Level Up!

<----- See this face? This red, tired, happy face? This is the face of a woman who has just reached a milestone. Yesterday I climbed the 1,000 steps aka The Kokoda Memorial Trail without stopping once. It's the first time I've been able to do that since I was ten years old.

Yep, I've levelled up in my fitness ability!

The Kokoda Memorial Track is located in Ferntree Gully and is basically stairs and stairs and stairs until you reach the top of a hill overlooking the city of Melbourne. It's beautiful but very challenging. Often there are people running all the way up, which just blows my mind. But usually I am at pace with all those who have just come along with family or a friend to give the steps a try. We are the people that puff and wheeze our way begrudgingly to the top. We are the people who find every memorial plaque so fascinating that we must stop at each one and read each word slowly as we catch our breath. "You guys go on ahead, I just want to learn about the fuzzy-wuzzy angels" is the gasping cry of my people.

Last time I went the climb I said goodbye to my boyfriend at the base, knowing he would bound to the top too fast for me to keep up. As I struggled and wheezed, occasionally stopping to 'admire the view' I was overtaken by a woman that must have weighed 100kg. She was enormous. As red faced as I and breathing deep, she forged on ahead like a woman possessed. This I could not stand. Surely I could beat this buxom Betty to the top?! The race was on.

For the next half hour I kept my sights on her, but each time I got ahead and thought myself the victor, I would stop for a breath and she would charge past. She just didn't stop, no matter how slow she had to go, she just kept on. Almost filling the narrow path, thighs, buttocks, and arms swinging, bouncing, wobbling...this woman was amazing. I marvelled at the large muscles that must sit under those soft folds of fat. She was a champion, and even more so when she sprung ahead in the last leg and beat me to the top.

Comparing our two physiques, I was rather puzzled at my loss. But it seems that looks don't actually reflect health and fitness levels. Unwarily this large lady had lit a fire in my belly. One day I would be as good as her. And yesterday...huzzah! I've reached my goal.
 
The run is only one week away and I'm both anxious and excited. I know it's going to be a monumental effort. That I'm going to be tired, grumpy, and sore but have to make myself keep going. No matter how slow, as long as I don't stop, eventually I'll reach the finish line. And if I feel myself faltering maybe I'll envision that voluptuous lady looming before me and use that belly-fire to fuel myself on.