7 Miles In 7 Days Challenge

Last week I participated in the 7 Miles In 7 Days Challenge hosted by 365 Mile Challenge. The goal of the 7 day challenge is fairly obvious: to get outside 1 mile per day for 7 days. The miles must be self-propelled, so running, hiking, or biking all count.

Here's how my 7 days looked:
Monday: walk, round trip between the shuttle bus and office = 0.6 miles
Tuesday: bike, round trip between parking lot and office = 2.22 miles
Wednesday: walk, round trip between the shuttle bus and office = 0.6 miles and lunchtime walk around campus = 0.9 miles, daily total = 1.5 miles
Thursday: walk, round trip between the shuttle bus and office = 0.6 miles
Friday: walk, round trip between the shuttle bus and office = 0.6 miles
Saturday: none
Sunday: Bog Trail with Little Man = 0.94 miles.

7 day total = 6.46 miles

Notes: I was still suffering from Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease the first two days. On Friday I mowed the lawn, so I while I took A LOT of steps outside I couldn't really track the mileage. On Saturday I took a civil service exam which ate up 3 hours of my life and is not how I normally spend my weekends.

Regardless, I obviously did not reach the goal of 7 miles in 7 days. So I did the most logical thing and signed up for the 2018 365 Mile Challenge. Duh.

(Inspiration: my kickass sister who has already clocked 731.9 miles as of Nov. 11 for the 2017 challenge. She also gifted me the 2018 entry fees. So yeah, she rocks.)

Bog in November

The weather Sunday morning didn't look particularly inviting, but it was our only opportunity to get outside. It had been too many weeks since we'd last been on trail, so I bundled us up and off we went. The falling snow was very wet and the wind was whipping, but the temps were in the low 30s so it didn't feel super cold. I put my son in snow pants, coat, hat, and mittens, but I figured his feet would be fine in his regular hiking boots. I dressed myself similarly but with rain pants instead. However I failed to account for the boardwalk being underwater in one spot, which clearly called for some puddle jumping and resulted in wet socks. We completed our regular route, including some rock throwing, before heading home to dry off. Time to try on some winter boots from the collection of hand-me-downs. (Hand-me-downs are the best.)

Mud!

Walktober

As I mentioned previously I signed up for Walktober  through my employer. I didn't join any teams or go on any of the Monday Mile group walks (because of scheduling conflicts and rain), so all it amounted to was logging steps every night before bed. To complete the challenge you needed to have a minimum of 6,000 steps per day. Only one day was I concerned about that fairly low bar and did a little extra running around the kitchen with my son. I wore my Fitbit more conscientiously than usual, but I didn't bother to figure out how biking affects my step count. As you can see I had 16 days at the Gold level, which is 10,000 steps or more. That pleases me.

In the end, it didn't really encourage me to be more active (except for the one day). I think I'm already aware of the importance of being active, and while I don't make the time for "exercise" these days, I still do a lot of moving about (toddlers, yo). I know I have plenty of good hiking days in front of me. 

High Water

Because the rain. It. Never. Ends.

We did manage to squeeze in a nice walk under threatening skies. But still, ENOUGH ALREADY WITH THE FRICKIN RAIN.

Turtle Hike

This past Saturday my sister and our boys went for a hike along one of our regular routes, which we call the "turtle hike" because several years ago we encountered a slew of hatchling painted turtles. It was an exciting hike. This time there were no baby turtles, but we did see four adult turtles (one painted and three snapping) and a bald eagle. The boys did a great deal of rock throwing and we all enjoyed the hike and the time together.

Afternoon on the Bog

After nap yesterday I dragged my son to Second Home Nature Center for a walk around the bog. He wanted to go to the playground, but I was determined to get in some time in a more natural setting. We can go to the playground in our neighborhood any day. He does love the boardwalk, but there were a few trying moments between the car and the boardwalk. Of course, he was equally reluctant to get back in the car when it was time to leave. Toddlers, good grief.

Fringed polygala

Love of Water

On Saturday we went for a walk in a nearby neighborhood. I anticipated my son would enjoy this "lake" and I was correct. In fact we might still be there if I had not dragged him away with promises of peanut butter for lunch.

Saturday Morning Walk

Saturday morning we woke to a continuation of the abnormally mild temperatures. I checked the forecast and saw that would change mid-day, so we jumped in the car and headed for Second Home Nature Center. The little man was clearly as thrilled as I was with the weather and the opportunity to explore. He had great fun throwing leaves and rocks, collecting handfuls of mud-filled acorn caps, and splashing the water with a stick.

Friday Afternoon Walk

Yesterday I left work early for an appointment. Normally when I leave early I wait until the last possible moment to use as little personal time as possible. I'd been planning on leaving at quarter past the hour, but when the hour rolled around it occurred to me that if I left right then I could walk to my car instead of riding the shuttle bus. It was a beautiful day and what is 15 minutes in the grand scheme of things?

I didn't walk anywhere extra, just pretty much the same route my bus would've driven, but it was lovely and I can always use a little exercise.

Weekends

Weekends are for unwinding and spending time with my son.

On Saturday morning we made one of our regular trips to Target for a Green Tea Latte and some odds & ends. I'd recently downloaded the Cartwheel app for my phone and was so distracted by trying to figure out how to use it (old person alert!) that I forgot about the actual paper coupon in my bag for $10 off which expired THAT day. I remembered just as I was about to pull into my neighborhood. For $10 I was absolutely turning the car around and dragging my toddler back into Target. For sure.

