Seen there, Been there, Done it....NOT ready to back!

Just got back from a Southern Illinois field trip with the kids. OMG! Let me say I CANNOT believe what my 15 year old got me into. 3.6 mile hike in the woods on a 90 something degree day into what? The "LITTLE" Grand Canyon!!!!!!!! LITTLE my a**!!!!!!!! It is a 3.6 mile hike into the unknown down into a "canyon" bottom and back up. It is graded moderate to difficult. MODERATE TO DIFFICULT!!! Difficult is the not the word when you are a fat gal trying to climb your way up an 80% grade unpaved hill!!!!!!!! Guess what tho. I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let me add "I did not do it without blood, sweat and tears. I sweated, I cried and my husband bled. He trip and went down on a 1/4 inch round hard stick that went straight at his windpipe. Luckily, he put his hand in front of his throat as he went down. Scared me bad cuz he NEVER does stuff like that.  On the way home from our 440 mile trip, my 15 yr old says, " Well, at least we had fun today. Didn't we?" I said, "Yep. We sure did." My 13 yr old pipes up and says, "I had fun, toooooo!" And to think she is the one who wanted to sleep in the car while we went. That's Andi. Gotta get her movin' then she game for anything of course she whines alot, too. Bailey (15) is a gung ho go getter. She was way ahead of us the whole time and couldn't understand why we didn't want her so far ahead. OH well. KIDS. Invincible little things they are...or so they think. But like I said, "I DID IT!!" Beth

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL..... THAT is hysterical.  I can just see you all in varying degrees of pain/disdain/gain! 

YOU, dear Beth, have unlocked a big secret about "extreme sporting".  Fat, thin, whatever - it sucks for everyone, it really does. But it feels soooo damn good when you are done. Something like pride, accomplishment, yanno now, firsthand, right???? This experience has shown you that:   Drag the body and the mind will follow! My DH and I used to do 12-15 mile hikes and 30-40 mile bike ride on lots of Saturdays.  Was it fun every minute? Nope, like you, there have been tears & fears and bruised rears.  Here are some highlights of more memorable past memories: NUMBER 1:  a 25 mile bike ride in Susanville CA with my dh and two friends who do not ride bikes. Now, 25 miles is no big deal to me, Ms. BigHead Biker. So, I tells everyone, oh no problem, we'll be done in like 2.5 hours OUTSIDE...we do not even need a lunch or very much water.  Well guess what. What I did not know  was it was 25 miles of an old railway - sloggy, boggy pea gravel.  FIVE hours later...we are not within ten miles of the end. We have had zero water for like an hour or two. We had no food; we had long since ate the measly trail mix one of us had brought.  We found a candy bar on the ground and about punched each other out over it! The funniest damn conversation: Cherie (who never rides bikes):  um, I don't want to scare anyone, but my legs are in serious pain. (She is biting her lip, about to cry) her DH Sheldon:  Yanno what would be scary?  If your legs hurt worse than my ass! I swear we all laid on the ground laughing til we cried. I have never lived this down, never will. NUMBER 2:  DH and I on a snowshoe hike in Lassen Park.  Mind you, he had been just diagnosed with Parkinsons; i felt like a jerk to put him into this spot. He and I decide giddily to just go on this other trail;  Immigrant Trail yes, the same one where the Donner Prty survivors ate more crew members - thats how desolate this trek is.... Again - we have not enough water or food for the SIX hours that we were in a snow drifted backcountry area.  I think we both cried a little out of sheer fear and foolishness, but we never let on to each other. yup, back in the Outback with two F$%#ing boards lashed to our feet!  The creme de la creme of this tale...we are so scared and exhausted that we take a "shortcut: when we finally get near out car. Well, one HOUR later, we look up that little shortcut on the map that neither of us had btw in our packs, that area is called "the Jumbles" - hmmm no wonder it had baby rollicking hills pushed together like a bag of marbles! LOLOLOL, Beth, you made my day with your story! I am about crying with laughter.  Hope you accumulate more and more!

What is it they say? "No pain, no gain?" I don't think most people realize the gain is not muscle and brute strength but determination and appreciation. You learn you are capable of WAYYYY more than you ever imagined. You may not appreciate that sentiment at the time but later you definitely realize you are more and can do more than you ever imagined possible. It's really more of a metal gain than a physical one. Strengths we discovered:  1) My girls are closer than I thought.  2) My girls each have their own strengths when faced with difficulty. 3) Hubby and I are definitely a team. 4) Our determination far outweighs our ability to give up 5) My 15 yr is a hiker and a climber at heart 6) I LOVE the victory of defeat over things I thought I couldn't conquer. 7) Even tho at times I was miserable, I LOVED spending the day with my kids! Thanks, Neecee for letting me know I am definitely NOT alone.

Absolutely loved both of your stories!!  They reminded me of the Biggest Loser and some of the physical feats they go through when they never thought they could.  Beth....congratulations, sweetie....you really outdid yourself.  Lots to be proud of and FANTASTIC memories for your kids!  Unfortunately, when my kids were that age, I would never even attempt a feat such as that and I'm sure lost out on a lot of good times due to my size.  Good for you saying..."screw it" and doing it anyways. Neecee....amazing isn't it how we can laugh at ourselves when at the moment there is so much fear and pain involved.

Oh Sherrie, I could have puked and passed out a few times over along that hike. It was probably the single hardest thing I have done in my life. I had NO intention of doing the whole trail but somehow ended up doing it anyway. The one thing I do know is this: I not only would not have done that 50 pounds ago but I literally would have been unable to do it. 

That is awesome!!  Man I'm so jealous! I wanna go on a hike now!  The wife and I are supposed to go camping in Delaware sometime in the next couple of weeks. I keep forgetting to take time off of work so if I don't do it soon she'll have my hide!  I'm so glad you had a great time and even more so to see you proud and happy to have accomplished such a difficult task!

Awesome job Beth.  I bet that you feel absolutely PROUD of yourself.  Great job.  WOO HOO!!!