Hiking

I am an extremely slow hiker. I am the one in the group who lags way behind. I notice that on rocky/uneven terrain, I am pretty much missing the scenery because I am watching my feet and consciously looking for the next spot to step down on, every step. I depend on my hiking poles to keep me from twisting an ankle if I do step down on an uneven spot. I stumble frequently if I look away or try to increase my pace. There are plenty of times I sit down to slide down rocks or get down on all fours to navigate a rocky patch whereas the other hikers in my group can walk freely. I still enjoy the hiking itself, but sometimes I feel insecure about holding up the group or people not wanting to hike with me because of my slow pace.

I did require special education and related services in preschool for various sensory processing, speech and fine motor difficulties, which leads me to believe that my hiking difficulties may be connected with proprioceptive/vestibular dysfunction.

Can anyone else relate?