Hiking at Cedars of Lebanon state park

 What a great morning for a hike! I made it to Cedars of Lebanon state park and explored until I found the hiking trails. It was almost desolate at the time I went. I guess that is a good thing. The first trail I found was a half mile loop through the woods. The trail was narrow and I wasn't sure at times if I was going the right direction. The only thing that saved me was blue paint marks on some of the trees. Luckily I made it out just fine. After getting back in my car and driving, I found another trail near the main welcome center. This trail was much better for me. It was easier to tell where the path was and I wasn't as nervous about getting back to my car. This one was half a mile also. It was already warm out so I was thankful for the shade from the trees. It was a fun experience and I'm looking forward to doing this again. I don't feel like it was a great workout, since I stopped a few times to take in the scenery. Here are a few pictures I took:

Entrance to the state park

Scenery on one of the trails

The blue paint on the trees is the only way I made it out!

Hiking at Cedars of Lebanon

one of the trails I hiked

 

 

 

 

Going on a hike?

Do you visit state parks in your area? Luckily I am surrounded by many of them. I am seriously thinking about visiting one this weekend for a hike. The closest one to me is Cedars of Lebanon State Park. They have several hikes to choose from and the park only about 15 minutes away from my home. Now I have to decide when I'm doing this. I'm thinking either Friday or Saturday morning will work out fine. Essentials for my adventure: healthy snacks, water, fully charged MP3 player and comfortable shoes.

I'm trying to stay in shape for my upcoming events. My next 5k is only 29 days away. I am doing the 5k on the same day as the Nashville Women's Half Marathon. My goal is to finish in :45. That is 5 minutes under the 5k I did last weekend. I didn't run as much as I wanted to during that race, so if I continue training, I feel I can do that. It's my favorite time of year. I have 3 events planned for the fall. They are spread out about a month apart, giving me plenty of time to train. As long as I continue to improve, I'll be happy. The transition from walking to running isn't as easy as I had hoped. But I'm not giving up! Here is one of my favorite quotes/pictures I found on tumblr. This keeps me motivated.

Happy Trails!!