Week1A: My Blog Theme

Well, I have just accomplished another first in my life...I have created and published my first blog!  I have been on various social media platforms over the years such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIN, and Twitter, but I have never before created my own personal blog site and I am excited to see how this project develops over time.  

To discuss my blog theme just a bit, I chose a beautiful mountain landscape for my background photo.  This mountain in particular is Scout Mountain, one of the higher local mountain peaks that surround the city of Pocatello, Idaho.  I grew up in Pocatello starting in my grade schools years and remained there through my undergraduate studies at Idaho State University.  Growing up, I don’t think that I had the appreciation for the mountains that I do now…back then they were just boring mountains around our mid-sized city of about 50,000 people.  Now, when I return to Pocatello to visit my parents over the summer or during the holidays I am continually amazed at how beautiful these mountains truly are, especially during some of those magical sunrises or sunsets.

            Over the past year or so, I have begun a bit of rediscovery journey of myself.  My journey began partly out of medical concerns when my doctor said I was out of shape and overweight with high blood pressure, pre-diabetic, and a 10% increase of likelihood for heart attack or stroke.  However, my rediscovery journey began mostly as a response to change my life’s direction.  I had retired from the Marine Corps a few years earlier, and I had slipped into a bit of a lifeless depression.  I suffered from combat related PTSD (four tours to Iraq and Afghanistan can do that to a person) and I seemed to have lost all zest for life.  I was in a new job that I despised and at home I would just wallow around in my depression, feeling sorry for myself about my circumstances, and dreading what the next day might hold. I knew that I had to make a change, so like Forrest Gump in his movie, one day last Spring I just started running.  Since March of last year, I have lost over 50 pounds and have eliminated all of my previous health concerns.

            Now, to get back to the mountain theme of my blog and Scout Mountain.  An important part of my rediscovery journey to get healthy and back into shape was to set goals for myself.  Along with eating a completely healthy diet, getting proper rest, no alcohol, and counting my calories, I set running goals for myself.  My running goals started out small at first, simply to run three miles without stopping, but quickly grew into running a 5K Turkey Trot race and then into running 10 miles without stopping.  I have now set a few more goals for myself in the coming months to include running a half-marathon and a trail half-marathon and full trail marathon.  I am now also registered to run the Pocatello Scout Mountain Ultra (SMU) race (https://scoutmountainultras.com) this June, which is a 50K trail race with over 7,500ft elevation gain that includes summiting Scout Mountain as part of the course.  I used to run a bit when I was in the Marine Corps in order to pass the annual fitness tests, but I have before never tried to tackle anything like the Pocatello SMU.

            Scout Mountain has now become a symbolic icon for me.  Climbing mountains can be tough, especially when you are starting at the pit of despair and depression.  However, climbing mountains has helped me get out of my depression and they have shown me a new way forward in life.  Scout Mountain has turned into a reminder to me that it is never too late to give up on yourself, and that the journey to a more rewarding life truly begins with a single step.  During this past Christmas, I was able to hike Scout Mountain with my son and my father.  The 9-mile hike took about five hours along unmarked trails in 10 degrees Fahrenheit blustery weather and even with snowshoes we were often in waist deep snow.   However, getting to the top with my family by my side was a pretty magical moment.  I also kept thinking to myself, thank you Scout Mountain for being here and I look forward to seeing you again in June!

            Just a final side note to my mountain theme, I am planning on hiking several other mountains this year.  As part of my training plan for the Pocatello SMU, I have set my sights on some of the highest mountains in the southern California area to include San Jacinto Peak at 10,839 ft. and San Gorgonio Mountain at 11,499 ft.  Finally, I also want to hike Mt. Whitney this summer, the highest mountain in the continental United States at 14,505 ft., however permits are granted on a lottery system and only 30% of the people who apply get a chance to do it …more to follow on that hike assuming I get a spot!