<p>Deborah- sounds like you made the most of it in all respects! Welcome back.</p>
<p>I will be on Kona in a month!</p>
<p>Wow, in a month?! Time surely flies! Hope WC is doing well and his feet are all healed from the sockless half.</p>
<p>We really need to start a list of the good, the bad, and plain sucky hotel gyms! I’m still upset that such a huge property has such a tiny gym touted on their website as an amazing fitness/wellness center! I managed to get only a couple of mosquito bites navigating the stairs down to the gym from the parking lot and to run 4 miles (amazingly enough, I still can run!!).</p>
<p>^I am not picky about hotel fitness equipment. If they have anything at all, I am happy. </p>
<p>And btw, I was just wondering why people eat everything on the breakfast buffet to “get their money’s worth” but don’t use the hotel fitness center to “get their money’s worth”? Hmmmm? :D</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Only one hotel that I have been in had a good gym. This was a hotel that apparently leased space to a real gym (which had a full selection of free weights, cages, pullup/dip stations, various cardio machines including a spin bicycle and rowing machines, pool, and racketball courts) which hotel guests could use at no additional charge. Another had an ok gym (dumbbells, multipurpose cable weight machine with a pullup bar, pool, treadmills and ellipticals).</p>
<p>A typical hotel gym has treadmills, ellipticals, exercise bicycles (non-spin kind), a pool, and maybe some cable weight machines.</p>
<p>Some things can be done without equipment:</p>
<ul>
<li>Run outside, or up and down the stairs in the hotel.</li>
<li>Swim in the pool.</li>
<li>Pushups and planks on the floor in your room (probably want to wash really well after putting your hands on the floor, though).</li>
<li>Dips between two chairs or other pieces of furniture.</li>
<li>Use your baggage in lieu of dumbbells or kettlebells.</li>
</ul>
<p>Finding something approximating a pullup bar may be harder, though you may be able to find something at a park, school, or subway train near your hotel.</p>
<p>Westin hotels always have good gyms, you can count on them.</p>
<p>Doing an interesting hike this week, Enchantment Lakes. This is one of the most gorgeous, scenic hikes in Washington. To avoid the 18-20 mile route, I think we will go up Aasgard Pass, which will make it only 12-14 miles, depending upon how far we go. The only issue, is going up the pass is a 2300 foot elevation gain in one mile. Unbelievably steep. I hope I can do it. Don’t know if we’ll camp at the lakes for a night, or do it all in one day, as it can be hard to get a permit. I hope I can walk after this!</p>
<p>Wow. That hike looks incredible.</p>
<p>[Video</a> trail review and guide for Enchantment Lakes Hike, Leavenworth WA | TMBER](<a href=“http://tmber.com/routes/wa/enchantment-lakes]Video”>http://tmber.com/routes/wa/enchantment-lakes)</p>
<p>I’m afraid it would be out of my league. 2700 feet in three miles was all I could handle. 2300 feet in one mile would be the end of me. I’d also have to make sure that it doesn’t have more “exposure” than I am comfortable with. That’s steep enough that it might be a little too close to rock climbing for a wimp like me…</p>
<p>[This</a> guy](<a href=“http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/h1NhUYQzCeg/maxresdefault.jpg?feature=og]This”>http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/h1NhUYQzCeg/maxresdefault.jpg?feature=og) was in his mid-30s when he started climbing up to Aasgard Pass… :)</p>
![http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/h1NhUYQzCeg/maxresdefault.jpg?feature=og]This](http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/h1NhUYQzCeg/maxresdefault.jpg?feature=og%5DThis){kind=link}
<p>Bus driver, it sounds like you might get to put your newfound rock-climbing moves to use :)</p>
<p>Kudos, Eddie, on the work to date</p>
<p>I’m still chasing around a pound or two to get back to pre-Newfoundland weight here and the damned Celtic Fest starts Friday. So much festing…so tight a calorie budget! Gah! I will have to dance it off…however, there is a direct relationship of alcohol-calories-ingested-inspiration-to-dance-Irish-jig…in which case more=more ;)</p>
<p>On the bright side, yet another perfect day for aquajogging. Make hay while the sun shines, as they say!</p>
<p>Limped around for a measly 2.5 miles yesterday in sandals. Adjusting my gait to avoid the toe injury meant pain in the ball of my foot. Ish. Will keep plugging away!</p>
<p>The one hotel gym that stands out in my memory was The Galt House in Louisville - a rooftop 360 view and lots of machines to use! The fitness room is one of the first things we check out in a hotel when we arrive.</p>
<p>Okay, that’s funny, idad. I’m sure I’ll look like a female version of him by the time we’re finished…and I hope it’s not the end of me.</p>
<p>“Gah! I will have to dance it off…however, there is a direct relationship of alcohol-calories-ingested-inspiration-to-dance-Irish-jig…in which case more=more”</p>
<p>And what is wrong with that? Dance away!</p>
<p>Well guys, I’m celebrating my fiftieth birthday today. Took the day off of work, ran 6.27 miles this morning and am trying very hard to ignore the one dozen homemade cinnamon rolls my mother delivered. You’re all welcome to come over for one. </p>
<p>KMC, I’m with busdriver. Have a great time dancing away!</p>
Are we required to run to your home to receive a cinnamon roll?? 
Great way to celebrate - with a 6.27 that you weren’t doing last birthday!
Enjoy your day Sabaray ! In case you are stressing about “the number”, you can consider doing what I did at 5-0 - start counting backwards! I’ll be celebrating 46 before too long!
<p>Happy birthday, sabaray!</p>
<p>Happy Birthday sabaray! Wishing you a year filled with good health and many miles! What a year it has been for you! What an inspiration you are!</p>
<p>abasket, you are more than welcome to run to Virginia. Let me know when you’re close and I’ll have Mom whip up a fresh batch! Thanks BB! And NM…you are just one of the very nicest people I know.</p>
<p>sabaray- Happy Birthday! Mine is tomorrow.</p>
<p>I managed to get out for 5 miles this morning. I’m still dragging and it’s still warm and humid here, but it’s supposed to change. I am flying to Phila tomorrow night and it might bee quite chilly there on the weekend! I’ve been making some bad food choices and weight is up a little. Bowl of M&Ms outside my co-worker’s office doesn’t help…</p>
<p>C’mon, sabaray, you deserve a cinnamon roll for your birthday. You can eat just one, especially after 6+ miles!</p>
<p>Happiest of birthdays to Sabaray and in advance, to MomWC.
I may have to celebrate in your honor 
Save me a cinnamon roll…it’s a long trek from here!</p>
<p>Happy bday, sabaray! Just did a mile this morning - am missing my dance class tonight due to a work commitment. But - I have a girlfriend who is moving to Australia and is cleaning our her closet. I had had a <em>gorgeous</em> black leather skirt – soft like butta, as they say, really elegant and flowing – in a size 6 that I had given her. Now that she’s moving and doesn’t want it, she gave it back to me – and I’m pretty sure it fits! Woo hoo! Also bought a sweater in a size small, which felt great since I’d been buying larges – and I am simply too small / short to ever be in a large of anything!</p>