From Flab to Fourteener

Hello again! Welcome to the beginning of my blog. Let me introduce myself to you, and tell you why I'm writing this.

My name is Cynthia, and I'm a somewhat overweight, out-of-shape, 56-year-old woman who moved to Colorado in June of 2016. I had less than $2 grand in my back pocket, no job, and a Craigslist roommate (didn't quite work out how I thought, but never mind). I came here because I love the outdoors, snow, mountains, rivers, wildlife... all the wonderful stuff Colorado has to offer. Colorado also has altitude - which means it's harder to do any kind of physical exertion, and it takes awhile - up to 3 or 4 months - to get used to the thinner air.

After looking at the mountains, driving through the mountains, and after being a passive participant in what the mountains have to offer, I decided it was time to DO something!

Just a simple, 3-mile hike was all that was needed to get me hooked on hiking. Those 3 miles in the Red Rocks Canyon Open Space, were enough to tell me that 1) I was way out of shape and needed to get out more, and 2) there is no reason to stay inside when such beautiful places exist in my backyard!

As I huffed and puffed my way up Mesa Trail - hey, it's a pretty steep incline - the thought occurred to me - "Honey - seriously? You're a myocardial infarction waiting to happen."

That was my "ah-hah" moment - that it was now or never - get out there and get moving, or sit on my butt and rot.

Some history - I'm a cancer survivor. My left knee has been rebuilt twice (stupid horses) and the same hip is starting to deteriorate. I fight an autoimmune disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. I don't exactly fit the description of someone who should be walking around the block, much less climbing mountains.

But I uprooted everything I spent a good part of my life building - all because of something I loved, something that called to me. Those mountains are my happy place, my peaceful place. Am I just going to look at them from the car?

Thus, this blog. It will contain photos from my adventures, some informational stuff about hiking and Colorado life in general, and my fragmented musings. It's not a hard core fitness blog, or hiking blog. I hope it will be entertaining and amusing. And hopefully it might get YOU out there, moving, following your heart.

Until next time, here are some photos of my hike at Red Rocks. Enjoy!