I hiked 5.4 miles. (A poem)

I hiked 5.4 miles yesterday.
I hiked 5.4 miles.
I hiked 5.4 miles in the mountains.
I hiked 5.4 miles at elevation.
I hiked 5.4 miles and it wasn't an easy trail.
I hiked 5.4 miles and it was not flat.
I hiked 5.4 miles and complained the whole way.
I hiked 5.4 miles and saw a couple waterfalls.
I hiked 5.4 miles and I survived.

I hiked 5.4 miles yesterday.
I hiked 5.4 miles and loved it.
I hiked 5.4 miles and enjoyed being in nature again.
I hiked 5.4 miles and it was just what I needed for my bad attitude.
I hiked 5.4 miles and I can still move.
I hiked 5.4 miles and I don't really feel it today.
I hiked 5.4 miles yesterday.
I hiked 5.4 miles.

Over a year ago a friend and I decided to hike 100 miles in the summer. We didn't meet our goal because I bought a house and life got in the way, but when we started we did almost 5 miles on our first hike and we were SORE. The longest hike we have done to date is 10 miles on a gradual slope of a gravel road. That one killed us the next few days. By the end of the summer my goal wasn't distance, it was just to be able to get out and do things and be in enough shape to not feel the pain the next few days. I still got it. :)

We hiked a trail that sounds WAY easier in the description and WAY shorter too. Seems our theme this year is "Let's do a couple miles" and it turns into a few more than planned. Our first hike of the summer season, and the last one we had done (sadness), was going to be about 2-3 miles. Then I remembered we camped on the other side of the lake so 8 miles later we were done. The dog put herself to bed that night extra early. This one it turns out you have to learn to read the map correctly. Normally the trail head is at the bottom of the map and you hike towards the top. No problem. Turns out we were actually at the other trailhead and it is a bit farther away. Also turns out the loop is a lot longer than the map makes it look. Oh, and it is all uphill. Overall my MapMyRun app said we gained 875.2ft. We aren't used to that so our pace was pretty slow. Confirms that I won't be hiking a 14er anytime soon.

After getting back home and looking back at the pictures I got to see just how much 5-8lbs makes a difference on me. The picture on the left is from the Fourth of July this year and the right is from our hike yesterday. Same pair of shorts but with a tighter shirt yesterday. I was shocked. The girl on the right is who I see when I picture myself, not the one on the left.

Also, note those legs. I love my legs. 

It gives me hope that I can reach my goal. Now that I have cut out sugars and am on a really restricted diet I have dropped some pounds. I can't wait to be able to add back in more fruits and veggies though... I so crave vegetables. It also makes lunches hard for work. I used to eat salads practically everyday but mix up what I put in them. My options are small.