It

Day 83: It's in the house! The Park's Winter Fitness Challenge begins tomorrow, and while I've made it abundantly clear that I have no intention of trying for the Iron Ranger title again this year, I still intend to kick a lot of much younger behinds with my mileage total.

Since this is the fifth year of the challenge, a lot of fives have crept into the rules. The Proclaimers' "500 Miles" was chosen for the theme music (and incidentally was my personal "power song" last year), and teams of five are expected to complete the equivalent of walking the Scottish National Trail, a 537-mile route which runs from Kirk Yetholm to Cape Wrath (as close to a 500-mile trail as the committee could find, tying in nicely with the nationality of the vocal group). Of course, there is also the additional challenge to "walk 500 more" as specified in the Proclaimers' lyrics. I've joined a team, but nevertheless have set a personal goal of 500 miles with an eye toward that "500 more," something I should be able to achieve if I put in the aerobic equivalent of walking 10-15 miles every day. Last year, I was doing 15-20 miles per day, so barring drenching weather and if I can find a better pad for the seat of the exercise bike, that distance should be a piece of cake. I figure I'll walk five or six of it, and then ride 13-minute miles for the remainder. Remember, the mileage is the aerobic equivalent of walking one mile, not actual "road" miles. That translates to numbers of minutes at specific resistance on the bike.

I'm not exactly looking forward to long walks in the rain, but the benefits to be derived here are enormous. When the hiking season came around last summer, I was already in such good shape that I strode up hills without a gasp, hills which the previous year would have left me puffing. You know what they say: No pain, no gain. That's the philosophy which has kept me fit for almost 70 years, and makes it possible for me to trounce those young bucks and does despite my age.

Fitness Challenge "Iron Ranger"

Day 216: I have to say I'm proud of this achievement. Yesterday, I received an unexpected prize as the "Iron Ranger" of the 2014 Fitness Challenge in addition to a certificate of completion. Each member of our team was given a handy little backpacking spoon/fork (all eleven members completed at least 100 miles), but as the top finisher among all participants, I also was rewarded with a pair of Merino "Smart Wool" socks in a two-color Norwegian design and a gift certificate to one of my favourite stores, REI.

The Challenge was based on the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail, a 1200-mile traverse from the Continental Divide in Montana to Cape Alava on the Olympic Peninsula. It crosses five mountain ranges, three National Parks and seven National Forests. Teams participating in the Challenge were charged with accruing aerobic-equivalent miles to represent a hike of the complete trail between January 7 and March 30, 2014. After completing a few days of more than 15 miles, I was asked by one of my colleagues, "What, are you planning to do the whole trail by yourself, Crow?" At that point, I sat down with a calculator and saw that it was indeed possible. That was the goal I set for myself about two weeks into the Challenge. Between riding an exercise bike and walking/hiking, I finished the virtual "trail" with enough days remaining to add an additional 300 miles to my total, averaging 18 miles per day. I am happy to say that our team also took top honors.

"Iron Ranger." I like the sound of that. Not bad at all for a little old lady.

Going The Distance

Day 177: Which pair of boots has gone the distance, top or bottom? If you based your guess on the torn out D-ring and lack of heel tread on the bottom pair, you would be very wrong. If there is one adage to live by as a hiker, it is this: never buy cheap boots. The bottom pair, destined now for the garbage can, were purchased less than two years ago. A second identical pair is almost as worn, and that's just from the abuse they received during the fitness challenge.

On the other hand, the top pair is forty years old, and as my favourites, they've seen thousands of miles. They've been to the top of Mount Rainier and several other Pacific Northwest peaks. They've suffered rocky terrain, saltwater sand, volcanic pumice, soaking rain. They've been resoled four or five times, but the leather is still in good condition, if rather scuffed. The bottom pair cost me a whopping $69 at a national outfitter. I knew they wouldn't last. I shelled out $189 for those trusty, trustworthy Bambinos in 1975 (a lot of money in those days) and they'll be good for another several thousand miles. Unfortunately, the boot is no longer made, but if it was, I'd be willing to spend $400 on new ones.

