A couple of weeks ago we realized something. We like hiking peaks, ridges and anything with a view really. Hiking through a lot of forest we usually do because we have to just to get above the tree line which is where it gets interesting (we think). We have avoided all trails that are completely in the forest and flat and it was easy to do so as long as we were in the mountains. Now we find ourselves more along beaches and rolling hills rather than steep mountains. This makes it harder for us to find something we want to do and we end up drinking a lot of coffee and tea instead of moving. We had to stop buying brie cheese, bread and chocolate because I was gaining weight. Something has to be done, obviously, because I really like those three things.
One day we hiked through a pretty nice forest in order to watch fish jump up a water fall. That was cool, but the hike was quite boring. We discussed though how nice it would be to run on a trail like that. Imagine instead of running on streets or on a treadmill, which we are used to, we could run on this soft and interesting trail with rocks, roots and steps. This is where we decided we needed some more gear.
Nice trail for running on Vancouver Island.
Since we had left our running shoes at home we had to go shopping. Our running shoes are made for pavement so they would not be very suitable anyway. We needed something that can handle water, mud, rocks and slippery roots. Off we went to our favorite store, REI, and bought shoes and backpacks. The backpacks we have are intended for hiking and a lot more weight so they did not work either. Out we came 500 dollars poorer but with equipment that will keep us busy and fit during our travels.
On the beach at Ozette.
We tried our new gear at Ozette in Olympic National Park. Here we found a loop, a 3 mile trail leading out to the beach, along the beach for 3 miles and then 3 miles back on another trail. We ran the first 3 miles, walked along the beach which was filled with drift wood and rocks, and ran back again. It was great! Hiking through the forest to get to the beach would have been boring but now it was fun! The trail was like a board walk through thick, lush, moist forest. Anyone who have played Temple Run knows what I am talking about. This was like the live version except minus the coins, power ups and monkeys chasing you (well, I did have Andy running behind me…)
Having a break before running back.
We have done a few more runs along the coast and it is really quite fun. I have noticed that my cardio fitness might not be the best but we have time to improve that…