Hiking

[Catrin]

I strongly believe in making lemonade when I need to do so rather than to collapse on the couch because I can't do the activities I want to do. The knee MIGHT be improving a bit, time will tell. Yesterday I had my longest hike since my injury - made it an entire 2.34 miles - and it felt pretty good outside of a complaining IT band. Part of me is tempted to try it without my knee brace and see what happens. I've a sneaky suspicion the hinge on my brace puts pressure where my IT and quads connect up to the knee - which may be the root of some oddities. Time will tell, I will have my brace with me regardless. The last time I tried hiking without it...let's just say the brace didn't stay in my backpack very long.

Kettlebells are still working for me Yesterday I was on my hike with walking stick and backpack while munching on an apple. Got some compliments from a few people in my age group who commented on how prepared I was on such a nice afternoon.

Is anyone else hiking right now? I've looked with some jealousy at the increasing number of cyclists in the lovely weather!

[Crankin]

I try to do a short local hike once a week. I haven't done this in the past 2 weeks, as I have upped my cycling, to get ready for my trip. I love hiking, but I am not ready to seriously cut down on my cycling, in order to do so. Maybe, when I really retire, I'll dedicate more time to hiking?
I tend to hike when the weather is a bit iffy, or I am really burned out on riding, or when I am on vacation. At one point, we considered doing the AMC Hiking/Backpacking course, but I just couldn't see myself hiking with a heavy pack. So, it's day hikes for now.
I'm not so good with rocky descents, using a pole helps, but here in the rocky/rooty northeast it's hard to avoid. This was what tripped me up mountain biking, too. I had a totally different experience hiking in Arizona and Colorado, where I was practically running down the descents.

[Pax]

I won't be hiking for a long time, but I got back in the pool and that's been nice.

[Catrin]

I wish I COULD swim Pax, that is one thing I've never learned. It would help if I had the slightest desire to do so...but I get panicky when my face gets near the water. I've decided I wasn't meant to swim

Crankin - descending is the main reason I've the hiking stick. My knee gives me more trouble when I am going downhill, and if you factor in steps, roots, whatever then I make good use of it. Part of me is wondering if the brace is actually slowing my recovery. It does help with anterior knee pain, but then I seem to have more IT band numbing/pain and medial knee pain when I use it. Ortho and everyone else says it is specifically designed for my patella arthritis but I do wonder - though it would probably be easier if the patella was anywhere near where it is supposed to be. I am going to try it tomorrow without it - thought about doing that tonight but since I did both kettlebells and a nice hike yesterday I decided to wait for tomorrow morning since I've the day off. Frankly I would far rather trail run than hike - but I don't know when/if that will be an option. Certainly not this year. At least I can get outside!

My backpack doesn't have much in it, my Kindle if I want to stop and read somewhere, my phone, sometimes a snack, and my water bottle. It WOULD be nice to get up to at least a comfortable 6-8 mile hiking distance and do that a couple times a week to go along with my kettlebell training. I am not talking about difficult terrain here - which means my favorite hiking trail in Indiana is ruled out. For now.

[Crankin]

I think a 6-8 mile hike is quite enough and a good goal to work up to, no matter the terrain. Thinking about going out on my neighborhood trail early tomorrow, definitely taking a day off from riding. No boot camp tomorrow, but I should rest.
It does sound like that brace is helping one thing, but hurting the other.
Yeah, when I meant backback, I mean the kind where you are carrying camping gear, etc., for overnights. No way am I doing that. I would like to work up to longer day hikes, though, on more technical terrain.

[Pax]

Wish we were neighbors, Catrin, I taught a lot of Adult TOW (terrified of water) classes when I was still teaching/coaching. Never failed to get everyone in the water and comfortable, some went on to swimming for fitness and even masters competitions.

[Crankin]

I am a terrible swimmer, too. I can swim, and I am not afraid of the water, but I really don't like being in water where i can't touch the bottom or get to the edge of a pool. I've realized that there's some issue with my left shoulder mobility, as I can't really do the front stroke correctly on that side. Also, during the few times I've used swimming as a sub activity when i was injured, I had the problem of swimming with my contacts. I have yet to find a pair of goggles that work for me, as I have a child sized head. When I finally found some that kept the water out, they were too tight. So, I usually end up doing a breast stroke or side stroke, if I swim at all. Putting my face in the water makes me feel claustrophobic, which is a new development!
On that note, I did go out on the trail this morning at about 7:30. I wasn't wearing bug repellent, although I was mostly covered up. I felt really good and managed to run (slowly) about 1.5-2 miles, up the ridge. I did not do the whole trail, which is door to door, about 4 miles, because it was getting hot and I didn't want to take off my sweatshirt. The last time I was on the trail was April 16th and I am in way better shape now, based on my ability to run up the very steep climb (15%?) to the street. I guess that's what cycling up big hills does for you.

[Catrin]

I CAN backstroke, at least I could the last time I was in a pool - long ago. With my shoulder mobility I am unsure that I would ever be comfortable with it. I can't even dog-paddle!

