Fit @ 60 & Beyond

Joy of the Mountains Oil of Oregano for the West Coast Trail

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Tue, 19 May 2015 02:04:00 +0000

image courtesy of Lyn Belisle

Okay, so I am prepping to head out on the West Coast Trail in June. I will give more details later. This week I am in Edmonton with our delightful granddaughters (7 & 9) and am trying to overcome a wicked, flu-y cold-- chesty cough, sore, pluggy ears, sore muscles, fatigue. I've been taking a couple of drops of Oregano Oil CERTIFIED ORGANIC- Joy of the Mountain - 75% Carvacrol (30mL) Brand: Joy of the Mountain sublingually at intervals throughout the day.

It burns and it stings and tastes wretched, for a few seconds, and then I feel enlivened. Already I feel less exhausted, my muscles no longer ache, my sinuses are clear, my one ear is totally unblocked, and I am coughing a lot less.

Yes, I have been googling and reading all about it.

This particular Joy of the Mountain brand of Oregano Oil is wildcrafted (read: organic)from 5,000 foot heights in the Mediterranean, and then tested and distributed from a company in British Columbia. It won an award as the top immune product given by the ALIVE company in 2014. There are a lot of good reasons to take organic oregano oil of any brand, but this particular Joy of the Mountain brand is the tops, so it's what I'm opting for. It is also GMO-Free, Gluten-free as well as wild-crafted in a low-trafficked area on the hillsides with no (or at least little-- who can claim that wind doesn't blow it around) pesticide residues.

OREGANO OIL is A NATURAL, SAFE, EFFECTIVE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY, ANALGESIC (Pain reliever)

Last year when I hiked the North Coast Trail I had throwback pain to an old knee injury as well as the expected usual general muscle and foot aches and pains. I'm in pretty good shape, but I am a year older and I want to have something that will help me uncreak in the morning and get going with a good positive attitude (read: little to no debilitating pain). From what I'm hearing and reading, if I rub this on in the a.m. I can expect to bring speedy relief of pain, and kick in healing, for any of an assortment of muscle-affected pain and injuries, bug bites, snake bite (yikes), infections, sore throats, etc. It is apparently also effective for relief of the pain of arthritis, which I don't think I have... yet.

The primary components in Oil of Oregano that exhibit positive pharmacological effects (such as anti-inflammatory and pain relief) are carvacrol, thymol and rosmarinic acid. Other components work synergistically as a whole to bring about the analgesic effect that I am looking for, minus the toxins found in most popular linamint lotions. Apart from the significant number of studies that show that Oil of Oregano is a great analgesic is the ALL CLEAR around any worrying aspects of harm from using Oil of Oregano-- if you find that you feel less well, just cut back a dose or see your doctor if you develop a rash or other suspicious reaction. Read more about the studies here at the LiveStrong site.

I would much rather use oil of oregano for pain relief than any of the usual 'culprits' that contain toxic Methyl salicylate often sourced from fermented Oil of Wintergreen (but more likely to be artificially compounded now). Methyl salicylate is found as an ingredient in various liniments such as Ben Gay, Icy Hot, Bayer Muscle-Joint Cream, and even the popular supposedly "natural" Tiger Balm. Methyl salicylate is also in aspirin products. At best, methyl salicylate is a temporary pain reliever. It is not an anti-inflammatory (so doesn't get to the base of the problem to heal it).

HOW TOXIC IS METHYL SALICYLATE?

If a child accidentally ingested a teaspoonful of Oil of Wintergreen, that would be equivalent to an adult taking 22 aspirins-- a lethal dose for a child. Granted, it is unlikely that a child would get that much methyl salicylate from a jar of Tiger Balm, for instance, but some of you athletes will remember that Arielle Newman, a prominent young track star, died from an overdose of methyl salicylate, the result of over-use of Ben Gay for muscle pain during training. Other analgesics, such as acetaminophen (in Tylenol) can cause acute liver failure over time. Nope, don't need that. If you want more dope on the nasty 'side effects' of over-use of methyl salicylate, please go HERE. Oil of Wintergreen is considered a toxic essential oil by many credible massage therapist professional standard associations.

I'M HIKING WITH THE OIL OF OREGANO>>>
This stuff is the bomb for what I'm anticipating might come up on that hike-- muscle pain, maybe an injury, maybe an infection of some kind, maybe a cold or sore throat, the odd bug bite... the bottle I'll pack weighs 10 ml+ (a big consideration, yeah?) I may be the last person in the world to know about Oil of Oregano... if you have some good stories, please comment below!

Here is an article by my wife: 7 Natural Ways To Make A Sore Knee Feel Better
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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

The Royston Seaside Trail: My Fave Daily Hike/Walking Trail

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 23:20:00 +0000

Zoe and I on the Royston Seaside Trail

The Trail on January 1, 2015

My wife, Cynthia, Zoe (our schnauzer-toy poodle cross) and I moved to Royston on BC's Vancouver Island about 9 years ago. Back then I discovered an oceanside hiking trail in our neighbourhood that was created over top of a 45-year abandoned railway line but when I came across it, parts of it were deteriorating and becoming unsafe for most users-- but not for me and my dog!

The current Royston Seaside Trail, as it is now called, follows some of the old trail and parts run parallel to the old railway. It officially opened in May2014. Construction began on the ‘new trail’ during the Fall of 2013. From our house to the northend of the trail and back home is about 6 km which results in an easy daily workout.

The old trail included a small bridge and crossing on planks over a few small streams. The new trail is longer, and with a gravel top that is wheel-chair accessible and is an enjoyable and scenic walk or run regardless of the time of year (except when it is rainy or stormy) and the adventuresome type can dress accordingly.

The Trail has not become too busy and the other people who traverse it with their dogs are friendly. Occasionally I come across walking groups, sometimes from a series of walks offered through the Comox Elder College.

The north half of the Trail is a portion of the old ‘Comox Logging Railway Grade' known as ‘The
Breakwater Esplanade'. In the south is a chunk of the Marine Drive road right-of-way.

Between Chinook and Lince Roads, the Trail follows the former Comox Logging railway right-of-way.

On the "old Trail" that runs parallel to the new

From 1911 to the early 1950’s steam locomotives hauled logs from logging camps throughout the Comox Valley to the Royston log dump. A mile long wharf extended from the end of Hilton Road. Logs were tipped off the wharf and sorted into booms and towed to more protected waters on the inside of Goose Spit. From there, steam tugs towed the log booms to Fraser Mills in New Westminster.

Starting in 1937, large sailing ships and tugs were sunk off Hilton Road to protect the exposed log booming grounds. The wharf was taken down and replaced by a breakwater in the 1950’s, now known as "The Royston Wrecks."

Logs were stored north of the breakwater until 2005. The rocks that can be seen within the intertidal area during low tides most likely originate from the fill material placed to construct the railway grade.

The railway grade eroded with time. Erosion accelerated in particular after the log storage in front of the breakwater was taken out in 2005.

