As many of you know I just fixed my Bowflex TC 5300… It is a combination of the standard treadmill and a stair climber. I missed it for the 6 weeks or so I could not use because of the cracked tread floors. 40$ later I have it back up and running. This combined with my Bowflex ultimate 2 and free weights is a good mix. It is also true that I have become attached to hiking and climbing up mountains, this can be grueling and taxing on both your physical and mental strength.
The brochure from the Everest Base Camp Trek that I am hoping to take this spring says the same thing, while the trek to base camp does not require you to be a professional climber it will test you physically and mentally. So I have been climbing all summer to prepare and as life gets busy i need some more in-house training. I have realized that I have a problem, The TC5300 is not hard anymore, so I had to make it hard.
For example, going up mount washington was hard, but if I did not have the pack it would have been very easy. So Today I have started hiking with a full pack! You may ask why bother? I understand the question and I think I can fashion an answer. It is about the experience, many people read about things and many people study and learn things but most never truly understand. A good example is the last half mile of mount washington. If you watched it on TV you would be able to tell that it was a struggle. But unless you felt it there is no what you would understand! For the same reason I became a Pilot, Travel, etc. For me, it is the actual doing that matters but in the following way:
- Educate yourself
- Prepare
- then do it
I of course only try things I am interested in, for example: I learned how to fly a plane and I did not learn to jump out of one! So there you have it – that is why I climb and Why i now exercise with a full pack. Hope to be headed south soon to climb another and a winter trip up the Tuckerman Ravine. So two more times with a full pack today… It is working for me!
Ciao,
rob
It is another amazing day, weather wise I mean. I am glad to not be using heat in November! The good weather assures me another day up in the white mountains on Sunday. Doing 7.5+ miles a day is good but not close to equal five hours up the side of a mountain. This will be my perfect send-off get in shape workout to deal with my trip to Florence and Bologna coming up next week.
