Goal for 2012

2012 Goal:  Hike Timpanogos Mountain

I made the goal not long ago that I am going to hike Timp next year at the end of the summer.  I hope it's not a goal that turns out to be unreasonable.  I love to hike and I have been hiking and walking a lot lately.  But I do get winded pretty easily on inclines because of how out of shape I am (and have been my entire life).  I just really hope that 9 months will be enough time for me to train for this and get into good enough shape that I can reach my goal.

The reasons I want to do this, are many, but here are the biggest:
1- Dad.  My dad has always been a pinnacle of health- an amazing example that I look up to.  At the age of 75 he would still go jogging, play racquetball (and have to give my siblings and me a handicap so we have a chance of beating him), pitch horseshoes, and hike.  He hiked with me to Emerald Lake a few years ago just for fun one day.
He had a stroke this July and is no longer able to do any of these things.
So I decided as a way to honor him and his example, I'm going to hike that mountain since Dad can't do it himself anymore.

2- Mom.  On the other end of the spectrum, Mom was always kind of unhealthy.  I feel that her mental health issues and eventual Alzheimer's may not have been so bad if she'd had a better lifestyle.  She passed away last summer and now I feel that getting myself healthy enough to climb this mountain (and do all the other active things I want to do), is also a way to honor her by not repeating her mistakes.

3- My kids.  I want to give them the same kind of good example of health that my dad gave me.  I'd like for them to grow up as healthy and happy individuals, and getting myself to that state is the first step.

4- Myself!  I've been neglecting my health for most of my 31 years of life and I owe it to myself to knock it off.  Getting myself more healthy will allow me to live a more congruent life in line with my values and love for doing active stuff outdoors.  And I'll actually have the energy to keep it up and not struggle with depression so much.

As a side note, I need to find someone to join me on this hike for safety reasons, so anyone (friends or family) who has done this hike before and would like to plan to do it with me, please let me know!