November 04, 2009

Almost Back...



This is just a quick post with a few vacation pictures--I promise, actual health and fitness blogging will resume shortly!

As I'm starting to try to catch up with everything I've missed, I just wanted to chime in and add a brief "hell yes" to a couple of Jo's recent pro-exercise posts. (In case you missed them, one is about lifelines and the other is on kicking ass at IKEA.)

Because while Jo is a lot more hard-core in her workouts than I am (whereas I'm more hard-core when it comes to whining), I have to agree with her: staying in decent shape makes life a heck of a lot more enjoyable.

Yep, still using that strappy thing!

Anyway, perhaps our favorite stop on the road trip was Mount Zion National Park. It's just one of many amazing national parks we've visited in the area, and we keep swearing we'll make it back to the southwest more often.

The Lobster likes it too.

But to best experience glorious scenery, you gotta get off your ass and walk around in it! It's not the same peering out the windows from the shuttle bus, or visiting the 3-D giant screen theater version just outside the park.

Even Crabby can't help smiling when she goes hiking.

So on our last morning at Zion, anticipating a long day in the van, I headed out on what I thought was going to be a relatively flat trail for a run. But I hadn't checked it out very carefully; turns out it wasn't a flat trail after all but rather a slow steady climb, with increasingly impressive views along the way. (Note: for those who've been to Zion, this trail was of course NOT Angel's Landing; I am far too chicken-shit to attempt that one.)

In short: it was more a hiking trail, not so much a running trail, at least not for a slacker-runner like me. But I was listening to great music and feeling psyched about being in such a lovely setting. I felt like running, not walking. So I kept chugging up the hill and chugging up the hill and made it to the top and then partway down and back up again (it was not all that long) and it was AWESOME! I got to experience the sort of runner's high that had me grinning for the rest of the morning.

And I couldn't help but think how lucky I was to have the chance to do that. I felt grateful for every tedious workout I'd done in order to "stay in shape."

Not that I plan to stop complaining about how miserable working out can be sometimes--this is Cranky Fitness, after all. I just love to get those little reminders every now and then that an active lifestyle actually feels better, and all that effort is totally worth it.

Note: Sorry for the world's most boring blog post; we just got to the Bay Area and are starting to unpack and I can't seem to find the box in which I put my sense of humor. I swear I had one before we left...

Thanks, everyone, for hanging in there during my break! (Oh, and don't forget the Fall Giveaway Check-in deadline is tonight).

27 comments:

  1. Those photos look beautiful.
    I'm sure the wonderful scenery helped you reach that 'runner's high' state of mind.
    Welcome back!

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  2. NOT boring at all! At all.

    Glad you had a good trip.

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  3. we just moved to Utah a year ago and have yet to see Mt. Zion National Park...must go.

    Glad to see you're having a safe trip.

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  4. I love Zion. Although I've not had much opportunity to hike while there. This last summer I was too preggo and it was too hot (over 100). And in '07 we were too busy working. Gah. I work for the company that runs the lodge and restaurant. I'm hoping I'll get to go every year now.

    And I am so doing Angel's Landing.

    Welcome back to the west coast. Hope you settle in quickly!

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  5. Thanks for the update and photos!

    cammii99

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  6. Man, I miss the west. Grew up in one of the prettiest parts of AZ (near Sedona).

    Enjoy it for me!

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  7. Thanks for the picture of the smiling Crab!

    As for boring blog posts, I write the most boring blog in the world, so I know boring, and this is not boring stuff, I promise.

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  8. A most exciting post, actually. Someday I'll get to that park. And everywhere else, too.

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  9. jealousjealous*waving like a mad woman*jealous.

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  10. Still giggling thinking about the person driving by seeing you hanging upside down from that contraption.

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  11. Dang, look at how awesome your guns are in that pic with the contraption! I'm very impressed!

    Cool beans on the unexpected hike and your ability to actually do it - love it!!!

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  12. It was boring except for the photo where you were attempting to pull the van over on your head.

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  13. Thank you so much for the wonderful pics!!!! Looks like an awesome time! BEAUTIFUL! That TRX system looks good too! :-)

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  14. Glad you're back and thanks for the pics. Wrong way trails and I go way back - starting with my first cross country skiing adventure. All the trails I was struggling to get up should've been the nice easy slide at the end. Must be some form of trail dyslexia.

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  15. Great pics, glad you had a good time.

    And I'm going to send my sister over here to read this post. She keeps telling me how boring my blog is and how she enjoys yours a lot more. :) Your "boring" post sounds like a lot of mine.

    Guess I'll try to make my post today super exciting to woo her back. HA! What to do, what to do.....

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  16. Looks gorgeous! Glad you got there safe and sound.

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  17. You skipped Angel's Landing??? Sacrilege! That is where hubby and I had our first kiss. Unbeatable view! I'm glad you made it to Zion's though - one of the prettiest places I've ever been! Looks like you and the Lobster are still having a wonderful vacay.

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  18. Vacations Are So health-related! (Good vacations aren't whining-related, though, I will admit.)

    Mary Anne in Kentucky

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  19. Zion looks really amazing, actually. This is going to be added to an ever-growing list of reasons to road trip it to the West.

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  20. "staying in decent shape makes life a heck of a lot more enjoyable." Definitely agree with you, Cranky. So glad you are enjoying your trip and taking every opportunity to stay fit with the strappy thing. :)

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  21. Not boring at all. Great pics and enjoyed hearing about your run.

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  22. Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier today. I hope to see you around. I'm liking the way you write and have you favorited so I can know when you update.

    Thanks again.

    -Joshua

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  23. Welcome almost back, Crabby. Great photos. It always looks like a fun trip despite the long drive.

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  24. I didn't think that was boring at all - it actually made me kind of envious! Glad you had a good trip. :)

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  25. I enjoyed it! The pictures are great!

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  26. Zion is great, one of the best of the national parks I think. For those (like me) who have some issues with heights and big dropoffs, a great hike one can do instead of Angel's Landing is the hike up to Observation Point. This is higher than Angel's Landing and looks down on it. So for the sake of fitness it offers even more of a workout.

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  27. Oooo. Pretty.

    You know we're always glad when you get back, though.

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