Boots are an essential part of my wardrobe. I have eight pair. I am attentive to their care and feeding, drying them carefully when they get wet, sealing them against snow and water, keeping the leather soft and pliable. That said, I expect them to serve me well. I want them to go the distance with me, not wear out after a lousy 1500 miles.

Banished!

Day 176: Hie thee hence, device of torture! And stay there until next winter! Yep, I have achieved my final mileage goal in the winter physical fitness challenge, and the exercise bike has been sent into exile. When I got up this morning, I only needed the aerobic equivalent of 16.5 walking miles to bring my total to 1500, and between riding the bike for almost two hours and walking 7.5 miles, I'm done!

A few statistics here, because when you're as old as I am, this is something to brag up:

Starting on January 7 and ending today, I rode the exercise bike for 216 hours to earn the aerobic equivalent of walking 891.5 miles. However, the actual odometer reading was significantly greater: 3456 miles "travelled" at an average of 16 MPH. As for the walking portion, I put 602.5 miles on my feet, covering a variety of terrain from pavement to steep, muddy trail. The remaining six miles were accrued with sweat equity while digging holes and planting trees in rocky ground for three hours. Thus the breakdown is 891.5 plus 602.5 plus 6 for a total of 1500 aerobic equivalent miles.

Over the course of the challenge, I lost 12 pounds and am now as trim as I've been at any time in the last five years. My leg strength has increased and my endurance is up significantly. Overall, I feel much perkier and energetic. That's not to say there haven't been a few days when I really had to push myself to get out there, but any program like this is as much a test of resolve as it is of physical ability. Fortunately, I have always enjoyed walking and challenging myself on a physical level. Just like climbing a mountain, the only way you'll get there is by putting one foot in front of the other one, over and over and over.

Celebratory Dinner

Day 164: Tonight, I am celebrating. After dinner last evening, I hopped on the exercise bike and put in my last three miles for the day, a figure which put me over the team goal of 1200 miles by one mile. I have a colleague to thank for inspiring me to complete the whole "trail" on which the challenge was based. Early on when she saw the mileage I was recording, she asked, "Gee, Crow, are you going to do the whole trail all by yourself?" I eyeballed the mileage, balanced it against the days remaining and said to myself, "Y'know, I might-maybe just could do that!"

The exercise required for the challenge is based in aerobic equivalents. To accrue the equivalent of one aerobic walking mile, the participant must put in a certain number of minutes at a specific exertion level. For example, here toward the end, I've cranked up the resistance on the bike to the point that 13 minutes equals one mile of walking. When I started, I was riding 16-minute miles. On the other hand, odometer miles will be significantly higher. Sixty-five minutes of riding the bike may read out that I've travelled 18 "road miles," but in fact only has a value of five miles (5 x 13 = 65).

So here I am, 10 weeks and 1200 miles later, and I've lost nine pounds. I feel better than I've felt in 25 years. My energy level is up, as is my endurance and strength. I'm tearing up hills which would have had me gasping last fall, sprinting up them like they aren't even there. My uniform fits comfortably now (never mind that I've worn the soles off two pair of boots). Our team was the second to complete the trail in all of the participating parks, and the first in Mount Rainier. We still have two weeks to go, and I'm not stopping now! I plan to put in somewhat shorter days between now and the end of the month (maybe only 20 miles instead of 25-27), and then in April, I'll switch over to a "maintenance routine," augmented by my regular hiking and kayaking activities.

Downy Purple People Eater

Day 128: By tomorrow night, I will have logged 400 miles in the Park's winter Fitness Challenge, and I'm not about to let 20° F. and snowy weather slow me down. I'm taking my exercise in two forms: walking and riding a stationary bicycle, and the time I've devoted to each is roughly equal.

