Hiking & Running in Iowa

I brought home made fudge to Iowa.  My Dad loves fudge and used to make it on the stove top with no recipes, no scales, no candy thermometer when he was young. I took a chocolate making class with my daughter and make really good fudge that I closely monitor with the candy thermometer, wiping the sides of the pan down with damp paper towels, weighing the good quality chocolate before adding it, and pouring the mixture out onto my granite counter top where I work it with a paint scraper (new and used only for fudge). I put Iowa black walnuts on the top of the fudge.  My Dad had mailed them to me a while back and I've had them in the freezer.

So that is what I kept tasting all weekend in Iowa.

It was a short trip for a wedding. Still, I got a couple of nice sightseeing workout events in.

I was up before dawn on Saturday, donned my running clothes that I had set aside the night before so I could sneak out quietly, not waking anyone. I was just about to leave the bedroom when a pillow hit me in the head. I turned to my husband and said, "Get your ass out of bed since you are awake and come with me. Let's go hiking." So he did and we did. Approximately a 3 mile hike.

We hiked into Lamson's Woods State Preserve, Fairfield, Iowa.  We continued on along the bike path and back into town through Chautauqua Park, then on the streets back to my folk's house.

Across the street from my folks' house.

Morning light as dawn was breaking.

Birding. It's migratory season and there was LOTS of activity.

Green Heron

Mr. Heron

Breakfast of champions.

Hi!

The morning fog at Lamson's Woods.

I got up early Sunday morning too.  Dave stayed to chat with my Mom and Aunt who were already up so I went for a run.  I brought my little Nikon but the battery soon died so I had to use my Droid which doesn't take good pics.  I had nice long looks at the heron at Lamson's Woods - ran part of the same route we'd hiked the day before. It had rained over night so it was nice and foggy on the ground. Beautiful. I heard wild turkeys just outside the border of Chautauqua Park and stayed for a while, hoping they'd show themselves but it wasn't to be. A good run. Maybe 3 miles.

I love running into the fog!

Pearls or rain-heavy web?

Chautauqua Park. So beautiful!

Three Mile Loop

The little cove along the Severn River.

I love the colors.  This looks so inviting.

Boats are so romantic.

When I run, I like to sight see. I often carry a little Nikon camera. I do lots of starts and stops if the scenery is awesome.  And I try to run where the scenery is awesome.  Many people have gym memberships.  I can't do that.  I have to exercise outdoors and get a good dose of Mother Nature along the way. Even when it's cold.  Even when it's raining.  One of my favorite runs was as it was starting to snow.  Beautiful.

My maintenance run is a simple three mile loop through a neighborhood along the Severn River in Annapolis.  It is scenic, it has hills, trees, birds, and lots of beautiful flowers all summer.

Epiphany on a Lifetime of Exercise

I've always been outdoorsy and athletic.  I grew up on a farm and rode horses, bicycles, and played hide and seek in the barns and shed, even the corn crib. In elementary school I took pride in being a good kickball player and running the mile in gym class. In junior high and high school I ran cross country and played basketball. In college I continued running on my own, and joined ROTC so I did orienteering, obstacle courses, sky diving, rappelling and conoeing in the Ozarks, and anything else that sounded fun.

I've always liked food though.  I always thought that the longer my workouts were, the longer my distances run, I could eat more.  That's true to a certain extent.

A couple months ago, as our family was hanging out in our kitchen (yes, the center of our universe), one of our adult sons who has been into body building and fitness in general, was talking about how people think you can get into shape in 2-3 months, like many people make plans after their New Year's Resolutions or want to get in shape for summer.  He said he used to think that too. Then he said it had taken him 4 years of serious work to get to the point where he is now.  It's more than a 2-3 month ramp up.  It's a lifestyle, he said.  And....he said he felt that it was more about nutrition than about the exercise.

"YOU CAN'T OUT-RUN YOUR FORK," he said.