Going to the gym has gotten a little monotonous these past few weeks, especially since my husband had an upcoming CFT he wanted to lose some extra weight for. We had been going on 3-mile runs on a treadmill at our gym and following up with 15 minutes in the sauna. Every. Single. Day. I was bored.

Since the weekend boasts more free time, we decided to go for another hike at Prince William National Forest. We’ve done every inch of this park already, but it’s a nice little park with so much grandeur considering its proximity to base.

Our original intention was to go 10 miles, so we mapped out a 9.8 mile hike covering the entire southern region of the park. It was cold. It was less than 40 degrees. I’m from sunny South Florida where any temperature under 70 is frightening. I turned on my trusty iPhone app that outlined my hike to keep track of my distance and speed and took off into the woods.

The park at this time of year is really very pretty. The leaves had already fallen from the trees, allowing the sun to light up the crimson and burnt orange leaves littering the ground. There were so many leaves, in fact, that I actually had to use the trail blazes on the trees because the trail itself was not discernible.

The hike we chose was the park’s most challenging. This doesn’t really say too much since all the trails are considered easy. There are a few big hills, though, and I wanted to make sure I challenged myself at least a little.

I can get a little winded when hiking, but this time I was on a mission. My pace stayed above 3.5 miles per hour the entire time. I even hit 5 mph for a good portion of the hike. I didn’t manage 10 miles; the dog ran out of water and I didn’t want my husband too tired for the following day’s fitness test. I managed about 8 miles with my German shepherd and husband. We only took 2 breaks: one for lunch, one to fix my boots.

I may not be completely ready to make 18-mile humps with 80-pound packs strapped to my back, but I am well on my way!