Yes, I have lost my mind!

It's sort of hard to find something perfect when the temperature is supposed to spike at 113 degrees, but I was bound and determined. I decided to do my own version of Bikram hiking, and man oh man did I pay the price!

I decided to wait until after 5pm, you know, time for the temperatures to cool down to like 110! Well, the first half hour was pretty good, I hit the trails like a woman on a mission. I was going to knock back this hike, and then spend the rest of the evening watching the homerun derby on the couch! Now, that's my idea of a perfect moment! So, about half an hour in I was feeling ok, and then something happened. I swear to goodness that someone turned up the thermostat,
and I slammed face first into a wall. I found myself trying to run from shaded spot to shaded spot, at least as much shade as some little sickly looking bush could provide.

I started saying my mantra... "come on God, are you serious!" Then I started making deals with the big guy, you know the kind, "I will do the dishes before nine am every day if he will help me make it back to my car". Or, "I promise not to yell at anyone on the highway during rush hour".

I figured they were two very doable promises. I just needed some type of divine intervention if I was going to make it down off that hill.
About an hour into the hike, I was running out of water, and the sweat was steadily climbing up my hat. I also noticed that one of my hiking boots seemed to be dragging. I looked down and realized it was so hot that the sole on my hiking boot had melted and come apart. I believe this was the point when I realized maybe God wasn't the one I should be making a deal with because I definitly felt like I was in Hell!

It was about this time when I realized I was on the last little rise to my car. I kept telling myself it was only a little climb, although I swear it felt like mount Everest as my quads yelled, and my hammy's screamed out. I put down my head and just concentrated on the trail two feet in front of me, until finally I reached the top, and then collapsed on the hood of my car. But I quickly found out that was not a very good idea! Try leaning on a silver car that has been in the sun for an hour.

I peeled myself from the hood, drank down the last drop of my warm water, and dumped myself into the car, just wanting to get home. The drive back to the house was about five miles, and it's amazing what can happen during that drive. As the warm, ok hot air started to cool off my skin through the open window, I started a new mantra. "It wasn't that bad, as a matter of fact I can't believe i did it!" All of a sudden I realized I had accomplished something. I had conquered that trail, and conquered mother nature. Yes I lost a pair of boots in the process, but I had gained something else, I had gained a sense of accomplishment. I had beat that trail, and mother nature!

Tomorrow it's only supposed to be 112! I can't wait to get out there again to test myself. Man, what a perfect moment!