September- busy days

Hi!  How's September treating you so far? 

I've been really busy, with work and a mix of walking, hiking, running and stretching classes. Total mileage so far 17.7 miles, give or take. 

As mentioned before, I am using a simple, no frills running app to train for an October Halloween 5K. I usually go to a park with paved trails and do the daily 30 min walk-runs. 

There's been a warning recently though, of some people being harassed by some unknown man, in a local park...what's up with that?  Luckily,  so far I haven't encountered any weirdos but I do keep my eyes open and check the parking lots. Anyway, moving on...

One of the hikes I've been on was to a local Bog.  The trail is in full sun, spotting blue herons and also taking in the sight of full-bloom black-eyed Susans, Aster and other yellow and blue wildflowers. I understand Monarch butterflies love this habitat. The grass and flowers smelled absolutely wonderful...the healthy smell of summer. It was also a sweltering 98F...




I also went apple-picking. There's nothing better than eating a Honeycrisp apple, in the orchard, among trees full of sweet, red fruit, with a perfectly blue sky above.  


Another hike I did, for about 2 miles, was on a historical trail, with lots of wooden bridges, through a natural "canyon."  Again the weather was approaching 100F and the only place I wanted to be was in the shade. The air was...insufferable. But the views...pretty cool!




Yet another nice hike of about 1.8 miles (yes, of course it was over 90F and humid) was through a marsh. This time a guided "hike," with some botany aficionados. Who took their sweet time to explain every bird, plant and insect they could find. I'm sorry but this was happening in full 🌞. 

I just couldn't do this super slow pace. I told them I needed to find shade...I was hot and sweating.... and so we parted ways...the rest of the group were tourists who probably really wanted all the details. It was advertised as a hike but it was really a slow walk. Which is fine but I felt it should have just said so. 

Aside from hikes, walks and training, I'm doing some stretching classes with another app. In the beginning the sessions were 10 min. Now they are 30 min, with stretch bands and yoga mat etc. I can feel my muscle work and the tension in them ease. 

On Sat I've got a 5k trail run coming up. The race course is hilly so it's not a great measurement for where I am with the training, as I've only been run-walking on pavement.  But it will be fun and it's in one of my favorite parks!  

I'll leave you with a photo of Lake Michigan, from another hike 🍁❤









Comments

  1. Kim at Running on the FlySeptember 24, 2021 at 6:58 PM

    I love all the beautiful pics! Good luck on the trail 5K...trail running is different than streets, but it's all good. It'll work the muscles differently, and that's never a bad thing ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Running With FirefliesSeptember 28, 2021 at 12:37 PM

      Thank you Kim!

      The trail run was so much fun although I'm still feeling a bit sore 😀

      Delete
  2. CatrinaSeptember 24, 2021 at 10:30 PM

    It sounds like you have a great routine, Firefly! Well done with all the hiking and running.

    I love that local bog! It looks so pristine and untouched. It's so important that nature has an area to unfold itself and that the monarch butterflies can enjoy this habitat.

    Haha, I wouldn't have enjoyed that super-slow hike either! Good luck with your 5k trail run this Saturday and your Halloween 5k!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Running With FirefliesSeptember 28, 2021 at 12:39 PM

      Thank you Catarina! I really enjoyed the trail run. The weather was beautiful, the course pretty challenging for me lol and everyone was super cheerful.

      Delete
  3. Wendy at Taking the Long Way HomeSeptember 25, 2021 at 4:29 AM

    Your hikes look amazing! Did you have to battle with biting flies in that heat? That is why I avoid the trails in Wisconsin in the heat of summer. The flies are brutal up there. I'm doing a hiking challenge in October on the Ice Age Trail, the Mammoth Challenge. Since I still can't run, I'm happy to have found something I can do!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Running With FirefliesSeptember 28, 2021 at 12:54 PM

      Thank you Wendy! There were no flies when I went but I've been noticing some weird insects in my area lately...hmm. I thought they were wasps initially.

      The hiking challenge sounds fun! Hikers are another really fun and friendly group of people. It's quite the community. I hope you have a good time! Why is it called the Ice Age trail?

      Delete
    2. Wendy at Taking the Long Way HomeSeptember 28, 2021 at 2:19 PM

      It's a national scenic trail, like the Appalachian trail. The IAT follows the paths of glaciers as they moved across Wisconsin.

      Delete

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