Sunday, March 04, 2012

I Didn't Break A Leg, So I Guess I Can't Regret Doing It

Today I went on a hike in Catalina State Park with Ed and my friend Kim. Every time I'm home, she asks me to do some sort of exercise that usually involves being outside. The trail she chose as my "starter hike" was two and a half miles long. Hellooooo? And it started with a steep hill. She said we could do the trail in either direction and tackle the hill at either the beginning or the end, it was my choice. That's a choice?? I decided to do it at the beginning, to get it over with.
It was a steep hill. I had to stop at the top to catch my breath, but from there it was cake. We walked and talked, enjoying the cool morning air, and along the top of the ridge were a few benches. Since this was a leisurely walk and we had a lot of talking to do, we took a seat for about ten minutes and chatted and laughed.

The desert landscape in the background gives way to Oro Valley, where you can see the sprawl of homes and businesses.

And, it wouldn't be desert if there weren't cactus. Here's a little grouping to satisfy all you cacti fans.
I do have to say, even though I didn't want to do this walk and I'm not a fan of the desert at all, it wasn't really that bad. I'm not an outdoorsy, hikey kind or person, but I was actually a little inspired to do it again.

And when my friend Marlaina heard about my hike she said, "Good on you for taking the hike. Once completed, physical activity -- I won't even call it exercise because the word has taken on the same bad connotation as budgeting -- is the only thing we don't regret, according to an Australian friend of mine. Unless the activity results in a broken leg, it's always, "I should do that more", not "that was a big waste of time.""

And that's exactly how I felt. I might even say it was fun..but don't let that get out.


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
1 YEAR AGO: Why Couldn’t It Have Been The Canola??
2 YEARS AGO: I Like To Call Him The Kite Master
3 YEARS AGO: Talk About Making Good Use Of Your Time
4 YEARS AGO: Don’t Three Feet Equal One Yard?
5 YEARS AGO: New And Improved!
6 YEARS AGO: Maybe I Don’t Need To Know Everything

4 comments:

ELH said...

Good for you Salena, I love walking..always seems to set ne back on course..depending on where I'm at, I try to get my 30 minutes in each day...weAther and surroundings can alter that some...also good for my bld prsr and helps the heart and weight control..both of which I am struggling with..doctors and exercise experts sAy that a daily walk is extremely good for a person, actually better than a jog...I've tried that and I've concluded that my jogging days are long over and shall stay in my past...you'll find if you keep up the walking, that you'll look forward to it and it will be something that's very good for your health..I shall recommend proper footwear to make those walks even more enjoyable..

Marlaina said...

So my Aussie friend is not always right. I didn't break a leg, but doing my cheesy little squats, just 15, on number 11, it didn't work exactly like it was supposed to. Must have pulled a little muscle. I felt a twinge on the right side, dangnabit.I soldiered on for my swim. Things should be back to normal tomorrow -- probably one of those little age things. I think I will stick to the walking as well.

Gil said...

Congratulations! I don't think that I could make the walk downhill. Nice that they have benches along the way. It would be nicer if they had cool drinking water like they have in Italy along the paths.

Willow said...

One step at a time; that's all it takes. Congratulations!! I'm glad you had fun! Welcome to my world. If I didn't hike, I would be insane...ok, more insane.