Blessed: Another Epic Moment on the Summit

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield is a special place our family has enjoyed hiking for over 14 years since Lizzie was a baby and Gordon was a preteen; a place where amazing things have been accomplished.  There is one part of the trail that is particularly challenging because it reaches ~1,000 foot elevation in one mile and offers amazing views of Atlanta and Stone Mountain.  We would frequently see runners buzz by us running up the mountain and them see them running down.  I thought they were crazy.

Lizzie almost 1 with Dad

 

Gordon almost 13 with Grandpa

 

Jeremy became one of those crazy trail runners and was soon summiting in a pretty fast clip.  He casually mentioned, "You should try it." That got me thinking and a little while later I asked Gordon if he would train with me to run up the mountain nonstop.  He agreed and our training started.  6 weeks later, Gordon and I reached the summit running nonstop, he a bit further ahead of me.  As I closed in on him, he stretched his hands upward in the classic Rocky pose and yelled, "Adrian!" I was brought to tears of this epic moment in my life for two reasons.  #1:  I witnessed my son achieving a goal he was hesitant about.  #2: I experienced achieving a goal I was hesitant about that was made so special by sharing it with Gordon.

Today another epic moment occurred on Kennesaw.

First summit postop!

 

I walked nonstop to the summit for the first time since my surgery with Lizzie by my side!  Such a blessing to experience these milestones with my kids.

 

I didn't know what to expect heading to the mountain, other than I would give it my best shot. We no sooner stepped onto the trail when Lizzie spotted her friends, Sarah and Annie, behind us.  My hiking crew grew from a party of two to a party of four.  There were a couple of spots where I slid on the gravel, but with the help of my new cane, Lizzie's arm and Annie's back (I slid downward and Annie's back stopped me from going further), I managed to stay upright.  It was a crisp fall afternoon filled with beautiful sunshine while a lovely breeze swirled around us.  Thanks, ladies, for making my day extra special!

 

I'll train a couple more times without my pack and then crank up the training intensity.

 

Hike hard, hike strong!