Pinnacle Mountain in Little Rock – A Year Revisited

This weekend I headed down to Mt. Pinnacle State Park in Little Rock with some of my closest friends for a weekend that I have been looking forward to and dreading at the same time.

The Back Story - Last year a group of us girls decided to be pro-healthy on what had become our bi-monthly girls retreat, and set out to spend an hour doing a leisurely hike at Pinnacle Mountain State Park. We barely took any water and started on our way. As we started to climb upwards, it became apparent to us that we were in for a full out hike complete with “boulder fields”(see below) that we would have to cross. Every time we wanted to stop, we would be reminded that we would be sad if we quit now. We were so miserably hot (the temp was at least 90 degrees) and dehydrated when we reached the top that we couldn’t even enjoy it.

Example of Steph climbing a "Boulder Field"

I stumbled back down that mountain thankful that I had not fallen off, and humbled by the experience. Sometimes you need a big mountain to show you how out of shape you really are. I was really in shock of the condition of my body, and I am not the slimmest girl, but I could still get all dressed up and look cute, but that mountain didn’t care what I looked like or how I dressed, it was only interested in how well I performed and I flat out just couldn’t perform anywhere close to the level that I should for a 25 year old woman. I made a goal to go back to that mountain a year later and prove to myself that I could make that commitment to myself to make a change. I never said that I wanted to be so many pounds lighter or fit into any certain size, but I wanted to be healthy and I wanted my body to work with me instead of against me.

Fast forward to this Weekend - I was really proud that I went back, and really nervous! As we were driving up to the State Park, I felt like I was in line for a roller coaster and I had a swarm of butterflies in my stomach. Failing in front of yourself is one thing but failing in front of your best friends is quite another. I completely sold myself short and discredited all the hours and hours that I have spent walking/jogging around Lake Fay or chained to the treadmill at 15 incline at the gym. My body was a machine on that mountain, my heart rate would get high into the 170's on hard parts and then as soon as I stopped or rested it would lower back into the 130's like a trooper! My personal trainer and I have been working a lot on recovery lately after a hard set or hard cardio and it has really helped me.

So here are some before and after photos of me on this trip versus last trip....I can definitely see some differences which is AWESOME!

Before (this one is terrible, don't I just look miserable?)

After (standing on the same rock I was lying on in the before photo)

Before with friends

After with Friends (ignore the funny pose..it is my "Fierce" girl coming out)

LOVE these guys! From Left - Me, Heather, Sharon, Tasha, Roy, and Steph

The View from the Top

The view from the top was something right out of a travel magazine and this time I could actually enjoy it instead of being dizzy and sick, and the next day I just stretched out any sore muscles and I was on my way doing other things whereas last time, I probably couldn't move for a week afterward. This experience has taught me that your body and your mind are both so powerful and when decide to make a difference, and dedicate yourself to making a change, amazing things happen. Hope you enjoyed the photos and the reminiscing!