The Trail was re-constructed in fall and winter 2013/2014 and was moved inland, off the original
grade, behind the Hilton slough and at Thomson Road. Between the slough and Thomson Road right-
of-way, the Comox Valley Regional District installed shoreline protection with logs anchored with steel cable between large boulders.
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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

Day #8:Homeward Bound!

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Sat, 23 Aug 2014 04:36:00 +0000

There is nothing unique about getting up and leaving except the time we actually break camp and leave. This morning the women head out at 10:00. It is a warm, dry, sunny day.

My feet are covered with blisters and I spend 15 minutes patching up my feet with Shacklee Baby Diaper Rash Cream (Zinc Oxide, Caster seed oil, beeswax, oat kernel oil, olive oil, safflower seed oil, silica, aloe, chamomilia recutita extract, etc.), bandaids and moleskin. Sounds funny, I know, but it works for me. I have a huge blister on the base of my right big toe where the skin was torn away along the heel, and the side of my right foot. Moleskin acts quite well to protect what is. I am in a lot of pain and Brian dole me out a time-release Iboprofen on Thursday morning, and also this morning. I'm generally pretty stoic
and resistant to using meds of this kind, but, you know, when the going gets tough, sometimes the tough give in and take the pain killers that are available.

The path has a few rough sections, but there are no steep up-and-down climbs. The closer we get to the parking lot, the easier it becomes. Brian and I talk about how good it feesl to have completed this Trail-- this is really IT, a short hike to the parking lot. We are relieved and elated. With my painful feet I am still a little slow.

About a kilometer from the parking lot, the Trail splits, one path leads to San Joseph Bay and the other one East to the parking lot (Cape Scott Trail Head). As we near the junction we meet up with hordes of people on day trips or weekend junkets. There is a group of young boys that are possibly Scouts on a weekend camp-out to Cape Scott. When I turn left at the Junction I encounter people just sauntering along on a leisurely day's walk to San Joseph Bay.

I meet my first visible Park Ranger around here, a young woman in her early 20s. She ask me where I have hiked. When I tell her the North Coast Trail, she exclaims, "Oh wow!" and when I added that I was 64, she seems quite impressed and we have a nice convo.

We all converge in the parking lot by noon. I am surprised to see how full the lot is-- there are maybe a hundred vehicles here.

While we wait, we sit down in a wooden shelter. The first thing I do is take off my hiking boots off and dig my runners out of my backpack and slip into them-- nothing like the comfort of old shoes! This is the last time I will wear these hiking boots-- they are really sturdy and mostly water-proof. One thing I learned is there is water-proof and then there is WATER-PROOF. One way to test for water-proofing is to put your boots in a bucket of water for a few hours, and if the water doesn't soak up, they are water-proof. I had bought a silicone treatment for the one boot that did leak (I treated both), however, the first day I sunk up above my boots, and even with gators, water slooshed around inside. I had wet feet for the first few days of the trip.

The shuttle bus arrives about twenty minutes after we had get to the parking lot. Nobody disembarks so we assume no one else is starting on the hike from this end of the Trail. We met some folks on the Trail who had chosen to do that, but generally people start with the more challenging beginning, as we did.

The driver snaps pictures of Brian and I with Brian's camera. He hands us forms to fill out while we are driving.

45 minutes drive down a dusty logging road we arrive in Holberg, a village of about 300 people employed-- or connected to someone employed-- by the logging industry. We pull up to an old wood-frame building overlooking the Inlet. This is the famous Scarlet Ibis Pub and Restaurant. We are excited to be here, finally having the first restaurant meal in over a week. The four of us have the fish and chip special, a treat after roughing it for these 8 days in the wilderness. Three pieces of deep-fried fish and I suck back a Heineken dark non-alcoholic beer. What can I say? I am from a German background, so even if I don't drink anymore, the non-alcoholic brew has the same effect of relaxing me and quenching my thirst. I'm well beyond the novelty though-- at one time our younger son exclaimed, "Hey, Dad, you're drinking so many of those, if you don't watch out you'll be a non-alcoholic!" The other three had real brews.

In the restaurant John, the shuttle driver, passes around "experience" forms for us to fill out. Some of the questions were: "what was the highlight of your hike?" "where are you from?" etc. He has taken our pictures in the parking lot and will put the printed photos in the Memory Book. We have the opportunity to read about other people's reflections and comments about the hike, and look at their post-Trail photos. There are about a hundred photos in the book. About 500 people a year complete the trail. In comparison, about 6000 people a year complete the West Coast Trail.

We spend around an hour and a half in the restaurant, enjoying the ambience, conversations with other diners, and of course, food. About five minutes down the road in the bus the driver indicates an overgrown trail running through the trees to the left that he explains was the start of a half-finished access route to the Danish settlement over a hundred years ago. Most of the Danes moved to Port Hardy, booming at that time, when their long-term plans for settlement and prosperity didn't work out.

About half-way between Holberg and Port Hardy we stop at the Boot Tree. Tradition is that you hang your used hiking boots over the tree's branches. Brian and I leave our damaged walking sticks there as well.

When we arrive back at Port Hardy it's around 4 pm, about an hour-and-a-half drive from the Cape Scott Trail Head parking lot. We trail over to the marina and plug in some coins for a shower. This is our first hot-water shower in eight days-- back to Civilization!

We pull into our driveway about 8pm. Fittingly, my Sabbath has begun.
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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

Day #7- Laura Creek Campsite to Eric Lake Campsite

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 02:28:00 +0000

We wake up at 8 and go through our usual rituals. I have my last smoothie. My pack is now just over 32 pounds-- about 3 pounds of food left. Two nights before I sacrificed my torn hiking pants in the camp fire, so that was like losing a pound. I have also burned about 4 pairs of underwear to lighten the load. Between the food and the clothing I've lost about 13 pounds of pack burden. I probably weigh 5 pounds less as well.

We are all optimistic because we knew that the easiest portion of the hike lay ahead, except for today we know that we will be traveling about 22 km.

The weather is lovely again, in the mid-teens, sunny and dry.

Brian launches out ahead about 9:30, and I leave about 10:00 and the two women, shortly after. Brian is thinking that he might want to take some side trips, possibly into Cape Scott.

The first portion of the hike is easy-peasy along the sandy beach. This is the most beautiful and easiest hike so far. At the end of the beach I have to take the Nahwitti Cone Trail through the forest. After an initial

pleasant trail experience, there is a steep climb that includes clambering over and around some uprooted trees, and then unfolds into some muddy sections, but they are still more moderate than we have encountered on the days before. The Nahwitti Cone Trail I had expected to be less challenging. However, there are three significant creek crossings over this five kilometer stretch. The first crossing over a creek is over a bridge with handrails. The path from the bridge leads up a steep hill that flattens at the top and then descends down a decline to cross back over the creek (I think it is the same creek) done by balancing on fallen trees and logs.

I fill my water bottles. It was a steep rope climb from the creek bed back up to higher ground. Back at the top the Trail flattens out and there were many boardwalks with only a few less muddy sections. I stop for a break at Laughing Loon Lake (I have studied the map earlier). Hearing the loon calls reminds me of living in Northern Saskatchewan in the 1970s.

