For the last ten years that we've lived in our neighborhood I've wished that I could fit more outdoor adventures into my daily routine...and the time has finally arrived for that to come true.
It helps, of course, if you have someone who calls you up and says "let's go". And I'm definitely motivated by an invitation to exercise with a buddy. It's the idea of getting up early that doesn't work quite so well with my internal clock. For all the years of my marriage, my hubby has been the one to rise in the wee hours of the morning and head off to work while I try to sleep off the "interrupted a billion times in the night,not quite enough sleep to feel rested" feeling so that I can be nice to the 4 busy kids for the long day ahead.
I've tried to convert to being a night owl at lest a dozen times over the years...but my happy time is after 10 pm when all the kids and the husband are asleep, the phone doesn't ring, and I can't see all the projects in the yard, and no one is knocking on my door....it's my time to crank on a project or read a book....but sometimes that means it's hard to get moving in the morning.
That explains the WOW factor in the early morning hiking that I did with my brother this summer. He too must be to work at a reasonable time so that meant we had to rise around 5:15 (gasp!!) to head out the door by 5:30 for a hike to the first waterfall in Bell Canyon. I might mention that my bro suggested that we "run" up the canyon, and I cautiously agreed...remember, I'm not a runner and even exercising hard is very difficult for me these days.
I don't say no very well, and I do have a little competitive spirit, so off we headed up the trail for a run/walk with my bro patiently waiting for me when I needed to stop and gasp for air. He'd time us and report whether our progress between stops to gasp was sufficient to keep us on schedule (meaning he could get to work at a respectable, non-eyebrow raising time). When I'd be gasping for air he'd be patiently waiting and talking about all the other times he'd hiked to the waterfall or above....I'd gasp in response just so he'd know I was still alive!
In spite of the fact that my physical progress has come to a complete standstill and perhaps even went downhill by the end of the summer, tonight my brother suggested that we repeat our Bell Canyon early morning jaunt one last time before the snow flies. This time we will require head lamps for the majority of the hike and jackets to keep us warm while we enjoy the mist of the waterfall at the top of our hike. I think I better stock up on calories, rest, and do nothing to exert my muscles for the next day so that I can hike at a respectable pace-- I really want him to invite me to be his hiking buddy again next summer....is that too much for a sister that is 10 years older to want?? I know it's not too much to sacrifice my night owl productivity or my early morning sleeping in....and hopefully it won't be too much for his athletic ego to slow down for either! Love those brothers of mine!
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