Slowing Down

"This might kill me," I told Ian, charging up to the left on #33 on Wednesday morning's Thumb Butte hike.

I was so tired of asthma attacks and not being able to breath.  Just once I longed for a hike that tested my strength, not my feeble lungs.

 Piestewa Peak, Phoenix Mountain Preserve

Ian charged ahead as always; in a way I was grateful as I'd come to love hiking by myself.  I liked not having to match anyone else's pace, and I loved my music.  The time of thoughtful reflection had helped so much in th past few months; when I stopped to catch my breath I ruefully thought that hiking alone also meant no one saw your struggles.

"You know, it's not a race."  Ian was sitting at the first bench, waiting for me to catch up.  I stopped to swig water, having already taken a second hit off the inhaler.  I laughed, knowing he was going to jump up and start without me catching my breath.  Sure it's not a race.

But what if it wasn't?

 The steps to the trail:)

I got back to the valley that night, and spent Thursday catching up.  Waking early this morning, I felt the pull.

 Looks easy, doesn't it?  It's a trap!

I was out the door before the clock struck six, just as the sun broke over the horizon.  I decided on a Piestewa summit; as much as I've been contemplating a circumference it's long...and I'd actually like to have a partner on that for the first time.  In the car I took my vitamins (doctor ordered) and realized I hadn't had coffee.  Then I saw the brown box.

Did you know I've had companies fly me to both Florida and California this year trying to recruit me as a field leader?  In the box was Extreme by YouLab.  An energy supplement in berry...I figured it was a good idea.  I dumped a packet in a water bottle and drank it down.  Tasty:)

The light was beautiful, and I couldn't help but take pictures.  Rocks are my passion, so it's a natural obsession to take photos of them...

 They call this a "trail."

 I chased the sun as it rose.

Slowly, very slowly, I put one foot closely in front of the other.

I told myself I was meandering.

My headphones started squawking, and I shut them off knowing the battery was almost dead.

Ugh.  No music motivation.  10 minutes in.

Slowly I climbed.  My heart rate escalated slightly, my breathing I willed to control.

Slow.

Very slow.

"On your left!" was heard repeatedly.

 

Sadly, it was never Captain Rogers!!!

20 minutes passed, and I was breathing fine.

Then another 20 passed.

 Laying down on the job:)

I stopped then and posted a status...I've posted many while in the midst of despair.  Victory had to have equal time...even before I made the top of the Peak.

I had broken the code.

Slow.

Down.

Reaching the summit at the 1 hr mark was fulfilling.  There was no high, no elation.  I found my rocky perch and surveyed the land.

 

 I flipping adore Phoenix.

As I sat and texted, the familiar whup-whup of a chopper came from the left.  Not a police helicopter, but a black one with no markings.  I grinned in glee as the pilot angled in and buzzed us; waving to the smiling camouflaged soldier waving back at me.  Another hiker and I exchanged glances.

"That's so cool!" We said simultaneously, delighted our spontaneous fly-by.  Turning my Strava app back on, I gingerly climbed down from my perch.  I was determined to give the downward route my best effort, and set off.

33:34

😎

Now that's a time I can improve on with experience:)

In life, I'm finding more and more slowing down is a fine thing.  In other things, speeding up is better.

On Piestewa?  Looks like I can have the best of both worlds.

 Thankful for my padded backside😂😂😂

Figuring out I can breath if I go slower?

A miracle.

I'm finally getting somewhere.