I'm a very goal oriented person. If I have a goal, I'm the most motivated person in the world to complete my task. If I do not achieve my goal I feel like I was defeated by something, someone or myself. I will not be able to complete my 2012 Trails Challenge by December 1st, which is this Saturday. My last day available to complete it was today, but due to my children being sick, a hectic weekend, the rain coming in tomorrow, and upcoming travel I will not be able to complete the challenge. Only 3.5 miles short, it drives me crazy.
Only one other time was I "defeated" while hiking, during my 2007 Inca Trail Peru Trip. I caught the travelers bug right before we started on our five day hike to Machu Picchu. I couldn't keep real food down so the guides made me smell some special liquid, drink some special soup, and another hiker gave me some anti-nausea pills. The following day I felt fine but as anyone who knows who has hiked 10 hours before, food = fuel = energy to hike. I had no energy to hike up a 14,000 ft Salkantay Nevada. My brain said "keep on moving" but my feet just dragged. I was so slow that they had to put me on a mule. I wanted to cry, I wanted to hike that mountain and to this day I still do.
I'm smiling but I'm not happy.
It's not the same kind of defeat, and in all reality it's not really a defeat because I will still finish the Trails Challenge just after the deadline of December 1st. It really pushed us to hike consistently like we've been wanting too and it has exposed us to different East Bay Parks.
Next year I will complete the 2013 Trails Challenge with time to spare just like some day I will go back to Peru and kick Salkantay's butt!
Here are some pictures from each hike of the 2012 Trails Challenge that we did complete:
Garin/Dry Creek Regional Park - Hayward/Union City, CA. My son David....
Mission Peak Regional Park - Fremont, CA
Dublin Hills Regional Park - Dublin, CA
Hayward Regional Shoreline - Hayward, CA
Have you ever felt defeated in a backpacking trip, day hike, race, outdoor competition or goals you have set for yourself? How did you overcome your "defeat"? Please feel free to leave a comment below.
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