I think that if they're miles to you then they're miles! I'll sometimes walk during my runs... especially down hills! I still count that as miles...

Each to his own is my opinion......

I agree, it's your log, your training,.... I like how you have it logged....

Ok, thanks for your input. I think that I'll also start logging my hikes as cross training activities, instead of running. Cheers! Jose

You know, I was thinking about this last weekend as I was huffin' it up an ungodly amount of switchbacks and thought to myself "this is a lot harder than any run I've done, with no end in sight, and I still have to make it back to the car!!!!! Maybe I should include it on my log!" but then on the way down, I was not huffin' & puffin' and figured it'd just be cross training. But I can totally see why you'd want to include it -- it sure gets your heart rate up there, doesn't it? It's so great. I love hiking. I love sitting at the top of some peak or just somewhere with a nice view, knowing not very many people do what we do, and see the sights that we see - and it's so peaceful. I am going again on Saturday, but this time with my 5-year old so either we'll do something short & easy, or I'll be piggy-backin' 50+ pounds, and it'll be even harder than usual.

People who hike fast should not be hiking. Seriously -- there is no better way to go than to go slow. If you go too fast, you miss stuff, and you're not paying as much attention to your surroundings & could miss something! There's a time & place for hiking quickly... I remember high-tailing it out one blustery, snowy, freezing night when we got only 5 miles in and realized the weather was not going to cooperate & had to get out of there before it got too much windier, because we were hiking in a former burn area -- lots of trees were falling & it was a little scary. But other than situations like that, I think hiking slow is the way to go. Stop, take deep breaths of the clean, fresh air. Take a look around. Sit down, relax, have some water. That's what I prefer. (of course, that said, I can get annoyed hiking with my child sometimes, because he wants to stop every 4 steps!! I've learned since he was born though, that nature has an awful lot to offer, even if you only hike a mile! It's hard to get out of the mindset that you MUST reach your destination. Sometimes it's not about the destination!)

I'm so sorry about your toenails!!! You're hiking with the wrong people! Just because you CAN hike fast doesn't mean you SHOULD, in my opinion!! Maybe it's cause when I go on a hike without my husband or son, it's MY time, so I'm in absolutely no hurry to get back.

Wow Gayle, those are beautiful views! I love rock outcrops like that. Makes you feel like you're on top of the world!!!