A Tale of Two Climbs

Captainsblog: Stardate 64913.7 (thought I grew tired of that.. didn't ya!)

In November of 2008 - approximately 6 months prior to my surgery, my partner and I went to Saugatuck Michigan for the weekend.  A friend had given us a gift certificate for a B & B there, which we utilized, and had a marvelous time.  Saugatuck is a great place, very artsy and lots of neat things to do.  One of those neat things is that that you can climb Mt. Baldhead.  Mt Baldhead is a tree covered sand dune which rises from 560 ft. above sea level to 800 ft at its highest point. If you go down on the opposite side from that which you climbed up, you'll be on the shore of Lake Michigan.   There have been stairs ascending Mt. Baldhead since the early 1900s.  The set of stairs we climbed in 2008 had been there since the 1950s.  They were rather worn, but still sturdy-ish.  Jen and I tacked the climb as we wanted to see the view. As we began to ascent, my heart began to pound, each riser, each landing, made me doubt my ability to make it to the top. But I am STUBBORN... kept going.  I felt lightheaded, my hips were screaming, my heart pounded.  I remember thinking, "this is the stuff that heart attacks ware made of!"  At one point, I did consider stopping, but just about then, a 20 something couple went zipping past me and I thought "oh HELL no" and was determined to make it to the top, which I eventually did.  We rested at the top for a while before coming back down.  Jen told me that she worried about me, and that I hadn't looked good, she was afraid I was going to have a heart attack or something the way I looked. With her training and experience as a firefighter and 1st responder, I didn't take that lightly.  It was two or three weeks after that climb, that I decided to have bariatric surgery.  The left half of the picture below was taken at the top of Mt. Baldhead after I caught my breath somewhat, on that first climb. The right half was taken a few days ago.

Fast forward 2 1/2 years.  We again went to Saugatuck, this time with one of the express purposes being, that I wanted to tackle Mt. Baldhead, and kick its ass, as opposed to it nearly doing me in.  We were surprised to see that a new set of steps had been built, still numbering 282 to reach the summit.  I read online that it cost $99,990 to replace the steps.

This is a view of the steps, from the bottom, even now, looking up made me think "holy shit!" but I was resolved to do it, and was also confident that I could do it without endangering my life.   So up we went!  We stopped for a breather a few times, but we made it. I didn't feel dangerously winded or have the feeling of impending doom I experienced on the last time up. It was a breathtaking experience, but this time, it was the VIEW that took my breath away... not the climb!  

Year Two Goal: Climb Mt. Baldhead - Check ✓

Thanks for hanging with me my friends... peace OUT! ✌

Year 2 in Review

Its kinda hard to comprehend that it has been 2 years! This is a good time to look at my goals for year 2, and set new goals for year 3!


My Year 2 goals were:

• Climb a rock wall - I have not encountered a rock wall, so sadly... no
• Run - just see if I can... you know... run! - Check ✓
• Get a good bike - and ride regularly... building up to longer distances - Check ✓
• Climb Mt. Baldhead in Douglas Michigan - that trip will happen this summer  :-)
• Climb Tower Hill at Warren Dunes State Park - Check ✓

I feel pretty good about the progress I made on the year 2 goals, I wish had achieved them all, but this is not bout perfection, its a work in progress, just like me.  So here's to year 3, and some more goal setting.

• Keep up this blog better!
• Take a spin class
• Integrate more exercise into my hectic schedule - might help with that whole extra skin around the middle thing, I have going on - LOL!
• Climb a rock wall (carryover from year 2)
• Complete a century bike ride!
• Tackle Mt. Baldhead (carryover from year 2)
• Get more creative with my food choices within the given parameters - I'm kinda in a rut - meat, cheese, eggs (and then repeat)
• Get more SLEEP!

Speaking of that last one, I'm outta here, thanx for keeping up with me my friends!

Measuring Success...

Holy Crap, it's been a long time since I've been here! Life gets away from me, just like everyone else, I guess.  I've been in a stuck place all winter, less opportunities to exercise... sure, but I gotta OWN it... less motivation to exercise.  I guess I've been channeling my inner bear... and just hibernating through the cold & snowy months. At present I'm about 25 pounds over the very first goal I set, but about 15 from my "reality goal." My provider told me that I'd be totin 5 - 10 pounds of extra skin unless I had it lopped off, so I set a "reality goal." I am trying as some very wise people have been telling me to not focus on the number on the scale, but look at where I am, and where I've been.  I've had many of my peeps ask me, if I wanted to lose more, and when I respond that I'd love to lose 10 or 15 more... their brows furrow... and they ask me if it will make me feel better (like healthy wise) and I admit, that it may not make that much of a difference.  "Then WHY... you look GREAT!" is the usual response.  I guess it probably IS just a numbers thing.  Unless I have it surgically removed (not going to happen) I'll always have my "spare tire" of extra skin, so I'll never have a striking hourglass figure... and I really don't care.  Beauty is within, and even external beauty is defined BROADLY in my world view.  Some of the most awesome people I know do not conform to the bullshit "ideal" of beauty in our society. And it's not just that I love these people, but they are active and vital and live in a good way. So my goal this spring is to get back into a more active mode, to ride my bike, to hike and whatever else presents itself.  If increased activity help with those last few pounds... great... but if not... that really is OKAY!  

I know some other folks who have had bariatric surgery and are various distances on their respective journeys.  I see some of those folks engaging in habits that scare me to death... the food choices, the amounts... scare me.  I didn't go through all I have been through thus far to go back to that place.   I have a friend who counsels people who struggle with food related issues, and she told me that I am only the second person she has known, who she considers a bariatric success story, who hasn't fallen back into the pit of destructive food behaviors.  That scares me too! But this is a healthy fear, and a useful one.  It keeps me on track!

I KNOW I am not going back to where I was... that is the important thing here... I guess I need to remind myself of that from time to time, and quit spazzing about numbers. I thought I'd include this pic.  My bariatric provider has me as their poster child on the binders they give to patients now... and looking at the 2 pics, even blows ME away!  So yeah, really... I'm doing just FINE!  

Keepin' it real my peeps!

Lynn