Last week I proudly announced the secret key I had been looking for in my training life, "a game-changer" for me that comes in the form of an application called Training Peaks. The change that I needed to make seems simple enough, and that was "build my hikes around what I need to do to keep improving my fitness without overdoing it as I have done so often in the past."
Trailhead to Valentine Peak
Sitting on the summit of Valentine Peak, looking back along the 2,197 vertical feet of trail, I wondered what had happened to my plan of a two-hour hike.
Trail view looking up Parowan Canyon
Valentine Peak is a beautiful but unranked peak in the Parowan - UT quadrangle. A stone cap sits on top of red rock surrounded by what locals call beehives. The beehives are cone-shaped composite rocks that are common in Parowan Canyon. It would be difficult to miss their appearance along UT-143 leading to Brian Head ski resort or Cedar Breaks National Monument.
Early section of trail
Pulling into the Parowan Cemetary and driving through the green, peaceful place, I find many cars surrounding the cemetery tool shed and trailhead parking lot. Thankfully, we have had a change in weather, with temperatures dropping about 10-degrees from their highs last week. The trail begins a relatively steep, switch-back climb to the ridgeline.
Dog friendly hike
The trail is busy, as I pass several people already on their return. Chairs and benches dot the ridgeline, and I imagine it is a beautiful way to get in some early morning exercise. Valentine Peak is in the distance, and I am already struggling with whether I should attempt to summit the peak or stick with my plan. The plan was a 2-hour hike keeping my heart rate below my aerobic threshold. My mental struggle is, do I want all my activities to be subject to my training plan, or do I want at least one day to be guided by what I enjoy doing?
Stunning trail side cairn
Sitting on the summit of Valentine's peak, it is clear I opted for the "do what I want" plan. My Whoop strap is already reading near a twenty-strain level (I would end the day with 20.1, the max is 21). It is abundantly clear that at least today, I bit off more than I could chew, and now I run the risk of throwing off my entire next week's training due to my overdoing it once again. Sigh.
Valentine Peak summit (sign can swivel so that it can be in all the pictures. Genesis).