Strong of Body

Somewhere along the line I developed the belief that I was not very physically strong. And that I had very little stamina.

I think it began in elementary school when we used to take those physical fitness tests. I was never able to keep up- I couldn't do a lot of sit-ups or push-ups, I was a slow runner, and forget climbing those ropes to the ceiling! Ugh!

One of the great things about my Costa Rica vacation is the fact that I have developed a renewed appreciation for my body. I pushed myself further than I usually do; I took risks I never have considered before. The hikes I went on were more strenuous than I'm used to, repelling down 195 foot waterfalls would typically seem outside my capability.

Forget about climbing the ropes in gym class? When I was ziplining dozens of feet in the air, I had to pull myself to safety more than once- the same hand over hand, upper body strength I assumed I never had.

Strangely enough, taking an ATV through the mountain trails of Tambor ended up being the most strenuous activity of the trip. At one point, it took my entire body strength to keep the darn thing from flipping over- on top of me.

The lesson for me is that I should challenge the pre-conceived ideas I have about myself. Nothing is written in stone, right?

*the above pictures were taken just before I was literally bounced out of the raft into the very rough rapids. I handled it fine, my swimming is still strong! My raft-mates just complained that it was harder to pull me in because I was laughing hysterically the entire time.