Lessons learned on the mountain

A few weeks ago, I was on the side of a mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. We had planned this trip back in January and I was really looking forward to doing some serious hiking with my daughter. Time for all those 6 am workouts to pay off as I celebrated what my 48 year old body could do! So we embarked on a 6 mile round-trip hike ascending 1200 feet in elevation to the summit at 10,000 feet above sea level. While I have been working out and eating well, I had not done any long hikes and certainly no training at elevation. Here are a few things I learned along the way:

Consistency over intensity. I was hiking with a 16 year old and a 22 year old. While they wanted to surge up the mountain, I knew I was going to need to take frequent breaks an a sustainable pace. Healthy habits aren't about big changes you'll do once in a while. It's all about the little things you'll do day in and day out with consistency. Just keep stepping forward up the mountain.
The view from the top is worth it! We crossed a dozen other hikers on their way down. They kept assuring us we could do and the view was worth it. Sometimes when we are doing hard/new things, it can be easy to forget the desired destination. When your simple daily habits have afforded you the mobility to play and explore later in life, it will have all been worth it. For me, I'm going to be dancing at my grandkid's weddings.
Plan to fuel the journey. Every goal takes energy. We packed water, trail mix, protein mix, banana for our journey. What fuel does your goal need?

I hope these life lessons are helpful to you this week as you work toward your goals. I'd love to hear what goal you are working on right now.

ACTION STEP: Pick one of these tips above and try it out this week. Let me know how it's going for you!