March in New England is a month of change that’s hard to miss: the snow begins to melt, migrating birds return to the region to nest and breed, and daylight hours continue to grow longer than the dark nights. Our beloved sports teams change too. The Bruins and Celtics are pushing to get into the playoffs in the final weeks of their seasons while the Red Sox prepare for opening day in warmer climates.
In our outdoor adventure world, Jen and I are forced to look higher up in the mountains for spring skiing opportunities as the valleys green and the snow-covered hiking trails emerge from their frozen slumber. Soon, we’ll trade skis for hiking boots.
Jen belts out a cheer after a smooth run in the recently opened Maple Villa Ski Glade in Intervale, N.H.
During these early days of spring, Jen and I discuss some of our hiking goals for the summer. For the last 6 years, our objective has been to hike all of the trails in the Appalachian Mountain Club's White Mountain Guide. That’s 608 trails, mainly in New Hampshire's White Mountain National Forest, totaling 1,440-plus miles of hiking. I'm close to 75 percent finished and Jen is more than half way. This goal of ours, as maniacal as it sounds, actually keeps us centered on so many other things in life, especially when it comes to taking care of ourselves physically. To achieve this goal, our bodies need to be in shape or we’ll struggle or, even worse, get sidelined with an injury. Though we don’t hike as much as we ski in winter, we still pay a lot of attention to fitness and to keeping our activity level up despite the demotivating frigid temperatures. We know that once May and June roll around, and the trails are snow-free, we need to be in top hiking shape to have an edge.
Tracing the trails we hike on a map with a red pen allows us to track our progress in hiking all 608 trails in the White Mountain Guide.
Even though New Year’s is the most cliché time of year to start exercising, it’s also the time when gyms and studios offer the best deals. I use this perk to kick-start my focus on the upcoming season. I try to think of working out as an investment in my mountain legs and stamina. If there was a way to create a thought bubble over my head while I run on a treadmill, that bubble is usually filled with the thought of me climbing steep, rock-filled hiking trails. It’s nearly impossible to keep my mountain legs without climbing mountains, but interval training comes close. Alternating every 5 minutes between running and weightlifting with minimal recovery time for 45 minutes is a great way to build the stamina required to hike White Mountain trails. Something tells me most people in the class aren't there to shape their calves into giant almonds for hiking, though.
Jen and I swap skis for snowshoes on a brisk trip with my parents up Mount Willard in Crawford Notch, N.H.
Two years ago, my goals this time of year were much different. Around the time the Red Sox opened Fenway, I had my first infusion of chemotherapy. Walking into the clinic for my first day of treatment, I knew I would eventually return to outdoor sports, but at the time, my main goal was to keep my body as healthy as possible so I could rise above the effects of the drugs and endure the physically taxing regimen. In retrospect, it’s probably why the start of spring has always felt different to me. These triggers, watching the Red Sox or the Boston Marathon, will always evoke bittersweet memories of my bout with cancer. Naturally, my body also reacts to the seasonal change in the same way animals coming out of hibernation do. It wants to regain strength, eat well, and spend a lot of time in nature. I like what my body is telling me to do, and I couldn't agree more.
Until next time, peace and love,
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