Actually, hiking, biking, & running... đMy earliest memories of hiking are when Dad would take us kids out on a trek while we'd be camping. Mom came along a time or two; it was mainly just Dad with us & not Mom for the most part. I think it just wasn't her "thing".
I really loved hiking. It had all the "right stuff" included. Nature, moving around, stretching, oftentimes a campground nearby; it was bliss.
The treks where Dad would take us, if we did need walking sticks, we'd usually just go "hardcore" & grab the nearest applicable fallen tree branches. Even then I think that Dad made sure that where we'd go & what we'd do would be a bit more tame than needing those sticks. If we'd return to camp with our shoes too muddy or dirty Mom would likely be making sure that we'd keep that part of nature out of our small pop-up camper. She'd be bringing us another set of clean socks & shoes, & if we needed them, long pants too. We'd definitely have been sent out on the hike with long sleeves & long pants. We weren't going to risk anyone rubbing up against anything that might leave any lasting (even if only lasting as long as our camping trip) memories.
Fast forward to super recent. I'm finding myself as of late becoming more & more addicted to being outside & being active while outside (aside from when I'm crocheting). If it's daylight & it's not raining (well, even if it is raining! đ) then being outside seems to be the bestest place I can consider myself to be.
That's my story & I'm sticking to it! đ
I even discovered, with my lack of coordination & equal lack of desire [read: avoidance] for all things organized team sports, the majority of what's tucked inside my tiny little compact hatchback of a vehicle is a bicycle, a bicycle helmet, an old pair of running shoes to wear while riding on said bicycle, a pair of these (hiking sstiks), a pair of these (hking boots), & two pairs of running shoes. Typically I also have a bag of clothes that will cover the gamete of whatever I might need, should I be somewhere & well, need them. A few tank tops, a few pairs of socks (for running, though I should add one pair for hiking too đ), sports bras, a running skirt, bike shorts, long stretchy pants (that I'd most likely wear while hiking, though could also double for wear if someone offered me their backseat aboard their bike, as in their motorcycle).
In an effort to adequately fit the bicycle in my tiny backseat I found myself finally parting ways from stowing the jacket/hoodie I earned from running the Hot Chocolate 15K roughly five years ago. There'd been a group of runners, of which since has dispersed, who noticed this 5K/15K opportunity. At first I was cautious, what with the much-higher-than-is-typically-the-case entrance fee. It is nice that an event here & there provides a goodie bag of something other than a short-sleeved t-shirt, even if the t-shirt is moisture-wicking and/or fitted specifically to a man or woman & not just an "adult-sized shirt".
So there I'd received said sweatshirt, which came with a deep pocket in the back, adequate for all things smartphone, key(s), &, yes, I've even stuffed a pair of dollar store gloves in that pocket when the occasion called for it. The garment is fitted; however, it's fitted to me quite well, which makes it all the better & something I came to rely on...solely rely on...while I trained in the early, inclement weather months of this calendar year. Basically, if the temperature wouldn't be over forty degrees, I knew that, by wearing it, I'd be as comfortable as I needed to be. With the hood, one that closes in near my face & neck, & the zipper that tucks underneath the fabric to remain comfortable next to my chin & neck, & a quality zipper - one that glides smoothly & doesn't get caught up - which seems silly to note, though is of great practicality when a runner is trying to quickly shift themselves for comfort from the weather while in motion.
It's this sweatshirt/hoodie which still hadn't been removed from the backseat of my tiny compact vehicle. The temperatures round these parts had snuck into the 80s, most often the mid-to-upper 80s, essentially on that weekend while I was out-of-state running back-to-back marathons. So I was busy not really noticing that Springtime had finally sprung - other than loving all of the extended daylight minutes & hours. Apparently it was time to take that sweatshirt out.
Another, that I'd initially planned to also take out, has somewhat become what I consider to be my "fifty degrees" sweatshirt. It came to me by way of a gift. At that time I'd been đ about now having this sweatshirt as well...After all, I have so many! Well, lo & behold, I began wearing it, & it became just what I'd need (along with two long-sleeved shirts underneath it đ). I decided to leave this one in my vehicle, especially considering that if I might find myself on the back of someone's motorcycle, it could be something good to wear for that ride. So it stayed. It's in there alongside my new bicycle, helmet, these, & these. đ
I've not been on a bicycle in at least five years. And I'd been noticing some opportunities to join others & get out & ride. I know it can be a great cross-training exercise; it's just something different. More terrain is often covered sooner (as in, more quickly) & air [read: wind] moves around a rider differently than it does a runner. It's a similar activity with separate perks. It seemed time to add a bicycle back into my stash of belongings.
My newly attained hiking apparatus is a direct result of getting on a trail, which, in most ways, brought me back nearly 100% to those memories of hiking while camping with Dad as our guide. The hiking boots I'd already owned weren't the right size. I tried them on this new-to-me trail & realized I'd be best off getting these. They're a larger size (comparable to my running shoe size, not my dress shoe size) & possess the perks necessary in a solid hiking boot; they are treating me well. Appropriate hiking socks are a great idea & equal partners to the hiking boot. These are a good match, especially for height (mid-calf versus higher) to the pair of hiking socks I own & are a good set for back-ups for me. I've one pair from when I purchased my smaller sized hiking boots, realizing back then that wearing running socks with hiking boots is a little bit like trying to fit that square peg in that round hole; better could be accomplished. In this case these new hiking memories are made better in many ways by a few accidental friendships. I've picked up along the way, thus further making the activity of hiking an even better thing.
So, in my best efforts to have just what I'd need in my vehicle in order to fold away the backseat & wedge my new bicycle in that same tiny space, I removed most everything else. The few fabric shopping bags & other ordinary necessities found themselves stowed nearby the passenger seat. Thus it is now why the backseat of my vehicle visually describes these three sporting activities.
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