Get your votes in!

Where are we going to go hiking this coming weekend? Email your requests to recruiting@fitnesstroops.com (or me, Greg, if you have my email...sorry spammers).

Here's where we've been in the last few months:

• Rocky Peak
• Pico Canyon Park (AKA Mentryville) out in Stevenson Ranch area
• Dirt Mulholland
• Runyon Canyon

Personally, I'm game for something new, which I can find pretty easily. If someone has a particular place in mind, or would like to stick with one of our hiking locations, that's fine too.

Quick Note:

We took another nice hike to the top of Rocky Peak this weekend. 1,100 kcal for me, 800-ish for Annette. I've got lots of good stuff to post in a follow-up. Namely, photos that are GPS-pinpointed and detailed stats for hike from my GPS.

Ready, Set, Go!

It's that time again. A week off and our group laces their shoes back up, washes the workout clothes and wipes the dirt and grime from their exercise mats. We're all set for another six weeks of panting, sweating and fun!

How can this be fun? It's the rewards: Weight loss, body fat loss, muscle gain, increased endurance, better flexibility. It's also the effect exercise has on the psyche. It gives you an outlet for stress.

You can do it. You just need to decide you're ready. Ready to commit yourself to the effort. And the first week is the toughest: Making the hole in your schedule, dealing with the initial muscle pain, having the patience to know it gets easier. It does get easier...well sort of. Your muscles don't stiffen up so much and stay sore. You can run further and break through that wall that makes you want to quit. However, you will push yourself to do more repetitions, move up to heavier weights and run longer and faster.

Come give it a try. You'll be glad you did!

Aquathlete?

We're not sure if aquathlete has made it into the English lexicon, but when it does it will be attributed to Mary. Mary entered her first Aquathlon this August. We're very excited for her. She's been with us for a while and really improved her overall fitness in preparation for her entry into the Riverside Sheriff's Academy. Go Mary!

Mary exits the water after 400m swim

So What's an Aquathlon?

The aquathlon is a 400 meter ocean swim followed by a 2 mile run. It is referred to as a sprint aquathlon, intended more for those new to the sport.  The long version is 1000 meter ocean swim and a 3 mile run. This aquathlon is The Ventura Splash N Dash. Mary plans on entering another aquathlon on Sept 14^th. That aquathlon will be held at The San Buena Ventura State Beach in Ventura County. Aquathlons are frequently the  first step towards triathlons, which of course adds the element of biking.

Mary had this to say to us (leaving a blush on our face):

Congratulations on completing your first aquathlon Mary! We're proud of you!

We've got another hike set up for this Saturday. It's along a section of Mulholland known affectionately has "Dirt Mulholland." It travels through the Topanga State Park.

This is a great trail that I've rode on with my mountain bike many times in the past. You'll get an excellent view of the SF Valley. We'll start at our usual time, 8am, this Saturday, 8/9. Bring a friend, or two.

Here's a view of where you'll park. Street view with a link to Google maps, where you can get directions from where you live, follow. The basic directions are to take Canoga Ave South until it ends at Mulholland. Turn left (head East) and park on Saltillo St. (in the picture below, it's the street you see to the left). More info follows...

And, for your enjoyment, here's stats on the route we'll be taking. The pace and time are based on a mountain biker's speed, hence the 2-2.5 hour time estimate for us. Temperature from the winter as well.

Our hiking time will likely be about 2.5 hours (we may not go the full distance shown on map), so we'll get back to our cars around 10:30am. Bring two 12 oz bottles of water (or more).

The notes to remember are about the same as from the Rocky Peak hike:

• If you're going to join us, please reply back and let me know so we can be looking out for you when you arrive.
• The terrain is a fire road. It is a combination of packed dirt and and some asphalt.
  
• You can encounter rattlesnakes and mountain lions
• Be aware that you can pick up ticks from the trail

I will be wearing a backpack with a first aid kit (and sunblock, GU, bug repellent and an instant ice pack). However, I'm not an EMT and if you have any significant reservations, I recommend you skip this hike.

By request, we are planning a hike at Pico Canyon Park (what we referred to as Mentryville last time we were there). Here's the details (yes, it's the old message with a few minor changes). There is a chance Annette and I won't make it. However, I will circulate a list with all confirmed participants so you know who to expect before you set off on the hike...

This Sunday (8/3) in Stevenson Ranch at the Mentryville Park at the end of Pico Canyon Rd. See full map details with directions here. The driving distance to this hike is about 15-20 miles (out near Magic Mountain) but worth it in our opinion.

The hike is easier then Rocky Peak. It is 3 miles one direction, 6 round trip. The site has historical interest as well. Mentryville was one of the first oil towns and you see evidence of it throughout the trail. If you watch the show Big Love, you may also recognize some of the structures at the trailhead/parking area.

We'll start at 8am sharp Sunday morning. Our hiking time will likely be about 2.5 hours, so we'll get back to our cars around 10:30am. Parking is $5 and is based on the honor system (but likely spot checked from time-to-time by park rangers). Bring two 12 oz bottles of water (or more). The map link is above. If you're having problems with the link, you can go to www.mentryville.org and click "Driving Directions".

The notes to remember are about the same as from the Rocky Peak hike:

• If you're going to join us, please reply back and let me know so we can be looking out for you when you arrive.
• The terrain is a fire road. It is a combination of packed dirt and and some asphalt.
• You can encounter rattlesnakes and mountain lions
• Be aware that you can pick up ticks from the trail

Annette and I have hiked this trail one time and not encountered any rattlesnakes or mountain lions. We also haven't picked up any ticks. I will be wearing a backpack with a first aid kit (and sunblock, GU, bug repellent and an instant ice pack). However, I'm not an EMT and if you have any significant reservations, I recommend you skip this hike.

Come join us this weekend for a free hike up to Rocky Peak and bring a friend (or two, or three...). This hike is about 4 miles round trip and takes a little over 2 hours to complete. The total elevation change is 1,100 ft. The hike is of moderate difficultly.

We'll start at 8am sharp Sunday morning. Bring two 12 oz bottles of water (or more). A map follows below...take 118 Freeway to Rocky Peak exit. Park on Santa Susana Pass Rd.

See you there!

Google maps - Top of Rocky Peak

July 7^th

We've started our July/August tour. Looking forward to seeing you there. We have three session times to accommodate everyone: 5:30 AM, 8:30 AM and 6:00 PM. Each session lasts for one hour.

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