my clothes are fitting much, much better!
Another day at Fitness Ridge come, and gone. I hiked the trail they call, "stop sign" today. Stop sign is simply a paved trail that starts at the bottom of snow canyon and over the next 4.3 miles and 1,100 foot ascent, winds all the way to the top. This is also the hike that from day one, everyone warns all the "new" people about. They say its hard, steep and overall...is just the hardest hike and worst experience here. So, I started. The trail was marked every half mile so I knew how far I had traveled along the way. I felt good, even confident as 1/2 mile and then 1 mile and even the 2 and 3 mile markers came and went. I spent 3 miles wondering how bad it was going to be around the next corner and then the next and next. With 1 mile left, I was making good time and had no worries. Then, the last 1/2 mile and 600 foot incline came and in a second, I started hating that hike. I was so close, so confident and cruising along and without notice, this stupid incline came between me and the finish line. I could feel my feet, my legs, my lungs and I was cursing every second of that incline. I thought about stopping. I wondered what I might be able to do to get out of finishing. I was ticked that after 4 days of hikes and 6 hours of working out they would stick me on such a trail. And then, whilst continuing to spin myself in the ground, it leveled out and just like that, I was at the top. The end came out of nowhere and I had made it...a very confusing feeling. So, I turned around and started my hike back down the canyon. I thought a lot about that last 1/2 mile and how I can apply to my life and when I am faced with future "inclines". The fact is, this is the most dreaded hike amongst all the guests. The reality is, the hike was easy, relaxing and beautiful for 3 1/2 miles and difficult for about 3/4 of a mile. No one talks about how beautiful the views are and relaxing the walk is for most of the time. All the focus is negative and on one difficult hill. I missed the views at one of the most beautiful parts of the canyon because I adopted the negative feelings from others based on a small slice of the entire experience. The good news take away, I kept walking and finished and sometimes, that's enough.
The lecture I enjoyed most today was about understanding the calorie budget. I am very much an all or nothing type of person...your with me or against me; If I eat a piece of chocolate, I may as well have the whole bag; and I love to "start" on Mondays so I can do good all week long but if I mess up on Tuesday, I'll just have to start again next Monday. I also like numbers, because they make sense and there's never really arguing the numbers. At work, everything that happens during the month, large or small, directly affects the month ending P&L. And, the month ending P&L is a direct reflection on hundreds of individual decisions, circumstances and opportunities for the previous 30 days...never just one or two. My point--knowing your caloric intake, along with your your caloric burn for normal activity during the day will lead to a decision point...how many calories do I need to burn in exercise to gain, lose or maintain my weight. Guessing leads to miscalculations. Knowledge and accountability leads to empowered, enlightened decisions. Simply put, the numbers never lie!
Today's Schedule:
- 6:30am--8.6 mile hike (walk)
- 9:30am--breakfast
- 10:15am--label reading/open gym
- 11:15am--stretch
- 12:15pm--lunch
- 1:00pm--budget review
- 1:30pm--cooking demo
- 2:30pm--treading (all cardio)
- 3:30pm--total body H2O
- 4:30pm--ball works
- 5:3opm--dinner
- 6:15pm--menu planning
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