A Wonderful Day...

I was woken up at 4 am (as usual) by my husband kissing me as he left for work. As usual I swatted him away and tried to fall back asleep as rapidly as possible, but I can't deny that it always makes me smile inside that for almost 5 years he has never once forgotten to kiss me before he leaves. It's rare that I think about it because it has become such second nature for it to happen, but on this morning I smiled, and I almost didn't fall back asleep because of how content I felt inside, my heart was happy. Eventually though, my heavy eyelids took over and I fell back into sleepy land.
When I woke up for the final time I sat up and realized that my hip had no pain in it, well let me rephrase that. Very little pain, which to someone who has dealt with this pain for so long it is no pain! I did my usual morning chores of letting the dogs out, feeding the horse, filling her water and then feeding myself. It wasn't the greatest of looking mornings. It was incredibly overcast and there was drizzle falling from the sky, but I knew I wanted to get out and do something. There is no way I was going to waste this morning, this rare opportunity that I am able to take advantage of to actually get my ass off the couch and get it moving. I decided that I would go to the Wild Animal Park (love that place!) and do the Kilimanjaro Walk around the park, but then add some to get a little bit more mileage out of this. If anyone has a chance to do this walk if they are in or around San Diego I definitely recommend it. It takes you past all the things you want to see and there are some amazing things that you are able to stumble upon, especially if you go on a weekday morning.
I got dressed and drove to the Wild Animal Park and got my camelbak ready and also my CardioTrainer on my Droid, which is my favorite app ever!, and started on my little mini adventure. I encountered so many things that I never would have if I had been with anyone, and realized how much I like to walk alone around things like this! I saw little birds walking around their nests, the lions were out and walking around, there was a cheetah playing with a dog (I know right?!?!), I heard the tigers talking, and got to walk through the conifer forest which I had never done before. The best part was I got to go on this bridge that they have there. If you jump up and down a little the bridge moves up and down and squeaks so loud and if there is anything I remember from my childhood it is that bridge. My dad would always walk across it behind my brother and me and make it bounce all over the place and it was the best and always the most fun. So of course as I walked across it I had to make it bounce and squeak and I smiled the whole time thinking of my dad and missing him so much.
Finally after 3.71 miles and 100 stairs, hills, and encounters with weird people I made it around the park via my path twice and felt completely accomplished. My legs hurt and were definitely tight, my hip was letting me know that it didn't like me anymore, but that's was okay, and I didn't dwell on it. I had done it. I did it without stopping, without complaining, without being self defeating and that is definitely I haven't done in so long. I was really proud of myself! I figure now that I have this motivation and I have a mission to lose as much weight and look as great as possible when the river trip comes up in September that something like this is definitely a good stepping stone to showing me how athletic I can really be. Maybe one day I'll get back into my old soccer shape, even though I can't play it I wouldn't mind looking like I did! Now all those who sit on their asses have no excuse not to get up and off of them and go workout....whether it be a walk or just getting on the elliptical DO IT!!