On Friday's hike I noticed a big change on how the walking felt and and how the brace felt as well. Something like 3 weeks ago I attempted to hike without the brace, only got about .25 mile and I stopped and put the brace on. Today I decided to do another experiment. Made sure my brace was in my backpack (leftover from my college days!) and hit the trail. I kept waiting for my knee to start complaining. Outside of some very minor twinges underneath my patella, and some numbness in my IT band and lateral gastrock, it never reached the point where I felt I needed to put it on I had planned on a 2.5 mile hike, but I got turned around on a new trail and wound up with an even 3 miles. I am not saying that it is back to pre-fall condition just yet - and it was far from normal then - but I am encouraged. Tomorrow night will attempt my kettlebell class sans brace and see what happens!

Lovely trail, pretty gentle with some steep steps - I knew about those and started the trail in the proper direction to go down the stairs. Hit a new (to me) trail section that goes through a bird nature sanctuary. It wasn't signed well, and most of the trail was severely overgrown as it wasn't in the woods. I did get back on the path and am glad I tried the experiment!

[OakLeaf]

Catrin, glad it seems to be going well - good luck with your kettlebells tomorrow! Pax, glad you're back in the pool!!

[Catrin]

I am curious if any TE members who hike also have arthritis in their feet? I love wearing my Brooks Cascadias - they are great trail running shoes. I am noticing, however, that when I hike more than 2ish miles (gentle dirt or gravel trails (very small gravel, not loose) trails) that the ball beneath one of my big toes gets cranky. I am quite sure that it is arthritis - given how many OTHER bits of moderate-severe OA that I have. The shoes aren't worn out, and as they were designed for trail running they don't seem an unreasonable moderate hiking shoe.

I am wondering if actual hiking shoes might be a better choice (perhaps better cushioning?), and if anyone with the same problem has noted a difference between using trail running and hiking boots. Hiking boots aren't inexpensive (and I will need to do a 60k tuneup on my car soon), and I don't want to conduct an expensive experiment without good cause. I also wonder if the increased protection/traction of an actual hiking boot might decrease my chances of falling on slippery trail surfaces, I need to ponder that one. As my knee recovers I will be headed back to my favorite MTB trails to hike, they are more technical than my current trails.

[Crankin]

Ha, I just wrote about this in my injury thread. There is definitely a difference between light hikers and trail runners, and regular hiking shoes. I think you might find more stability and a thicker sole in a pair of light hikers. I have a pair of Merrels; bought them in 2002, so they have certainly held up. THey are not as expensive as regular hiking shoes, either. I wear them for most of my hiking, except when I've been up in NH. The real hiking shoes are mostly used for snow shoeing.

[Catrin]

I just spent a few hours between a couple of stores trying on a wide range of hikers and hiking boots. I deliberately didn't look at price, and I am not familiar enough with the brands to allow a brand name to influence my preferences. In all three stores I was able to work with a woman with a broad range of hiking experience and there were good discussions over my needs and desires. As it turned out, the footwear that felt the best in all areas turned out to be a true hiking boot - light in weight, a nice wide toe-box with narrow heel, felt great and and provided nice ankle stability. None of the light hikers really felt any different from my trail running shoes. These will suit me for hiking in southern Indiana, and also will be appropriate for terrain in East Tennessee/Kentucky and be cross-seasonal. I guess Salomon has a good name, and they felt better by far than anything else I've been trying on recently. While a bit pricier than what I expected, they are only $30 more than the Vasques I tried on and I think will work much better for me.

Now I just need to wait for some mileage reimbursement from work that will be more than enough to cover the cost - and I think that happens Monday!

Speaking of hiking, I got in another 3 mile hike today before some storms hit the area. It was a couple hours after my usual KB training and my knee was perfectly happy with it - and I never had to put on my brace - though I DID for the kettlebell training. I think it might be time to try a more aggressive trail

[Crankin]

That's great, Catrin.
Just got back from a ride and my *knee* got achy at the end. I think i may have been walking funny with my foot injury. I haven't done anything different, and i even modified all of the jumping in boot camp yesterday.
Bodies...

[Catrin]

That's great, Catrin.
Just got back from a ride and my *knee* got achy at the end. I think i may have been walking funny with my foot injury. I haven't done anything different, and i even modified all of the jumping in boot camp yesterday.
Bodies...

Bodies indeed...people laugh when I mention "broken bits" - especially those in my age group I AM breathing a sigh of relief at the apparent signs that I won't need surgery anytime soon after all. It will likely need to happen eventually, but not now!

[Catrin]

Anyone hiking this weekend by any chance? Tomorrow is National Trails Day and I will finally get my new hiking boots dirty. Am considering heading to one of my old favorite mtb trails from when I could still ride but time will tell. I may choose a more gentle trail to break in my boots as I've never had ANY ankle height footwear, let alone real hiking boots. They feel good, but unsure I want to commit to my first rocky trail since my knee injury for my first hike with them.

Perhaps some here will honor the day with either some trail work or a good mtb or gravel ride?