Post by Teresa on Oct 15, 2009 16:54:40 GMT -8
I've started conditioning in hopes of meeting the requirements to apply to California's Dog search and rescue association. Within 3 months of applying, you have to pass a fitness test that includes an 8 mile hike carrying a 20 pound backpack in just over 3 hours.
I am no where near being able to do that, but I am starting to try to slowly work up to that. Monday was my first day of training...I did a 2.5 mile hike carrying an 8 pound backpack. I live at the top of a steep hill, so I drove 1.25 miles down hill (which happened to be in front of a local community college). 3/4 of that is steep uphill and the final 1/2 mile is pretty flat. I took a dog with me and walked up the hill to my house, where I swapped dogs and walked back to my car.
Tuesday it rained cats/dogs so no workout. Wednesday I intended to repeat the 2.5 mile hike. But there wasn't any parking on the road in front of the college and everything else within a mile of there is no parking zones. So I decided to drive 1.25 miles down from where the college was (which happens to be a small shopping center, and park there. My intent was to walk to the college and turn around and go back to the car. It was steep up hill the whole 1.25 miles. When I got there, I felt better than I expected so I decided to continue on the other 1.25 miles to my house. I stopped inside to switch dogs so another of my 3 boys could get a walk. Then we walked back down to the car.
It was tough and I was tired and a bit sore afterward, but I did it and decided to make try to make it my daily routine. So this morning I drove down to the shopping center (2.5 from my house) and walked back up, swapped dogs and walked down again. It took me just under 2 hours to go 5 miles and I was so tired afterward that I took a 3 hour nap. But now I feel fine, not even sore. Oh, did I mention that I was carrying an 8 pound backpack when I did all 3 hikes?
All that is to say that maybe we need to start pushing ourselves a bit more in exercise...going past our pre-conceived notions of our limits and abilities and getting some serious exercise. It doesn't have to be expensive (no gym membership required to walk on city streets) and it doesn't have to be fancy...but most of us do need to "move more and eat less" like the US surgeon general says.... - teresa
I am no where near being able to do that, but I am starting to try to slowly work up to that. Monday was my first day of training...I did a 2.5 mile hike carrying an 8 pound backpack. I live at the top of a steep hill, so I drove 1.25 miles down hill (which happened to be in front of a local community college). 3/4 of that is steep uphill and the final 1/2 mile is pretty flat. I took a dog with me and walked up the hill to my house, where I swapped dogs and walked back to my car.
Tuesday it rained cats/dogs so no workout. Wednesday I intended to repeat the 2.5 mile hike. But there wasn't any parking on the road in front of the college and everything else within a mile of there is no parking zones. So I decided to drive 1.25 miles down from where the college was (which happens to be a small shopping center, and park there. My intent was to walk to the college and turn around and go back to the car. It was steep up hill the whole 1.25 miles. When I got there, I felt better than I expected so I decided to continue on the other 1.25 miles to my house. I stopped inside to switch dogs so another of my 3 boys could get a walk. Then we walked back down to the car.
It was tough and I was tired and a bit sore afterward, but I did it and decided to make try to make it my daily routine. So this morning I drove down to the shopping center (2.5 from my house) and walked back up, swapped dogs and walked down again. It took me just under 2 hours to go 5 miles and I was so tired afterward that I took a 3 hour nap. But now I feel fine, not even sore. Oh, did I mention that I was carrying an 8 pound backpack when I did all 3 hikes?
All that is to say that maybe we need to start pushing ourselves a bit more in exercise...going past our pre-conceived notions of our limits and abilities and getting some serious exercise. It doesn't have to be expensive (no gym membership required to walk on city streets) and it doesn't have to be fancy...but most of us do need to "move more and eat less" like the US surgeon general says.... - teresa