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WWND? (part 2)

June 12, 2011

Less than one week after what can be considered the biggest mental and physical test of my life a second-chance at another challenge would present itself once again.

Facts about "the hill" total length: 1360 ft. vertical drop: 360 ft Seven Springs trail ranking: "More difficult"

About this time last year, I wrote about the annual trip Annette and I take with a group of our closest friends to a ski resort in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania. Last year Annette stayed home with Nathan with her trip to Uganda so close, she wanted to make sure she had special time with him before being gone for 18 days.

This year Annette and I got to enjoy a little more than half of the trip with the group (2.5 days) together. During the 3+ hour drive out we decided that we’d try to make more of an effort to do things together. Much to my surprise, Annette said that she’d even be willing to try “the hill” with me this year too.

Talking with others in the group, many who had made their trek earlier in the day than we arrived, we learned that they were attacking a different part of “the hill”.  It was still part of the same mountain, and basically the same length, but this slope had a mowed path to the top (the lat 75 yards) which would make it safer, and more bug-free for the last kick to the top.

At 7:37 the next morning we began our half-mile walk to the hill. Sharing a glance at the bottom, I took a moment to look up, then off we went. It didn’t take long until fatigue set in on both of us. Annette looked over at me and asked, “Who’s idea of fun was this?” We took several mini-breaks, gathering our thoughts and our breath. We’d travel about 200-300 feet at a time, not knowing where the bigger burn was, in our legs or our lungs.

We passed the first plateau, and a little while longer, the second. Annette told me to go on without her. I told her I’d wait, but now she was faced with the same decision I had the year before. She had made to close to the same spot, I decided to turn around last year. She looked up at the last tier, seeing it was the steepest point with the smallest mowed path, and she sent me on while she stayed there.

I didn’t like the thought of going without her, but I knew I wanted to accomplish this task the same way I finished the race six days before. I headed up, leaning so far forward, my chest was almost hitting the hill on my way up. I then decided to bear crawl, using my hands and feet trying to take the pressure as my legs were really starting to ache.

I took another glance up, seeing how much more there was to endure: 50 yards, then 40, 30, 15. As the top came into view, I started giggling like Nathan does. He doesn’t wait until the goal is completely obtained. He knows that putting the energy in as far as you can go, is worth celebrating as well.

I saw then end of the mowed path, the picnic tables (meaning the ground had to be pretty flat) and raised my arms to the sky. I had made it! That which got the best of me last year was now behind me. As I walked around, catching my breath, I took pictures trying to validate my accomplishment. My thoughts then went back to Annette who I had left. While I was basking in what I had done, I didn’t want to make her wait any more, and I made my way to the edge of the hill to wave and let her know I was on my way back down.

I got closer and closer to the edge and could see more and more of the plateau which she was resting, but I couldn’t see Annette. I was disappointed in myself for being selfish celebrating when I promised to do more things together not even 24-hours earlier. I didn’t blame her for giving up on me, as I was taking way too much time for myself. My only thought was hurrying down and catching up with her at the bottom.

As I approached the mowed patch, I took two steps down, and froze in my shoes. Thirty-or-so yards from the bottom of the mowed path I saw an orchid shirt. Her head down, one deliberate step at a time, Annette was making it to the top. I didn’t know whether to try to cheer her on, or support her decision to surprise me at the top. She took one last breather, and looked up and saw me. It seemed to only take about a minute, and she made it the last 50 yards to the top.

I didn’t think anything would top the feeling of finishing the Warrior Dash, and then conquering the hill, but grasping my wife’s hand as she finished the last few steps did bring a tear to my eye. When we got home, I wouldn’t tell Nathan that dad made it all the way to the top, but that Mom and Dad made it together.

I know that the thought of overcoming any obstacle is possible with the thoughts and support of your family. Some battles take more time, require taking a few breaks along the way, but if you’re willing to see things through to the end, it’s amazing what God helps us through.

At this point my extreme physical challenges are over. My playtime is done. Monday will roll around, we’ll both get back to work and the routines of everyday life. I’m grateful to have had a chance to get away, even for only 2.5 days of the year. I don’t know how long this confidence will last, but I hope it hangs around for a long time.

 

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