A few months ago, a link came to my attention called “Seek the Peak.” It is a fundraising event for the Mount Washington Observatory, whereby you climb Mount Washington on a summer day in the middle of July. I forwarded this link to two friends whom I thought would be interested in participating, with me simply cheering them on and supporting their efforts.
Be careful what you forward to friends. The surprise was on me when one replied that I had to do it. That it would be great for me. At the time, I was looking for just the right challenge, something to volunteer for, to give back in some way. There it was, staring me in the face: “Washington
How could I push something on friends that I wasn’t willing to commit to? It would be the best opportunity and the timing was right. My friend Kathy is an avid hiker and has enough experience to enable this city girl to enjoy the adventure, rather than hate every moment because I was out of my comfort zone. I would in fact, feel as if I have my very own guide, if she could tolerate the numerous questions. What to bring? What trail? When to hit the trail? What if it rains? Washington can be relentless as the sea around Cape Horn . Do I have what it takes? I’m not getting any younger. I have someone willing to spend their free time with me to help me succeed.
I began to train shortly after Kathy confirmed she would participate the first week in May. My plan was to climb the stairs at work to my fourth floor office every day; to workout at least twice a week; to walk a mile or two and gradually work up to three to five; to continue with the Step class at the gym; and to lose 20 lbs. I called Kathy to tell her the plan, which I thought was good start. She politely agreed and strongly suggested I include long walks. Thinking I was ahead of the game, I explained that I had mapped out specific two- and three-mile walking routes that included hills. Maintaining a positive attitude of encouragement, Kathy went on to define a long walk …8-10 miles…a day. I should be grateful she didn’t suggest a long walk off a short pier.
I started strong. I included the recumbent stationary bike a few times a week, maxing out to date at 7.5 miles; utilized the treadmill, adjusting the elevation and speed periodically during the session, and ended the 3.1 mile walk with the last ¼ mile at maximum; did a quarter mile on this combo machine I associate with mountain climbers – which may not sound like much, but I previously lasted a minute. I included extra “workouts” within my workday, took the stairs as much as possible regardless of whether was one flight or four, park farther away from store entrances, whatever would add to the momentum. Nothing was standing in my way.
Unfortunately, my sister ended up hospitalized for three plus weeks shortly after I began my plan. The daily visits impacted my workout flow; I could no longer keep the rhythm. Then it hit me! I figured out if I parked at a friend’s house farther away, I could get in a long walk AND a steep hill and still visit my sister. This certainly had to be better than nothing. Between this long walk and the full length of the hospital campus I managed to get in a mile or so one-way. Still not the 8-10 miles, but I could feel the difference. After a couple of days I could do it with ease. I would throw in the 6 flights of stairs from time to time just for fun. The best advantage to date was walking from work to a local park for the firework festivities. I carried an equipment backpack and 6lb tripod the mile and half AND proceeded to walk around for four hours with said weight covering the event. Something must be working because it was not bad at all. I was juiced. I even managed to attend a conference that required a tremendous amount of walking across a college campus. This is when I opted to break-in my new hiking boots. Much to my surprise, I faired better the day I wore the boots, with the proper socks, than I did with my trek shoes and cotton socks. Yes, I know, cotton kills.
My workout hasn’t been perfect. I will no doubt lack grace in my hiking style. It might take me a little longer than most. I believe I have the proper gear, especially footwear. The weather, as of 4:00pm July 18th is looking pretty darn good for my first real mountain experience. And...I got people…family and friends, with gifts of support and concern; someone crazy enough to hike with me; and a special someone who will be stressfully waiting at the top “no matter how long it takes”. Why shouldn’t I go for it?
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