Foundations

Let me reiterate, I should have started this blog the day I started hiking.  Yes, and I should have bought Microsoft stock when I was 12, too, but oh well.

Week two wasn't supposed to be hard.  Monday the 16th turned out to be President's Day and all the kids were home from school, so Ian and I canceled our Monday hike (which is funny, because we still haven't hiked on a Monday.)  With my children home, I asked my 6'2" son to be my hiking companion.  Since it was a "National Holiday" (and I use that term quite loosely), Thumb Butte parking was free (it's free every Wednesday, which is why you will always see it as my Wednesday hike.  Get this - they want $5 for you to park there.  Riiiiggght.)  Charlton is a fencer; very lean and at 14, he's capable of doing just about anything physically.  We get to the Butte and the damn argument begins:  which side do we go up.

Now Charlton tells me he cannot allow his mother to be a wimp, and I cave to my taller-than-me son. (Isn't it funny how our mother's heart melts when our now taller-than-you boy asks us to do something?)  Immediately, I regretted it; it sucked.

Literally.

I'm sucking air and I cannot get it to my lungs.  I stop for a drink, catch my breath, and struggle onward.  My son starts to tell me about World War II and fighter planes (at least I think he did, I have no memory of the conversation because I could. not. breathe.  That's what he typically talks about, so...)

My calves start to pinch, and I stop to stretch them.  At this point my son is long gone, and I have failed in my goals to teach him gentlemanly skills (like flipping wait when the woman you are with is struggling.)  I find him on the bench by the top.  After a long sit and catching my breath, we decide to make the entire East Coast of the United States jealous.  It's 64 degrees in beautiful Prescott, Arizona.  The rest of the nation looks like this:

My former home state.

This was the week of the Big Freeze.  And this is us:

Thumb Butte, myself & Charlton.

Because we are special.

This is the view from the "other side" of Thumb Butte:

Prescott in the distance.

Isn't he a handsome boy?

Of course, at this point I need to prove my theory that the "easy side" going down is really too easy.

So, to prove it to my son, I ran down Thumb Butte.

YES.  I RAN DOWN IT.  

I only stopped where there was loose stone - I'm not a fool and wanting to go splat on my backside.  I ran and skipped while singing down the side of the mountain (please note I do not do this with other hiking partners, only the ones I wish to embarrass and who cannot reject a further offer to hike.)

When we got to the bottom, I checked my phone.  I had uploaded those photos to my Facebook page, and wanted to see how jealous everyone was (because as my sister suspects, I am not humble.  Not in the least.)  Instead of comments about the weather, there is a fight between my husband's boss and my dear geology field partner from college.  About capitalism.

Men.

Hike complete, we head home.  I'm starting to feel really good - afterall, I just hiked the steep side of Thumb Butte, and Charlton didn't have to drag me (although I did suggest pushing.)  Surely Wednesday's hike would be fine, right??

Wrong.

Oh, so very wrong...

Two times in three days up the steep side?  WHY did I get myself into this mess??  At least Ian was tolerant of my slow speed - I doubt he had any sort of work out at all I was such a snail.  All arguments aside, I do concede that its quite a workout for my lungs.  They didn't explode, and I was rather surprised.  I was so winded I didn't take a picture at the top.  Ian, however, had tons of time waiting for me - so here is his snap:

Ian and Thumb Butte.

After I caught my breath (you'll notice a reoccurring theme), we hiked over #314 and down #326, making it a much better hike/workout than the Monday experience.  What's cool about hiking with other people is that 1) they don't care you're out of shape and hike at their pace and 2) you learn cool things about them.  Ian was just finishing this painting, so I heard all about it.

Ian's Great Horned Owl

See?  Pretty cool stuff.

I am very jealous - I cannot create art.

But I can write.

:)

Anywise, we finished that hike in record time, and I went off to meet the man who would rock my fitness quest a week later:  Sgt. Steve.

Sgt. Steve Rosen of Kickstart Boot Camp for Women.

Sgt. Steve owns Kickstart Adventure Boot Camp for Women.  We'd met several times at Bridal Expos as vendors; I figured he was just the guy to go to start my fitness quest.  We had a great time chatting at Starbucks, and he made certain I knew about the 5:30am start time.  Several times.  What's funny is I was far more concerned with my ability to breath.  He assured me I'd be fine.

Maybe I should have had him call Charlton or Ian?

My third hike for the week was intended to be on Friday, but I woke up with a seriously hurting lower back.  I cannot recall the last time I had been in that much pain, and did not complain in the slightest when my hiking partner had to cancel due to a forgotten appointment.  What I did not suspect was the irritation that accompanied that cancellation.  I had hoped the hike would help ease the pain - and still being in pain I was a grumpy bear.  Thankfully, Sweet Jesus heard my prayer, and Andrew at Massage Envy had an opening at 10am.

Not Andrew.  I'll get his photo next Friday when I see him.

I was saved from a day of agony by the best massage therapist in town.  The best thing about Andrew?  He's a great listener, too.  We decided we should go hiking at some point, but that hasn't happened yet. 

By Saturday, I knew I needed to fit in my third hike.  My husband, Thomas, had pulled both of his hamstrings the prior Saturday, doing some type of crazed Spartan 300-style workout.  

Have we talked about Tom yet?

And his exercise routine???

Well, now.

Meet my hot, fitness-crazed husband:

Mr. Incredible, aka King of Athletics of the Central Highlands

Seriously, right?  I sleep with Thor with a shaved head.

He was just getting back into exercise (after I had told him I would not rub Icy Hot into his hamstrings unless he took a break) so he agreed to a hike from the Williamson Valley trailhead close to our home.  Initially we set off for the Janet Ruins, because in Arizona you can hike to easily assessable Indian ruins.  If you can find the trail spur that leads to them, which we could not.  

Instead, we hiked about 3 miles on #347, in some of the prettiest country Prescott has to offer.  I found this stone, which of course, looks like a heart:

It's a heart.

Tom said it looks like the Van Halen symbol.

Tom says it's Van Halen.

It was while hiking with Tom I shared with him the details of the Fitness Quest, of which the first column had been run that morning.  I was nervous, excited and a bit scared.  Tom, of course, did nothing to assuage that.  As the King of Athletics of the Central Highlands of Arizona, he could think of nothing that would be more satisfying than a year focused on physical fitness.  You see, he's been working out since he was 16, when the football team introduced him to something called "the weight room."  When we met, the thing that stands out to me about our first date was not just that he had a passion for history and sci fi like I did, but more so the fact that he HAD NO NECK.  Seriously.  Check out this stud:

Our engagement day.  195lb & 136lb.

I sincerely wish he'd grow out his hair.

Any wise, Thomas has always strength trained, even when my good cooking got him in to trouble.  At his heaviest, he weighed about 250lbs.

In Hawaii, Spring 2012

He was still incredibly strong, but knew his weight had to be dealt with.  So in early 2013, Mr. Incredible went all Paleo on me, and started working cardio as well as strength.  He dropped 40 lbs in the first two months, and has since chiseled himself down to our pre-wedding weight of 195lb.  He trains almost continuously, and is determined to stay fit regardless of the cost.

I worry about the cost.

Not money, but in time.  What good is a fit life, if you have no family time?  What good is a fit life if there is no balance to your meals, or a single potato to be found?  What good is a life centered on only on how one looks and feels, instead of the needs of those around you?  As you can see, my concerns fell on deaf ears, but it was good to be hiking with my original hiking partner.  I had gotten in my third hike, and the Fitness Quest was about to begin.