Another good weekend for the outdoors is in the books! I spent quite a bit of time in the woods hiking at the local nature center trails, and then biking through one of my favorite parks (if you missed my recent post on my new road bike, check it out here). We were fortunate to have two nice days land on the weekend!

Last week was a long one. Between some friends fighting cancer, another diagnosed with the stupid disease, work projects going awry and the presidential election results, my head was filled with emotions and thoughts that were leaving me weary. When I need to clear my head, my go-to places are outdoors in nature.

I’m so tickled that Michigan’s mild temps continue to let me play outdoors. I’m usually forced indoors for activity once the weather gets crappy due to the titanium rod in my left leg. Can’t risk falling and injuring the leg. But the weather hasn’t been crappy, so I promise that I am enjoying every minute in the fresh air that I can add to my schedule!

It’s been a while since I was in the woods. Since I bought my new road bike, I’ve been antsy to ride it to get comfortable. Plus it’s so much fun! But I do love hiking in nature so when I had a small window of time yesterday to get some outdoor exercise, I grabbed it and headed to the local nature trails. It was a bit breezy so my thought was that the tree coverage would block some of the wind. And, yes, that might have been the case…. a few weeks ago when there were leaves on the trees! Duh. The beautifully colored leaves filled the trails, but the wind wasn’t too bad once I got deeper into the woods. I used my hiking poles since the leaves can make the trails a bit slick. The nice thing about hiking this time of year and in the late afternoon when I went is that there weren’t many people on the trails. I saw a few of my deer friends (no pun intended!) and some wild turkeys, but otherwise it was quiet and peaceful. Just what I needed. Since the trail system at this nature center isn’t very extensive, I looped a few times to get some miles. I felt awesome when I left.

This morning I woke again to sunshine. It was high-40s w hen I left my house for Stony Creek Metropark with my bike, but felt much warmer with the sunshine (and even warmer once I started riding against the wind!). Stony Creek in November is much different than in June. During the summer, the park is filled with people enjoying the beaches, boat rentals, hiking trails, bike routes, picnic tables, golf course and more. In November, the parking lots are sparsely filled and you encounter a fellow cyclist or walker every so often. It’s kind of perfect!

Today I decided that I wasn’t going to worry about how fast I biked, how far I rode or anything but simply enjoying being on the bike. I didn’t want to set goals. I wanted to relax. And I did. Okay, I admit I turned on my Garmin and glanced at my speed and distance several times, maybe even saved the ride. But since I didn’t have a goal in mind, every mile was an accomplishment and good enough for today. At the end of my ride, I sat for a while in the sunshine, eyes closed, listening to the wind in the trees, feeling thankful for these moments.

What are your go-to activities to clear your mind?