Just when you think....

 Plans are all made, packing has started, nearing the final countdown. So, just when you think all is good to go... life has a way of saying wait a minute, I have a different plan for you.

First up was on Tuesday, I had an email from Korean Airlines. My flight from Kathmandu to South Korea was rescheduled from the Saturday to the Friday (day before). Korean air only flies between the two cities a few days a week and they are changing the days. Luckily I have plenty of spare days in Kathmandu that this probably worked out better as I will enjoy the extra day in Seoul. I just needed to add an earlier arrival day at my lodging in Seoul. No problems there so it was nothing stressful. 

Wednesday though came the bad news. I had an email from the volunteer organization that I would be working with. The monastery in Salleri was going to be closed for most of the time I was scheduled to be there. The monks are all headed to a different monastery for a prayer retreat. I would have to teach at another location. Unfortunately they have nothing else in the mountains. There are two monasteries just outside of Kathmandu and one in Pokhara. One of the monasteries near Nepal is a nunnery. So I have spent my days trying to research these places and trying to communicate via email (difficult with the 11 hour time difference). I am waiting on a reply from my recent email before I make a final decision. What we are planning is splitting the assignment between half at the Monastery in Pokhara and the other half near Kathmandu. Since I will be in Pokhara I plan on hiking the Poon Hill Trek and going to Chitwan during the Dashain Festival in October. I would then return to Kathmandu to teach and then trek to EBC in November which I preferred over the October dates I was going to do.

All three of these monsteries are much larger than the one in Salleri and are in more heavily populated areas. They are also in milder climates at lower elevations. This has me changing my packing list to include a selection of lighter weight clothing. I am taking a positive view of this though as it will mean I will have better cell phone and internet access. I will also be able to withdraw money at ATM's that actually work (they rarely work in Salleri). Pokhara has a lot of activities as it is a tourist hub. I hope maybe to go on a zip-line while there. and of course boating on the beautiful lake that city borders. 

I am of course disappointed that I will not be in Salleri. It was one of the reasons I chose this organization. They have been very apologetic and are doing their best to place me in a peaceful setting that will be a meaningful experience for myself and my students. Right now I am leaning towards the Nunnery near Kathmandu as I watched a YouTube video about it. It did look very peaceful and is a beautiful monastery. 

Workouts have been pretty much focused on maintenance again. I am wearing the weighted vest every day now. I do need to get my stair-steps count up from the 1000 steps I am currently doing. Time is running out so I really need to start pushing myself. 

No More Doubting Myself

 When I decided over three years ago to challenge myself to take this upcoming journey I knew that getting mentally prepared would be as important as getting physically prepared. Having traveled to Ethiopia on two occasions I knew what to expect as far as basic living conditions. I never struggled with it in Ethiopia and knew that it would not be an issue in Nepal. My vegetarian diet would also not be an issue as meat isn't widely consumed there. Rice and lentils are the main staple of their diet. The altitude in Salleri will also not be an issue as it is just around 8000 feet, a bit lower than Cloudcroft, New Mexico. I usually adjust within 24 hours when I go there. 

My travel plans are laid out to avoid any connecting flights. That is always a huge stress factor for me. I have booked a private service to collect me at the Istanbul Airport and take me to my hotel and then the return a few days later. It was only slightly more expensive than a taxi, but will be much easier, safer and they will be waiting for me at arrivals. In Kathmandu I will be met by a representative from Volunteer Society of Nepal and they will handle everything for the days that I am there, plus my lodging in Salleri. I have also booked my EBC trek through them, and will book Chitwan/Pokhara after I complete my teaching assignment. My flight to Korea is a direct flight and I can catch the express train from the Airport to Seoul Station which is just a short distance to my hotel. So I am feeling confident with my travel plans. 

Teaching... that is what I feel most uneasy about. I do not know what level my students will be, so I cannot prepare much in advance. I do not know if there will be any academic support of I will be left on my own to prepare lessons, teach and control the classroom. I do not have a teaching degree. I have worked with preschoolers, led educational tours at the newspaper in Austin, and volunteered at my own kids schools when they were young. I did a little substitute teaching and I of course had to help my two youngest learn English when they arrived here in the USA. I have received my TESL certificate after completing an online course. I watch Youtube videos of teachers teaching English in Asian countries. I have done all I can to prepare, but it is the unknown that stresses me a bit. I know I can do this, I just cannot let the what-ifs creep into my thoughts.

