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One of the hiking paths to the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Saturday, August 1, 2009
(FYI - that blurry white thing on the mountain is the Hollywood Sign)
I went on my first hike in months this past Saturday after a successful high incline walk on the treadmill the previous Wednesday. My chiropractor gave me the green light on Friday so I could start training while getting treatments for my Achilles Tendinitis and Bursitis in my left ankle and foot.
I've got 28 days till I hike down the North Rim of the Grand Canyon with my brother and SIL on a guided hike. We get two nights at the Phantom Ranch at the bottom and then we hike back up Bright Angel. I've hiked the Bright Angel Trail before in 1996 but only made it as far as the Gardens before we had to start back out before dusk. It was amazing then and this will be even more amazing.
I was letting my fears and my injury get the best of me these last four months and I've almost given up several times. I have slacked off on my strength training and my core work and it shows. I've put back on about 7 of the 55 pounds I had lost. I suppose had I kept with swimming laps I wouldn't be so out of shape, but swimming in a public pool with a hundred swimmers' sweat mixed in with the smell of chlorine was unappealing. Too bad the apartment complex I live in now doesn't have a pool.
But finally I am able to do more with less pain. I won't be running or spinning or cycling just yet and stairs are still too much to handle. But at least I get to hike again and Los Angeles has so many great hilly trails for me to train on (see above). Plus I'm training at the gym on the treadmill while wearing sweats to help adapt my body against heat exhaustion.
I'm sure a few of the people at the gym thought I was crazy seeing me dance here and there during my treadmill workout last night. I even walked backwards at a slower pace to work different leg muscles and by the third time I did that, I was dancing a little and swaying my hips and shoulders to the music blasting in my ears.
As you can see, the hike was amazing and has given me back some of the hope I had lost. Now I just need to motivate myself to re-start strength training, core work, and yoga to make sure I have the strength inner and outer to tackle the Grand Canyon.