Well technically, it was my first Australian hike, but it didn't sound as good a title. 

Hiking. It's a great hobby and past-time for many people. After waking over 20km a day in Europe we decided that hiking was going to become a regular part of our lives. So, last week, we did the firetrail in montrose. 10 minutes into the hike it dawned on me that hiking is a great metaphors for exercise, and here's why:

1. THIS IS EASY....WAIT A MINUTE

As we started, I thought to myself "this is no big deal. I'm loving it". I took off up the hill and was making good time. As 2 regular hikers overtook us I thought "this is getting hard now". The same can be said for exercise. Everyone starts out like a house on fire and quickly loses steam (in fact, many "gym" members only use these memberships for 8 weeks then never go back). The reason exercise, and this hike, became difficult, is Because there is no end in site. You can't physically SEE the finish line. The most important factor in fitness and hiking, at this point, is to constantly reiterate that the end will come and all you need to do is stick to the path. If I had walked off that path and abandoned my hike id have certainly gotten lost. The sabe goes for your health....stick to the path.

2. DO I REALLY WANT TO CONTINUE?

As we ascended, I began to ask myself whether this new hobby really WAS for me. I was tired, I was sweaty and I felt like turning back. Isn't exercise like that too, sometimes? How often do you say "I don't WANT to train tonight" or "I can't STAND tuna". We often have these crossroad moments where we can continue to battle through to our goals or simply give up. Sometimes people give up numerous times before they reach the top and sadly, some never get there. The important thing is to constantly remind yourself of why you started. If you keep your goals fresh and relate them to your actions and the importance of the actions you cannot fail. 

3. CAN'T BE FAR NOW

I had no idea where the end was. At this point I'm slipping on rocks and looking forward continually repeating "it can't be far now". Why? What is the alternative. In your fitness you don't know when exactly your biggest moments will come. By sticking to the path you will have weeks where your weight, measurements and body fat all go down in an instant. This can sometimes be after 2 or 3 weeks of stagnancy. By continually telling yourself success is around the corner you'll eventually get there. Negative language will only stalk your progress. Be positive. 

4. I MADE IT

The funny thing about achieving something great is that the moment you achieve it all of the hard work, stress, fatigue and exhaustion spent getting there melts away.  Once you summit and see your goals fulfilled its the best feeling you can have. 

If I had turned back even three quarters of the way up all of that hard work would have been for nothing. The fact that I persevered meant that I could be proud of myself. 

The important thing when getting healthy is to constantly take time to praise yourself. Acknowledge the great things you do. Sometimes you're the only one who knows how great you are. Give yourself a big well done....