Lands End is more than a brand

I'm not sure if it's my age, location, weather, or influence from friends, but I find myself wanting to spend more time outside than I normally do. Granted, This is my first winter living somewhere that every day the temp is consistently above 50, and where things are blooming---so yeah, what's not to love? I've always lived in/near areas that have hiking trails, natural or man-made wonders, and great views but it's just now that I'm really starting to appreciate them. In Raleigh I enjoyed walking around Lake Lynn and the Art Park Trails, but today, hiking the Lands End trail along the Pacific coast, skirting the edge of San Francisco and constantly offering picturesque views of the Golden Gate Bridge I LOVED walking a trail for the first time ever. Just note, a key word in the previous sentence is "walking", I'm not a runner and do not anticipate ever posting about how "I love running trails". Sorry to let you down. 

This morning I dropped a friend off at SFO (San Fran Airport) and proceeded on the 280 W to Jess' apartment. We walked just a few blocks to this great lunch spot, Pluto's, where we did what we do best...TALK! It never ceases to amaze me how we haven't run out of things to talk about yet! Granted, I've yet to tell her about my horrible purple obsession in the 8th grade or my Kindergarten boyfriend who had a rattail, but I'm sure we'll get there soon at the rate we're going! We went back to the house, grabbed our gear and the dog and made our way to the Lands End Trail. Jess and her husband are very "outdoorsy" so I was surprised she didn't know this trail existed, with it being almost in her backyard. I was excited for us to explore it together---and with Zuri too!

 

Personally, I really enjoyed this trail and hope to hike it several more times while living here. There are several different sections, but if you only have time for 3 miles and don't mind a few uphill spots of what feels like endless steps climbing upward leading to more breathtaking views then you'll probably like the Coastal trail of the Lands End Trail! You have to understand, I'm the least competitive person when it comes to participating in sports, and when it comes to sports I'd much rather prefer to be the in-the-stands cheerleader than play them. I'd like to contribute to this way of life to my overall positive and encouraging personality, but truthfully the underlying reason probably has more to do with my lack of hand-eye coordination resulting from wearing an eye patch as a young child to prevent my left eye from going blind. All this to say, I did not grow up with "exercise" being a part of my lifestyle but I'm trying to incorporate it more often now in my adult years.

 

I've learned a lot these past few years about myself, and how good it is to try new things. Today is Ash Wednesday, when most people are declaring what they are "giving up". Not me, I like to go against the grain. So starting today I'm doing the opposite and proclaiming that I'm going to stop balking at doing things that make me sweat. Sweating is a huge pet peeve of mine but I need to face it as just a fact of life. As a lady, it's embarrassing at certain times, in certain outfits. As an athlete I feel like it's expected and it somehow manages to look good on you. On me, it's just a slimy reminder that I've spent much of my time living a sedentary life surrounded by good friends and good food. Now I'm not going to deprive myself of trying all these fabulous non-chain, local restaurants but I am going to spend more time walking & talking than sitting & talking! Also, walking is a free activity and "free" is one of my favorite things!