常常聽人告誡,爬山有損膝蓋骨。而我卻要感謝這三年,它給了我心髒功能的改觀,其利遠遠大於弊。在這三年間,我還親眼目睹了一位上海姐妹J, 是如何從開始的弱女子,搖身一變,變成了"快遞妹" (名稱的來源故事後麵會提),最後兩夫妻參加北加的爬山隊伍,完成了大峽穀Rim to Rim徒步行走的壯舉。生命在於運動,而登高走山對人身心健康的培養不言而喻。
Hiking must not be the best sport in the world. What one achieves physically in three-hour hiking may equate to only thirty minutes running. Nowadays people are more accustomed to sweating in an enclosed gym with a modern machine by the side, blinkering silently every second as to how many steps walked and how much calorie burnt, and how the heartbeat rate changes. However, hiking still appeals to outdoor activity lovers. The combination of exercising and relishing the scenic views, the feel of being surrounded by nature, mostly crisp open airy space, the pleasure of ascending to the summit with a bird’s view, and the splendor of being among the first to witness the changes of seasons, all excite people like me. By hiking, it is not only the body, but also the soul and the mind that are emancipated in the nature.
I started hiking in 2014, the year when my parents visited us for a few months. I remember it was a summer Saturday morning, when I brought Mom along to hike with the team. In her seventies, Mom hiked briskly and at light steps to the summit, while I tried to catch her laboriously. Seven-mile-hike looked like a breeze to her, but I ended up lying on the sofa with heavy legs and sore muscle the next day. It was a wakeup call.
If the original sheer purpose of hiking is to build up body, what I benefit from the three-year-hiking is immense. Nature not only rewards me visually with its grand beauty, but also nourishes me spiritually through its silent resilience against drought or wildfire. Hiking with a team disciplines me, and the joy of seeing and conversing with each other weekly adds the crème to it.
In three years, our footprint extends from a local valley to a national forest, from mountains to the sea. Our average hike is about eight miles in three hours. The longest hike recorded is a 12.4 mile, a total of 27K steps. Though it is not comparable to any Rim to Rim hiker, not to say marathon runners, we pride ourselves on the achievement that attests to the passion we once had.
回複 '7grizzly' 的評論 : Definitely, there is something common in running and hiking:) This is a great land, and many wonderful people and culture that inspire us incessantly. We met runners and bikers in the trails, and their healthy body and mind are part of nature, being immersed into the land. Thank you my friend, for your reading and comment.
Great job! I can relate to so many points in this post.
But, in the end, I feel thankful that we live in this land and culture that embrace something that sounds, upon first look, not so impressive, "A Sound Mind In A Healthy Body".
常常聽人告誡,爬山有損膝蓋骨。而我卻要感謝這三年,它給了我心髒功能的改觀,其利遠遠大於弊。在這三年間,我還親眼目睹了一位上海姐妹J, 是如何從開始的弱女子,搖身一變,變成了"快遞妹" (名稱的來源故事後麵會提),最後兩夫妻參加北加的爬山隊伍,完成了大峽穀Rim to Rim徒步行走的壯舉。生命在於運動,而登高走山對人身心健康的培養不言而喻。
Hiking must not be the best sport in the world. What one achieves physically in three-hour hiking may equate to only thirty minutes running. Nowadays people are more accustomed to sweating in an enclosed gym with a modern machine by the side, blinkering silently every second as to how many steps walked and how much calorie burnt, and how the heartbeat rate changes. However, hiking still appeals to outdoor activity lovers. The combination of exercising and relishing the scenic views, the feel of being surrounded by nature, mostly crisp open airy space, the pleasure of ascending to the summit with a bird’s view, and the splendor of being among the first to witness the changes of seasons, all excite people like me. By hiking, it is not only the body, but also the soul and the mind that are emancipated in the nature.
I started hiking in 2014, the year when my parents visited us for a few months. I remember it was a summer Saturday morning, when I brought Mom along to hike with the team. In her seventies, Mom hiked briskly and at light steps to the summit, while I tried to catch her laboriously. Seven-mile-hike looked like a breeze to her, but I ended up lying on the sofa with heavy legs and sore muscle the next day. It was a wakeup call.
If the original sheer purpose of hiking is to build up body, what I benefit from the three-year-hiking is immense. Nature not only rewards me visually with its grand beauty, but also nourishes me spiritually through its silent resilience against drought or wildfire. Hiking with a team disciplines me, and the joy of seeing and conversing with each other weekly adds the crème to it.
In three years, our footprint extends from a local valley to a national forest, from mountains to the sea. Our average hike is about eight miles in three hours. The longest hike recorded is a 12.4 mile, a total of 27K steps. Though it is not comparable to any Rim to Rim hiker, not to say marathon runners, we pride ourselves on the achievement that attests to the passion we once had.