I now definitely feel like I am on the home stretch, any real rough traveling is behind me. There are no more rope climbs. The path begins to wind down to the beach. I can hear the crashing waves. When I arrive I climb over some logs, and for about a kilometer of

beach and about half-way along there was a majestic uprooted yellow cedar. I leaned against it and had a drink. Darci and India catch up with me, and we talk about the immeasurable aesthetic, spiritual and ecological value of this tree. I feel that sinking-gut regret that I lost my camera, for this shot and for the other pictures that were on the camera.

The beach swarms with thousands of shore birds that screech at us intruders.

At the end of the beach, also known as Nissen Bight--the terminus of both North Coast Trail and Cape Scott Trail-- we officially complete our hike and let out a cheer. I ask a couple of campers if they had seen Brian and they state that he have come through a couple of hours before.

Mid-afternoon by this point, we are a little daunted by the remaining 12 kilometers we have to travel to our campsite for the night. The parking lot, where we meet with the shuttle tomorrow, is still 15.4 kilometers away.

I head out along a groomed trail through the forest that slopes upwards for about a half-hour before flattening out. I feel good and hit a steady pace, repeatedly belting out the one verse I knew of The Song of the Happy Wanderer.
I come to a T-junction about 2 1/2 kilometers along, and am surprised to meet up with Brian. He'd gone down a trail to look at the remains of an old settlement-- not the "big" side trip he was hoping for, but a side trip, nonetheless.

Darci and India appear on the trail and went on a little ahead of us. We enjoy quite a bit of boardwalk for the next few kilometers.

I lag behind a bit, feeling tired. When I catch up to the others, they excitedly tell me that just a few minutes before a grey wolf had loped down the Trail right towards them, but when it was about 50-100 feet from them, it went off into the forest. They were disappointed that I hadn't seen it.

Brian and I walk together, seeing park signs pointing to land leased a hundred years before by Danish immigrants.

At Fisherman River, 9.3 kilometers from Cape Scott Trail head, or about 6 kilometers from where we plan to camp for the night, we fill our water bottles. From there we hike steady without any stops until we reach Eric Lake campsite. It is the usual: muddy, rooty areas offset by the occasional boardwalk.

I am exhausted and relieved to arrive. We set up camp. Even though there is very little dry wood, we put together a camp fire. This is our first encounter with mosquitoes. I massage my tired, numb, and hurting feet. We rejoice in our weariness knowing that tomorrow's hike is only three and a half kilometers.
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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

Day #6 From Beyond Stranby River to Laura Creek

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 05:13:00 +0000

(Click on the top photo to see the Gallery of Day 6 photos)
When we wake up, the fears of the last night have vanished. Weather-wise it's a beautiful day on the way. There are still hot coals on the fire, so it's easy to get the campfire going. The bear cache is intact again.

At about 9:30, Brian shows up. He explains that he spent maybe about 2 hours in the dark forest looking for us. Eventually he returned to the cable car, climbed up onto the platform, and spent the night there. He says that during the night he heard the bears beneath him growling, probably because he had invaded their territory. Fortunately, bears cannot climb up metal ladders.

We haven't broken camp yet so Brian decides to hike ahead on his own.

Much of the day consists of beach sections, alternating between sand, gravel and cobble. We consult the map many times today because we have to take short paths into the forest and back out onto the beach several times. On several occasions we backtrack.

Today I enjoy the scenery more than any other day on the hike. There is such variety including tidal pools, logs, rock shelves, thick beds of seaweed. Some of the beach walking is hard on the ankles because there are many rounded rocks without any real solid footing.

About two hours along from the Campsite I sit down to have a drink of water. I realized I no longer have my camera. In panic I think of returning to look for it but I realize that that would likely be futile. I am concerned that if I hike back too far I won't get to the Laura Creek Campsite until after dark. I am thinking I may have left it at Christiansen's Point when I had a drink there. To get my backpack off, I had to remove my camera.

Just after crossing Laura Creek we come across two young women with their tents pitched, having supper. They were headed to Shushartie Bay and I told them about my having lost my camera. They said that they would keep an eye out for it, and if they found it they would turn it in to the shuttle operator.

The campsite was in the forest, just off the beach. It was the only night of the seven nights that we do not build a fire because there's no firepit close to our tent pads. A beautiful, sunny day makes for a warm evening.

Shortly before we go to bed, Brian shoos off a bear that has been lingering around our campsite.

Day #5 - From Cape Sutil Campsite to Beyond Stranby River

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Wed, 20 Aug 2014 05:54:00 +0000

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(Click on the top photo to see the Gallery of Day 5 photos)
We rise about 7 am and start to go through our usual routines. We hit the road at about 10:30 am.

The path from the first Cape Sutil Beach zigzigs through the forest, up, down, and comes around at the Second Cape Sutil Beach. We do not actually see Cape Sutil-- it is on Reserve Land.

We follow the beach and have to go through the forest again, and come out on the opposite side. We hike a short distance to the next beach (referred to for our purposes, "Loggy Beach"). We encounter a number of logs that we had to traverse over. We are now on the Southwest side of Cape Sutil. Cobble for a while, smooth, and then we work our way inland again. It is a tough climb to get up to a High Tide Trail that follows the tops of the cliffs and goes inland on the cliffs, and then goes back down to another beach. We have to use ropes to haul ourselves up and over to yet another beach.

Almost immediately we need to start climbing again, using ropes. Here is a vertical, extremely difficult section where we have to release one rope to grab and use another as we are descending.

I am first down the steep section and coach one of the woman to descend. I suggested to Brian that he wear gloves to do the rope work. He has his gloves in his backpack; he gestures and asked India if she will reach in and get them for him. When she unzips the pack the bear spray tumbles out, followed by his water purification drops. They fall irretrievably into a ravine at the base of the ropes and the bear spray cannister breaks into three parts. Miraculously, Brian is able to salvage all three pieces and he manually operates the spray pump, using both hands, to send out a thin stream of spray. He recognizes that the gadget is broken. India, above and behind him, suddenly feels her throat go dry, and feels dizzy <--this demonstrates="" for="" how="" is.="" nbsp="" p="" potent="" spray="" the="" us="">
Brian picks up the broken pieces of the bear spray cannister and puts them into his back pack, along with the water purification kit.

We continue on to another beach-- it is easy to lose track of the different beaches, this is quite a long series of beaches.

We cross to the forest with the tombolo on the right.

We come out on the other side of the forest to another beach. We are greeted by some fantastic rock formations: jagged, rugged, green. We walk along a cobble beach. We come to a very wide and rocky creek's mouth where water flows in a thin trickle down the middle portion, allowing us to breeze through, rock to rock, without getting our feet wet.

Brian walks just ahead of me. I yell at him from behind, "Is this Irony Creek?" He replies that he doesn't think it is.

We keep walking along a beautiful sandy beach-- the best walking beach of the hike. It arks around to the right. We hike along here for about forty-five minutes, enjoying the activities of the shore birds and the surf flashing in the sun.

