Swinging Bridges and Skating

For exercise yesterday the girls and I did the swinging bridges hike with my oldest daughter's friend Justin and his dad and little brother. We started at about 12:00ish and came out around 4:00. All in all it was a good hike, Anela did the whole thing without complaining, even jumped into the water from a large rock, and a high one for a seven year old at that, at the end of the hike! Isabelle made it all the way to the end as well and I only had to carry her for maybe 1/2 of the hike total. My three year old managed to climb up a rather steep side of the stream bed to get back on the trail (the bridges were a bit much for her on the way out), make it across the last bridge on the way out of the valley by herself, and conquer a stream crossing with a little bit of help from her mama! She proved that she was a big girl yesterday and was quite proud of herself at the end.

What is swinging bridges? Waihe'e Valley Trail, also known as Swinging Bridges, is an easy 4-mile trail leading alongside an irrigation ditch over two suspension foot bridges on lands owned by Wailuku Water Co. -- formerly known as Wailuku Agribusiness. It is trespassing if you do not get a hiking permit directly from the landowners; however, there has not been any enforcement in years. There is a small fee to pay in order to cross private lands leading to the hike -- but it is a small price to pay for peace of mind that your car will not get broken into, that there won't be any "scary" people further back on the hike partaking in questionable activities, and that there will be mosquito repellent available when you forget your own. Four-miles, I'm not sure if that means 8-miles round trip, but either way my girls made it without loosing it and I am a proud mommy. Better yet? I am a proud mommy who got in a good hike, with some weight training (carrying a three year old on your back I think more than qualifies) thrown in their to boot. 

Later that evening we went out to dinner with Aunty De-- mexican food at Fred's then went roller skating -- all in all a pretty active day and in total keeping with The Quest. I am finding my way back to me slowly but surely. 

In The Beginning

I made a pre-New Year resolution to get back to my pre-second child body size and I've given myself 6 months to accomplish this. As a means of self motivation I have decided to chronicle my quest and progress -- or lack thereof -- in a blog. What brought about my quest you may ask? It may have something to do with wanting to improve my self esteem, it may have something to do with wanting to change my self-perception of my body after giving birth to two children (naturally with no drugs I might add), but it has mostly to do with the fact that I am very nearly broke and my inner spendthrift has reared it's ugly head. What does that have to do with fitness, health, and vitality? NOTHING! That's right -- nothing. I am just tired of buying new clothes to fit my ever expanding backside when I have a perfectly good, and timeless, and cute wardrobe that is filling approximately 75% of my side of the closet! Unfortunately that wardrobe runs from a size four (pfft) to a size six (sigh) and I? I am a wonderfully squishy mommy measuring in between a size 8 and ten. GAH! So annoying. Hence my quest. I want to wear my cute tailored clothes again. So here is where we begin the captains log. If I can give birth to 7+ pound babies without drugs I can sure as heck do this. 

Here is the progress thus far, I have set foot in the gym once again. Powerhouse Gym. I made my brother write up a work out program for me and I have created my little black book where I keep my work out logs. So far,  I have been to the gym 5 times since I started keeping the log, twice with my brother before I started the log, and off and on before that. I have found that keeping the log has forced me to focus instead of wander around the gym with no direction and hating every minute that I was there. I am rather proud of myself, I hate the treadmill, but I found some great pow wow music and now I find that I don't mind the treadmill so much. I bought my daughters roller skates, because I have a pair of roller blades, and we go skating on Saturday nights now. I was once an active outdoor recreation person who would become obsessed with strength training from time to time -- and in my journey, or quest, to regain my original size I also hope to regain the person that I used to be. So here is my before -- sort of --

 

Thats me on the left in the white blouse ... looking pregnant -- I'm not. But, now that I've started working out again I feel better, my disposition is much more pleasant, and I don't dread putting on at least two pair of jeans that were beginning to feel a bit -- binding (yep, got home from work and couldn't wait to done the sweats). So here is the gist of my quest:

1. Be able to fit into my old clothes from three years ago

2. Regain the fun Tanya that I once was

3. Take better care of myself

4. Present my best self to those around me

No--I didn't spiral down into a world completely consumed by gluttony, poor health, and depression ... not even close, but I was no longer the put together person I once was. In the interest of full disclosure; however, with all truthfulness and vain confessions put forward I also want to be the winner again (Deann if you are reading this you know what I mean). Not for my husband, not for attention on the street, but for me and the girl in the mirror -- and of course, the health of my pocketbook. Here goes nothing....