A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

Exercise

It’s time to actually fix myself

I’m grossly out of shape.

For those of you who know me, this isn’t any breaking news (despite that being the “in” thing on the Internet).

As a diabetic, this isn’t a good thing. And I know it. And I’ve let my numbers get worse, which is really sad considering my A1C was immensely awesome a year or so ago. Now, not as much. But I know I have to do something about it.

I’ve said that before, right? And there’s never a guarantee things will improve, but one has to keep trying.

I don’t know why, but I decided Monday was the time to start. And by that, I mean I am going to start tracking everything. What I eat. What I drink. How much exercise I do. What my numbers are and how what I’ve eaten makes them go up and down.

Basically, I am going to start taking myself to task.

I need to start utilizing my Fitbit more – especially the web interface and the phone app. I can track everything (food etc.), I just need to make sure I do it. It’s a bit of a pain, though, so I’m trying to figure the best way to do it.

Any of you have an app or web interface that’s easy to log your food and all the other good stuff? I’d love to find a one-stop shop for apps when it comes to this as I think it would be beneficial. I’m also doing it old fashioned — pen to paper.

Which way to go?

Which way to go?

Anyway, part of doing all of this is to try and get me into doing more outside. Whether that’s finding new trails to hike on and challenge myself, going for a walk, or riding a bike. Or, heck, doing something not on that list. Anything to get more active.

So, Monday, I went out after dinner to explore one part of a new set of hiking trails. I won’t lie – I was looking at it twofold: Getting some exercise as well as looking for potential geocache sites. I found many possible spots in the parts I explored and I haven’t even checked all of the trails yet.

First, let me say this, my cardio is awful. The trail goes … well, up. Then it evens out a little. But it’s on a mountain, so there’s going up … and up. And I was winded (I’m being nice about that statement). Now, that’s not a bad thing. It got my heart rate up. I knew when to stop a little. It made me challenge myself. The good part is I know how I felt when I got to the top. I know I want to be able to do that much easier in the future.

I also want to eventually run a 5K. No, I’m not some runner in my past. It’s more of a personal goal. I have the one picked out I want to be my “first” and I have plenty of time to train for it, so this is only a start. But for me to be able to run 3.1 miles, I need to get my cardio up.

With diabetes, I know it can be controlled. I need to lose weight and exercise. I need to challenge my body to get better the best I can and utilizing places in my area will help. I’ll be out on my bike. I’ll be working on it the best I can. Eventually, I’ll hopefully be lowering my numbers and getting my health back in order.

The plan, too, will eventually to start posting my “Living with Diabetes” posts. In the past, they’ve helped me kind of keep on track and hopefully it can do that again.

Reality, too, is that I won’t be able to do this every night. Some nights, I work late. Others I might be pooped. But I need to challenge myself to get out as much as I possibly can to get some exercise in.

Monday was a good start though. I look forward to eventually exploring those trails a tad more and seeing what is out there and, hopefully, getting into better shape.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please Like HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Fitbit review: A good tool to get motivated for exercise

After years of looking and looking at them – I finally invested in one.

A Fitbit.

For those who don’t know what one is, A Fitbit is an amazing … for lack of a better term, pedometer. It’s oh so much more though.

See, a Fitbit comes with the ability to hook it up online – either through your computer or a smartphone. I’ve been syncing mine through my iPhone.

My only question is why did it take me so long to get one?

On reason was finances – these aren’t cheap little toys. I purchased the Flex, which is one you wear on your wrist. It was about $100. The cheapest one is a $50 one that has fewer options and isn’t on the wrist.

So far, I love it.

It’s not annoying to wear and it seems to do pretty well. The steps seem pretty accurate and I’ve attempted to jiggle it to see if it miscounts different things and it hasn’t so far. There are pros and cons to this, as always, but so far I am enjoying it. I have a lot of goals I need to start hitting when it comes to health and the Fitbit is going to be something that helps me do that.