We came to what turns out to be the Stranby River-- although we are still under the impression that it is Irony Creek-- and look for the Campsite on the opposite side. The Tide is coming in --passage to the other side is an impossible feat. We backtrack about a half kilometer and find an old settlers' corduroy road. We follow this inland (parallel to the river). The corduroy road crosses back and forth and we tire considerably, but finally make it to a cable car. Darci says, "This has to be the Stranby River." Brian is insistent that it is Irony Creek.

We pull ourselves on the cable car to the other side. There is no signage. It would be nice to know if it is the Stranby River we are crossing.

After crossing and climbing down from the cable car, we fill up our water bottles along the bank of the river. We aren't sure how far it is to where we will pitch camp for the night. It is about 8pm and dark is falling.

We head out along the Trail, flat but grossly disfigured by roots, fallen logs and mud, a difficult route in the fading light. Brian opts to go ahead to find the campsite and I volunteer to wait for the women to catch up. (Brian still believes that we had just crossed Irony Creek).

Darci and India join up with me and the three of us soldier on. After about twenty minutes we catch a glimpse of river in the twilight. The Trail curves to the left, away from the river, into a myriad of pathways and we just hope we are on the right one. We have lost sight of Brian. We begin yelling out for him.

We are eerily convinced we hear him two different times, but aren't sure what we hear or what direction his voice is coming from. Very creepy.

We stop to have a discussion about how to proceed. We decide that I will backtrack to see if I can find Brian and they will continue on to locate a safe place to camp for the night. Our theory is that Brian is below us along the beach beside the ocean, and that having heard his voice, I will backtrack to connect with him.

I turn on my heel, and taking out my small flashlight, I yell out for him as I walk. I think this might keep the bears away. I end up back as far as where I think I last heard his voice. I take a path that I hope will lead to the ocean, but is a dead-end. I am starting to worry. I decide to head along the path to re-join up with Darci and India. It is darker now and hard to discern whether I am even on the right path.

In the meantime, the women have stumbled onto a 'pocket beach,' a crescent of sand with high rock piles on either side. They decide against going further because they see no evidence of a campsite and no Brian, so they circle back and we meet on the path. I report my findings (or lack thereof). I suggest we camp on the pocket beach.

We arrive at the beach. In the forest it is dark, but on the beach I can clearly see piles of rotting seaweed at the high tide mark. We check out the end of the beach. Rocks jut out to the ocean. The women are concerned that the high tide would wash them away. Darci is actually considering hitting the emergency button her "Spot".

On the mesa, the sand is fine and I point out that there are many boot prints, suggesting that the tide doesn't rise this high and it will make a good camp. They are still very nervous, because on the way over to the landrise we saw fresh bear scat on the beach. I share some of my research that indicates there is no record of anyone having been killed by a bear on Vancouver Island. I also mention that while I understand that an emergency evacuation is free if there is deemed a 'legitimate' reason, such as a hiker being injured in a condition not to be able to continue the hike, but that just being scared or tired does not qualify for a 'free rescue'.

We set up camp and get a big fire going. We have something to eat and drink. Darci asks me "What do you think happened to Brian?" I reply that I assume that he is camping somewhere and he'll head out early in the morning and find us. I assure them that Brian was an experienced, skilled leader in Outdoors Education in his working years. He knows how to survive in the wilderness as well as teach others these skills.

After eating we look for suitable trees to cache our food. The tree that looked most promising was dead and the limb we throw our rope over breaks off. We seal up all of the food so as to prevent odours. I have separated zip lock bags that I contain in one large ziplock bag. The women had special camping water-tight sacks. They take the three food bags and they lie them on the sand, covering them with rotting sea weed, rocks and logs. I think to myself, "this is ingenious".

This night the women decide to share one tent. They also decide they will take turns, one doing 'bear watch' while the other one sleeps. I say to them, "What good will that do? If a bear comes in the middle of the night, you'll both be too tired to fight it off, plus you'll be dead tired in the morning." So they decide to go to sleep. By the time we retire, it is past midnight.

I pray that when we wake up in the morning that everything will be fine.
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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

Day #4 - Cape Sutil East to Cape Sutil

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Tue, 19 Aug 2014 04:15:00 +0000

The first thing I do upon rising is to check on our innovative bear cache to see if it has been disturbed. It hasn't.

Since our day's goal distance to hike is to be the shortest of any of the days on our itinerary, we are quite leisurely in getting up and taking down our camp. We plan to reach Cape Sutil. What we know about this trip is that drinking water sources are far and few between so a critical goal is to find a campsite near a drinking water source, and to set up camp while there is still daylight. The sun usually begins to set around 8:45 pm.

Today we can hike along the beach because the tide is out. The cobble beach with wet, slippery rock outcroppings, and the shoreline sloping towards the water (at the outset of the morning) makes the hike more strenuous and tedious than one might think of when one thinks of "walking on the beach".

Down the beach about half a kilometer we come across some caves hollowed into the sides of the outcroppings along the cliffs. We walk by them cautiously because earlier in the morning, when Brian went to get water, he spotted a bear with a cub. We venture gingerly into the entrances to a couple of the caves.

A little further along, hiking towards us along the beach, we meet a young couple from Vancouver. They alert us to avoid the more dangerous area of slimy, wet rocks by staying left. A little past there the beach becomes sandier and easier to navigate.

In the early afternoon we transition briefly from the sandy beach to a forest trail and back on to the beach just before Cape Sutil. (We do not go as far as the actual Cape). This is it for forest trails for today.

We walk over half a kilometer along the fine, sandy beach to find an empty yurt that generally houses park rangers. We look in the windows and see modest furnishings. Wood for fuel is stacked in an outside shed. A sign reads: "For Ranger Use Only".

We are expecting to come across a park ranger, according to information we have read. We hope to have a conversation and debrief some of our experiences. It is disappointing to not find anyone about.

We pitch camp just beyond the yurt on the beach. About a quarter kilometer after this is the path leading into the woods with the bear cache and then the pit toilet. We go looking for drinking water and are surprised to find that the source is a drying-up stream, poorly marked and barely adequate to our needs. Darci and India are able to filter out the sediment with their hand-held treatment pump. This is the poorest (ephemeral) source of drinking water on our hike so far.

We appreciate the pleasant embrace of the surrounding beach, with its nurturing forest, and the sound of the waves. Everyone is tired. We look forward to the rest needed to carry on tomorrow. We eat and chat around the fire and walk along the beach before crashing for the night. It rains a little over the night and I wake up briefly around 3 a.m. to the patter of light rain on the tent fly.

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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

Day #3- Nahwitti River Campsite to Cape Sutil East

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Sun, 17 Aug 2014 22:43:00 +0000

This morning we walk from the campsite through the trees, onto the beach, to stretch. There is a large Black Bear feeding at the mouth of the Nahwhitti River, about 3-400 meters away. We all scramble to get our cameras and make our way closer to get some shots.

