hiking

If you knew me when I lived in SoCal you might be pretty surprised at my relatively low-key approach to exercise.  In SoCal I was big into triathlon and thanks to year-round perfect weather, I diligently exercised 7 days a week, frequently doing "two-a-days" (meaning I would swim and run on one day and bike and swim on another).  I had the energy for it; I thought I was happy.  Well, I was happy.  I love love love exercise.  I love to work up a sweat; I love feeling accomplished after pushing myself through a tough workout; I love how my body looks when it's fit and toned; and I love how strong I feel when I exercise.

Flash forward four years and things are a little different.  Swimming was dropped before I even moved out of California. I love water and I love splashing around but I can't think of anything more deadly boring than swimming laps.  Plus, I sucked at swimming.  Seriously - I frequently felt like I was so slow I was swimming backwards.  I've kept running faithfully three times/week and I rode my bike in my office 3-4 times/week (long story about why it was "in my office" and not "outside").  I threw yoga into the mix when I started school and for a long time, this exercise mix worked well for me.  And strangely enough, it was a lot less than what I was doing in SoCal. 

This spring I did something to my hamstrings.  I don't know what I did but every step I took was painful, every run made me want to cry and I just couldn't seem to stretch it out in yoga.  So I stopped doing yoga and just ran and rode my bike in my office.  This helped a little.  Then I went to Quebec where I went for a couple of runs but mainly just walked everywhere.  I realized my hamstrings were feeling better.  *lightbulb*  And now I'm down to just running and walking and doing a few minutes of yoga in my living room while I see if my hamstrings are up to the task. 

When I think back to how sick and how crazy I was during most of my 20s, obsessively exercising all the time, I never in a million years would have thought that I would be ok with running, walking and a little yoga now and then.  Never.  The truth of the matter is that I am a lot happier now so my obsessive need to exercise for hours at a time isn't as urgent (though I assure you this does not mean I am going to start lazing around day after day doing nothing; some things haven't changed).  And quite frankly, my body is TIRED.  Seriously freaking TIRED.  Like I've already put a lifetime of wear into my body and it's had enough.  So even if the desire was there to ride my bike for six hours at a time (and believe me, it's not), my body would totally break down.  Do I want to get back to going to a couple of yoga classes each week and maintaining my thrice weekly run schedule?  Yes.  Would I like to keep this pattern up for longer than the next six months?  YES. 

So when D asked me what I wanted to do for the 4th of July, I suggest a walk in the woods.  D has never been on a hike before - ever - so I knew the pace would be leisurely and we wouldn't be killing ourselves to Get It Done.  It was a lovely day for a hike, if humid, and I remembered how much I love tromping through the woods, finding peace among the trees.  D did great - I'm very proud of him - aside from sweating like a banshee, he kept up and felt great.  And I felt good about spending time outside, using muscles I haven't used in a while and feeling strong in ways that forgot I could feel strong.