stepping it up.

Week 3. Despite the best of intentions, I haven't been able to consistently get moving during the week. Interestingly, at work a new wellness committee formed and we're participating in a walking challenge for the next 112 days (begins May 24th). Everyone got pedometers, and we're all tasked with trying to walk 10,000 steps a day, or the equivalent of 5 miles. It's definitely easier to hit this mark on some days- when I'm going to the gym, walking to work, etc. But if I have to drive to work, and have a day spent hunched over my computer, the results are dismal. Just goes to show how much our daily lives are spent in a sedentary state.

This past weekend's hike was the hardest so far. West Tiger Trail 3 in Issaquah. I am not exaggerating when I say that it was straight up the entire way- all 3 miles up and 2250 feet in elevation gain. Seriously. There just wasn't anywhere to walk on flat surface to catch your breath; I struggled. I seemed to have a hard time finding my center and often felt askew. I'd catch my breath only to feel it knocked out of me. But, I made it. I wasn't sure I would, and as girly as this sounds, I felt like crying at one point. When gaining such elevation, it feels like you're going so much further than you are- that last .9 miles feels like 4 miles of hard work.

I'm only smiling because we're on the way down!

The flip side of this is how you feel coming down, once you pulled your boots off to sink into some comfy flip flops at the car. There's this amazing feeling of accomplishment- especially when you've done all of this before 12 or 1 on a day! The other interesting thing was my recovery time; there was no napping upon getting home. The other times I was so knocked out that once I hit the couch, I was out like a light. And while my legs felt great the next morning, my booty was aching from the constant climb. Next climb, a biggie: Mt. Si.