Hey all!
This weekly update will be short. Its the 4th of July and I’ve got fireworks to watch!
If you’re new to the blog, welcome! In this series of posts I’m tracking my preparations for my trip to Nepal to trek Everest Base Camp. Read on for updates on fitness, gear, and my emotions.
This post closes out my preparation for the month of June and I think we’ll just jump right in to the updates. This post does contain some affiliate links so that I can show you exactly what I purchased and you can pick them up too.
Fitness
Sunday, June 24 – Taught RPM and 90 minute hike at local state park
Monday, June 25 – Taught RPM
Tuesday, June 26 – Upper body weight training
Wednesday, June 27 – 45 min walk
Thursday, June 28 – Lower body weight training and 3 mile walk after work
Friday, June 29 – Rest
Saturday, June 30 – Rest
I pretty happy that I squeezed in two strength training sessions this week! However, as I realize this is the last week in June, I’m beginning to feel like I really need to up my game. If you know me well, you know I’m a bit crazy when it comes to my workouts. I tend to stick to the same workouts and follow the same routine religiously. Over the past few months, I’ve been more sporadic with my workouts and way less rigid. Normally, in the spring and summer I’m training for a race and in doing so get super focused on a training schedule. I would have certain days for running, others for strength, and others for teaching. But this year, I have no races, just Everest!
My new relaxed attitude toward my fitness has allowed me to try a lot of new things. I’m focusing on lifting heavier at the gym and instead of running I’ve been taking more walks which is SO relaxing. That being said, I also feel like I’m getting a bit “softer”. My pants are fitting a bit tighter. My body just feels different. And, while that is totally ok, I feel like I need to find a happy medium between training hard and enjoying some more “relaxing” workouts.
I stumbled on a blog recently that mentioned that while the physical difficulty of the Everest Base Camp trek is not super intense, it is smart to be in your best physical condition when taking on this adventure. After all, this is the trip of a lifetime. Right now, I do not feel like I’m in by best physical condition. So, as we begin July my focus will be on building more cardio endurance and overall strength. I’m not 100% sure how I’ll change my workouts yet, but that is part of the fun!
Gear
Two words: Rain. Pants.
Guys, I did NOT know rain pants were a thing until just recently. And now I own a pair. Bring on the thunderstorms!!! (Or not…)
This past week I was successful in acquiring a few key items:
- Said rain paints – Meant to shield my cute legs from the soggy elements found in nature 🙂
- Sock Liners – As I break in my hiking boots, I’ve been wearing a several pairs of hiking socks of varying thicknesses. I’m not sure if its the socks or if its just because its 90 degrees out, but I’ve felt that scary warm rubbing feeling during a few hikes which typically is the first sign of a blister. I’m not about to get blisters and have sad feet hiking in the Himalayas, so I’m looking into sock liners. If you’re not hiking-savvy like me, sock liners are a thin sock worn underneath your thicker hiking sock. They are a barrier between your boot and your warm socks and prevent the rubbing that could lead to blisters. I have not tried them out yet, but I’m hoping I love them.
- Hiking pants – I’ve invested in some legit hiking pants! I’m pretty excited about these. I went a little crazy (again) and spent several hours reading reviews and comparing prices on different websites, and I’ve settled on the best possible pair (according to the internet). Below is an Amazon link to the pair I purchased. I will post more details on these and other gear items soon.
Emotions
Oh no – JULY!
That really sums it up. July means only two and a half months til take off. I still feel like I’ve got so much to figure out before this trip. Summer always flies by and I certainly don’t want to waste it worrying about the trip. I’m trying to get as much as I can out of the way now (purchasing the rest of my gear, planning training hikes, etc.) so that I can relax and enjoy the rest of the summer.
At this moment, I’ve got a bunch of gear on a UPS truck somewhere in the U.S. I’m trying to take advantage of holiday sales this week. Hopefully, I can check a lot off my list and stop worrying about silly little things like stuff sacs and water filters.
Other than that, I’m feeling rather calm. 🙂
Stay tuned for next week’s update! I will have way more gear to talk about by then!!
Do you enjoy reading past posts? Check out my previous updates here and here.