Getting Fit for the Trip (Part I)

"The joy of backpacking is achieved through a conditioned body."

Or at least that is the vibe of what has been said in articles and books I read so far. And I happen to believe it to be true. For how can someone enjoy his trip when his body is not up to the task?

Too many people underestimate the challenge of backpacking and actually trying to survive in the wild for a certain period of time. Depending what you have planned, backpacking can get a person walking up to 12 miles a day with a 25-35 pounds backpack on your back (depending on your weight). That's a pretty daunting task!

The point of backpacking, at least for me, is to enjoy every step of the process, including the preparation phase. I gotta admit that I haven't been staying very active since the days of my P.E. class in high school. I vividly remember talking to my friends about how we would never exercise as much after being done with the class.

Those friends are now running on treadmills and walking to class to stay in shape.

And I remember clearly how we used to complain about the mile run. The teacher would time us and we would have to run the "best" that we can. Well, guess what? I have been running two miles for two days now. Not to mention the fact that I run faster than I used to back then. It takes me around 26 minutes to run two miles now. Don't even ask how long it took me to run a mile before.

It's embarrassing.

So, I'm proud of myself. At least I'm initiating the process/routine. Plus, the track here is really nice.

Our university hosts sport camps during the summer, so as you can see, there are kids playing soccer in the track's center field. I was actually skeptical about going to run at first because I get shy when people watch me.

Especially because I haven't been keeping fit. I feel self-conscious.

Then I told myself, "who cares?" The kids don't know me. I don't know them. We'll probably never see each other again. And, ultimately, I am doing this for the betterment of myself. I shouldn't care what other people think.

So I went down to run. A few of the kids looked at me at first, but then they just ignored me. I mean, hey, I wasn't in their way or anything. But on the second day, while I was running, I heard some one of the few parents, who came to watch their kids, complaining. One of them said, "A game's going on here. They shouldn't let them run."

Share the view!

Well, hello! You're not the only one paying to use the campus here! And the kids were definitely not having a serious, competitive game. It amazes me how people would enter a certain place and seem to announce that they own it, when in reality, it's a public good.

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Yep! I run with the best view ever: the ocean! Feel that fresh air fill your lungs. :)

As a part of my training/conditioning for the trip, I am also gaining and losing elevation. Meaning, I am constantly climbing up and going down stairs. Not to mention walking up and down the many hills on campus. I think I'm getting a pretty good workout here. Hahaha. I took some pictures as a demonstration, but they don't really show the depth/height of these stairs. They look short, but are actually pretty steep and high.

First, the stairs from the track I take up to the dorm road...

Then, the stairs I take up to my dorm...

Pretty gnarly huh?

There is also another set of stairs I take every morning to get to my 8a.m. class everyday. It is the infamous CCB Stairs. Regrettably, I don't have a picture of it. But it is a lot worse than the ones above. As one of my classmates put it,

"I don't care how fit you are, you're going to be out of breath by the time you reach the top of those stairs."

As for running shoes, I've always wanted to try one of those Vibram FiveFingers running shoes, but I didn't need to buy any new pair just yet. And I don't think I will need to for a while. The pair that I am using right now is also very comfortable. It is the Asics Gel-Kayano 17.

They support and fit my feet really well. And they're soft, too! :D Good ventilation system, so my feet don't actually heat up while I'm running.

I use to wear New Balance, and I still do like them. They fit pretty comfortably and also has good ventilation. The only brand of shoe I seem to have a problem with was Nike because of how narrow the front of the shoes is. They usually squeeze my feet, so I never end up buying them. But that was a long time ago, so I won't know if it's any different today.

