Just Keep Treading On

Today I did a 2 mile uphill hike.....on a treadmill. DEFINITELY not as fun as hiking in the mountains, but it is important to stay in shape, especially during the winter months when the weather doesn't always allow for the best hiking conditions. Although there are certainly hikes you can do here in the winter, I am a beginner so I don't own a lot of the essential gear needed for the cold weather or snow....yet anyway. :) 

One thing I learned from my first year hiking in Colorado though is that it doesn't hurt to be in shape! I moved here from Tampa, FL where the elevation is 48 feet above sea level to the Boulder area where the elevation is about 5,430 feet. That is a HUGE difference! The air is thinner and it is a lot easier to get winded. The terrain on many of the trails I have encountered is steep and boy those inclines will get your heart racing fast! I often have to stop for mini breaks just to catch my breath. So spending time in the gym (as much as it can be a pain sometimes) has really helped to prepare my body for the mountains. I like to do my cardio on the treadmill using an incline to maximize my work out and to mimic the kind of exercise I get on the trails. I do find it funny that pretty much the entire time I am on the treadmill I am thinking about food... what I am eating for dinner that night, what I can possibly have for dessert? Anybody else do this? :)

Besides thinking about food while I was on the treadmill today, I observed the crowd in the fitness center. There is no doubt that Colorado is a health conscious state. There were so many people in the gym and all age groups were represented and I mean ALL! I was so happy to see an older couple (probably in their late 60s or early 70s) working out together. The man was lifting weights and was in amazing shape while his wife cycled on the bike. When the man was done lifting he went around the corner to retrieve his wife's wheel chair so that he could assist her off the bike. They were so sweet together and their physical fitness abilities were nothing short of admirable. I hope I am in that good of shape when I am that age!


I am getting so pumped for the spring and summer! I know that as much as I despise that treadmill sometimes I will be happy that I had many dates with it when I am climbing those beautiful mountains! :)