Curing Notivation - Nature at it's finest!

Have you missed me? We are currently in the black hills on vacation with my family. We are staying in a house that is in the heart of the woods and it is just breath taking! I know I am a day late on this post but I wanted to write a few quick thoughts about motivation during vacation. The vacation I'm currently on makes it pretty easy to head outdoors and get some cardio in because of the great scenery!! The easiest motivator is to just simply look outside. You wouldn't want to sit indoors in a national park like this and just watch tv or endless movies! The weather has been great and the sun had definitely taken a toll on my skin but that hasn't stopped us from being outdoors.
The first day here (Monday) my mom, Alex and I went on a bike ride/hike just to check the area out. Probably logged about 2 miles total. The incline was steep and the terrain was rocky but the view kept us distracted on our workout and not our heavy breathing! Then on Tuesday my brother and I went to a ski lift that was right by our cabin. Alex had told us how he had climbed to the top in five minutes flat and we thought we would give it a shot too. Well we had our work cut out for us! It was very very steep and really thick with grass and bushes. But we made it and I even climbed on the ladder of the ski lift to get a bird's eye view! It was amazing!! Knowing we had climbed to the top was a great accomplishment but the reward of such a clear, mountain view was worth the trip! But one thing to keep in mind is to make sure you aren't on private property when you set out on an adventure ;) we got in a little bit of trouble from the lady that worked there! Whoops!
Today my mom and I went on Mickelson trail while the guys went golfing. I logged 5 miles running and walking a little with close to a 600 foot ascent! This trail was great and I loved every second of it! It was gravel trail right in the forest. We saw a snake and a deer even.
So the big take away from this post is to make the outdoors your gym!! No need for a membership! I found a log on the trail and even did some tricep dips! Take vacations that will enhance your workouts and not limit them. Who wants to workout in a dinky hotel exercise room! One of our main adventures on this trip has been horseback riding which is definitely not something we do everyday!