Black Bear feeding at the mouth of the Nahwitti Photo by ©Brian Holden 2014

As we are taking pictures the bear scents us, pulls itself up on a log, turns and stares directly at us. We yell and it pirouettes around and lopes off into the trees.

Interesting knot in a tree trunk Photo by ©Brian Holden 2014

Two hikers, who are also medical students at UBC, examine a skeleton on the tent platform. Seal? Photo by EZ2014

We eat breakfast, pack up, and walk upstream a kilometer to where we will cross the Nahwitti River by cable car. About half-way there we go through the famous Emerald Forest. Moss-covered trees with sunlight streaming through the forest raises our spirits.

Swarms of spawning fish Photo by ©Brian Holden 2014

We pause to fill our water bottles again from the bank of the Nahwitti River and watch the Sockeye swirling around, sticking around to spawn in that particular area of the river.

We arrive at the ladders up to the platform with the cable car that we will take across the river. When it is wet, one has to be very cautious because the 15 - 20 foot ascent is 90 degrees vertical, and the railings and steps are often slippery. No more than 2 people-- or 600 pounds-- can be safely accommodated by the car in one trip across. At the beginning of the cable ride, we have fun because gravity moves us, but past the midway point we need to exert quite a bit more effort to pull ourselves to the destination tower.

Pulling ourselves across the river. Photo by ©Brian Holden 2014

Suspended above the river, it's exhilarating to see sights from a perspective that one normally doesn't have. We throw our hiking poles to the ground before carefully descending the ladder.

The next section of the trail has segments that zigzag through dense forest. It's important to keep an eye out for the trail markers (red triangles posted on trees). Three young guys who passed us earlier had gone to the right along the river and gotten lost, but corrected their journey and pass us again.

Within a half-hour away from the cable car the Trail muddies up, and is very challenging due to foot-stubbing root extensions and the steep climb upwards towards Long Leg Hill. At the top of Long Leg Hill we view more forest.

The Trail descends to a beach down the longest set of wooden steps in Cape Scott Provincial Park.

When we came to the next beach it is high tide with an impassable stone outcrop, so we have no choice but to camp here. We opt to set up on a sandy deltoid-shaped section of the beach. At the other end of the beach, two small falls spring from a cleft in the rocks and pool together and offer us the choice to fill up the water bottles from the water falls or the pool.

Again, the four of us enjoy fellowship around the campfire. There is an abundant supply of dry twigs and driftwood along the beach to feed the fire.

There are not, however, any suitable tree conformations to hang up our food supply. The trees are either not close together enough, sturdy enough, or low enough for us to reach. We do find one possible candidate tree, but it is not sturdy enough to handle four bags of food. On the beach we locate a 20-foot section of boardwalk that has washed up here (from where?) that we sit on while eating. We decide to push our sealed bags of food under this find, and hill piles of rock up along the sides to secure and hide our food bags from wild animals, we hope. We try to lift the structure from end to end, and it seems immovably firm and secure. (The next morning I, unthinkingly, flip the boardwalk up on its side and laugh-- it would have been a piece of cake for a bear to get at our food).

After we eat, we roll up our pant legs and walk in the sand and crashing waves.
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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

Day #2 - Skinner Creek to Nahwitti River

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 22:50:00 +0000

Last night there were five of us camping at Skinner Creek Camp Site: Brian, the two women from Montana, Don and me.

Don, 47, had been hiking in the opposite direction from us. He had started his hike with a 65-pound back-pack-- 35 pounds of it was food. Last night he had baked salmon. For Don, the joy of the hike is working up to the gourmet meal in the evening. Before last night and this morning he gave us suggestions on how far to go each day, based on what he had seen thus far.

Day #1 having been so difficult that he suggested that we do a shorter hike for Day #2 (2.9 kilometers).

North Coast Trail ©Brian Holden 2014

We woke up to a beautiful misty morning. The waves had pounded against the fine sandy beach all night. There were many birds along the shoreline feeding.

Beautiful Misty Beach photo by ©Brian Holden 2014

Still hiking after all these years... Ed (Left) Brian (Right) Photo by ©Brian Holden 2014

We waved good-bye to Don who was on the way to Shushartie Bay to catch his water taxi back to Port Hardy. He likes to hike really fast, which is stressing to the feet, but he said he didn't mind losing a couple of toenails.

I was deliberately cautious because of my age (64) and my ongoing recovery from a knee injury - torn meniscus-- and I know that another knee injury could be disastrous out here. We were told that it almost impossible for a helicopter to get into the forested areas to do a rescue. Much of the shoreline is inaccessible to boats because of cliffs and rocky beaches.

The "steps" I'd taken down to the beach the night before (in the dark) Photo by ©Brian Holden 2014

We couldn't hike along the ocean because the tide was coming in so we headed back the way we had entered the beach last night. We went back up the steps I had come down in the dark-- it was a thrill for me to see in the daylight what I'd hiked through in the dark. I'd navigated over layers of fallen timbers, snarls of forest growth, and the omnipresent massed tree roots.

At the top of the steps we headed right on the Trail, following the cliffs. We went inland a short way, returning to the ocean just before we got to Nahwitti River.

We experienced similar challenges as yesterday-- a certain distance was uphill with seemingly unending roots and mud to slog through. We went back down to the beach on the Ocean and continued a short way until we got to the Nahwitti River campsite around mid-afternoon.

There were four double-sized tent pads and pit toilets and a bear cache where we keep our food overnight. The two women and I went to get water up a trail that led to the River and followed it a way. Schools of sockeye are spawning just past the tidal influx, where we gathered the drinking water. From that location we can see the cable for the car we will be taking tomorrow morning.

Brian had a fire going when we arrived at the Camp at Nahwitti River

When we got back to the Camp Site Brian had a nice fire going. We enjoyed the warm food, hot drinks and each other's company around the campfire. Darci, one of the women, updated her One Spot emergency device to let her husband and friends back in Helena, Montana know everything was fine. What I know: one button will alert Emergency Rescue; another button will connect with her husband to alert him that she is in trouble; and the third button issues the All-Okay message. For an extra fee, through Google Maps, friends and family can track the device.

The One-Spot, an emergency device worth investing in Photo by ©Brian Holden 2014
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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

Day #1 - First Day On the Trail- Shushartie Bay to Skinner Creek

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 22:46:00 +0000

Skipper George welcomes us to the Water Taxi

When Brian and I get up (Friday), we do our final packing, and load what we aren't taking, into the van (the clothes we traveled in and Brian's hatchet because it is too large and heavy and we expect to

Fellow passengers

have plenty of wood to burn).

At the motel restaurant we have our last cooked meal. We check out, load on our backpacks, and walk a block to the Marina to catch the Water Taxi. The sky is overcast, but no rain.

Leaving the harbour I am struck by the awesome natural rugged beauty of rocks and trees. Dolphins unexpectedly pop up within ten minutes of leaving the dock.

Glen Lion Motel in back of Marina

Two of the passengers are hikers from Montana. The remaining three passengers are daytripping to and from Shushartie Bay.

