hike to the top

As many of you know by now, I've been trying to be diligent with my Bar Method workouts.  Last night's class was KILLER because our instructor was mad at our thighs.  I'm talking she killed 'em!!!  So as one would imagine, my legs were sore and felt like they were going to just fall off all day.  I tried wearing heels this morning to keep the muscles warm, but oye.  I couldn't last past noon.  Wimp, I know.  Anyway, for what I can say was a genius idea, I agreed to go to Runyon after work to go hiking.  I haven't been in a while, and I figured it'd be good to get in as much hike time as I could before...well before I can't.  Or you know...because the sun goes to sleep earlier?  I digress.

I ended up doing the first (and hardest half) by myself.  THE STRUGGLE.  Going up the second steepest part of the hike ALWAYS gets me.  My body was not built for elevation, so thin air and my lungs aren't friends.  I'm sure it's love/hate and good for me in the end, but at the moment - nooooo thank you.  Insert mystagogia moment here: hate to have to go through the steep obstacles of life but it's always worth it at the end.  If you don't grow from your experiences, you didn't learn anything.  Tsk tsk!  If I didn't have a hard time going up the hill/mountain, I need to challenge myself to climb higher (or steeper).  Yes, there is your life...please be safe.  But emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, we need to be able to exert effort and take the hard climb of life.  We get to the top and rejoice for surviving.  We grow stronger.  We are more fit.  It is worth the climb, even if we don't see the results immediately.

Be grateful for the solid ground you climb.  Yes, the dirt and rocks may be loose and cause a little anxiety...but take it slow.  Breathe in, breathe out.  Find your footing and push to the top.  You got this.  You can do it.  In the end, you'll be grateful you did.  If you take the challenge of the hike and of life lightly, you might miss out on growth and learning.  Instead you'll just get frustrated and it'll discourage you from not only trying again but from taking things to another level.  I haven't conquered that second steep of Runyon yet, but the moment I can run/jog up it...I'll know I've won because I know how it was when I first started.

What's #30daysofmystagogia?  You can refer back to my blog on "About Time" to understand the meaning behind all of this.