Official Training Begins

The guys I go hiking with and I call ourselves the Gentlemen's Hiking Club. We've hiked trails all over the St. Louis area. The other day, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we were in Castlewood State Park with bikes, on trails that far surpass our skills. That's a picture of me, taking a rest, along the Missouri River. The picture looks goofy because I'm still learning to take self portraits with my Treo 700p.



In any case, while hiking/biking with the Gentlemen's Hiking Club, I declared that the short trek through Castlewood was the official beginning of my training for the marathon trek next summer from the Arch to Tor House. We probably covered 10 miles, most of it by bike, though there were a couple of long stretches with huge rocks and roots and loose dirt near bluffs. These were trails that other bikers zipped through without a worry in the world. They were cool but I kept thinking I hope the route next summer is nothing like Castlewood trails and, more important, that a saddle with the exact anatomical fit is necessary.

After outing, we went to Buffalo Wild Wings. I had two legs, with the hot sauce, french fries, and a diet pepsi. That's a feast I'll miss a lot next summer.