![\"13626632_10103501874263009_2822313483755754358_n\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/yogapantsdiary.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/13626632_10103501874263009_2822313483755754358_n.jpg?resize=525%2C700\")
<\/p>\nWell I did it again already, I tried hiking and had a much better response! \u00a0This week I had scheduled to hike the Manitou Incline with my friend and colleague Nestor. \u00a0Nestor has also lost quite a bit of weight in the recent past and loves Crossfit. \u00a0He taught me how to climb ropes and I’m looking forward to many more fitness related excursions! \u00a0 Nestor had done the incline countless times and it’s a very popular place to visit but there are people that live near Colorado Springs that incorporate it as a regular routine.<\/p>\n
The Manitou Incline is in Manitou Springs, just outside of Colorado Springs. \u00a0It’s known for Pike’s Peak and the incline. \u00a0The ‘trail’ is less than a mile but climbs 2000 feet in elevation in that short of a time. \u00a0 (7,000 – 9,000 feet for those curious) I was feeling great and thought I would knock it out and leave him in the dust and maybe even go for a run later. \u00a0While Nestor is very fit, I know my cardio is more advanced than his but with his experience, I fell behind by 20 – 30 stairs. \u00a0For flatlanders, this hike feels like it’s straight up. \u00a0When you have hiking experience, you can tell when it’s not as steep. \u00a0I finished the incline in 40 minutes which is pretty advanced for my first time. \u00a0I think I could cut off a few minutes easily, just knowing the course now. \u00a0While it was hard, I never felt like it was impossible. \u00a0I didn’t cry or get too frustrated.<\/p>\n
I have been wanting to do the incline for 2 years now but it was undergoing some renovations after recent flooding and I forget about it because of it’s location. \u00a0Without Nestor inviting me, I might not have gotten it checked off the list this summer. \u00a0It’s so important to find friends that help support your journey. \u00a0Fitness and health have brought so many people into my life that I might not have otherwise known.<\/p>\n
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Off the top of my head, I can count 7 friends (there’s probably more… ) that I now have in my life because of how I live my life. \u00a0When you make a change in your life, it attracts new kinds of people. \u00a0As I have changed, so have my friends and who I spend my time with. I don’t consider everyone a friend and I don’t use that word lightly. \u00a0I’ve found it difficult in my adult life to make TRUE friends when we moved to Colorado but fitness opened that door for me. \u00a0I have cultivated so many positive relationships\u00a0and experiences with people I have met in my gym life. \u00a0One of my closest friends I met at my first gym, and although I no longer go there, we still see each other all the time.<\/p>\n
Healthy people attract healthy people. Broken people attract broken people. \u00a0 Now, that’s not to say we don’t all have our problems or my friends and I only go out for salads. \u00a0We drink beer and pizza too but I feel like our relationships are focused on health and well being. \u00a0We constantly discuss bettering ourselves and our society through various ways and not just fitness. We hike, climb, run, box and laugh. \u00a0We don’t sit around and count calories together or compare waistlines. \u00a0But there’s an underlying thread in all of my relationships now: How can I be better?<\/p>\n
It’s so important to surround yourself with others who are on a journey. \u00a0Even if it’s not fitness related, someone who is trying to better themselves, as you are, is going to be much better support than someone who isn’t. \u00a0A stick in the mud is a stick in the mud. \u00a0I had to let a few friends go over the last few years because they just didn’t match my new lifestyle. \u00a0They would constantly complain about a situation they were in but would never try and change it. \u00a0They would claim to want x,y and z for themselves and then sit around and do nothing for two years. \u00a0I know not everyone can have the self determination that I do. \u00a0I know I am mentally strong and I can’t expect that from everyone I know but I also can only try to support and motivate another person so much. So watch out for these types of people too. \u00a0When you start to change, other people that want to change will flock to you. \u00a0Give them the support you can and give every friend a chance but over time you’ll see who is happy being unhappy and who is really wanting to change.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Well I did it again already, I tried hiking and had a much better response! \u00a0This week I had scheduled to hike the Manitou Incline with my friend and colleague Nestor. \u00a0Nestor has also lost quite a bit of weight in the recent past and loves Crossfit. \u00a0He taught me how to climb ropes and … <\/p>\n