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Flexibility + Dealing with Setbacks with CALIA by Carrie Underwood

July 15, 2015  |  By: Whitney E. RD

A few weekends ago, my little family and I decided we needed a break from the hustle and bustle of the Los Angeles.

We figured a great way to escape would be with a quick day trip just outside the city to the Angeles National Forest, where we could spend the day hiking, picnicking, and letting Mr. Chow get all his energy out.

Chantry Flat Recreation Area is a fun spot for hiking and has some awesome trails, including the 4-mile, out-and-back trek to Sturtevant Falls. We’d hiked it before and enjoyed it, so we decided to hit up that location again and try another trail.

This time, we set off for Hermit Falls, a 30 ft waterfall with options for cliff-jumping and swimming. I was psyched.

It was a perfect day — sunny, high 70’s, with a cool breeze whispering through the trees.

I had on my new outfit from CALIA by Carrie Underwood, and was certain that it wouldn’t be hard for me to follow the brand’s motto that day and “Stay the Path.”

Unfortunately, fate had other plans for us…

All started out well.

Mr. Chow was having a blast exploring the sights and sounds…

…and I was enjoying taking in the serene beauty of the forest.

 Journey Printed Flutter Short ($40) // Essential Short Sleeve Shirt ($35)

About half way to the waterfall though, we had a little problem. We had been taking a water break when Mr. Chow started sneezing, violently.

We figured he’d just gotten a bit of dust up his nose, but when it wouldn’t stop, we started to worry. We knew it might end at any moment and then we’d be disappointed we’d cut the hike short, but we couldn’t take the risk of ignoring something serious. Sadly, we turned back.

The sneezing stopped once we reached the car and Chow seemed fine for several hours.

In fact, he actually seemed content and a little sleepy (glad someone got a good workout in).

We were bummed the day had been shot over a false alarm.

Later that evening though, it started again, and this time we didn’t wait to see if it would stop. We rushed straight to the puppy ER.

Six hours and a large vet bill later, Mr. Chow awoke from anesthesia with a clear nasal passage. It turned out he’d inhaled a “foxtail” — a spiked piece of grass that animals can get lodged in their airways. While often just annoying or mildly painful, these pesky plants can cause infection and in extreme cases death.

You can imagine my relief that we’d taken him in!

All is well that ends well though, right?

This incident reminded me of last June when despite a nagging pain in my foot, I continued to exercise until it got so bad that I ended up in a boot for three months with two stress fractures. Unlike on our hike, I ignored the signs telling me to stop.

Sometimes we have to realize that our bodies need a break and, once again, you shouldn’t kill yourself for a workout.

While it’s important to “Stay the Path” with a fitness routine, it’s also important to know when to ease off, or reevaluate your goals. Additionally, it’s important to recognize that what may not work for you today may become possible in the near future, and to not let roadblocks hold you back.

Two days later we were back to hiking with Mr. Chow  — this time keeping a much closer eye on where he stuck his snout!

Weigh In: Have you (or your family members/fur babies) had an incident that kept you from exercising? How have you adapted your fitness goals in the past, and continued to stay the path?

*This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of CALIA by Carrie Underwood but all photos, opinions, and foxtail tales are my own. CALIA is available exclusively at DICK’s Sporting Goods and CaliaStudio.com.