Reader Submission

Last month ERL featured a hummingbird by Byron Young. This month we are featuring photos of a Hummingbird Moth feeding on a Butterfly Bush. Taken by Tony Wayne Davis in the New Hope Road, Elkview, WV area.

Fitness + Tracking = Excellence

A formula to live by!

By: John P. Casey, Chief of Ranger Operations, Allegheny Highlands Group Master Tracking Instructor, Mountain Tracker’s Association Fitness Enthusiast

John Casey has been working for 49 years in law enforcement and security. He routinely teaches mantracking for law enforcement and first responders; street defense and combatives for citizens and law enforcement; and lectures on the subjects of personal safety and protection. John also works as a ranger specializing in reducing criminal activity on large tracts of land in both TN and WV, including parts of the Elk River Trail, and improving the quality and safety of the areas he patrols. He developed a passion for fitness and health after his father fell seriously ill from the effects of diabetes. He was a volunteer kettlebell and fitness coach at the YMCA for years, and was able to experience first hand the benefits of encouraging others to follow his lead.

Wilderness, fresh air, mountains, forests……if it is not in our blood, then we have no business tracking. The fact is we were born to it. We crave it. We eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and the midnight snack. That is why we follow the path we do. How many of us are up to the challenge? When we are called to search, and hopefully rescue…can we successfully get there and get out….Without becoming part of the problem. In addition to constantly training and honing our tracking skills, a good state of general physical fitness will increase our odds of success….the fitter we are…. the more successful we will be. Think about the uphill trudge…the downhill slide….we need good physical strength to do these basic things. Do not even mention wrestling that Grizzly……only my fellow trail master Mike McMahan can do that. After all the rest of us are mere mortals.Some of you know about me. You see my Kettlebells piled up in front of my campsite at tracking schools. That is only one way I keep myself fit in my advanced years; I am 68. I may be BUD T UGLY, but I can at least keep up with the pack. Not the fastest, but I can at least finish the mission. How does this work? It is an incredibly painless process. It just takes consistency, and about 2 to 3 hours per week. It does not even require a gym membership. Walking a trail, getting plenty of vitamin D from the sun, and the clean fresh air of the forest is a fabulous way to begin. Make it a group appointment, and you now have your own exercise support team. I recently met Kayla James, a fabulous lady. She is a stay-at-home mother of two. She began walking the Elk River Rail Trail in earnest back in March 2022 with her family. She reports not only a 40 lb. weight loss but has inspired others to adopt a healthy lifestyle. She credits an increase in energy, confidence, and overall happiness to simply enjoying walking the trail. What could be better for you? Enjoying family, enjoying feeling good, all in your own backyard. When

was the last time you did 10….15….20 pushups? How about body weight squats, or jumping jacks? Some do it in the 80’s. All are consistently doing something to improve the quality of their lives. Some do it for weight loss, blood pressure control, or to combat the effects of arthritis. MOVEMENT GOOD----SITTING BAD!!!!!

With steady progression you can develop a simple three times a week regimen of say….25 to 50 pushups broken down into sets of ten, 20 to 30 body weight squats, and then 20-30 second holds in a plank position. Begin with 1 round of 5 to 10 reps if you have not done anything for a while, increase these as you feel stronger. Walk outside, when possible, take stairs when you have a choice, and begin picking up and carrying items that are heavier than 10 lbs. If you like to hike trails, carrying a backpack with 15 to 25 pounds is a wonderful way to increase muscular strength. Challenge yourself by increasing the weight as you feel stronger. In about 4 to 8 weeks of doing this, and after increasing the weight gradually, you will certainly notice a difference in many things. You are walking better, sleeping better, feeling stronger, having greater endurance, able to get up off the toilet in the middle of the night, etc. etc. Who knows, it might even grow hair…….nope, tried it already, does not work…. And for those who may have diabetes or are in a pre-diabetic stage….my father did, and it really cost him….engaging in consistent physical exercise and proper diet can reduce your blood sugar levels to nearly normal. And in a lot of cases with Type 2 diabetes, it can even help reverse the disease. How great would that be? No insulin shots or meds. That now leads to diet. How do we eat? Well, I like a plate of biscuits, sausage, gravy, and potatoes like everyone else. I just do not eat them every day. DO NOT; I repeat DO NOT go on some sort of fad diet plan that involves a lot of low fat whole grain nonsense. Just start eating more lean protein and plenty of colored vegetables. LOSE the Carbohydrates (THINK SUGAR-BAD), that means stop the Cereal, Colas, Chips, Cookies, Candy, Cakes, Pop Tarts, and seriously modify your bread intake. Read the labels on anything that is packaged as food. I avoid most if not all pre-packaged food and any food that has more than one ingredient on the label. RUN LIKE A MAN-EATING BEAST IS CHASING YOU, FROM ALL FAST FOOD!!! That might mean having to eat real food for a change…. what a concept that is. Eggs, cheese, meat, fish, chicken, pork, beans, broccoli, greens, fruit - good solid food; sounds a lot like the kind of food that used to be on the American table, back when Type II Diabetes was not a major health epidemic. Trust me, you will not starve, you will feel full, and will be healthier. You can even choose a “Cheat Day”….that is where you begin your day with half a gallon of Ben & Jerry’s and move through the waffles, pancakes, deep fried everything, and the 4.5 gallons of sweet tea: but after that day is over, get back on the “Real Food” schedule until your next Cheat Day. If you are dedicated to eating properly, you will feel lousy after eating “cheat meals.” Just your body letting you know the difference. Following this protocol, you will see a dramatic difference in energy levels. I know, I lost 60 lbs of body fat within about 30 weeks of seriously changing my lifestyle some years ago. I never gained it back. I got stronger, fitter, and much more fun to be with….well at least that is what I thought, until my wife and friends disabused me of that notion……. so anyway………. What you decide to do is always going to be up to you. Being consistent is the key: To quote Vince Lombardi, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” When we train as trackers should, we always chase the perfection of our art to achieve excellence; and given the physical rigors of the environment we work in, should not we also chase perfection with our health, to realize the full excellence of performance in our duties? Stay on the trail and you will find that which you seek!!!