If you are considering something like this, it’s definitely cool. But allow me to tell you a few things about it.

Pros

There are several pros to this product.

1. The online/smartphone feature is excellent. It allows you to do your thing and see the results on a bigger screen, not just on the face of a pedometer. There are graphs and things like that. You can also add certain other items – different activities (biking etc.), and keep track of your food and water intake among other features.

2. The interactive part of it helps you push toward your goal. You can earn badges and such, much like other social media platforms.

3. There is a friend network, so if you know others who have a Fitbit, you can friend them. Maybe this will allow a friendly competition to get people out and walking some. Theoretically, that should get you to do a bit more.

4. Motivation. With everything out there to help, why wouldn’t it motivate you to do more than, say, a regular pedometer would? The software, if you fully use it, can be your one-stop place for exercise needs.

5. Sleep tracking. Though I’m not sure how much I believe this, it tracks sleep and tells you how well or not well you sleep each night. No matter what, it’s at least interesting to see what it claims I am doing when I sleep.

Cons

1. No screen. At least on my Flex, there’s no screen. You do have some lights flash when you get close to your daily goals and such. There was a bracelet one that had a screen, but Fitbit recently recalled it. Looking at the company website, the other Fitbits do have screens. This isn’t a major thing to me – and I knew it before it came – because I sync it with my cell phone. But for those who don’t have a smart phone and might have to wait 8-10 hours to see results, it could be a turnoff.

2. The Fitbit had a calorie counting thing, but it’s based you your height/weight and a couple of other things. I realize calories can be burned while sleeping – but 900-plus? I don’t understand how things like that fully work, so it’s possible I imagine. I did look it up and this can be turned off, but until I know how to add those things a bit, I’ll leave it on.

3. A tad bulky. Once the summer fully hits and I am wearing short-sleeve shirts, it might be difficult to always have it on. The main part – where the “machine” is – is a tad bulky. We’ll see how that works, though.

4. Battery. The Fitbit I have has a rechargeable battery that lasts about 5-7 days. So you have to pay attention and charge it at times or it can, and will, die on you. I had it happen once and it was quite frustrating.

Overall

The reality is this – I needed something to start pushing me to do more. Will this be the item to get me to always get off my duff? No. But, it helps. I can see real-time results, which is pretty sweet. And it is also a social media platform, to an extent. So friends who have a Fitbit, or are on the website, can see what others do etc.

I’d love to see who all has a Fitbit in the blogging world. It would almost be fun to come up with a friendly summer challenge. I have a few ideas, but I’d first have to see how many bloggers have it and would be interested.

Back to the original topic though – why I am truly enjoying this. It’s a way to help you push yourself. I haven’t used the entire website yet, but you can input food, other exercises etc., to be able to keep track of other aspects of your life. The program is, in all honesty, a really in-depth piece of software. And, with it being all web-based, it’s even nicer so you can access from more than one platform.

I eventually do want to do more with the website and the program. I don’t know if I will ever be that good at logging everything I eat, but it could be a good thing. I got this as a way to help with my diabetes to show I am getting at least some exercise. There’s no doubt that I am just starting to move along and need more exercise, but that’s OK as I realize it and will keep pushing forward. I am excited to see where my new plan and all takes me, and this will just be a small piece of the puzzle.

If you are looking for a more fun way to try and push yourself to get out and walk more or do more, take a gander at the Fitbit. It’s a fun and seemingly accurate way to keep track of your steps and more, as well as keeping an accurate look at your exercising and more.

Price ranges start at about $50. The model (Flex) I purchased was a little more than $100, but I am fully happy with it so far. I hope my opinion doesn’t change anytime soon as it’s a neat little product to push me some and hopefully it remains that way.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

On the Appalachian Trail with Ghost

"Ghost" at the completion of his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. (photo courtesy of Tyler Bedick)

One major hike down, two to go for West Virginia resident Tyler Bedick.

