Snow Day

Day 2

Snow....yet another advantage of ringing in the New Year in Northern Ohio. Today we went sledding. It was probably the first time I'd done anything like this since probably 1983. It doesn't snow a lot in Nashville, TN and we rarely get enough for sledding.

I agreed to go on a lark. I thought it would be good exercise and a lot of fun. I was right on both counts. It was an absolute blast. I felt some apprehension on the way over. Am I too fat for this? What if I get on the sled and it won't go because I'm too heavy? Will I look stupid? Will I be the fattest person there? Despite these fears I pressed on.

When I first set eyes on the hill at Punderson State Park, I thought maybe I'd made a mistake. The thought jumping on an inflatable tube that cannot easily be controlled seemed a bit daunting.

This picture which I "borrowed" from the Punderson State Park Website  makes it seem like a bunny slope.

Trust me it was not. In fact, in my head, it looked more like this...

And the walk back up the hill REALLY seemed like I was climbing a mountain. 





For my first attempt at sledding, I went down seated in a tube and immediately spun around backwards unable to see anything in front of me. 

My heart was pounding and I'm certain that I was squealing like a little girl. I was going

so fast that I got scared and took myself out before I hit any of the little tyke sledders going down the hill. When I finally came to a stop, there was a huge smile plastered on my face, I felt like a kid. Then came the walk up the hill... It did NOT make me feel like a kid. When I finally reached the summit of Mount Everest... sorry I mean Punderson Hill, I was weezing and fighting to keep down my breakfast! But, I was exhiliarated. After a brief respite, I took to the hill again. This time I decided to try heading down the hill on my belly. I'm sure that my screams could be heard in the next county over followed by my girlish laughter. This was WAY more fun that sitting up. Wooosh! Time to walk back up that hill... In my head I was saying "you can do it.... you can do it... you can do it".

Back at the top... wheezing... coughing... laughing... big cheesy smile still plastered on my face. Time for a break. Whew... Ok.... Back down again. This time I told myself that I wouldn't put my foot down to slow my speed. It's time to release the fear and go for it!

I shot out like a rocket! Whoosh!!! This time I landed where no other sled had gone today. Fresh powder flew right up my pants. Whooo HOOOO!!!! More girly squeals.  Oh Crap... I forgot about that hill. Ok.. I guess I'll hike Everest again.  More wheezing and heavy breathing followed by a brief stint of seeing stars.

At this point, pretty much everyone in our group has had enough. We're all debating on whether or not we want to go one more time. I'm thinking to myself that this last run will pretty much ensure that I will have trouble walking for the rest of the week. But, since this is a no fear year for me and i do need the exercise and it is a blast, I decide to try it one more time.

I eye my target and I'm determined to go even farther and faster than before. This time I swear there will be no putting my feet down. I throw down the tube, jump on (almost tumble off) and then it's BLAST OFF! I get sideways before the first bump and I'm certain that I'm going to bounce right off. But, I manage to keep myself on it. The consequence of this is a 360 spin down the rest of the hill. Once I finally got myself right again, I realize that my scarf is in my face and I can't see anything. I pray that no kids will be harmed in the course of this stunt. I ponder putting my feet down but that would be giving up and that ain't gonna happen. I finally cruise to a stop somewhere near the weeds and in a pile of more fresh powder. I'm covered in snow and lying there just giggling. I jump right up and into my victory stance. I see my friend Tony at the top of the hill giving me the victory sign too! Gitty Up that was fun!  Then there's that dang hill again. Man, I hate that hill :)

The old Margaret would have never done this. I would have stayed back with the rest of my group who decided not to go. That Margaret would have let fear and insecurity keep her from doing anything that might make her look fat. She worried a lot about being too big to do things.

But, this is a brand new day. The year of No Fear. The Year I lose 100 Pounds. And, it's a lesson that exercise can be an absolute blast!

Cheers!

Margaret

P.S. We also did a little midnight four wheeling too. Check out that cheesy grin!