The Mountain and Me — pretty(sic)

Jan 26

Jan 26 The Mountain and Me

In two short hours, I will be back in Houston. I’ve been in Cabo since New Year’s eve … recharging, replenishing, reactivating. As I sit on this flight home, I reflect on the wonderful time spent In Mexico. It was the longest vacation I’ve ever taken and also the most rewarding. The retreat was exactly what I needed before venturing into the next phase of my journey .. the return to the real world as a thriver.

In Mexico, I stayed in Pedregal .. a beautiful community located in the hills of Cabo. And when I say “hills”, I do mean hills! After the first night, I awoke and decided to go for a walk. 90 minutes later, It seemed that I’d walked a couple of miles and looked up and saw more hills to be climbed. No thanks! I turned around and returned home in a severely breathless state, all the while reflecting on a time when I could have run up and down those hills with no problem.

The next day, I awoke and decided to face the mountain again, but this time I just kept going. I didn’t let the sight of new hills deter me. I just kept going until I finally reached the top and I was able to look down over the ocean and the city of Cabo. It took a long time, but I did it. I’d reached the mountain top.

Flexing but I swear I couldn't breathe after climbing to the top.

It was amazing! I felt like I was sitting on top of the world! Each day, I kept going back .. and I got faster and more efficient. At the end of the first week, I’d set a goal to climb/run/hike/crawl up and back in a ~15 min/mi the following week. And I kept going every day, and finally, I did it. Next, I set a goal to run halfway up, and sprint back down (including the two hills I would have to climb on the way down) the following week. A week later, and I’d done that too! In a few short weeks, I’d blown wayyy past the time I’d initially clocked.

In hindsight, running that mountain reminded me of training for a marathon. There are days for long runs. Days for short runs. Days for sprints. Days off. And in the end, once you’ve built up tolerance and muscle memory for the race, you stop running and mentally prepare for the race.

And that’s what I did. I spent the final week in Cabo taking leisurely walks, enjoying my surroundings, and appreciating the beauty all around me. I’d raced to the top of the mountain 15 times. There was no reason to kill myself trying to get faster, just for the sake of doing so. Besides, I had no interest in sustaining the slightest of injuries in Mexico when I still had plenty of vacation left. It was time to relax and mentally prepare for the mountain in my own life.

For me, that mountain is a reflection of the life that awaits me. Climbing it wasn’t easy. Actually, the first time was downright challenging. I was out of shape and breath. But I kept going. And each time I climbed the mountain, I got a little better. Stronger. Faster. I’d set mini-goals and conquered each one by staying focused on what was immediately ahead of me. No different than the way I plan to re-enter the world.

But don’t be fooled, In those few weeks, I also had some shitty runs. Days when I ran slower than normal. Or didn’t feel my best. Or let’s face it .. when I just didn’t want to run at all. And that’s ok. I didn’t beat myself up. I woke up the next day and got back at it. Resilience. That’s the key!

Here’s the thing … A bout of breast cancer won’t keep me from the rat race of life any more than a bad run day kept me from climbing that mountain.

Still, I am not foolish enough to believe that one just walks away from a breast cancer journey without looking back. That’s not realistic. Breast cancer is a part of who I am. It’s something I will carry with me, BUT it’s not something I will wear on my sleeve like a badge. In other words, I will thrive in spite of what I’ve been through and NOT be limited because of what I’ve been through.

There’s so much to look forward to! I am excited about my re-entry into the world that was placed on pause as I sought treatment. I am recharged and ready to climb that mountain. One hill at a time. One marker at a time. One day at a time. One goal at a time.