Maybe I Just Needed Incentive?

While at work today I was trying to find some information about the location for this year’s Men’s Retreat (for some promo I was working on).  You know how that goes sometimes – you’re looking for one thing, you stumble onto another thing, you click a link here, you click a link there …

Anyway, that’s what I was doing when I stumbled onto a place I’d never even heard of.  It’s absolutely beautiful, it’s right here in Oregon, and I’d never even heard of it!  It’s a place in the Mount Hood area called Ramona Falls.

GORGEOUS eh?  It looks like a painting - but it's a photograph!

Right away I just knew I wanted to see this place for myself!  But when I started to read about how to get there my excitement sort of deflated.  It’s a 7.1 mile moderate to difficult hike.  Whoa … it’s been a long, long, long time since I’ve WALKED 7.1 miles!!  And I’m pretty sure I’ve NEVER HIKED 7.1 miles!

But then I got one of those “Oprah ‘ah ha’ moments”, and remembered the new exercise DVD’s I ordered.  They were waiting for me when I got home from work yesterday.  I didn’t have a chance to even open them yet … but now that they’re here I certainly plan to use them!  So the little wheels in my head started to spin.  Maybe that 7.1 mile moderate to difficult (eek!!) Ramona Falls hike is the incentive I need to really kick-start my motivation!  Just what I’ve needed to STICK to the Weight Watchers eating plan, start using those DVD’s, work my way up to more challenging exercise, and viola RAMONA FALLS!!!

Ramona Creek, on the trail to Ramona Falls

I know with CERTAINTY that I won’t be making that hike in 2011 (sadly).  Even if my motivation for diet/exercise were at 1000% - my heart issues would make it IMPOSSIBLE to condition my body for something like this so soon.  So MY GOAL – to make this hike in the summer of 2012!!

I’ve already emailed my brother and made him say he will take me here and do the hike with me!  He and my sis-in-law like to do hiking in the summer – it will be a fun thing to look forward to doing with them.  I’m going to make myself a copy of this Ramona Falls picture and keep it somewhere in my house where I can look at it and remind myself of one of the things I’m working toward.

Ramona Falls or BUST!!!