Yesterday was my birthday. 35. Wowza.
I decided what I really wanted to do, even more than eating lots of sugar and various deliciousness, was try something new. So I signed up for a rock wall climbing class.
My friend Brionna was courageous and came with me.
These were the short bouldering walls you could climb without needing to be hooked up with a belay.
And these were the 40 foot walls for which we were so glad for that rope hanging onto us.
The first time I tried, first of anybody in our class and right as soon as we got there, I psyched myself out about 3/4th's of the way up. I started getting seriously freaked - "What the heck am I doing?? Climbing a freaking wall??? Oh my word I am seriously far off the ground. This is not the kind of thing you like, self. What exactly were you thinking anyway? Let me remind you, since it's seems you've forgotten: you enjoy safe, on the ground, in control things. It's time to be done. Right now." And so my arms and legs got to shaking and I got on down from there.
The second time, after feeling that the rope really did hold me quite safely, and that it was perfectly okay to get to the top (seeing as everyone else in the class did) I went up without any fear at all.
The third time came about two hours into the class after we'd been trying bouldering walls and a tile (!) wall and autobelays (that didn't always catch me in the way I thought they should) and well, I was complete toast a little less than half way up. I could not make anything else happen. The instructor was shouting for me to take a deep breath and push up with my left foot and all I could think was "I *am* breathing!!! Can you not hear me from down there??"
As I came down I told him my arms quit working and he let me know that was called "getting pumped." I assumed he was joking. He continued saying a lot of things about "lactic acid build up, blah blah blah, organs shut down, blah blah blah, need oxygen, blah blah blah, brain affected first."
Hmmmmmm, yes. Brain shutting down - that's very interesting. I'm pretty sure that means it's time for me to be done with this adventure.
And so, at that point, we decided it was time for some sugary deliciousness after all and we thought the best way to end this particular birthday adventure would be with some Menche's frozen yogurt, piled high with brownies & whip cream. My brain demanded it.
It was a good birthday adventure and I'm so soo glad for Brionna who was brave enough to come with me. :)