The triple crown of United States hiking is when someone hikes the tree major long-distance trails in the country — the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail.

Bedick, a 23-year-old chemist at Mylan Pharmaceuticals, conquered the Appalachian Trail this year, covering the 2,180-plus mile trail in 139 days, so about 4 1/2 months. He said he plans to eventually hike the other two to complete the triple crown.

He also seemed to personify the hiker’s edict in hiking his own hike.

In fact, that’s how he gained his trail name “Ghost.”

Bedick said when he was early in North Carolina, the name was given to him because of how he hiked.

“It was because I hiked quickly and also quietly and would often accidentally sneak up on slower hikers and scare them when asking to pass,” he said.

Hitting the trail

Bedick’s interest in the Appalachian Trail seems to have grown from backpacking experience he had during his time in the Boy Scouts. From there, he said, he began planning his own trips with friends.

Walking down the trail. (Photo courtesy Tyler Bedick)

Another inspiration came from reading Bill Bryson’s book, “A Walk in the Woods.” That, Bedick said, could have spurred the idea of hiking the AT.

“The concept of being in the woods and covering such a long distance on foot really appealed to me,” he said.

Alas, he didn’t have a lot of long-distance hiking experience.

He said the longest hiking trips he had taken were 7-10 days. Some of his trips included New Mexico, the Great Smoky Mountains and the Laurel Highlands Trail, a 70-mile jaunt in Pennsylvania.

With the interest for the bigger hikes, Bedick set out for the Appalachian Trail.

“Feeling confident in your backcountry skills and also being generally physically fit prepared me for it well,” he said. “I saw lots of people out the first week who had no idea what they were getting themselves into. Because of my experience from scouting and my trips when I was younger, I feel that I was probably more prepared than a significant number of the starters.”

The trail isn’t all cakes and candy, however. There are good things and bad things about thru-hiking, Bedick said.

On the positive side, one gets to meet some amazing people. Also, he noted, it’s a good time to think about your life, gain a better sense of self-sufficiency and see some incredible things in nature. The negatives include being away from family and friends for a long time.

He also said it can be mentally and physically draining, especially toward the end.

The Appalachian Trail Experience

Bedick’s average day was quite simple, he said.

“Wake up, eat, walk, eat, walk and stop at a shelter or wherever when its nearing dark,” he said. “Eat and go to bed. Repeat the next day.

“It can become extremely monotonous for some people,” he continued. “Others enjoy the ‘job’ of walking the trail.”

The views on the Appalachian Trail can be amazing. (Photo courtesy Tyler Bedick)

As with the trail — there are highs and lows.

One of the best moments Bedick had was hiking through the White Mountains in New Hampshire. He said it was a great trail with amazing views.

“The experience of doing work for stay at the huts was fantastic as well,” Bedick said. “The Whites were extremely challenging, but also very, very rewarding.”

As for lows?

“I cant think of any particularly horrible moments, but I found myself extremely exhausted and worn out by the time I made it to Maine,” he said. “The deer flies and horse flies were horrendous and the lack of trail maintenance was very draining.”

But as great as the White Mountains were, he said he’d love to be able to re-do that section.

“I would re-do the White Mountains because when I passed through there I had broken my camera and couldn’t take any photos,” he said. “My photos from the trail were great but I missed so many fantastic photo opportunities there.”

There were also fun times, of course. Being out in the woods for that long has to work up your sense of humor. And though some of the things were a “you had to be there” sort of moment, Bedick had his share of laughs, he said.

He was hiking in Maine with a guy with the trail name “Teddy,” as in “Teddy Bear.” The two were both mentally and physically drained.

“I think just from having hiked more than 2,000 miles for four months straight, we were possibly getting a little delusional,” he said.

As mentioned before, Bedick said the deer flies were awful and two or three were circling both of their heads for about six hours straight. That, of course, was making the duo go a bit nutty.

So where did the conversation turn? About the black flies, of course.

