Hiking and Going new Places- Weight Loss Update
Today was a fun day! I decided right before my walk that instead of going to my normal area I would try something new. I decided to call a friend and see if they wanted to go for a little hike. What was so fun about this for me was that when they said yes, I was excited. What is so different about that feeling is that going on a walk like this has often brought me apprehension and anxiety. I have referred many times to my weight loss so far as being very freeing. Like lifting chains off my shoulders that weigh me down. I can’t think of a better example of that metaphor than this walk.
The Place
Elk Falls is a beautiful park trail just 10 minutes out of town. I used to love going here when I was a kid. As the name suggests the trail ends at a spectacular waterfall. The trail was recently updated in the past few years. It now winds down a slope ending in a set of stairs and a bridge giving you an above view of the amazing falls.
My Previous Experience
I have done this walk a few times in recent years. Normally it is when someone is visiting and I want to show them the location. These other times have always been when I have had made previous efforts to lose weight. I have successfully completed this walk, but it always left me out of breath, needing many breaks and with back pain. In the recent year I would not have even attempted this walk. The hike back out involves many stairs and a slow climb up and out of about 1km. It is not something I would have been capable to complete.
My Experience Today
Today was night and day from those experiences and was a lot of fun. walking up the stairs was no problem. I had to take no rests walking up the hill on the way back. The whole thing felt like I was now and finally totally mobile. It feels amazing to look forward to walks like this than to worry about if I will be able to complete them. Or if I will be so slow as to hold up people I go with. This lifestyle change has literally turned fear and anxiety into fun and relaxation.
New Places and Possibilities to Explore
While this is not a new place for me, it is one I have not been to often or recently. There are in fact many local areas I have not been to or not been to in a very long time. I was never an overly outgoing person but I did have a spark of adventure in me at one point. It has been weighed down by my size and back pain for an awful long time. It makes me very optimistic about what could be in my future and what I may be able to achieve. I think maybe underneath all this mess I created for myself I am an optimist. I just needed to let that optimism breath a little.
