<p>To your health and wellness, one and all. 
Take care.</p>
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<p>Huge bear populations where I hike in the White Mountains – to the point where campers have to hang their food from trees in bear bags. You can see bear claw marks on trees all along the trails. I’m not too worries about it. You read of the occasional bear sighting, but they mostly want absolutely nothing to do with people and make themselves scarce when they hear hikers. I’ve never seen one, although I did see some kind of huge bird (hawk, eagle type bird – six foot wingspan) lift off through the trees from the trail in front of me along the cliff yesterday. I’ve seen a snake (no poisonous snakes in NH) and some kind of critter (maybe a marmot, maybe a fisher cat) scamper across the trail near Lonesome Lake. That’s about it.</p>
<p>[ACL</a> injuries bring hips into play](<a href=“http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2012/12/06/acl-injuries-hips-recovery-nfl/1752419/]ACL”>ACL injuries bring hips into play)</p>
<p>D2 ran in to bears several times when she did her early morning runs at the cabin in Wisconsin this summer. She would turn around and run back the way she came! Great speed workout for her. 
The DNR removed and relocated 8 bears from around the lake this fall so that should help make me feel better when she leaves for her runs. I wanted her to carry bear spray but she won’t.</p>
<p>EK: You’d be at the gym for three and a half hours!!! </p>
<p>At least they didnt bill by the hour.
That would also include an hour of weight machines, free weights & stretching, broken up with about an hour & half of rowing machine/bike/ elliptical machines, and a shower & sauna. I move slow & H goes to bed at 7pm anyway.
I would be in the sauna for at least 30 min. I didn’t always use it, but I found it really helped.</p>
<p>NMinn:</p>
<p>I did a little bit of research on snow shoes before buying a set. We haven’t had any snow, so no first hand reports, yet!</p>
<p>The main issues to consider are terrain and snow conditions and boot bindings</p>
<p>To keep from sinking down in powder, you need a larger snow shoe (for a given weight person). However, that is not an issue here in the East where we tend to have snow that is wet and packed. And, honestly, most of us geezers are going to be snow shoeing on previously trodden (and packed) snow shoe trails. Busting a new trail in deep snow is a young man’s game. That is seriously hard work. I went with 25-inch snow shoes figuring 200 pounds between me and a pack and clothing, etc. The brand I bought has optional clip on tails that extend the length by 5 inches. I bought them, but I suspect it was not necessary for the kind of snow showing I plan to do. Unless you are going to be snowshoeing in the Rockies or bushwacking off trail, I would be inclined to err on the side of shorter, rather than longer.</p>
<p>The other big variable between snow shoes is terrain. For a flat walk on a groomed park trail, no big deal. But, once you introduce hills, then you have to have something to keep you from slipping on ice and hard packed snow. The cheapest snow shoes have small aluminum “crampon” spikes under the boot. Mid-range shoes have more aggressive, larger steel crampons. In New Hampshire, most of the terrain in hilly, so I went with a style of snowshoe that maximizes traction, by using a steel frame with ice gripping teeth around the entire circumference. [MSR</a> snowshoes](<a href=“http://cascadedesigns.com/images/product/large/Lightning_Ascent_3_.jpg]MSR”>http://cascadedesigns.com/images/product/large/Lightning_Ascent_3_.jpg) These are preferred style for anyone who hits the mountains. I plan to start out on snow shoe trails at the nearby Audubon Center and play it by ear on trying some of the easier terrain in the mountains.</p>
![http://cascadedesigns.com/images/product/large/Lightning_Ascent_3_.jpg]MSR](http://cascadedesigns.com/images/product/large/Lightning_Ascent_3_.jpg%5DMSR){kind=link}
<p>On strapping them onto your boots, again, it’s a sliding scale depending on the terrain. Lower end models pitch their bindings as easier to get into and out of. Often must one strap to tighten. The tradeoff is that they don’t lock your boot as securely as the high-end bindings with multiple straps. Flat walk in the park? No big deal. Hilly, rough terrain? You don’t want the snow shoes to be coming off…</p>
<p>I probably ended up buying more snow shoe than I will likely need. Certainly more than I need to tool around the lake at the Audubon Center. However, if I do end up going out for snow shoe hikes on some of the easier hiking trails in the mountains, then these are the way to go.</p>
<hr>
<p>As an interim option for winter hiking, I just go a pair of [Katoola</a> MicroSpikes](<a href=“http://www.kahtoola.com/microspikes.php]Katoola”>http://www.kahtoola.com/microspikes.php). These are far short of the full ice crampons for climbing in the winter, but they are enough for a packed icy/snowy trail in winter. I have them residing in my pack now, so I’m equipped to deal with some ice on the trails. They go on and off over my hiking boots in seconds. These would also be the way to go for just a nice winter walk on snowy trails, like around the many lakes in your area!</p>
<p>I mostly went with whatever REI would donate to our group- never have really hiked a snowshoe trail as such- although mostly we would be tracking critters, not trying for an aerobic workout.( although when you are not sure if you are tracking the cougar or the cougar is tracking you, you go a little faster)
Well packed trail sounds slippery. 