At this point, being a bit delusional as Bedick noted, the two started figuring the flies were their personal trainers to motivate them to continue walking and then about how they don’t have the money to afford three trainers at once.

“We were adding our own ‘insults’ that the flies were yelling at us,” he said. “We were basically trail crazy at this point and were laughing hysterically.”

Looking back

As Bedick remembers his jaunt from Georgia to Mount Katahdin in Maine, he said he was happy with the way he hiked.

Ghost reaches the Tennessee/Virginia border. (Photo courtesy Tyler Bedick)

“I really feel happy with the pace that I hiked and the stops that I made along the way,” he said. “I am happy with the locations I chose to pass and the locations I stopped at. I also hiked with several groups, off and on, and am happy with the friendships I made along the way.”

The look back also helped unfold the best day on the trail. He said it was either going over Mount Washington and the Presidential Range in the White Mountains on an amazingly beautiful day. Or, he said, in Virginia when he went over Dragon’s Tooth, McAffee Knob and Tinker Cliffs.

He also learned a bit about himself on this journey.

“The main thing I learned was that I don’t have to settle in to the ‘conventional’ lifestyle in whatever order,” he said.

Instead, he stopped grad school and got a decent paying job with plans to save up for future adventures such as the PCT and CDT.

“I also hope to climb some significant mountains in the future,” he said, adding that Mount Denali and some other West Coast mountains are on his radar.

As to the future hikers of the Appalachian Trail?

“Hike the trail how you want to hike it,” Bedick said. “Do not cater the way you hike it to anyone else. I saw so many people out there hiking the trail in different ways and so many ways would work. Hike whatever way works for you.”

Tidbits

Here are some quick-hitting tidbits from Nadeau’s thru-hike.

  • How many pair of shoes did you go through? He started with a pair of Salomon Quest 4D GTX boots and used those until Pearisburg, Va.; He then switched to Lafuma Trail Runners until New York and there he got a pair of Solomon trail runners, which lasted until Gorham, NH. He then switched back to his boots until the end. So one pair of boots and two trail runners.
  • What happened in days following the hike? He ate at some of his favorite food places, reunited with friends, visited some bars and found a job.
  • Best trail town? Hanover, NH. “It really felt like a clean town and there were some amazing amenities there,” he said. “Two solid outfitters; a senior center, which had an amazing shower and great laundry services for pretty cheap; lots of good places to eat and good coffee places as well. I also got to relax and watch a movie. Camping was allowed on the outskirts of the town near a soccer field for free.”
  • Worst trail town? Bland, Va., and Glasgow, Va. “I’m not sure that either of them are ‘true’ trail towns,” he said. “Bland, in particular, offered a hiker shuttle into town to resupply at a gas station that was touted as a grocery store.” The price of the shuttle? $15.
  • Would he do the Appalachian Trail again? “It’s unlikely,” he said. “I think I would only do it again if I were to hike it with a girlfriend, or wife. Or with my kids, assuming I have any.”

Series Schedule:

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Reminder! Contest going on! I am holding a contest this week for an autographed copy of Bill Walker’s book “Close Encounters on the Appalachian Trail”. It runs from October16- to 12:01 a.m. Oct. 28. You can see all the details on the contest page. Enter for your chance to win!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook by clicking the button on the right side of the page!

Day Zero Project: Completed No. 2

A Day Zero Project goal of P.J.’s has been completed!

Goal completed: Go bike riding for a day.

Date completed: April 6, 2011.

Number: 2  (remember, these goals will not all be done in order. It’s a random list where the numbers actually are).

Description: I’m trying to get myself into a healthier lifestyle and trying to exercise more. Being I’ve always liked biking a bit, I figured this would be a good one to add to the list.

Why I wanted to do it: To exercise, not rely on the car so much and to help get myself on the path for a healthier lifestyle. And, honestly, because biking can be fun and it’s a good way to get out and see things a little differently.

