An Extended Fast (& finally a hike!)

I wish it wasn’t so hot, and it’s not even that hot! But it is for me. So heat sensitive I am in my older years (though I’m still in my fifties), I’ve been off the trails much of August. Just ten years ago I was exploring trails in 105 F degree weather. Right now it’s in the low 80s at most on the Southern California coast. Just a few miles inland the temperatures climb double digits. I walk here and there around town, and it’s lovely, but it’s also the middle of summer which means this seaside town is crowded with tourists. I’d rather stay more to myself these days. We are after all, still in a pandemic.

Last week I felt that the time was right for an extended fast. It had been a while, and so I was excited leading up to it. My eagerness was similar to anticipating an ultramarathon or a long difficult hike. I felt excited because I knew that I was going to come out of it a little more grounded and a little more focused on what’s really important. But at the same time, just like with ultramarathons, or long difficult hikes, I felt some anxiety – anxiety because I knew that the feat takes some suffering – it’s kind of a joyful suffering really (just like with ultras or crazy difficult terrain). But suffering is suffering, whether or not it’s joyful, it’s hard.

The first 24 hours of the fast was relatively easy, as it is usually (because I’ve practiced). The first day is a day of excitement, a day I begin a journey. It’s like a fresh start. It’s also like a day of reckoning, a day where I focus on prayer, reading, listening to music, working (because I have a job ) and some chores. One of the first things you will notice if you fast is how much time you have on your hands. There’s no meal prep, there’s no sitting down to eat, ever. That adds hours to the day. And then, I have even more time because fasting for some reason causes me to rise from bed one to two hours earlier than normal.

The second 24 hours was the most difficult mentally as it always is for me during a 72 hour fast. Day two is like walking past the scaredy-cat gate while in line for a roller coaster. It would be so easy to go ahead and satisfy my hunger and just do this some other time. During this second day, mornings aren’t a problem as I never eat in the morning. By the time afternoon comes around my stomach grumbles here and there. The stomach grumblings are surprisingly short lived. It’s evening that is most difficult on this second day. I feel physically strong but mentally weak. I try to wear myself out with my focuses. Day two is actually  ideal for a hike. But I didn’t that this time. Instead I added a good deal more focus to my work, as I’m coming to the end of Summer semester.   

The third day is no longer mentally challenging because it’s the last day of the fast. It feels somewhat akin to running that last third of a race, barring anything disastrous, I’ll be finishing this race. I can look ahead with relief.

The hours really drag on in day three. And while I feel mentally strong, I begin to grow physically weak in the final fasting hours. The third day is not a good day to go for a hike or even grocery shopping (because of the heavy lifting), though I’ve done both. This time I took it easy and eased on into the finish line. I completed in the evening, with 72 hours ending around 7pm Friday evening, August 6. I broke the fast with chicken bone broth (with ginger and tumeric). A little later I consumed scrambled eggs and some cucumber pasta salad my husband made. I should have probably ate a banana or some electrolyte pills because as usual, my legs and feet cramped while I slept that night. Ouch. That needs to be avoided. During this fast I drank lots of Propel water which has electrolytes but obviously not enough. Aside from the slight electrolyte thing (I’ve placed an order for SaltStick), I didn’t have any adverse affects. The next day, I felt renewed and a little more grounded by the fasting experience. I was primed for a hike – what a perfect day to hike!  And it was (except for the heat).

Originally I planned to hike Black Star Canyon. Imagine me thinking that I could handle Black Star in the August heat. But then something came up and I wanted to stay where I had cell service. I drove up the coast and continued on up a windy road to Top of the Word in Laguna Beach. It was late morning when I parked my truck at the park up there. The weather was chilly. We were socked in even on the ridge overlooking Laguna Beach. Yes, I’ve been complaining about the heat, but sometimes our mornings are pretty chilly, even in August (we’re lucky that way.)