There are no toilets on the 12-passenger boat so Skipper George slowed down to enable one of the men, a diabetic, to pee from the stern off the boat. This fellow and his son have ridden from Alberta on their Vulcan motorcycles to visit a friend in Port Hardy. This is their first time on the Coast.

During the one-hour boat trip to Shushartie Bay, the Trail Head, Skipper George fills us in on what to expect.

A Foggy Greeting at the Trail Head at Shushartie Bay

As we near the Bay, we hit dense flog. George uses his instrumentation to safely land us. Within 200 feet of the rocky shore the fog suddenly lifts. We see rocks and an ancient, old growth forest, ascending up the grade about 800 feet into the air.

Brian disembarking from the Water Taxi

Majesty!

About ten minutes after we are dropped and the Water Taxi has gone, we notice a bear about a half a kilometer across the Bay. Our first sighting of wild life!

The four of us hikers arrange our packs and whatnot. We take some pictures, orient ourselves and have a bite. We looked at the Park Map. There is a Tide Table and a booth for people who haven't already done so, to pay their park fees and register to hike. We don't hit the trail until almost 10 a.m

Up and At 'Em... Hitting the Trail from Shushartie Bay to Skinner Creek

Our goal is to make it to Skinner Creek (8.7 km) by sunset. We understand that there are no drinking water sources between the Trail Head at Shushartie and Skinner Creek.

Right off the bat we're climbing a steep, wet and muddy incline but we have a rope to hang on to and pull

Not Steps- Just Boards Jammed into the Side of the Trail

ourselves up.

The next two hours most of the terrain is very difficult-- we are constantly going up, and have to use ropes several times. It is steep with lots of slippery, wet mud, some over a foot deep. There are many big tree roots and logs to climb over. During the same period, it is raining lightly and a light fog swathes us. Discouraged, I wonder what I have gotten myself into.

After the initial two hours the trail continues to be muddy, up and down and winding but with only a few steep elevation gains and drops. Usually ropes are there to assist.

We start to encounter a few sections that have greasy wooden steps, and there are sections of boardwalk. Progress is slow due to the muddy and challenging conditions.

Ladder Down the Rabbit Hole?

I take heart in knowing that this day's trek is supposed to be the most difficult day of the total trail. We pass through some areas of huge, old growth trees. Around mid-afternoon, Brian who has a better go at it, asks if it's okay if he goes ahead to Skinner Creek to set up camp ahead of us. I agree that that is a good idea.

Help Getting Down... (?)

Around 4 pm I have to stop because I experience debilitating leg cramps and over the following hours I have to stop six times to massage my legs, straighten and shake them out. I know the cramps are because I am dehydratd-- I've packed only a litre and a half of water in the morning, all I had capacity for.

The two women hikers catch up with me. We hike together for a short while, and while we hike a boardwalk section we see a small sign stuck in the ground that reads: 4.3 km- Halfway Point. Here it is almost 5pm and we can hardly believe that we are only halfway to the Skinner Creek Campsite.

Stuck to the sign is a note from my friend, Brian. He states that he has broken one of his hiking poles, and

From Time to Time: Boardwalk Joy

that after he sets up camp he will come back and help me carry my pack. I have mixed feelings. We aren't sure how much longer it will take to get there, but the gesture of my friend's to come back and help me, makes me less discouraged and more optimistic.

I assume that the remaining leg of the day's hike will be somewhat easier because of what we have already gone through. However, I am tired, dehydrated, and lacking in energy. The two women hikers decide to go ahead because they are worried about getting to the campsite after dark. I am okay with their decision.

I plod along, stopping occasionally to rest and massage my leg. Ironically, walking through the mud is easier on my left bad knee than walking on the boardwalk.

Another Part of the Long and Winding Trail

I felt fairly positive because the trail is intermittent boardwalk and not as rough as earlier today. After 9 pm dark is falling gradually and I am slowed to a snail's pace. I am also wondering what happened to Brian-- I know I am much closer to the Campsite and I assumed that he will be back to pick me up sooner. I battle worries about being lost (I don't have a map-- I gave it to Brian) and fear that dangerous wildlife will begin to become interested in me. I haven't seen any wildlife except for a grouse and the bear in Shushardie Bay when we have set out, but the shadows are rife with possibility.

On my next stop I drink a little water, realized I had eaten much, and had a couple of Clif bars. I got out my flashlight and read over the notes I had compiled. I prayed for God to get me to a campsite soon.

Mo Trail, Mo Mud

I continue to plod along. There are some difficult sections because I am not descending towards the ocean. I have not heard the roar of the surf for past two hours. (I discover later that I was hiking parallel to the ocean.)

At around 10:30pm I came to a T in the Trail and choose to keep on going straight ahead. The Trail appears hazardously steep in the dark with only my little flashlight to guide me. I turn around and go back up to the T location. I noticed a little homemade wood sign with an arrow pointing to what turned out to be the right.

I strain to consult my notes. I head slowly in the direction of the arrow and in less than a minute I come to steps going down and know in my bones that I am nearing Skinner Creek. I stay to the right and crouch down to limp under two large fallen trees. In the dark it is a challenge to find out where I am. After what seems like a much longer time than it actually is, I am at the beach and see Skinner Creek to the left

Meal Interrupted: Carnage en route

and not too far away I catch the light of flashlights waving. When they see my flashlight they (the three of them and another hiker coming from the other direction) start yelling and cheering.

Brian immediately gives me a litre of water from the Creek to drink. Everyone tells me how happy they are to see me. He also fills up my bottles as I go to set up my tent. I am beyond exhausted.

I am in a state of shock and trembling. Keeping the lentil supper down is a task because of my shaking.

I learn that Brian has also been having leg cramps and wasn't able to come back to get me. I am so thankful to God for bringing me to safety for the night.

Another segment of the trail (above): I promise I will never complain about taking the dog for a walk again!

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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

North Coast Trail: Getting to Port Hardy

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 18:52:00 +0000

Glen Lion Motel in Port Hardy overlooking bay

Thursday morning. Brian wants to purchase a couple of things he needs, such as gaiters. I stay at home to do some of my own last-minute items: take some pertinent information from various blogs and tide charts, and consolidated them into a set of written notes (printed out and put into a zip lock bag).

In the early afternoon we load our gear into the van, and head out for Port Hardy at about 2pm, a 300-km drive. We stop in Campbell River to have a bite to eat.

Beyond Campbell River there is a vista of mountains, trees and oceans, glimpsed from the highway. It is sunny with a few clouds, around 20 degrees C. In other words, beautiful.

Port Hardy Bay

We had arranged to meet George, the manager of the North Coast Trail Water Taxi upon arrival around 7pm. We want to ask some questions and pay the fees to get that over with to save some time in the morning. This turns out to be a good thing to do.

We check in to the Glen Lion Hotel, apparently the best accommodation in Port Hardy according to Trip Advisor. We happily discover that we can leave the van in their parking lot for the 8 days for free. I am not sure if this is a usual arrangement, or if there was some other reason-- but in any case, it was a pleasant surprise. I feel more secure having it in the hotel lot rather than the marina parking area.

