"Training"

It's been over a month since my last post. oops. I have been crazy busy at work, planning my summer vacation (yay!) and "training" for it (read, playing).

My husband and I just bought hiking boots for our vacation in June - July and we have been breaking them in. Let me tell you, finding hiking boots that fit properly is quite an undertaking - particularly when you have giant feet. I wear a women's size 12 in running shoes and, apparently, it is rare to find adequately enormous hiking boots in women's size 12, at least at REI. Thus, I landed in a Men's 11 1/2.  Everything on my body has gotten smaller with weight loss....EXCEPT my feet. I look like a hobbit. Oh, well. I'll take it.

The other recent purchase I have made is a book called "Afoot and Afield in San Diego." Awesome. Book. It details hundreds of hikes from all over San Diego County, and for all different skill levels. If you live in San Diego and are looking for some gorgeous hikes, I would highly recommend it. I love living in San Diego, it is a beautiful area of the country, and I am really looking forward to using this hiking book to make the most of living here.

On Saturday, we went to watch our nieces dance in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. This posed a bit of a problem because we usually start our days early when we are hiking, so as to avoid the heat and the crowds. Happily, the weather on Saturday was absolutely gorgeous. It was a bit chilly in the morning, but by late morning / early afternoon, it had warmed just enough so that it was perfect hiking weather. We were at Balboa Park anyway, so we decided to take the opportunity to explore the trails. And Wow! We could have spent 3 days hiking, there are so many. We had a great time, did a moderately difficult hike, and started to break in our hiking boots in the process. What a wonderful day!

On Sunday, we did our 17-mile "train walk" and we added a little 4 mile hike along the way. We did part of a hike we found in our new book. It was really beautiful because it went right along the beach. Another great day. I did learn that I need to have a more substantial breakfast when I do these long hikes or walks. I need to have some protein in the morning if I am going to embark upon these adventures. I slept in a bit on Sunday morning, and only had time for a bag of Cheerios prior to beginning the hike. This was a terrible idea. We ate our little picnic lunch at the half way point like we always do, but it was not enough. By the time I arrived at home, I was absolutely famished and exhausted. I felt like I could not get enough to eat. I stayed within my calorie budget and all that good stuff, but my body was telling me something that I cannot ignore. Currently, my self-diagnosis is that I didn't eat enough. I have done that walk a million times, sans the hiking boots and the beach leg of the walk, and I have never felt so exhausted at the end of it. Not even the first time I tried it. So, next time I shall make sure that I have enough to eat and drink when I embark upon one of my adventures.

Oh, and lastly - in other news, I fit into a SIZE 6 last weekend. I now own 2 pair of size 6 shorts and a pair of size 6 "shants" (convertible pants for hiking). I have not been losing weight as fast as I was, but I'm still "shrinking."  This is a particularly exciting milestone for me, because I began this journey at Size 26. So, 20 sizes (well, actually 10...but technically 20, right?). I am totally excited about this development as I was prepared to spend my life as a size 8, I was perfectly happy there. This is just a happy surprise.

Have a great weekend!