Doing What Girls Love To Do . . . Shoe Shop!

I love shoes. I really don't know many women who don't. A few, but seriously, not many. In my closet there are plenty of shoes in a variety of colors and styles - from tennis shoes to cowboy boots, stiletto heels, and tactical boots! Not all of the shoes in my closet are comfortable - afterall, sometimes how you look is more important than how you feel - as long as there's not a lot of walking involved! One thing I can say about most of the shoes and boots in my closet - with the exception of the cowboy boots and tactical boots - they weren't expensive. I see no good reason to spend a lot of money, even if I had it, on something I may wear twice a year. The two pairs of hiking boots that I already had weren't more than about $40 at a local mass market sporting goods store, and they were never a good fit in the store - but I figured I'd break them in and it would all be ok. I couldn't have been more wrong. I found that out the hard way that quality - which translates to higher dollars - is of vital importance when it comes to hiking boots, and I'm grateful I found out on a neighborhood hike, not a long hike where I had no choice but to push on and deal with the pain. Immediately after our local hike, which wasn't more than about three miles long, I took off my inexpensive boots and could see that I had red hot-spots, and what would have turned to blisters if we had been on a longer hike. I had places around my ankles that were starting to chafe, which I suppose could have been the cotton socks I was wearing, and how tightly I had them laced, but whatever the reason, this wasn't something that was going to work. I made a few phone calls and we decided that we'd head into town and visit Sports Haus. I wish they had a website link that I could post here, but they unfortunately don't. The woman I spoke with on the phone was very helpful, offered a few different suggestions for brands - none of which I knew anything about, though I'd heard some of the names from R. We were primarily going to shop for him a pair of boots - I don't think even at this point I was convinced that I needed a pair of new boots. Part of my brain was still convinced that I could just break in the old ones better. We walked into the store and my eyes were opened to a whole new world of shoe and boot possibilities! There were boots and shoes everywhere. They had every square inch of this store stuffed to the gills with wonderful things to see, try on and consider! I was there to observe R getting some boots. The woman remembered our conversation, his size, the brands he was looking for and even the discussion we'd had about his ankle injury from some years before. I've never had a sales person actually remember details I told them in person for longer than a split second, much less from a phone call hours earlier! Amazing! While she was preparing to help him, size his feet and actually offer him true customer service, I decided on a whim to look at some boots myself. I told the woman helping R that I thought I'd look at some boots too, afterall, I was here, right? and she immediately called another woman over to help me - we each got our own individual customer service person! I was wearing very thin cotton socks though, so the first thing I decided to do was shop for a pair of socks. A girl can always use new socks. Once I picked myself up off of the floor after seeing the PRICE of the hiking socks, and wandering back and forth looking for socks that didn't cost more than I've ever spent on my whole sock inventory, I took a deep breath, swallowed the lump in my throat and picked out what turns out to be the most amazing pair of socks I've ever had on my feet. Heck I will go so far as to say that these are more comfortable than any cozy slippers I've had on my feet! I picked out a couple pairs of boots, explained to the lady assigned to help me, pulled off my socks and slipped my feet into these socks - FEETURES they are called. Oh - My - Gosh!!! Seriously! I've never felt any socks like these socks. They are made of a lovely combination of merino wool and bamboo. They somehow manage to feel warm and cool at the same time, and the cushion under my feet felt like it was energizing my toes! I'm not exaggerating. Amazing. Ok, if I had to spend nearly $20 on a pair of socks, they rightfully should make my feet feel like dancing. We were off to a great start. (you can find these at www.feeturesbrand.com but they are also on other hiking/camping supply sites so shop around for the best prices - I'm finding that the average price is what we paid - $17.99 plus tax). The sales associate brought out three pairs of boots, the two pairs I picked out, and one more for comparison. They explained to me what the different types of boots were for, the differences in insoles, ankle support, flexibility of the boot and sole, what the different flexibilities are for, etc. The mind boggled! Who knew? I put on the pair she brought out first, and they were fine boots, but they felt a bit funny around the toes. Cross that pair off the list of possibilities. If it isn't comfortable immediately, it's not a good idea to spend the money on it - it'll just lead to misery later. The 2nd pair I put on were so comfortable that I felt like I could take off and hike right that moment. The third and final boots were also wonderful, but they were a bit more aggressive than what I need at this point in my immediate hiking plans, so I made the decision to part with the money and bought this pair of Merrell Siren mid-level hiking boots. They had a good, moderately knobby tread on the Vibram soles, are waterproof and incredibly comfortable. These boots are ideal for me, as I am a beginner to hiking and I know at this point I will be carrying a relatively light pack, and the hikes we go on will be for people with beginner to moderate hiking abilities. I know I'd still have to break them in, but they felt so good already that even without wearing them out of the store they were more comfortable than my other boots were after several trips to the mountains to hunt for Christmas trees. R went with a more aggressive and sturdier pair of boots, as he already has a mid-weight pair. He's been hiking for some time and the boots he chose are going to transition well to the hikes with much higher difficulty levels, even to the higher alpine hikes that would require crampons, and the heavier loads he will be carrying, even on the hikes with me. Now that I have this amazing pair of boots and socks, I'm excited to get the rest of the gear together and hit the trails! Now THERE'S something nobody would have heard me say just a couple years ago!