As for now, I have to go about writing my paper and studying up, because tomorrow I have two finals. Finals!! Summer school goes by fast... I don't think I'll have time to spare for running today. How sad. :(

Breaking in the Boots (Part I)

As anyone knows, after buying a new pair of hiking boots, it must be broken into first. So that is exactly what I did this past Sunday. The pair that I bought was already comfortable enough I decided to go out on a short hike with it. As I said in my last post, I bought two brands of socks (three different kinds). Naturally, I tried out one on my little hike to see how it performs. :)

That's the liners. I bought two of those. Someone once told me that it's great to use liners under socks when you're just trying to break in a new pair of boots because they prevent your feet from getting blisters. These FoxRiver liners are "wick dry," which supposedly means that they take your sweat and pass it on to the outer layer. If you are wearing a pair of socks over the liners then they absorb the sweat from the liners. These liners are also supposed to regulate the temperature of my feet.

Overall, I think they did a really good job. I had some moments when my feet were heating up, but they would go away and didn't bother me for long. Moving on to the socks itself.

This is Thorlos moderate cushion Light Hiking socks. On the night that I bought my socks, I tried all of them on with the liners, and these fit very comfortably. This pair actually has a system called Coolmax which is supposed to make your feet cooler than the regular backpacking/hiking socks. The label also says that they wick moister better.

While I was hiking they felt really nice on my feet and supported them really well. There were no discomfort or overheating. The socks also didn't restrain and squeeze my calf so much, which I really liked. It didn't even leave any mark when I took them off after my hike (which lasted for four hours). Overall, a good pair of socks I plan on sticking with.

My "short" hike was at the Malibu Bluffs Park. It was actually my first time going there, although I've been living across from it for two years now. I guess I was too lazy to walk down the hill. Actually, I was too lazy to walk back up. Hahaha! Anyway, I heard many times that there are trails there leading down to the ocean, so I decided to go down and have a little adventure of my own.

Regrettably, I forgot to bring my camera. It was a nice day out; I put on my sunscreen and everything. I brought my work along, but didn't end up doing them. Hehehe. The trail starts at an area further into the park where there were white picnic tables. I gotta say though, the start of the trail seemed pretty discouraging. It was hella steep!

I was so scared I was going to slip and break my leg or something. Thankfully, I didn't. I took really small, baby steps down. Also, there were these plants that look like they have flowers, but with closer inspections, those things have thorns in them! I guess I was lucky because I was wearing my long pair of jeans. I get pricks every now and then, but nothing serious.

The trail that I chose actually leads down to a road with rows of houses right by the beachfront. I decided to walk along the small road all the way to the end. There were some public entrances to the beach along the way hidden between the houses. I went down one of them to take a rest and there were some people there with their dogs. One of the black labs ran up to me and smelled my hand for a bit. Hahaha. He was cute.

The beach at the end of the road was pretty crowded, despite the fact that it's pretty secluded. Well, a lot of cars passed me by while I was walking, so that shouldn't be surprising. Then, along the way, I saw a dead squirrel in the middle of the road. I was like, "awww... poor little thing." On the trip back, I was walking up to the place where the squirrel's body is and I saw this big bird.

It was a vulture.

First of all, how the heck did it know there was a dead squirrel in the middle of the road? Second, we're by the beach for crying out loud! I didn't know vultures live near the beach. I know the Santa Monica Mountains is not too far from there, but still. A vulture? Really?

It was interesting nonetheless. The bird was picking at the dead squirrel in the middle of the road when a car came along. No, the car didn't hit it. But the bird got up and flew past my head. Nature at its best eh? Cleaning up after herself and all.

I was so tired when I got to Alumni Park I had to rest under a tree and eat my mushy tuna sandwich. The sandwich would have been gross in any other situation, but I was too tired to care. :D I lay there for a while before hiking up the hill back to my dorm.

I later figured I should have either brought a hat with me or sunglasses because my eyes were somewhat red. I used to think sunglasses were only for fashion and people with really sensitive eyes, but now I know better. Hah!

Beginning of the Adventure

So I guess the story starts with me deciding to actually do something about my big, dream adventure. And I did.


Or at least I'm starting to.


I never really had the resources necessary for achieving my dream. It seemed almost like a lofty dream. I want to go stroll in the woods. No, more. I want to go hike in the wilderness. Even more. I want to go backpacking around the world. Just immerse myself in nature. Nothing could ever be more fulfilling.


But how is that supposed to happen when I have no guidance?


