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Posts tagged ‘Hiking & Mountain Climbing’

Apr 4

Just walk to the end of the block. Trust me!

“Just walk to the end of the block, Lor,” my friend Jim urged enthusiastically. “Then see if the next day you can walk a little further and eventually you’ll make it all the way around the block.”

Jim is a great friend. One that has known me for 20+ years, watching me balloon to my all-time high weight of 381 lbs by my late 40’s.

As my close friend and confidant, he was also witness to my internal sadness, increasing complaints of health problems, and my shrinking life as I played victim to the weight. And, when I finally got serious and embarked on a successful transformation journey to drop 200+ lbs, he was without question one of my biggest cheerleaders.

There was a time when walking to the end of my block seemed impossible — and I live in the middle of the block, so the distance was more like 1/2 block. I had every excuse in the book. But it was really only impossible because I made it so in my head. I was absolutely capable of walking that half a block and then some, but my mind was stopping me and I didn’t even try. Perhaps some of you reading this can relate.

Well, little did I know at the time, I would go on to walk that block and then some on a journey to put myself in the equation of my own life and take care of me. Read more

Feb 20

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Hiking under the Arizona sun

You almost LOST ME at rattle snakes, scorpions & tarantulas!

Last week I got to spend some quality vacation time with family and friends under the warm Arizona sun. I’m an ocean-loving girl, so it’s been more than nine years since I’d been to Arizona.

The last time I visited, I was at my all-time heaviest weight of 381 lbs and it was a very different trip. Needless to say, I was more of a passive observer of the Arizona mountains on that trip. I had trouble walking even short distances and couldn’t imagine actually getting out in the wilderness and hiking.

But this year, as a fit and healthy girl, it was important to me to get out in the dessert and experience it up close and personal via my favorite outdoor activity — hiking the mountains. At least that was my plan UNTIL I learned that rattle snakes and tarantulas frequent the trails! Eeek. Literally, my worst nightmare and one of my biggest fears. That said, my desire to hike was greater than my fear of reptiles and creepy crawly things (barely). So, off we went.

We had a host of hiking recommendations in the Superstition Mountain Wilderness — including the Siphon Draw Trail and Flatiron. But, after hearing my 20-something niece and nephew describe the difficulty of these hikes, we decided our inaugural dessert hiking trip would start with something simpler — the three mile round trip Hieroglyphic Trail near Gold Canyon. Read more

Nov 14

Balancing fun with the girls & staying on track

Girls Gone North 2016 - HikeI just got back from a much-needed girlfriends getaway. Girls Gone North to be exact.

My “besties” and I headed to the North Shore of Lake Superior this past weekend for our Annual Girls Gone North Weekend at the Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts. It’s become an annual tradition. We celebrate sisterhood, friendship and the fact that no boys are allowed! (Well, okay, this year the boys from North Shore Winery were allowed because they hosted our fun wine tasting event. But other than that, it’s sacred girl time.)

We hike. We laugh – a lot! Sometimes we “spa.” We catch up on all things “feminine.” And, we eat and drink — sometimes a lot. You get it! Girlfriend getaways are necessary and good for the soul.

But what do you do when you’re trying to eat healthy and stay on track? I get asked that question a lot. So, coming fresh off our November girls weekend seemed the perfect time to share some tips. I’m feeling especially proud of maintaining my weight loss while on vacation and coming home right on track.

This has not always been the case. Read more

May 18

A girl and her mountain.

Lessons from the mountaintop — 200+ lbs lighter…
Celebrating 4 years of Lori-in-the-equation!

lori-oberg-anniversaryhike

2016 Anniversary Hike – Oberg Mountain

She climbed until she saw…Until she dropped the heavy weight she carried as a shield.

She climbed until she discovered she was enough, just exactly as she was.

She climbed and climbed and climbed until she found self-acceptance, self-love and compassion…until she mastered self-care as priority.

She climbed until she found a WHOLE life, not just a busy one. Until she learned to say no to things that no longer served her and YES! to the big wide-open world of possibilities.

She climbed, until she learned that indeed she could not only climb — she could FLY!

She climbed until she saw.

When I started my personal transformation journey, I also started this blog to document it. That was in Nov. 2010. At the time there was no question what the blog title would be — She Climbed Until She Saw.

Climbing mountains has been a metaphor for my transformation journey. Thus, at every milestone I find myself back on the mountaintop reflecting on the lessons and the gifts. Read more

May 3

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Spring. Waterfalls. Happy Hiker!

And that was NOT always the case!

springhike-temperanceThis past weekend I was traveling for business and had to work. I also hiked my butt off in three Minnesota state parks and climbed a mountain. It was not only good for me physically, it was totally great for the soul!

While I averaged more than 15,000 steps a day on my Fitbit — and those were mostly rigorous and challenging steps — the mental boost was just as important as the physical one. Outdoor exercise is good for mind, body and spirit. I feel more alive, refreshed and less stressed. Read more

Mar 21

Spring has sprung! Take it outside.

spring-is-natures-way-of-saying-lets-party-quote-1The awesome benefits of outdoor exercise

Yesterday was the first official day of Spring 2016. It was a beautiful, sunny, low 40’s day in Mpls-St. Paul, MN. A great day for a walk…or two! I celebrated one of my favorite seasons with two walks around my beloved neighborhood & Como Lake.

Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal, fresh starts all around. Spring is especially awesome for those of us who live in cold states where people tend to hibernate in the winter. Here are a few of my favs: Sweatshirt weather, sprouting tulips and bulbs, the greening grass, countless robin sightings, gushing waterfalls and streams, and the smell of spring in the air.

For me, early spring also represents getting back outside on a daily basis for my cardio workouts. As an avid walker and hiker, I love outdoor cardio. I feel different when I’m out in nature. It’s feeds my body and soul.

Did you know that outdoor exercise has many health benefits? As the weather warms and our days get longer and brighter, here are some of the top reasons to take your workout outside. Read more

Oct 21

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An epiphany on my mountain

She climbed until she saw: No more victim-mentality. No more slippery slope. No more stinkin thinkin. Today we reboot. Yes!

Lori-oberg10-2015Today, I climbed Oberg Mountain on Minnesota’s North Shore for morning cardio. That, in and of itself is not significant as I’ve climbed that mountain no less than 50+ times in the last five years.

However, this climb was significant for many reasons: 1) This was my first on the mountain in several months due to a back injury and chronic case of sciatica; 2) I did so weighing more than I’ve weighed in almost 3.5 years — since I hit my goal in May 2012; and 3) I did so carrying a lot of emotional burdens and some stinkin thinkin.

I had an epiphany on my mountain today. One that jump started a major life “reboot.” Yep, on this day, October 21, 2015, the buck stops here and we restart. Today is the beginning of the official  Lori in the Equation Reboot! Read more

Jul 25

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Mountain climbing therapy

lorionPenobscot“It’s not the mountain we conquer, it’s ourselves.” – Edmund Hillary

I love this quote! It rings true for me and is symbolic of my personal transformation.

Five years ago, I simply could not have imagined that I would be climbing mountains for fun. Seeking new rigorous trails, taller/steeper mountaintops, and celebrating successfully navigating cliff trails (well, okay, minor cliffs).

Yet, it is on the mountain top, that I see most clearly. It is here that I feel centered and in my equation; in touch with who I am and what I want in this great life. Here, I am accomplished and strong…brave and fearless…happy and grateful. And, it is here that I find the courage to do hard things. Read more

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