Date: 2012-11-12
To: Using muscles?
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

Trail journals has a 3 posting rule before my journal goes online and as this is my 3rd entry, I am anxious to see whether using this pages app will work out. I started checking out other 2013 journals to see who I might meet on the trail as well as for other info or tips for both the hike and the journalling. I quickly realized that I had better start working out ( or something)! Some people are practising by walking on sand 5 miles a day with a 30 lb. backpack! Others are lucky enough to live near mountains or even work at parks! Looks like I'm way behind! I take my dog for walks every day, does that count (lol)? Seriously though I haven't done much! I thought that since my job includes carrying around 30lbs up flights of stairs as well as carrying it back down later that i was doing ok. I do enjoy hiking and am lucky enough to have the TransCanada Trail virtually in sight of my house but other than a few small hills it is a cakewalk! What to do! I could start walking to work every morning (again small hills with one little steep one), it would mean leaving the house at 5am as I start work at 6. It would suck that I wouldn't be able to take my hiking partner with me but it does seem like the best way to get in some daily mileage and maybe even try out some of my hiking clothes. I guess I will give that a try this week and see how it goes. Best case scenario I walk to and from work (boring walk half in the dark) plus take the dog for a fun walk each night. Think that's good enough?   So that was written last night and this morning I got up in time to walk to work. I used an app on my phone to track the walk and couldn't believe it when I found out its a 3 1/2 mile (5.6 km) walk! If I were to do that both ways each day I could do 35 miles a week and that's not including walking the dog! Of course it had to rain today and was pouring when I got off work so that didn't work out so well today but in the future... Another good thing about it is I can try out some of my hiking clothes. This morning I wore my hiking socks and they were awesome! I work on a cement floor and I really noticed the extra cushioning while working too! I realized that my old wind/rain suit that I was thinking of taking is not going to work. I knew that it was old and wasn't the lightest but it takes up so little room (designed for a motorcyclist). However, its off the list! I was so overheated in it and I didn't even have the jacket done up. I stopped in the first 10 minutes to take the pants off and I thought that everything was good. There was a wind and it was a little cool but I felt pretty comfortable with it unzipped. But when I got to work and took my jacket off my shirt was all Sweat soaked. Definitely not going to work! I'm a little disappointed as I want to keep the rest of my purchases to a minimum so I can take extra cash with me but I might be able to make gaiters out of the rain pant legs. I'm going to post this so I can see it online (finally)! I keep forgetting to mention that over the past year of reading other people's journals I have found a few ideas that I want to incorporate into my journal. Five Pair GA>ME 2012 had a quote section in her journal and I hope she doesn't think I'm copying her (because I did use some of the quotes she has found)but I really liked it. I'm going to try to have a different quote to end each entry. If I don't meet anybody on the trail with any profound statements it might get a bit repetitive but I'm gonna try! Thanks for reading and please come again!Trouble"Everywhere is walking distance if you have the time"Steven Wright