Tuesday, June 22, 2010

The High Road/The Long Run

"Now" was not today...

If you read yesterday's blog, you know what I am talking about...I didn't get to move the bar...I'm still fighting to get under an increment on the scale...so how soon is "now"?

I don't know...

When I got up this morning I felt sure I was going to go into the bathroom, jump on the scale and MOVE THAT BAR, but nope...not today...

It was so hard to get myself motivated...I feel stuck at this weight and it is going so S-L-O-W-L-Y.

But it is a Spinderella day and I knew that she could get me back on track and feeling fine. I got to the gym early, listened to some music and went in and let Spinderella push me to my limit. And today she did...

Up on the screen she had some wild documentary about extreme skiing playing. The music was cool. But then she unleashed her evil plan to "take us to the next level" and so we had a song to pedal fast to, a song to push hard and climb to (with heavy tension) and one that was in the middle.

We repeated that pattern 3 times...

I've never been so happy to hear her say "back off the tension on your bikes because you are done!"...and then I remembered that I was going to do her short class (30 minutes) after the ab workout. I had just ridden that bike for 45 minutes so why did I want to climb back on?

I want to move the bar...

So I got my second wind and did another 30 minutes...but gave out after 25...I threw up my hands and said "Mercy" and that was that...

This got me thinking...I'm on this journey called my life but I have a lot of roads I have to take...and I have taken many roads. And cycle class and Spinderella are a good analogy (is that the word I am looking for...maybe metaphor?...I was an Agricultural Economics major, not an English major...you can see why).

So spin class is a little like life...sometimes you have a long, flat road that you can just run...easy tension....pedaling fast...but its just fast, not pushing...but it is still hard and you have to keep going even if the road seems to have no end in sight.

Somtimes you have to climb the high road...lots of tension...a lot of work...that hill keeps going up...and sometimes it is really steep. And occasionally, you can see the top...and enjoy the view.

And sometimes that ride is a little bit of a climb on an easy hill...

I've had steep climbs...and I have had long flat roads...in my life and as I try to find my way back to being a healthy, fit woman.

Today felt like a very steep climb...not quite Everest, but at least a small mountain. And I guess it felt that way because I was disappointed this morning when I didn't get to move the bar. So maybe tomorrow I will not weigh myself...

All this mountain climbing is making me dizzy and I don't like heights. I like flat roads---being born and raised in South Texs, flat roads is all I have ever seen.

When I was a kid, my parents took us on one of those "let's get in the station wagon and drive across the country" road trips. It was our own version of "National Lampoon's Vacation" (10 years before it was made). We set out for Montana and Yellowstone National Park with another family (and their station wagon). We had 4 kids in my family at that time...I was the oldest...could't have been much more than 9 or 10. The other family had 4 daughters...their youngest was my age so their other girls were all teenagers.

I was so excited about the prospect of seeing snow...and mountains...and the Mormon Tabernacle and its world-famous Choir. Yes, the Mormon Tabernacle and the Choir. Back then, in the early 70's, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was always on television. They were on all the Christmas specials, etc. We were going to Salt Lake City. I was going to hear that choir...at least I assumed we would. And I wanted to see the Mormon Tabernacle. Because I wanted to see a tabernacle...if I knew what a teberancle was...

So we set out in our station wagons...our parents had thoughtfully put sleeping bags in the back ends of the station wagons so we could lay down...it was like a huge playpen for us.

And if you are asking "what about seatbelts or carseats", you are obviously way too young to remember the time when everyone rode in the car unrestrained. My sister N liked to stand beside Chale (the most wonderful man...I miss him)in his truck. I sat on the arm rest. It's a wonder we are here...

So unrestrained children in the back of the station wagon, bored teenagers in the middle seats, and 4 parents. One of the teenagers turned out to be the smartest girl in the world---before we set out on the trip she went to the store and bought 2 boxes of DUBBLE BUBBLE BUBBLEGUM. Pink and green apple flavors.

Why was she smart?

As we would ride along and get loud and chatty, she would toss gum to us in the back seat. Being 8, 9, and 10 years old, we loved this...and would stuff the gum into our mouths...never throwing out what we already had in there...so our wads of gum would get larger and larger...and harder to chew...and harder to talk...and we would get quiet and chew the gum. This ruse worked all the way to Utah I think...

I dont' remember much about the stops along the way...we would drive and stop and some sort of motel or motor court each day. I recall a lot of Travelodges.

We got to Salt Lake City....time for that taberancle and the choir!

It seems that I was the only person who had a facination with this...so no, I didn't hear the choir. We did go to Temple Square and saw the Temple (only from the outside since you must be an LDS member to go in...but I remember thinking it was beautiful) and no one wanted to go in to the Tabernacle and let them show us how you could drop a pin in it and hear it all over the building.

I haven't listened to the choir since...except maybe if they were on the "Donny and Marie" show...or Andy Williams Christmas Special...or Perry Como...whatever..

We did go to Yellowstone. I lived in fear of the bears. I threw up at the sulphur springs (from the smell). I loved watching "Old Faithful".

My dad bought a ranch in Montana during that trip. It was such a beautiful place to be. I always say that Montana is proof that God made this world---because only God could concieve of something so beautiful as Montana is. Oh, and we flew home...my dad liked to drive...but only so much...I can't remember how our station wagon (brown with brown fake wood side panels) got home.

A few years ago we took our kids on a similar road trip except that we started in Las Vegas. We spent a few days visiting Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. We then headed up to Park City for a day or so and then to Montana and Yellowstone...and then back down to Grand Teton and Jackson Hole, back to Park City, and then back to Vegas...so we could over-stimulate our children after they enjoyed all that fresh air and nature.

My kids wanted to climb the high trails and go for long walks in the parks. We had one very long, hours-long (with no water) walk to view the Morning Glory pool in Yellowstone (since it was in the science book). I took a lot of photos. Ke$ha Barbie took a lot too and made a power point slide show for her teacher to show her that she got to see what was in the science book. That teacher teaches with that slide show...we love that teacher...

I wasn't in good shape then...it got worse since...but back then I was still a big fluffy girl who didn't exercise. Walking trails and climbing hills were not in me. Thankfully I did not puke at the sulpher springs this time...but The Cutest Boy in the World ALMOST did...

This year we are considering going back to Zion...and Vegas because my kids LOVE Vegas...go figure...no, seriously, they LOVE Vegas...really! And I am going to take some long walks on the trails...and climb a bit (no mountains, and no big rocks...but I will do trails that go up).

So I'll take that high road...and that long run (walk)...and appreciate all that God has made...

And I'll move that bar....

Inspiration songs:
"The High Road" by Broken Bells...new on my iPhone, came on right before spin class...
Cause they know and so do I.
The high road is hard to find.
A detour to your new life.


"The Long Run" by the Eagles...Spinderella played it for a good hard climb...it contains one of my all-time favorite lyric lines:
Cause all the debutantes in Houston, baby,
couldn't hold a candle to you


So take the long run...and climb the high road...and move that bar...

bye darlings...

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