Brian and I check into the room and lo and behold, we have an ocean view (maybe all the rooms do?). We eat supper at the hotel restaurant, also overlooking the bay. There is still an hour of light.

View of the bay from the Glen Lion Restaurant

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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

North Coast Trail Hike: Day My Friend Arrives

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 02:05:00 +0000

Brian arrived mid-afternoon on his motorcycle on the ferry from Vancouver. We put his bike into our garage and he spent time taking everything out of his carriers. I had emailed Brian my list of stuff about a week ahead of his arrival (everything I planned to take on the trip was weighed and itemized). I was hoping that he would take my list, print it out, and then compare it with what he was bringing. He covered most of the floor of the garage with his gear, trying to figure out what he might still need, and trying to rearrange things into a pack. We chatted while he did this.

Brian's Stuff for Backpack. Some didn't make the final cut.

Before my friend arrives I weigh everything I am going to take and weigh up in the neighborhood of 45 pounds. My hope was to only have 40 pounds. He has purchased some freeze dried foods for me that I have to add in -- I haven't figured it in to my total weight. (I also forget to itemize the Green Smoothies my wife made up and dehydrated for me-- they are in the freezer until the day we leave).

We compare notes so that we don't take a bunch of duplicate stuff.

We ditch extra fire starter, one extra camp towel, an extra jersey, a pair of socks and a pair of longjohns and sweatpants.* I also leave behind some Clif bars for my wife to snack on. We still have a surprlus of food.

I feel excited and a little apprehensive.

There are so many unknowns for me and once you start the hike there is no turning back, you have to finish the entire 7 1/2 days in order to get picked up at the end on time. I was a little apprehensive about no cell phone coverage anywhere on the trail and only two forest ranger stations on the route. That area is known to be wet and muddy at anytime of the year, and foggy.

But in spite of that niggling anxiety-- we are jazzed!

* later I would regret having left the sweats behind

The North Coast Trail Hike- Planning

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 02:17:00 +0000

The "Goose Spit Grind"- 600 steps for conditioning

Many people who are into backpacking or long hikes have heard of the West Coast Trail along the southwest coastline of Vancouver Island. My hiking partner, Brian, did that hike 25 years ago with his stepson. One day near the end of March, this year, Brian phoned to ask me if I wanted to hike the North Coast Trail this summer.

I said I would get back to him after I did some research.

I discovered that, in a number of ways, it compared to the West Coast Trail in that it is a coastal hike (albeit on the opposite end of Vancouver Island), similar in length of time to hike, distance, difficulty, climate and terrain. After the hike, Brian told me that is was actually more difficult than what he remembered of the West Coast Trail. Mind you, 25 years ago Brian was 39 years old.

Since the West Coast Trail opened in the early 1907 as a means of rescuing the survivors from ship wrecks, a number of improvements have been made for hikers. The North Coast Trail officially opened in May 2008, and it is still very rugged. Signs and directions are almost non-existent along the Trail. Many sections of the trails, inland from the ocean, are steep, including 90 degrees vertical. Ropes are provided for climbing up and down the steeper and muddier sections.

The Research

I have nurtured a dream about hiking the West Coast Trail so this seemed like a good opportunity to have a comparable experience. Based on the research I did that showed the similarities between the two Trails, I told Brian that I was 'in".

I pored over half a dozen blogs written by people who had hiked the trail. You can find those blog links at the bottom of this post.

I searched for what to take for a week-long hike. I started a list of what to bring, listing items by category: Clothing, Hiking Equipment, Safety and First Aid, Food, Toiletries, Eating Utensils, etc. Go HERE to read the list.

Planning

Although Brian and I had not determined an exact date to leave, I started to assemble items from my list in piles in a spare room. I bought different sizes of zip-lock plastic bags from the Dollarama to contain items in the same categories. The Zip-lock bags would keep items dry and prevent odors that might attract wild animals. Grouping these items in the Zip-lock bags made it easy to organize and pack / unpack.

Throughout the planning, although I was very excited about doing the hike, I was also apprehensive about not being fully recovered from a two-year knee injury-- a torn meniscus. Until six months ago (Fall of 2013) I still had trouble walking more than a block without considerable pain. From a class with a chiropractor in a half-day seminar ("Human Anatomy") I attended at the local Elder College, I learned that through "proper loading" there is less stress on the joints. When walking or sitting, proper posture reverses what causes the pain. It took me about three weeks to rid myself of the majority of the pain that I had had for the previous year and a half.

Conditioning

During the period of time I was recovering from my knee injury I was not as physically-active as I had been when I prepared to run half-marathons, etc. So, in order to get in shape for the hike, I did the following:

for four months, I rode my bike about every second-day, working my way up to distances of 110 km
worked out with weights weekly on 16 different weight machines. Towards the end I was doing 1000 405-pound leg presses in one session, and near-maximum weights on the other machines (20 reps each)
I discovered a 600-step hill run nicknamed "The Goose Spit Grind" that I ran-walked up and down (total 1200 steps) building up to about 12,000 steps at one go.
I did Yoga stretches
about a week before I completed a 23 km hike in our local mountains with a 15-pound backpack
I did my usual dog-walk 4 or 5 times a day

Priorities:

The Dry Run with the Full Pack about 2 weeks before

Because it rains a lot along the North Coast of Vancouver Island, the forest floor never dries even in relatively draught-y conditions that we experienced this summer all over Vancouver Island. It is important to have boots, gaiters and outerwear that is waterproof and breathable. Boots that are properly-fitting go a long way -- no blisters, waterproof, sturdy enough to balance the heavy load, and walk over/up/through all the varied rugged terrain. I wish I had known more about the boot requirements. The ones I had were not comfortable enough and they weren't totally water-proof. Beware: While a lot of boots are rated as water-proof, when you are slogging for long distances through mud and rain, you almost inevitably find out that they aren't water-proof. If I were to do this again, I would get something like this. (These are the boots my friend and other hikers had the good fortune to be wearing). On the other hand, I ordered a pair of $5 gaiters off EBay from China (cost $60 locally) and they did the trick fine-- water-repellent and breathable.

The Blogs I Followed:

North Coast Trail - day 5 Boring Art, Boring Life: North Coast Trail - Summer 2014 don't hike the North Coast Trail The North Coast Trail
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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

New Balance Unboxes Its Mimimus Trail Runners

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 21:53:00 +0000

I love New Balance. Well, by default, I love them. There isn't a shoe on the rack anywhere that will fit my wide foot as well as New Balance. I am not a famous runner so obviously I'm not being courted for endorsements so it is unlikely I will ever be able to afford to have shoes custom-made for my wide-load (5E) feet. So now they have come out with what looks like the ultimate in "minimal" shoes-- about as light and stripped down as you will find -- supposed to be as close as you can get (with protection) to running barefoot. They won't be on the market until the Spring-- I really hope they come in wiiiidddde widths so I can be out on the same playing field as the guys with narrower feet, eh. Here's a vid of hippie ultramarathoner Anton Kopricka (who has been running marathons since age 12) talking about this New Balance Minimus. Note his really ugly feet. My feet are wide but my wife says they are kind of cute. So there ya go.