In the Fitness Challenge, different forms of exercise have different aerobic values. Riding the exercycle for 16 minutes is the aerobic equivalent of one walking mile despite the fact that the bike's built-in odometer may show a total of 5 miles travelled in that time. My walking pace is approximately 15 minutes per mile...makes sense when you think of it that way. Of course, I prefer walking outdoors to riding indoors, but lately, it's been a bit brisk. These last few days, I've dipped into my old climbing gear for a silk balaclava to protect my face from the cold and two layers of long johns (wool and polypro) which I wear underneath a down-filled shell. If you see the Purple People Eater marching down the road, don't bother offering me a ride!

A Tiger In My Tank

Day 117: Some of my readers may be old enough to remember the Exxon commercials and "Put a tiger in your tank," and some may even remember the joke which was spawned by the adverts:

Question: How do you put a tiger in your tank?

Answer: First you put his back paws in. Then you put his front paws in. Then you put his head in. And then you kick him in the gas hole.

Well, I discovered the tiger in my tank today. I'd gone out for a six-mile walk, but accidentally set the counter for a distance of three miles. I didn't notice until the male voice I'd chosen told me I'd gone halfway, but I said "What the heck, he'll tell me when I've gone three miles and then I'll just turn around. Not a problem." You can't reset a workout midstream on the Nano, but it keeps a record even if you exceed your goal. It does allow you to check your pace without pausing the workout, though, and when I checked at two miles, it told me I was pulling something just under a 14-minute mile. At the end of my intended six-mile workout, I'd maintained a pace of 14'49".

That was when I discovered the tiger in the tank. After the selected voice had given me the statistics, a new voice said, "Congratulations! This is Tiger Woods. You've just completed your fastest mile."

Reaching The Goal

Day 113: When the Park's winter fitness challenge began, I set myself a modest personal goal of 150 miles, expecting bad weather. I figured I could pull that off between January 7 and March 30 even if I had to do it in the rain. Well, I reached that goal today with a hike to the peak of Pack Forest...not Hugo Peak (a lower point), but the peak only known by its benchmark designation "Pack."

The last several days have been marked by fog: freezing fog in the early hours of the day, reluctant fog which overstays its welcome like a bad guest. It's a cold fog. It penetrates clothing and insists you wear mittens, a cozy hat and a jacket even though you're sweating from exertion. But if you can rise above it, you'll find the sun shining in a bright blue sky and temperatures which might mislead you into removing a layer or putting your mittens in your pack. Don't be fooled! It's down there, waiting for you to return.

Only the top 100 feet of the peak known as Pack were out in the warm sunshine today. Here in the chilly transition zone, you'd never have guessed that around the corner, the temperature would rise fifteen degrees. I took advantage of the moment for lunch and a celebratory photo, but as I descended, a hundred yards off the summit, I was back in cold fog for the remainder of my hike.

Nose-and-Eyelashes Snow

Day 99: It's not uncommon to see groups of Parkies walking the campground loop at Longmire on their lunch hours in all sorts of weather. After all, we're an exercise-oriented lot. However, now that the winter Fitness Challenge is on, neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail will keep rangers from their appointed rounds. Each one of us who is participating in the Challenge is committed to chalk up the aerobic equivalent of 100 miles between January 7 and March 30, competing against other parks in the region. Some people participate as individuals, while others form teams of no more than eleven. A team must contribute at least 1200 miles to qualify. I joined the Wanderers, the Interpretive Division team.

Today, one of my colleagues (a fellow Wanderer) suggested a walk to the back gate, never mind that it was snowing. It was a delightful fall..."snowflakes that stay on your nose and eyelashes" snow; soft, tickly snow, a drier snow than the usual Pacific Northwest slop, and it kept up steadily until we were back inside the building, resuming our daily tasks. We walked three miles, Kristyn and I, laughing and chatting while keeping up a good aerobic pace, following the footsteps of some other walker determined to get their mileage for the day. Exercise done in good company puts the lie to "no pain, no gain," and almost seems like it shouldn't count.