Emily’s Longest Post-Surgery Hike

Yesterday was a breakthrough for Emily. It was the longest distance she’s logged since before her July reconstructive knee surgery. We set out at 9:00 am in twenty-degree weather, and by the time we’d finished our ramble, we’d completed right miles.

I’ve been careful with Emily lately, even going so far as to cancel last week’s taping with our friend Willem Lange for another episode of New Hampshire PBS’s Windows to the Wild. My concern was Emily giving wild chase to Kiki, Willem’s protege, for two or three hours straight. The cutting and slashing through the forest was going to be too much for her, I feared.

Instead, I returned to the marathon and Ironman training of my late twenties and we’re concentrating on LSD—long slow distance. It builds endurance in the cardiovascular system and our muscles.

We began our trek along the frozen earth of Rob Brook Road, a half-mile up along the southern end of Bear Notch Road. After climbing a gentle uphill grade, we cut down through the forest alon…