Three down, 362 to go…
I had a great New Years Day ski yesterday. Three girlfriends, three dogs, three babies, two sleds, and one toddler.
Not shown: the $h!t show that preceded our ski tour.
One friend forgot her diaper bag. The other friend forgot poop bags for the dog. I forgot snacks for the toddler.
It takes a village, my friends.
After pooling our resources, feeding the hungry and changing the dirty, we finally got on the trail.
All seemed good, until the first hill. I was almost ready to head back to the car. Thighs and hips were burning with lactic acid, I was out of breath and already hot from pulling a sled behind me while carrying the baby in a carrier.
I wondered if it was worth it…
The first mile for me is always the hardest. When it all seems uphill and why even bother.
So, I put my head down
for a bit, listened to my friends chatter, stopped a couple of times to take off a layer (but really to catch my breath. A lot.) and kept putting one foot in front of the other.
And before long the trail leveled out, the trees opened up, and I saw beautiful, snowy mountains surrounding me.
That is why I keep going. (And the endorphins. Always for the endorphins.)
It’s not always easy getting out for a hike. It’s not always easy even getting to the trailhead. But it’s always worth it.
This year, the women behind hikelikeawoman.net, talesofamountainmama.com, goadventuremom.com, and kidproject.org have posed a big goal – to hike one mile a day or 365 miles, all told. Being a fan of big goals, especially ones with community support, I didn’t even blink before signing up. Because we all need a village.
Want to join me for the remaining 362 miles? Sound like something that you want to be a part of, too? Check out 365milechallenge.org for more info.
