O.M.G. P.E.P.

PEP stands for "Performance Enhancement Program." Last night was my first PEP class. We went down to the gym with towels and water bottles and 2 crazy trainers spend about an hour trying to make us cry or puke. No weights, bars, bands, or any other equipment. All cardio and body weight. It was based on intervals. After a good 15 minutes of cardio to get warmed up and some stretching, we did 2 minutes of cardio followed by 2 minutes of strength. Lunges, squats, planks, pushups with all sorts of variations to make them more difficult. About 3 minutes into the warm-up my heart rate was already at the upper limit of my "zone of YES I CAN." The 2 minute intervals sent my heart rate into the "zone of OMG." The strength intervals had me in the pain cave. But I did not cry or puke (might have been close on the puking option). I survived and if it doesn't kill you it makes you stronger, so I guess I am stronger today! I am certainly sore today and my knees are a little unhappy, but I am ready to do it again. The only problem is they need 12 people to run the program and only 4 signed up. So last night was probably my one and only PEP class. But as crazy trainer Sal pointed out, this is all stuff you can do on your own. You don't need a gym or a trainer to do this kind of work-out. Just some determination, and maybe a vomit bag.

Hiking Bear Mountain

If there was snow, we would be out there on snowshoes.... but why let the lack of snow keep us off the trails? Today a bunch of us hiked up Bear Mountain. We went up on the Major Welch Trail, which is very steep, and came down on the Appalachian Trail (AT). The part of the AT that crosses over Bear Mountain was rebuilt and reopened in June 2010. Over 5 years, 800 hand-hewn granite steps were installed and stone retaining walls were built. It's very beautiful and I can appreciate what a huge feat this was! Now as many as 100,000 hikers travel over those steps every year.

It wasn't one of those absolutely beautiful winter days. It was cloudy and cold and windy, especially on the top of the mountain! But it wasn't raining and it wasn't too cold to be outdoors, so why not get out there, enjoy the company of some friends and spend some time in the woods. As always, I tucked my little Canon into one of my pockets.

Perkins Tower atop Bear Mountain


Overlooking the Hudson River


Resting on the way Up