Beginner Hike? Get Off The Couch & Find Inspiration!!

I often get asked why I started hiking after the shock wears off when I tell people I am a hiker. In case you hadn’t realized I am fat and not at all what anyone pictures when you think of a hiker. My beginner hike was in 2017, I was fat then and I am still fat now. The difference between then and now is that today I feel great! 

Back in 2016 I realized that when I had a hard time tying my shoe laces due to my size that I needed to do something. It took me several minutes to figure out how to tie my shoes, I couldn’t bend over enough to reach the laces, I tried sitting and reaching down which also did not work. However I managed to cross one leg over the other and reach that way. By the time I was done I was winded! It was like I had just done an hour workout to tie my shoes! It was embarrassing to say the least. 

Flicking through netflix one night I came across a documentary about large, out of shape people who turned to running to change there lives. It truly was inspiring to me. As someone who used to run regularly and stopped, I thought maybe I should start again. With a quick search I was able to find and print a plan to start running. It was a plan designed for couch potatoes like myself. I picked a start date and off I went, sort of.

The goal was to start with a 1.5 miles route and alternate running and walking. Well I did more walking than running. And dreaded every step of that 1.5 mile route but I kept going. After 8 months of trying I was still walking more than running and still dreaded it everyday. During that time I realized just why almost every runner I ever saw looked mad at the world! The day I gave up I had my “running” companion, my dog Scrappy, and on our way back to our house we had to jump in the ditch to avoid getting hit by a car! In that moment I was done. I knew I still needed to do something to get in shape and on our running route there was the entrance to a local land trust trail. 

After looking at the land trust trails and reading about the beginner hike trails on the website I realized that the one by my house was not what I would call terribly long and do-able. The trail was roughly a 1 mile loop with a side trail you could take to another preserve. I grabbed Scrappy the next day and off we went.

Now the first part of the trail was up hill, glad to get it out of the way first! The trail was narrow and full of tree roots and as it had rained the previous night, it was slippery. I was not prepared for that. Thankfully I did not fall but did slip and catch myself on a tree several times. Scrappy was having a great time, lots of new smells, chipmunks and squirrels to look at and of course all those trees to mark! Every time Scrappy marked a tree that meant I could take a little break. Even with the 8 months of “running” I had done I was still out of shape when it came to hills. 

It was a beautiful fall day, the leaves where starting to change and the air was crisp. The sounds of the birds chirping and leaves rustling were relaxing. The way the sun was shinning through the canopy looking something from a  postcard. In amongst all that beauty was me, huffing and muttering to myself. I can remember Scrappy looking back at me with his tail just a wagging as if to say “come on fatso, move faster! This is fun!” Despite the fact that I was having a hard time breathing and my legs felt like they were on fire, the look on Scrappy’s happy face told me I needed to keep going and I was having fun. I wanted to know what was around the next corner or over the next hill. 

The 1 mile beginner hike loop took us next to a pond that as a child I remember ice skating on in the winter with my family and the kids from my neighborhood. In the summer I had fished there on the banking. The pond was just how I remembered it. Most of the houses on the shore where the same. The trail then brought us to the back side of an old farm. The field was glowing in the sunlight with tall grass. The old barn still erect with the loft door wide open and exposed to the elements. The farmhouse with its’ white peeling paint and fencing that was falling over looked like it had long been forgotten about. The natural beauty of nature reclaiming the property and the vision of what it used to be. 

Upon rounding the last corner it was time to head back down the hill and end our walk. The hill was still slippery and I used great caution with each step so as not to slip and fall. At the end despite being out of breath and sore I wanted more. I wanted to know how that was a beginner hike and what on earth did an advanced hike trail look like. I wanted to know what else I could find in the woods and on the trail. It was addictive and I was hooked! 

Once I arrived home I wanted to know more about hiking and where I could go. What kinds of gear did I need? Where do I find more trails? Can I get my fat butt up a mountain? Who can I sucker into going with me on the next adventure? How do I stay safe if I go by myself? All these questions kept popping into my head. I needed to learn more and so I started researching. What started as a walk in the woods has turned into an obsession and passion. This is where it all began! So, what are you waiting for, let’s take a hike together!