttle bus to four wineries, an overnight stay at a hotel, and a dinner voucher. So that takes care of Thursday and some of Friday.

Saturday and Sunday are still a question mark, but I am definitely doing a longer hike on one of those days. I’m still training, after all, and MammothMarch is getting closer.

Speaking of training, it’s going well. I did the hardest hike of my life in April at Great Seal State Park. That was roughly 13 miles, and the elevation gain was significantly more than what I’m doing at Mammoth. So I think I’m mostly ready. I still get pretty winded on steep climbs because of my asthma, so I’m working on that. I got the pacing down, I think. I’m doing more strength training and higher intensity cardio on the days I’m not hiking. I may just be in the best shape of my life and only getting better.

And I am getting closer to finding a way to manage the hallux rigidus pain that always flares up on my hikes. I tried a spica taping method and some new Morton’s extension inserts on my last hike, and my feet hurt quite a bit less as a result. We had the option of adding another 3-mile loop to the 13 miles we did, and I wanted to — my feet felt good enough. But I opted not to because I ended up stepping in mud up to my ankle about 2 miles from finishing the 13-mile loop, and my left shoe and sock were soaked. (It is miserable hiking in squishy shoes.)

I hike in trail runners and I’m still trying to find some hiking shoes that work for me. I think I’ve bought and returned at least 6 pairs in the past 2 months. Though I just realized a few days ago that the non-returnable Merrells I bought in November, which were killing my feet about 5 miles in, might now actually work fine for me if I try the taping/orthotic. I have been wearing them for yard work and they are actually more comfortable than all the hiking shoes I’ve bought recently. The toe box seems roomy enough — I need a wide toe box — but I actually need more room at the top of my foot so the shoe doesn’t rub against my bone spurs. And the Merrells actually have the room I need.

Anyway, I’m in a hallux rigidus support group, and this seems to be a common problem among those with HR. We all seem to be spending ungodly amounts of money on shoes that end up not working for us. Thankfully, I can actually test shoes out on the trail and still return them. REI allows it (I’m a member), as does some of the shoe companies if I order from them directly (like Hoka and Topo).

In non-hiking news, I’m planning a trip to New York City in September. I’ve had layovers at Newark and JFK, but I’ve never gone into the city. A co-worker is getting married in late September. She’s inviting me to her wedding. And it’s in Pennsylvania near enough to NYC that I’m extending my trip and spending a few days in the Big Apple. My employer is based there, so I have co-workers in NYC I can hang out with, including my boss.

I haven’t booked anything yet, but I’m trying to decide which Broadway show to see. I only plan to see one, since my time is limited and there are a lot of other things I want to see and do. Honestly, I’m kind of interested in & Juliet since I’m always down for Shakespeare interpretations.

Oh, and since I just mentioned work, it’s probably worth noting that I recently received a promotion. I’m now a content manager, which is more of a project management role since I don’t have direct reports. And that suits me just fine.

And now, without further ado, recent photos from my spring hikes.