How I did it: Two of us went geocaching in the Poughkeepsie area, doing caches along two rail trails. We biked more than eight miles that day and picked up 20-plus geocaches on the trails. It was a wonderful thing and it has me looking at other bike trails around the state that might be worth considering a day trip to go, ride and cache, and come home. Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of these in our area, but there is one I plan on checking out a bit more once the ground dries a bit more (it’s not a paved trail like many of the other ones). I would encourage any geocacher to try this for a day. It’s really quite fun.

About P.J.’s Day Zero Project: Day Zero is a project where people come up with 101 things to do over 1001 days. I started the project on Oct. 10, 2010 with an anticipated finish date of July 8, 2013. Goals will not be revealed until they are completed. A private list is at the Day Zero website and the list will be made public upon completion of the project. It’s my thoughts that if things are kept private, should I not do them, change or find a way around it, I’d only be cheating myself.

Geocaching: On a bike and fixing things up

I’ve found a new way of geocaching and I like it — with my bike. I know others have done this and all and it’s not some new way to cache, but for me, it’s a new way to do it and I really like it.

And being my bike has been tuned up recently and with gas so expensive… this seemed perfect.

Last week, Brent and I headed to Poughkeepsie to do some geocaching. The idea was to hit two rails-to-trails, which were nice and paved and would be beautiful for a bike ride. The total biked would be more than eight miles. Pending time, we were also going to try and get one cache at the Walkway over the Hudson, then bike the distance of that for some photo opportunities.

Unfortunately, we got a late start as Brent had some things he needed to take care of. We then got to the first spot, put my new bike computer on my handlebars and were soon off looking for our first cache. This trail, which would be about four miles round trip, had eight caches on it.

We didn’t get all the caches, but had to stop at the halfway point because they are doing some work on a bridge, so we couldn’t go any further. Instead, it was back to the car and to another parking area so we could finish the trail. We decided to pedal out to the cache that was the longest distance and work our way back. Unfortunately, we had to go with two DNFs (did not find) before finally getting back  to finding a few. We finished that trail and with the time and possibility of rain coming, we opted to skip some others and head off to the other rail trail.

That one was excellent.

About four miles round trip with 12 caches, including two really good multi-caches.

It was highly enjoyable and a good ride. The final stretch, I pushed a good pace to get back to the car. That felt good. Brent had some issues with his bike, so he came in a little slower. Dang handlebars of his were coming loose. Kind of nuts to watch it happen. But we still found the caches, which was cool.

We added a few more finds, but didn’t get over the Walkway, which stinks. But that’s OK — it’s all the more reason to go back to the area. I’m searching for more bike trails like this as it’s a nice way to get out and geocache — on the bike. Or even some bike-friendly areas/towns to be able to cover some ground and do some caching.

To make things a little better, I ordered a bike mount for my Garmin 60CSX today in the hopes that I can pay attention to my riding a little better when out using the bike to cache!

As for the rest of the day, we did a few more caches (including getting three letterbox hybrids on one of the trails; and three virtuals — one at a covered bridge!) and Brent got his 1,000th find. Now I have some planning to do in regard to a golden ammo can for him. In this area (and others I know) we hide a golden ammo can for the person when they reach 1,000 finds.

MAINTENANCE RUN

Part of owning geocaches is taking care of them after placing them.

I went out for a short ride tonight (1.85 miles) to check in on a couple of my nanos and try and think of a few places where I could place a few more. The idea would be for people who come to the town, they could park and ride their bikes to pick up several caches. Or at least those of us around here who bike could do that to check in on things here and there.

Our town doesn’t get hit too often by geocachers, so it would be nice to make it so people could come and get several without having to worry about the rising gas costs.

I’m looking forward to doing some of these bike runs, too, in some towns nearby. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks, I’ll get out and do all the maintenance on the rest of my caches. Some will be getting archived (I have those picked out) including likely at least one puzzle cache and one multi-cache. But it will open some areas, which will be fun to hopefully have some new caches.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com.