Dont forget your hiking poles, you’ll need them to test how deep water/snow & don’t forget good sunglasses, the sun off snow is blinding.</p>
<p>Thanks idad! You are the best! He will be using them on trails around here and at the lake ( if the remodel is ever done!) No trails at the lake so may have to break his own trail…probably won’t get very far! ;)</p>
<p>Thanks ek!</p>
<p>Here’s REI’s page of info on snow shoes:</p>
<p>[Snowshoes:</a> How to Choose](<a href=“http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/snowshoes.html]Snowshoes:”>http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/snowshoes.html)</p>
<p>One thing I forgot to mention is that you’ll need poles. Adjustable hiking poles can do double duty, all year round.</p>
<p>50 minutes of hitting practice. Good thing that I didn’t have a match scheduled for today. I discovered a right-knee injury after hitting a few balls. Basically I didn’t move to hard on forehands - I just let the ball go unless I could reach it with moderate effort. Looks like no matches for about a week.</p>
<p>Spinning today. Love/hate thing for me. I hate going and have to force myself but once it’s over I feel good and love all the calories I burned.
Closing up vacation home this weekend–might only be able to get a short walk–lots to do.</p>
<p>Running Times is a great publication for runners. Always something useful in every issue unlike Runners World.</p>
<p>They had a great article on marathoner Meb Keflezighi and his training. Before and after each run includes plyometric drills and active isolated stretching. He also spends 45 min daily doing basic core exercises that have been discussed numerous times on this forum</p>
Sore hips from hiking.
My exercise today was getting a Christmas tree, loading it in the car, bringing it home, digging out the stand, and getting it set up and filled with water. The cats are, of course, very interested!
Turns out that tech hiking clothes are well-suited to Christmas tree shopping in a cold drizzle. 
<p>90 minutes yesterday morning of half running/half walking followed by me singlehandedly getting our tree in Pennsylvania, hauling it into the house and erecting it in the stand. Then putting the outside lights up.</p>
<p>My DD has been traveling and no kiddos around to enslave for this. Yikes. I took Advil PM last night and slept nine hours. </p>
<p>I can see why old folks migrate to the little condo in Florida or Phoenix for the holidays.</p>
<p>I’m celebrating one week of sticking to my plan. ie 4 trips to the gym for cardio and weights and eating more protein, less sugar/fats.
Getting re-hooked on that wonderful feeling after the torture of exercise.</p>
<p>Connected with two other women at the gym who are on my wavelength. Latching on to anything that will help me stick to it.</p>
<p>Fantastic, musicmom. Getting into the swing of exercise is a big obstacle to overcome. But as Rachel Cosgrove says, “Ladies, if you want to look like a fox, first you have to sweat like a pig…” :)</p>
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<p>Amen. That’s what most of us do in this thread. The fact of the matter is that most people in your real life (even family) really don’t want to hear about your workouts, probably because it makes them feel guilty. Funny how it takes “total strangers” like the ladies at the gym or the folk on an internet forum to keep the flames of motivation fanned. Just the simple act of checking in with your workout or reading that somebody else made it to the gym is a big part of staying motivated, I think. It’s not like the actual workouts are “fun” most of the time.</p>
<p>I too want a little condo for the holidays - in HI!</p>
<p>I spent a fortune at the REI store last night. I needed to pick up a few items for the hike, but walked out with a bunch of clothing in addition to water purifying pills. There is a sale going on, and some deals were irresistible. I ended up buying a pair of fleece-lined brooks running pants and some tees. The cute hooded Brooks jacket with a ponytail hole is on sale, too, but I passed - have too many jackets already. Got home and ran 4 miles on the treadmill, since rain was coming down like a waterfall.</p>
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<p>That’s easy to do! I took a real beating on the 30% off Marmot sale at [url=<a href=“http://www.backcountry.com%5DBackcountry.com%5B/url”>http://www.backcountry.com]Backcountry.com[/url</a>]. I stopped at the big outfitter store on the Kancamagus Hwy in Lincoln, NH after hiking a couple of weeks ago and, boy, you can drop a fortune on little doo-dads and odds and ends.</p>
<p>I was thinking about your cliff walk hike this week while I was hiking. I can’t wait to hear all about it. That’s the kind of experience most people only dream about. I’m getting re-outfitted to do a little camping next summer, but I think I’m going to stick to car camping and day hikes. Did you have to buy a backpacking tent and packs, or have you found a place in that will set you up with rental gear when you are there?</p>
<p>thanks, idad. You’re getting me completely. This newbie appreciates the support.</p>
<p>I was at first hesitant to post here, everyone else is SO far ahead of me on the fitness spectrum. But maybe I can learn stuff to make THIS time a real lifestyle change rather than a short term diet thing. Who knows? Maybe I can be helping someone else by next year! :)</p>
<p>3.5 miles today, at a real easy pace.</p>