My destiny is set.
Mt. Whitney awaits me, and two fellow travelers. On June 7th, 8th and 9th we will make our trip to the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states.
After spending 30 minutes on hold to reserve three spots out of only about 100 that were left, I felt like I was a teen again trying to score floor seats for the Van Halen concert.
I should probably be scared as hell, but I am making progress in my training, which is helping with my confidence. In fact, I went on my first serious hike this past weekend. And it kicked my butt. Six miles of hilly terrain in Auburn, California, and the first mile was practically straight up. With 15-18 pounds on my back, it was certainly tailor made to test my fitness level.
While I made it out pretty much unscathed, only a little calf soreness in the following day or so, I have some serious work ahead of me. I was pretty weak (maybe even nutritionally depleted) that night at dinner. So it goes to show that endurance training is not just about the exercise, but how you handle your delicate nutritional needs. If six miles was a challenge, wait until I have to nearly double that… two days in a row… at elevations I’ve never been to in my life.
I better start looking for my next hike.
Congrats on securing your hike dates!