I hiked down to the bottom of the canyon from Top of the World. And then I made a small climb up to a great little secret place. The clouds had dispersed by then and boy did it warm up, especially during those rocky uphill sessions with no shade. I hung out at my spot in the nice cool shade, enjoying the views for a good 90 minutes before heading back out. The climb back up to the ridge and then to my truck was hell but well worth the excruciating trouble. (A little bit of that joyful suffering)

In all, I hiked a little over five miles in these hot coastal hills. Upon returning home I noticed that for the first time in a long time, my skin was crusted with salt. I told my husband, “If you hear me say I’m going to Black Star Canyon, and it’s still summertime, don’t let me go!” (As if!)

Looking forward to summer moving on!

Well Worth Trouble

I honestly thought that I had probably never mentioned fasting in this blog before. But I did a quick search just to make sure, and lo and behold, I’ve mentioned fasting about a half dozen times before. (That’s me, not paying attention again!)

So, a reader of this blog may know that I fast. The history in a nutshell: I’ve been fasting regularly since 2018. I fasted in my youth (as a teenager, 1980s) as a religious sacrifice, though I knew little of what that meant. Then on February 14, 2018, after some study on autophagy and ketosis, I ventured onto a haphazard journey that quickly lead to regular 24 hour fasts and intermittent fasting as a normal way of life. I recall the date exactly because that was the date of the Parkland high school shooting massacre. I recall much about that day. I recall much about that week even leading up to that day that I’d like to forget. But those were the steps that got me here, and so for that they are good!

Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels

Initially, I reached out to fasting because I wanted to feel better, have more energy, and rid myself of the sugar cycle (addiction!). I also wanted to run again. And I wanted to feel strong again. And I wanted to change my mood. I had no idea this autophagy venture was going to keep opening doors until the obvious happened; I combined my prayer life with my fasting life. I mean duh. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. I have read and studied fasting science, rituals and techniques for several years now. I knew darn well that Jesus fasted, as did his disciples. Plato, Socrates, Aristotle fasted. Ghandi fasted. But it wasn’t until my mother texted my sister and I back in early November of last year that it dawned on me to use fasting as a specific prayer tool. It was her idea. As soon as I read the text, I was in, and so was my sister.

So, fasting has gained more significance in my life since I began the journey back on Valentine’s Day 2018. Fasting is now combined effort – a new and improved fasting.  I fast to humble myself. I fast to focus and seek the face of God you might say. This combined effort has made all the difference in the world to me. It’s not so much about the health anymore either. I admit that the added health benefits aren’t so bad. I came out of the pandemic feasting holidays a few pounds lighter. Imagine that (all while enjoying the holiday dinners and desserts!)

One might wonder how fasting interferes with my trail days. Surprisingly, I feel no adverse affects hiking after 1 or even 2 days of fasting. Hiking on a 3rd day fast on the other hand is quite another story. I feel weaker and hills are difficult to take on these extended fasts. Usually, I purposely refrain from major activity on the 3rd day. But this past Wednesday (1/27), I decided to hike on my 3rd day of fasting, on purpose. Challenge.

I chose a quick short lollipop loop in the coastal hills during the late afternoon and boy did I luck out. Pretty quickly in I came upon this lovely bobcat below in Aliso Canon. She was so interested in a rodent hole that she didn’t even notice the hikers behind her. And just to her left there’s about 9 deer in the field! 

I felt fine during my hike on flat trail and even on gradual inclines. But boy oh boy, those few short hills that I chose gave me some trouble. But it was well worth trouble – a lovely struggle actually. I hiked to one of my special places overlooking a canyon to take in the sunset. And then, I raced against the final remnants of the sun hoping to make it out of the park before dark. Dusk went quicker then I planned, so I found myself leaving the trails after the sun was long gone. I almost forgot to look behind me on the way out, which means that I nearly missed the very last scene (pictured below!).

I surely plan to do this again.

Approx. 6.5 miles w/ 630’ of elevation gain.