The weather on Saturday in Phoenix was beautiful - and perfect for hiking so we headed to Camelback Mountain. I love being outside, I love the fresh air, I love the sun and I love climbing. Check out the view from the top of the mountain. I even stopped to try out my yoga skills.
It is hard to explain how it feels to be on the top of a mountain. I still don't want to live here, but it was beautiful :)
Then we got the brilliant idea to sit outside in the sun and go to a spring training game. What?? Sun? Me + direct sun = danger. Lesson learned - don't forget the sunscreen and don't wear capris.
Then Sunday morning arrived - the day of the Tough Mudder. We woke up early to a frigid and windy morning. Of all days, we got the cold, windy, crappy day. I went to the desert to have it be a warm TM. But NOOOOOOO. If you are unfamiliar with the event, it is 10-12 miles over rocky terrain with 20 crazy and challenging obstacles. Many of them involve water which does not make the cold weather favorable. The very first obstacle was the Arctic Enema, jumping into a dumpster full of ice water, swimming under a wall and out the other side. I am working on putting the video together but until then just use your imagination. I was FREEZING. And every time you got out of the water, you couldn't warm up because the air was cold and windy.
I got towards the end and people were being carted off the course because of cold. I was beyond cold and I was just done. I could not do one more water obstacle but I had to finish. It would take a lot to cart me off of the course. My mental grit kicked in and I was determined to finish, but smart enough not to do the last water obstacle. I knew at the beginning of the event it would not be a physical challenge, but a mental challenge and boy was I right.
After..........
On Monday we headed to Sedona and it is quite possibly, one of the most beautiful places I have seen. It was hilarious.....
us + retirees + nerdy historical trolley tour + hiking = Sedona.
Then we set off to hike and we ended up at Bell Rock. We started on the path and then ended up rock climbing. For real rock climbing. No harness, just rock. It was fabulous.
The real message of this blog is about mental grit. My mental grit was challenged when we headed to Cathedral Rock. It is about 1 mile up and straight up rock climbing. I scampered up the side of the rock but was worried about going back down. What if I slip? It's a long way down. The pictures from the top of Cathedral Rock aren't the best, but it was spectacular. However while I was up there, I had a freak out. What's going to happen? What if I get stuck up here? AHHHHHHH. Jessie calmed me down, talked some sense into me, and went ahead of me back down the rock.
The point is, we always have those gremlins in our mind telling us we can't do it, we aren't good enough, we aren't worth it, etc. But it's our job to SHUT THEM UP so we can see the top of the mountain, the rock, and finish the race. It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves. ~ Edmund Hillary, was a New Zealand mountaineer and explorer.
DId I mention I went to the desert for warmth? Not so much...:)
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