Baby Steps . . .

We have a delightful trail network behind our neighborhood. Several miles of trails zig zagging through the woods, ups and downs, over a bridge that spans a trickle that may have at one point been an actual creek, down an old logging road, to Buck Lake, etc. They are all very well maintained, all trail heads carefully marked with the distances from one point to the next. We've walked them on and off over the last couple of years, and we are always amazed by the beauty that is nearly in our own backyard. We decided to start walking those trails more to get prepared for going on our hike, the goal being to hike into the mountains with everything we need loaded into our packs on our backs. This isn't something I am ready to do just yet, so for now we opted for baby steps, and those start on our neighborhood trails. I dug out my old pair of hiking boots, which really weren't that old in terms of how often they'd been worn, dusted them off, put them on, and together we set out on a sunny Saturday afternoon for a walk. The woods were beautiful, the sun was filtering down through the vibrant greens of the trees, the birds chirped, and once on the old logging road we saw signs that many other creatures had traveled the same path, and some not long before us! My time with R is always good, and this day wasn't any different. We set out at a good pace, water bottle in hand, pedometer on my hip . . . and before long something very important became quite apparent to me. My boots were not going to be sufficient for the trips we had planned. As the walk went on I became quite aware of just how important new boots were going to be as my feet began to have rubbed spots on my heels and around my ankle. Well, shoot . . . that wasn't an expense I was prepared to deal with . . . but if I eventually want my big hike, I was going to have to just give up on my stubborn ways and buy some new, better boots. So 1st baby step - make a list of the supplies and equipment needed for the activity you are going to undertake. Here's the list we came up with that night. Some of these things we had already, some we had to go and buy. A well thought out list is very important. I'll list the basics, but research the trails you'll be planning on hiking and plan your list according to weather common in that area, the conditions of the trails, etc. BOOTS - good ones. The boots you get at any lower budget sporting goods store likely aren't going to give you the support and stability you need. Keep in mind the difficulty level of the hikes you are going to be taking - are you going to be heading out on simple little trails, medium to difficult trails, or are you going full on alpine hiking? If you are going to be on trails that are very well maintained then you may be able to get away with a light hiking shoe, however if you are going to be on even easy trails carrying a load, you will need more supportive boots. If you are hiking trails that are unimproved with roots and loose rock you will need even more stability, and an aggressive tread - Vibram soles are the standard that other boots are measured by. Because we live in the often wet Pacific NW, it would be a good idea to make sure you have a breathable waterproof boot. Go to a sporting goods store that has experienced staff who are knowledgeable about their product. We went to Sports Haus in Poulsbo and were given some of the best customer service we'd had in a long time. They sized us, watched us walk to see how our feet did in the boots, and they made great recommendations and had a good variety of quality brand name boots. CLOTHING - Since most hikes that we'll be doing together will be in warm weather, I'm focusing right now on warm weather clothing - light weight, breathable clothes with lots of pockets for carrying miscellaneous stuff, shirts with venting under the arms, and at the back. Hiking is hot work and you need to be able to release the heat. Hats are very important too - they keep the sun off of your head, as well as the rain. I ended up with 2 baseball caps (ok, I admit it, I like to color coordinate), and 1 black rain hat. Socks. Oh my goodness - this one nearly needs a separate category. I realize that spending a lot of money on socks goes against the grain for many people, and I admit that I felt a little choked up at the cost of these, but we ended up getting socks that were specially made for hiking that are made of a combination of merino wool and bamboo. OH MY GOSH! These things are AMAZING! They are cushy and soft, but even when the feet are sweaty and hot, they don't smell funky! They also dry quickly once you've taken them off. The socks will affect how your boots fit, how your feet FEEL in your boots, and by the end of your hike, the right socks could make or break your whole experience. Always carry a backup pair of socks. *REMEMBER* NO cotton socks - they get wet and sweaty, they do not wick the moisture away from your skin and you will be utterly miserable after a hike in cotton socks, probably with hot spots and blisters. For the ladies, a sports bra isn't a bad idea - the girls need to be kept comfortable and face it, if you find yourself doing a quickstep down a steep hill, you'll want everyone strapped in appropriately. A lightweight rain jacket - Like I said before, we are in the Pacific NW - it rains here a lot. If you are near the coast or in the mountains, it rains more often than a lot - so a rain jacket is pretty important thing to have. Mine is a water resistant, breathable jacket that squishes down very small and fits into its own pocket so I can stuff it into my little day pack without taking up much room. Layers - dress in layers, shirts, polar fleece jackets, etc. that you can compress and stuff into your pack. You can always take off layers if you get too warm, but if you start out without enough layers to put on to warm up, you'll be miserable if cool weather comes or if it starts to rain. Always have your extra insulation with you, even if you think you'll only be gone a little while. BACKPACK - The size of the pack depends on how long you plan on being gone. Regardless of whether you are taking a few hour day hike and only want to carry some water and a couple protein bars, or if you are heading into the mountains for a several day stay, you need to make sure that your pack is well made, ergonomically suited to your frame, and has good shoulder, hip and chest support straps. The hip straps are very important the heavier your pack is going to be - you want the heaviest weight to be at the hip line, and the straps keep it from flopping around and adding strain to your spine. Having pockets that hold water bottles and snacks within easy reach without having to take your pack off is important. You can hydrate and get energy snacks along the way without having to slow down your pace. MISC - Day hike items to take along (I'll cover overnight stays later on) that come in handy: a good pocket knife, trekking poles, water, protein bars/gorp, sunglasses, camera (you know you want to take pictures of all the beautiful nature you're hiking through), extra socks, mole skin for any hot spots you may develop, mosquito repellent (that could easily be #1 on this list). The list of items could be endless, but your pack isn't bottomless so plan carefully. I have a lot to learn, and I know I'll be learning for a good long time. I'll be back with a more detailed plan on getting the right boots, socks, equipment, etc. Until then, happy planning!