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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

No Broken Hearts for Older Marathoners

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:07:00 +0000

You've probably heard people talking about how old runners just keel over and die? Well, maybe you haven't, but I have. There is almost a gleefulness by the person proclaiming this-- look here, they are implying, all this strenuous running after a certain age is not healthy for you, in fact, better that you just take up residence on your couch and settle for the weekly (hospital shuttle) runs between here and the cardiac recovery unit in Victoria (or wherever).

Well, sorry, hate to be a toldjaso kind of person, but they just completed a study of older runners (average age of 50, oldest runner in the study= 72) in Sweden that showed after the 2006 and 2007 Berlin Marathon there were some transient changes to the heart experienced by a few of the 167 runners in the study, but no lasting damage.

Doctors examined the runners 10 days before, just after completing the race, and two weeks later. As you would expect, their heart rate jumped considerably just after the race (from an average 62 bpm before to 88 bpm average just after the race). Although more than half the runners tested for increased levels of troponin T and/or N-terminal pro-B-type natriuetic peptide (both markers of heart damage) right after crossing the finish line, just two weeks later these key parameters were back in place with normal levels. The most likely reason for the transient damage was probably dehydration-- a big problem for most marathon runners, regardless of age. Us older runners, particularly, have to make a big effort to stop at all the water stations along the route-- cool runners, that is what we need to be-- recognizing that good pure water keeps us hydrated and keeps our engine from over-heating and-- heaven forbid-- blowing up.

In the meantime, please pass the H2O cuz I got me some running to do... _______________________________________

Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional. Study cited from write up August 31 in www.WebMD.com. The photo above shows me in the June 2010 1/2 Marathon at Ucluelet on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

The Modern Slim of the Middle Ground

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:41:00 +0000

Ab Belt? I don't watch TV (don't have cable thus have no reception-- nada-- zip-- blanko) so I don't get the Infomercial channel. What do you know about these Ab belts? They remind me a little of the blow up ab-trimmer I bought back in the 80s... it was supposed to sweat the inches off I think. I don't remember it being successful.

Here's what I find online:

"...Wikipedia recognizes it as successful method of training, and also states that EMS is FDA certified. From this information I formed the opinion that EMS machines do work, yet in practice many people use them in the wrong way or not for long enough, therefore people do not reap the benefits.

Unfortunately, the traditional saying of 'You pay what you get for' is true here, as many companies have started trying to produce very cheap abs belts to beat their competition, but they have forgotten that the fundamental thing that sells an abs belt is its technology, and with cheap prices, the affect of abs belts are minimal!" ~from Ryan Fisher at Squidoo

Do Ab Belts work as a training support for runners and other athletes?

"...
What the Rio people forget to mention however, is that this belt alone will not give you Britney’s tummy. In order to lose the flab from your tum you need to get a good deal of aerobic exercise, as well as working your muscles. A brisk half hour walk every day, climbing the stairs and walking to the next bus stop are all easy ways to get your heart working. No matter how rock hard your muscles are, you need to get rid of the fat on top of them before you can wear those belly tops!

4/5- Sit-ups are faster but this is a lot more comfortable! " from Little Ewok

Have you tried one of the Ab Belts? What do you think? Make a good Valentine Gift? (nah, I didn't think so hehehhe)

Amazon.com Widgets

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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

Eating for the Love of the World...

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:31:00 +0000

This is a very interesting video that looks at the way we eat and how it affects not only us, but our world. Are future generations going to look back on us with scorn or with respect and admiration? Question: is there a way where we can eat that will mean that families elsewhere will have a better quality of life? What do you think?

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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

Secret of Being Born To Run

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:06:00 +0000

Who has read this book? It is fascinating to me that there are people who can run and not suffer from all of our "modern" foot ailments-- (i.e., how many people do you know who have made it into their 50s without a diagnosis of fasciitis and a prescription for othotics?)so I am really anxious to read this book. I heard that there is some talk about how chia seed was/is used as an excellent energy-food by Mexican runners (we eat chia seed every day here). It certainly would be great to know that there is a way out of buying expensive running gear and that our kids and granddaughters are not doomed to wearing orthotics some day. I also read in one of the 357 reviews (averaging 4 1/2 stars-- phenomenal!) of this book by a review by reader George Macdonald:

"If, when you finish with this book, you don't immediately get yourself outside and run like hell, then there's probably not a drop of living blood in you. This book is the perfect antidote to everything that's wrong with modern running and the way to find everything that's still so right with it. Even if it were all a work of fiction McDougall's tale would still be worth the price of admission. Fabulous."

There is lots to read on-line about this book, but I want the real thing. You can also get it for Kindle.

Amazon.com Widgets

My Favorite Local World-Wide Adventurers

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 23:13:00 +0000

Amazon.com Widgets

My wife sometimes "accuses me" of being an adventurer (read: "taking unnecessary risks" by doing solo day trips walking or hiking in nearby nature) but when I read and hear about REAL adventurers' sojourns I have to chuckle. Colin and Julie Angus are adventurers and authors of Rowed Trip. They actually live in the Comox Valley (when they aren't off adventuring). Their most recent adventure was a trip by row boat and bicycle through Scotland (Colin's heritage) and through Europe (Julie's mother is German) and to Syria in the Middle East (where Julie's father is from).
Listen to an audio conversation with Colin and Julie Angus hosted by Sheryl MacKay on North by Northwest. (if this link is broken, go to CBC.ca and search under the podcasts since CBC Radio is now switching from audio archiving to podcast archiving.) They write riveting books and also make DVDs of their adventures. The CBC interview in this blog ALMOST makes up for missing hearing them in person (so far)-- we did hear Colin when he returned from his human-powered trip around the world and it was so inspiring-- I recommend any of these books for other "armchair adventurers" out there!
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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

Raw Vegan Marathoner with Running Back Physique

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:39:00 +0000

Raw Nutrition with Brendan Brazier

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:35:00 +0000

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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

3000 Loo Rolls in Hastings Half-Marathon

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 02:58:00 +0000

Ultramarathoner eats 25 pounds of fruit a day

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 01:27:00 +0000

Ultramarathoner tells about how his change to a 80-10-10 diet has changed his life, not just as an elite athlete, but also in other areas of his life.

Happy New Year!
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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

The Funny Side of Food...

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:49:00 +0000

Happy New Year! Are you making resolutions to eat better in the New Year? This might help to watch once in a while as a reminder of what is on the store shelves..

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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.

Brendan Brazier's Recovery Smoothie Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Fit at 60 and Beyond) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:09:00 +0000

(sorry about the blatant typos in the Youtube title and the blaring music, but the recipe is typed up clearly... worth the few minutes of fuzz)

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Anything mentioned in this blog that is of a "health or medical nature" is the opinion and/or experience of the blogger and not an endorsement or a cure. Please see your trusted health professional.