I have decided that this year is the year to take my goals to the next level. I am going to run a 5K Race on St. Patty's day, I'm going to run a 10K this year and I wanted to try a new way to cross train. Rock Climbing!
Lucky for me my friend Victoria also wants to try new activities. She agreed to come rock climbing with me! I figure if I want to make the most of my trips to a rock wall, I need a partner so we can belay for each other.
Yesterday we started our rock climbing adventure! We drove to Sport Climbing Center in Colorado Springs to our first rock climbing lesson. We had a lesson from 9-11am. The cost if this lesson came with the shoe rental, harness and belay clip as well as a day pass.
The lesson went well. There was one other student named Eric. Eric's goal was to use rock climbing to get back into shape. Eric was nice enough...except he almost backed into my car as Victoria were pulling out of the parking lot to go get lunch. This number worked out perfectly because this allowed Victoria and I to practice together while the trainer worked with Eric. Having a smaller class also allowed for a one-on-one lesson. I can't recall the teacher's name but he did a great job showing us around and teaching us the beginning techniques.
The lesson was straight forward. Once you understand the concept of how to belay for the person climbing the rest is mostly about having the strength to carry your body around from high heights and being able to finish the puzzle. Once you trust the equipment the height is less of a worry.
To help Victoria and I overcome our immediate fear if climbing he had us both go up a wall not paying attention to the colored tape that creates a path. The goal was to make it all the way to the top. We did it! After that our main obstacle was our strength.
Here is the link to where we went: http://sportclimbcs.com/index.html
We would take turns struggling to the top. As it turns out rock climbing is not only an amazing arm work out, but is also a puzzle. 'How am I going to choose the right hand and foot holds to get me to the top while staying within the correct trail I started with?' After an attempt at a hard trail Victoria and I would stand back after and discuss other options that would help us get further on our next attempt. This is mainly what we did with the bouldering paths.
There is one trail there, that was considered a 5.7 with orange tape marking which rocks we were allowed to use to get to the top; this trail challenged us due to fear when we first started then challenged us again at the end due to our tapped out arm strength.
By the end of the day my arms felt shaky like jello. What a perfect work out though! Rock climbing works on your core strength. Today my arms hurt badly. This pain is a good sort of pain. This pain was caused by me doing something good for my body.
To become a better runner I need to cross train to develop muscles that running doesn't reach.
We decided to split a 10 day pass giving us 5 trips each. Neither of us plan to come without the other so we decided this was the best deal to give us chances to go back without a restricting time frame. Since we have to drive 50 minutes up to the center we don't know how many times we will make it back in the next 3 months.
I am excited about this year. This will be an active year for me; a year to develop myself in many ways. What makes me happy? What do I want for my life? How can I be happy with anyone else if I am not happy by myself? I cannot allow myself to be defined by who I am with or the people around me, instead I need to find who I am and to develop that person as I discover her.
Joy comes from within not from anywhere else. If you put your possibility of joy in anyone else sadness will find you every time. The time is now. I don't have children and I don't have a husband. (I do have a life partner who is great). 2012 is the year I make things happen; to bring what I want for my life into view.
In addition to the list I started above other item that will sneak back into my life are going back to school. It is time to give a little of my time to working on my degree. I will be taking a math class and an English this term.
Here is the list:
1. A 5K Race
2. A 10K Race
3. Rock Climbing/strengthening my arms
4. College
I think this is a manageable list! 2012, Bring it on! :)
Now to go stretch out my arms! Ouch they sure do hurt!
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