A friend of mine who is really into hiking invited me to join him on a group hike that was being held for his friends' birthday. He always has spoken so highly of hiking and how much he enjoys it. He, like me, is very into fitness and staying in shape and spoke highly of the good work out that hiking was. The only "hiking" that I have done is Cowel's Mountain back home in San Diego. Cowel's Mountain is enjoyable but it is very much like San Diego's weather, nice, easy to deal with but in no way does it prepare you for the rest of the world.
My friend and I arrived at Dobongsan (the mountain that we hiked) before the rest of the group, so we had enough time to sit and grab coffee. It was an absolute beautiful day and we were able to sit outside on the coffee shop's patio. The coffee shop was located at the base of the mountain near the entrance so sitting outside allowed us to watch all the people that were going on one of the various trails the mountain had to offer. Before this hike I had a preconceived belief that hiking was a walk in the park because of the type of people in Korea who were "hikers." Sitting at the coffee shop just reaffirmed that belief. About 5 percent (rough estimate) of the people that I watched head up to the mountain were people who looked remotely in shape. The other 95 percent were old men and women that were wearing florescent hiking jackets with matching pants, carrying hiking sticks, wearing visors or big floppy hats, strapped in big burley boots and fit with a "hikers" backpack. There were also small children, a few men wearing work blazers and young females who looked as if the only physical activity that they ever engaged in was getting out of bed every morning (and that could possibly be a struggle).
I sat there drinking my coffee silently mocking this whole notion of hiking as a work out. Walking up hill, I doubted that I was even going to sweat, anything a 60 year old 5'0ft woman could do, I could do backwards with one leg. I am in very good shape, I work out everyday alternating between various activities, weight training, circut training and cardio. I was so confident in how easy this was going to be I texted my trainer to possibly see if he could keep the gym open so I would be able to get a REAL work out in after the hike.
And then half way up the hill I felt my lungs about to collapse.
If I were hiking at the pace of the average hiker I would have been okay. But I am too competitive. If Mattle were to make a Barbie inspired by me it would be Competition Barbie, and she would be wearing yoga pants, two sports bras, obnoxiously bright colored sneakers and her accessory would have been a trophy that loudly displays #1.
I was raised in a family with too many kids to count, that there is a natural breeding habitat for competition. Sibling rivalry was and constantly is INTENSE. The street that I grew up on only had boys who were my age, me being the only girl I was constantly proving myself to be "just as good" (or in my case better) than the boys. Who could run the fastest, eat the fastest, win the most games, fight the best, who was the strongest, smartest anything that we did growing up we managed to turn into some type of competition. I have also played sports for as long as I could remember. All I know is competition. I am the girl at the gym who races the people next to her on the treadmill. I was the girl who TRIED to bust the curve in my classes. My friends and I compared test grades, SAT scores and constantly tried to one up another. I have NEVER let my nephew or niece (younger by 8 and 12 years respectively) beat me in anything, they had to EARN their wins. I am that competitive.
In our group of hikers we had a gentleman who was from Colorado and had been hiking all of his life. He was also about 6'1 with long powerful legs. That man floated up the mountain. He looked as if he were walking on clouds. He kept a stead pace of about 100 MPH and avoided the mobs of Koreans with ease. I accepted the fact that there was no way in hell I was going to be able to beat him. This was my first time hiking and he was native to it but I am too competitive to settle, if I wasn't going to beat him I was at least going to keep up with him. Each 1 of his steps was 3 of my own. I matched his graceful steps and composure with thunderous stomps and ragged breathing. But I kept up. We were moving rather quickly so a few times we had to stop and wait for the rest of the group. I cherished these breaks. They gave me time to collect myself and slow my pounding heart down a bit. I was dripping in sweat, I looked like death and I felt as if there wasn't enough oxygen in the world to satisfy my need at that moment. It was one of the hardest workouts that I have had in a very long time.
The last leg of the hike kicked my butt, literally. My entire legs, hamstrings, quads, calf muscles and knee tendons were on fire. Each time I had to lift my leg to take a step up felt like I were lifting tree stumps. By this time all the boys were a bit of the way ahead of me. Mr. Colorado kept telling me to imagine like I was a Mountain Goat. I felt more like a remote control car that was running out of battery power, my pace was steadily declining and the end just seemed to NEVER come. When I was near failure, ready to take my own break and sit down a bit, my friend shouted down from up top. "Come on Kala keep going." The older Koreans behind me heard him say my name and were witnessing my slow death first had. They them chimed in and gave me words of encouragement. "Okay Kala!" "Fighting." I couldn't quit then. My pride was on the line. My competitive flame was relit and I dragged myself up that hill. In my mind I told myself that I was NOT going to let a mountain defeat me and if it did I had better die trying to conquer it.
And I conquered it. I, along with the rest of the group, made it to the top. The physical challenge alone was enough of an accomplishment for me. I loved the feeling of success. I had pushed myself beyond my limits and overcame the challenge at hand. But in addition to the feeling of accomplishment at the top of the mountain was an AMAZING view. We were over-looking the city and could see for miles upon end. Spring has just started so the mountain was covered in fresh blooms and green leaves. It was absolutely breath taking.
At the top of the mountain we rested, we ate, some napped, we chatted and soaked up the scenery before we had to begin our decent down. Going down is much easier than going up in the aspect of physical pain because there isn't any. But again, I was keeping pace with Mr. Colorado and his friend who was a graceful as a ballet dance. She pranced down this mountain like a deer would across a grass felid. I am not poised or graceful so I instead bulldozed my way down the mountain. I felt like a child taking it's first steps, with each on I wasn't sure if I were going to remain upright or go tumbling down like a boulder. But I made it, was able to some how manage to keep myself upright the entire time and avoid injuring myself.
By the end of the hike, my quads were unsteady, my lungs were raw, my knees were sore and my feet were cursing me. The Hour and 30 minute trek home was a battle to keep myself awake to avoid taking a nap on the stranger's shoulder next to me. And by the time I got home I wanted nothing more than to lie in my bed and watch trashy TV.
The hike has made me make two promises to myself.
1-I will never again talk trash about the hiking gear wearers in Korea.
2-I will remain physically active for the REST of my life. The old Korean hikers are proof that there are NO EXCUSES.
#CHEERS2CHALLENGES
Here are a few pictures from the hike.
*unedited
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