After his nap I wanted to get us both outside, but I didn't feel like driving far. I just wanted to be outside, somewhere other than our yard. It shouldn't be so difficult to find a spot of trees, etc. to romp around in. I finally settled on a nearby golf community with access to Nature Conservancy land.

I believe this is fake water but still picturesque from the right angle.

My guy is going through what I hope is a phase in which he only wants to go back, not forward. So I carried him as far as I felt like and then set him down. He took off back towards the car and we had a nice little walk (until he decided he wanted to explore off the side of the trail that was choked with poison ivy and I was forced to carry him away).

And off he goes!

Admire the poison ivy, but please do not touch!

The little guy slept poorly Saturday night, coughing on and off all night, so Sunday we did our grocery shopping and played in the yard and generally took it easy. Hopefully his boogers let up soon.

Linking up with Karen at Pumpkin Sunrise.

Weekends

Weekends are for relaxing and soaking up every second of togetherness with my son. I miss him so much when I'm at work and he's at daycare. I know he has fun playing with his friends, but it's such a long time to be separated from each other every day. Plus our time together during the week is harried: rushing to get meals, to get dressed, to get out the door, to get into bed. Come Saturday, I just want to relax and BE with my little man.

This weekend had its ups and downs, as he's got a cold and I'm fighting one (you don't have to share everything, buddy). When he's not feeling well he swings quickly from glee to despair and was particularly sad both afternoons after his nap.

On Saturday we went grocery shopping and played in the yard. Nothing exciting, but maybe that's what we both needed.

On Sunday morning we went for a lovely hike with my sister and her son. It was pretty chilly when we first hit the trail, but the boys like to play by the river so the temps had a chance to rise quite a bit by the time we headed back to the cars. I carried the Kelty pack, but my little guy did so well I never even put him in it. When he wanted up I would carry him on my hip for a few minutes and then set him back down to walk some more. The hike itself wasn't that long, but I love seeing him cover so much ground on his own.

While he napped Sunday afternoon I hastily whipped together a batch of banana bread. I love baking, but it is simply too time consuming for me these days. I fear I may have made a slight error because of my rushing, but since I'm the only one eating the bread anyway, perfection is unnecessary.

Cold apple cider in a handmade ceramic mug - the only way to drink it!

Already looking forward to next weekend!

Linking up with Karen at Pumpkin Sunrise.

Two Fall Walks

I went on two walks this week that look like they took place in different seasons, but alas, that is just fall in Central New York. Both were slow going, but at least I was outside and walking. Getting myself off the couch and out of the house is a major hurdle, but being outside in nature is almost always worth the effort. Now, if only I could remember that the next time I'm considering a walk in the woods.

Spring Walking

Yesterday I took advantage of the mild weather and headed out to the woods to one of my favorite spring hiking spots. None of the spring wildflowers were up yet, but I'll go back over the next couple weeks and keep an eye on their progress. One of the best things about hiking at this time of year is the bugs aren't out yet. No mosquitoes! No blackflies! No deer flies!

The disadvantage of where I went walking is the gunfire. I had to modify my intended route because someone was training their hunting dog, and at one point guns were being fired on both sides of me. Needless to say, I hightailed it in the opposite direction.

Later in my hike I was turned back by trail closed signs, presumably for nesting Canada geese. I prefer loops whenever possible, but even with having to double-back along the same section of trail it was still a lovely day for a walk.

I heard peepers and wood frogs and saw a painted turtle and a garter snake. It felt blissfully good to be in the woods again without wearing a coat!

The Bog Trail in November

On Saturday morning I met my sister and her son at Second Home Nature Center. The weather was a little touch and go: temperatures in the upper 40s with occasional sprinkles. No matter, we're almost always up for a romp in the woods. Or, as the case may be, a stroll through the bog.

For whatever reason I just cannot figure out how to dress for a walk that involves my nephew (he will be 3 years old next week). I am so used to dressing for outdoor activities that require effort. My motto has always been if you're cold, you're not walking fast enough. However, this just doesn't work with a toddler. So the last two weekends I've come home from our walks frozen solid. Please, next time, someone remind me to wear more layers!

The breeze off the lake didn't help with my lack of layers. I'm also a big fan of "there's no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothes."

My nephew had a great time throwing rocks into the lake, picking up sticks and leaves, reading signs, and playing with using the telescope.

Even though the weather was a tad gloomy, beauty can be found at the nature center year round. All you have to do is look in any direction, any day.

witch hazel

the tamaracks pop with their yellow-green color

You can read about my October walk at Second Home Nature Center here and see pictures from a walk on the bog trail in August here.

After Work Walk

Sometimes I grow tired of walking in my neighborhood. It's a typical boring suburban housing development. One of the older ones with no sidewalks and no manufactured ponds. So today after work I decided to swing into another neighborhood on the way home. A higher end golf community with a walking trail.

pretty yellow poison ivy

The trail runs between the links and the river, in low lying, somewhat swampy terrain. I tend to avoid this trail during mosquito season because it appears to be prime breeding ground. I thought I would be safe today (it's October after all!), but I still managed to find a few of the little pests.

I also found these eye catching plants and trees.

Old Man's Beard

Virginia creeper

Gleditsia triacanthos

Definitely better than walking the streets of my neighborhood, dodging cars and dogs. I need to stop here to walk more often!