Lessons From The Hiking Trail
I’ve just returned from my annual Vail, Colorado trip where we had two weeks of perfect weather – warm days and cool nig
hts – a welcome break from this year’s wretchedly hot, sticky summer here in North Carolina.
Every year I seem to have one hike that triggers thoughts on life. Last year’s occurred when I lost my head and followed my friends into the pit of death. Okay, I exaggerate. You can read about it at Would You Follow Your Friends Off A Bridge.
This year’s adventure was the Two Elks Pass trail, an eleven-mile hike that includes a 1,500 foot climb over 1.5 miles. Here’s what I was reminded of during the six hour hike:
- The best way to the top of the mountain is one step at a time.
- It’s okay to rest.
- Hard and fun are not mutually exclusive.
- Savor the effort.
- Enjoy the easy parts.
- When your feet are tired, get a massage. 🙂
As I transition back into “real-life” mode, I plan to keep these front and center. They don’t just apply to hiking!
Sherry,
I just returned from participating in the Nations Triathlon in Washington, D.C. Our national Team in Training coach is Dave Scott, multi-time IronMan winner. His main message, which I kept in my heart, was this: do what you can do in the moment. Don’t worry about that last mile; don’t worry about the next mile; don’t worry about winning or losing. Just be present and do what you can do at that moment. Awesome. What a great message to give to us the night before our race! And it feels like a good philosophy for every type of moment. Sound familiar?
Best regards,
Suzanne
What a beautiful message! And I couldn’t agree more that it’s applicable to every type of moment. How was the triathlon? You are an inspiration!!!