It wasn't until recently that I realized I have the choice to change my situation. The choice to change myself. The choice to educate myself. To gain experience. It wasn't until recently that I decided to buy books online from Barnes & Noble about hiking and backpacking. And it wasn't until recently that I set a plan on going backpacking next summer.


I was a little shy when I first told my relatives about this grand scheme. They probably still think I won't pull through with it. But that's another story. However, through my courage, I was introduced to REI. That store is like my miracle drug. Literally.


Despite not having a car, I've begun to take classes with them. I mean, I had to rent a car and all that, but it is totally worth it. I met many fascinating people and learned quite a bit. The most exciting thing that has happened so far was when I took the free Camping Basics class down by Santa Monica last Thursday.


The instructor was one of the store's employee called Tammy. She had an accent I didn't recognize. I thought she was from Australia or something. Anyway, during class, I had this odd sensation. I felt like this is an opportune time for me to find a hiking/backpacking mentor. Then I remembered Dr. Arnold's words:

"Opportunities come and go. When a door opens and you don't take it before it closes, it's gone forever."

And I was determined to take this door of opportunity. It felt right. It felt like something was pushing me towards it. And I was glad I took it. I built up courage at the end of class (as much as I could), and told Tammy that it is my ultimate goal to go backpacking. Then I was saying how I don't really have friends who are interested in these kinds of activity (at least not as enthusiastic about it as I am).


Then, my prayers were answered. She said she could take me, and that she can probably lend me some equipment, too. I was sooo happy. I am getting one step closer to realizing a dream that mattered the world to me. A dream that I had once thought impossible. I mean, a small, little Asian out backpacking? Pshh, she'll probably get eaten by bears first, right?


Heck, I'll be happy if I get eaten by bears out there living my dream. Although, knock on wood, I hope that doesn't happen. :p


But really, bears aren't my problem. Bears really aren't anyone's problem. I have to get fit and stay fit if I want to go backpacking, which kind of contradicts with my lazy nature. Hahaha. I'm getting a pretty good workout everyday from walking around campus and climbing the infamous CCB stairs to get to class every morning. I definitely need to do more though.


Tammy suggested the Santa Monica stairs at the end of 4th street, but I'm sure the CCB is just as bad, if not worse. And also running on sand. It's really too bad that I don't live anywhere near the beach when I get back home next month. I guess I can still jog around the neighborhood in the scorching heat. Hehehe...


So I told Tammy that I'll probably be back around August before school starts on the 29th. And she said we should do something before then. Ahh!!! So happy! But I still need to talk to my mom about it. I need to see if coming back early will conflict with anything. I hope everything goes well, because really, this is what I truly want to do.


This past Saturday I went shopping in REI to get my boots. Definitely need to get them ahead of time because I'll need to break them in. I got a pair Merrell (picture above). They were the ones that fit me the most comfortably. I also got a pair of convertible pants that zipped off into shorts. I had to get the kid's Large because I was too small for the adult size. Hahaha. I also got two brands of socks and some liners (I'm still in the process of figuring out which brand and spec is best for me). I got a shirt, and some snacks for my workout sessions:

I love Clif Bloks! They're so tasty! :)


So yeah. I already bought a backpack a few months ago when I first entered REI. I bought a raincoat that was on sale. I have a sports bra. I'm still clueless as to what kind of underwear I should use, so I plan on asking about that. I still need an undershirt and a jacket (that will be light, warm, and save space). I tried on these soft Northface pants that I really want, but they were expensive so I had to let them go. :'(


But! I get $10 off my next $50 purchase after I submit a feedback/survey, which I already did. So I plan on going back to get those pants before I leave for home. Hahaha! Not that I need it there because of how hot it is. And I also want one of those machine thing that counts your steps. Pedometer? I dunno. They sell it in REI for $20 with an assorted design. I thought they were cute. I'll probably have to rethink it through though.


As an ending note, I plan on going to Santa Monica this upcoming week, permitting I finish all my work (boo!). I kinda want to try running on the beach. So I'll probably do that when I go there. We'll see. For now, I need to go to sleep.