Blank Off, Little Voice!

Fighting back. On may way up to Maine, having gone through 3 weeks of physical therapy, more weeks of icing, and mostly rest, I knew the tendons in my feet were not fully healed, but I also knew I needed to test the waters - if not physically, then mentally. I was determined to go on a hike. Just a day hike, with a day pack - nothing too challenging. Ok, everything but the last part. There were three trails that had my attention: the first was a fairly short 2.5 mile round trip on a moderate trail; the second was a longer 5 mile hike on another moderate trail with a few difficult spots, and finally the Caribou Trail was a 5.75 mile jaunt rated difficult, but also said to have some of the most spectacular 360 degree views. Guess which one I picked. I couldn't help myself.

Of course there were issues. Issue number 1: I left my hiking boots in my living room in East Hampton. It's not surprising. No matter how hard I plan, the morning before I leave I am always franticly packing the car, reminding myself not to forget anything and cursing myself because I am late as I dash out the door. I specifically put my hiking boots near my purse so I couldn't forget them. I also forgot all of my mother's mail, the zip clamp for my platypus water bladder and the extra supply of dog food. Actually, that's not to shabby by my standards. Issue number 2: I didn't know how my tendons would fare in new shoes with only my half length custom orthotics, rather than the full length hiker version which were comfortably housed in my aforementioned forgotten boots. I had been wanting to try a pair of trail runners - a sneaker-like trail shoe which is much lighter. Luckily, the New Balance Outlet Store in Oxford, Maine was on my way to the trail. Even luckier, they were having a sale and I was able to pick up a pair of comfy trail runners for less than $50 bucks. Psyched!

So, with Leo my hound, off I went to conquer Caribou Mountain. This was a difficult trail. Not as difficult as the trail I hiked in June, but it was difficult in its own right. The climb was over 2000 feet in 2.75 miles. Some of the terrain was soft and flat, other parts were moderate, and a good portion of the elevation gain was straight up. No switchbacks to ease the way on this trip! About halfway up the mountain, that little voice started in: you don't have to do this; maybe you need to give your ankle some more time to heal; you know, this is really difficult, you could turn around right now, head back to your car, no one would know. , You could be back home relaxing in less than 2 hours. And there's ice cream!

Everyone has that little voice - that doubting, self-defeating little voice that says you can't, you shouldn't, you'll fail, you'll get hurt. It usually comes out in times of stress, when your self-confidence is taking a nose dive, and the task you face is hard. If there is an escape hatch, rest assured that little voice will find it. When this happens to me, I endeavor to say "Blank Off, Little Voice!" Sometimes I fail - we all do. But it is important that we get up off our derrieres, and try again. I am happy to say that today I kicked that little voice's ass! The payoff was glorious - the views awe inspiring. Please visit my Tips and Trades - there you will find a link to my YouTube page for a video of my hike and some pictures.

Learn to say "Blank Off" Little Voice and go conquer a dream today.

#LifeLessons #Hiking #adventure #confidence #recovery #Fun #Hamptons #EastHampton #Maine #Lifestyle #RoadTrip