The View To Our Destination is Best Seen Through the Eyes of Where We've Been. . .

We all walk through this life from somewhere, on our way to somewhere else. From the day we are born to the day we die we are the sum of all that we've done, seen, heard, chosen, etc. The building blocks to who we are are made up of these experiences, and how we choose to move forward is determined by each of them. This blog is not about dwelling on the negatives of the past, but a salute to how they have motivated a more positive future. My journey from childhood to young adult was filled with normal kid stuff. My family loved me, and they still do. My parents both worked hard, we did family activities, went to church, fought, laughed, played and got through the days the best way we could. Sometimes we cried, sometimes we giggled til we were exhausted from the glee, and there are some things we wish we could do over and change. I wouldn't change much, because those times made me who I was when I got pregnant and married - yes in that order. The next 22 years were a combination of wonderful highs and dark, horrible lows. The memories of the highs - the things I am learning to focus on when thinking of the past - are composed of my children, my beautiful, compassionate, stronger-than-nails daughter, and my handsome, brave, faces the world-with-enthusiasm son.

The lows are a mixture of verbal, mental and emotional abuse that put me into a place of insecurity with myself, a place where I ate to cover my emotions and through which I grew to be an unhealthy weight. I didn't know who I was because I couldn't face my own reflection in the mirror, and when I did glance up to see, I didn't like who looked back at me. The day that my ex husband told me he was leaving me turned out to be one of the biggest blessings in my life, for after we parted ways my life began anew and I started to learn not only who I was, but how strong I could be, and I began an amazing journey during which I would find the love of my life, and my life itself.In January 2005 I turned 40, became a single mother unexpectedly, moved out with my son, changed jobs and was thrust into a world that I didn't recognize. It was a world in which I had to make my own decisions without anyone criticizing what those decisions were, it was a world in which I was responsible for everything that happened in my home, and a world in which I wasn't screamed at, belittled, or called names. It was a world in which new experiences began rushing at me and I chose to face that head on. In that world I met the man who was destined to be the love of my life, and who ultimately took my hand and showed me that I was worthy of love, worthy of respect and worthy of good health. I still hadn't recognized that for myself - for all of my attempts hadn't worked and it was so much easier to give up on good health than to keep pursuing one dead end after another.

In November 2010, one month after my daughter's marriage to our beloved son-in-law, after seeing with horror the pictures from the wedding (see red dress photo), I was given an opportunity to meet with a new naturopath, and with the encouragement of R, my husband, I began her weight loss program. This was a major turning point in my life!After a few months on her program I had an epiphany! I didn't mind looking in the mirror! I liked who I saw looking back at me! The me I now see in the mirror, though still a stranger in appearance sometimes, I like her! This me can do things I could never do before. I can walk long distances, climb steep trails, I can RUN! Yes, I said it! I can run! Not for great distances, but for me, any running is AMAZING! This program brought me health, it brought me energy, it brought me a new business that allows me the blessing of helping others lose weight and find their lives too. And now, on to the reason for this series of blogs. This is a record of me learning to live life by new standards I have set for myself. I choose to live life active and healthy, and I am documenting the stages as they happen. I will be sharing preparation tips and ideas, the activities themselves, and side trips along the way. They may not always have a cohesive rhyme or reason, but when does life go in a straight line? It's much more entertaining when it twists and turns along the way. Join R (my husband) and I, as we hike the trails and byways of our beautiful Pacific NW, as we kayak across bays and lakes, as I make my first reluctant step off of a bridge to learn to rapel, with R going over the edge with me to keep me strong, and as we find lovely little places to visit throughout our local travels. Lace up your boots, here we go!