It's About Time - Getting In Shape

"How many rest stops is that now, 2 or 3? Try 4. Well, don't worry, we're about at the top. We're almost there." Sound familiar? Have you been out trying to have a good time on a daytrip, or on vacation looking to explore and see the sights, only to find yourself hindered because you ran out of energy too soon, or worse, didn't have the energy to begin with? My wife and I were doing just that, looking for some fun and adventure, visiting Mesa Verde National Park for our 10th anniversary, when we got a wake-up call, when we had the cold hard reality of our physical conditioning, or lack thereof, pushed upon us. When we should have been able to fully appreciate and freely maneuver through one of our nations most beautiful national parks unhindered, we found instead we had to pace ourselves, and limit our explorations to the less advanced areas and activities, the equivalent of the "bunny hill" in snow skiing terms.

Even the simpler hikes, you know the ones for the whole family, the ones where little school children on a field trip dart past you on the trail, required a rest, a few rests actually, every time the panting got too bad. But we weren't the only ones. We noticed several others of the 40-50 yr.