I am ready as I will ever be for my EBC trek. My confidence is up. I feel that my success on the Inca trail gave me a boost along with my recent hikes in Cloudcroft. I have also adjusted my thinking into being okay if I don't make it all the way to Base Camp. There is a point on the trail just two days shy of Gorak Shep that would give a beautiful view of Mount Everest. That has always been the goal - just to really see that grand mountain. If I can make it there I will consider this a huge success. I hope to make it all the way to Base Camp, but I am going to be realistic in knowing that at my age, I might not. 

I will keep working out until the day I leave. I have been increasing the difficulty of my workouts over the past few weeks. Faster speeds and wearing a weighted vest. It is going quite well. 

I am nervously excited as I approach the final countdown to travel. I am managing to keep the doubting demons away. I have done all I can do to prepare for this trip... physically, emotionally, logistics, gear and packing. I am ready! I can do this!

Thanks to Hikes Like a Woman on FB.

Workout Adjustments for Cardio

 I watched a video recently on YouTube that was about training for Mountain hiking and trekking. What I have been doing has been good, but there was more I could do to improve my stamina on the trail, especially the inclines. My inclines on the treadmill are good, but I tend to do long stretches at 15%. They recommend doing series of high cardio followed by a low cardio setting. They also recommend doing some weight training. He was talking about how you should feel physically when hiking on an incline and I really was there on most of it. My biggest issue is heat, once I start getting hot I start to struggle. I do also worry about the high altitudes. but no amount of training can prepare you for that. You just have to go slow and acclimate. 

I know I need to increase my cardio as my heart rate was rarely getting above 120 bpm whereas in the early days of my training I was hitting 140+bpm. Since heart rates increase at higher altitudes (which I noticed while in Peru) I knew I would need to work on getting it back up. So I will now make adjustments to my workouts and hope that it will make a difference before I leave for Nepal.

So my new workout schedule:

Sunday & Wednesday- rest days

Monday & Friday - Speed training, Stair-master do series of 70 spm followed by 50 spm. Complete minimum of 1000 steps. Treadmill alternate speed and incline from 3 mph to 3.5 mph and incline from 3% to 15%.

Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday - Wear weighted vest for workout  - Stair-master 55 spm, Treadmill -3.0 mph 15% incline.

I started it this week and I did get my heart rate up with the weighted vest on. The speed workouts made a small difference but not as much as I would like. Maybe once I get used to the weighted vest I will wear it every day. 

I feel pretty proud of myself at the gym as there is no-one near my age that does workouts at the level that I do. There are a few in there 20's and 30's that meet or out perform - but I'm 40 years older than them. When I started this journey I never thought I would be at the level I currently am. It was my goal, but I worried I had set the bar too high. I hope this inspires you to start your own journey. It is never too late.

The beating of my heart

 The clock is ticking and my heart beats a bit faster with anticipation. I'm closing in on my list of preparations for my trip. I've still one more hotel to book and a few sight-seeing trips to reserve for Istanbul and Korea. My shopping list is nearly complete, I will leave the sleeping bag and possible down jacket for Nepal as they are quite a bit less expensive there than they are here. I will soon start gathering up everything I need to pack and see what fits in my luggage. I can then judge better what extras I can take or what I will need to leave behind. It is really tricky packing as Istanbul and Kathmandu will still be quite warm when I am there. Salleri will be cool to mild, but rainy. Once I start trekking I will face falling temperatures with each passing day and could see overnight lows in the single digits (Fahrenheit). By the time I leave and the 10 days in Korea it will be full on winter nearly everywhere I will be. So I will need Summer, Autumn and Winter apparel. I've ordered vacuum packing bags to compress as much as I can, but I will still have to watch the weight. 

I finally got my TEFL certificate yesterday. When I originally did the course about six months ago I completed it but didn't click on the final course button to get it. I then got a new computer and when I logged in, it showed that I had not taken the course yet. Luckily I had all my notes and quiz questions written down so I was able to finish it in a few days. This time I clicked the complete button and received my course completion  certificate. I have a few good ideas to get started, but will have to wait and see what level my students will be at before I plan ahead too far. I'm excited to get started. 

So workouts.... Before I went to New Mexico I really felt that my stamina was a bit low. My workouts were not near the level that they were prior to going to Peru. I don't know if it was the weight loss or what that had me feeling a bit drained. But since returning from Cloudcroft I have been feeling more energetic and have begun pushing myself a bit more in the gym. I still am needing to gain about six more pounds (I've gained 6) so I am still limiting my workouts to about 75-90 minutes. The one big improvement I am seeing is with my heart rate. When I first started the gym I set the stair-master on 50 steps per minute. my heart rate would be in the 140's BPM and sometimes would hit over 150 BPM - which would lead me to slowing the pace down until it dropped. I now set the pace at 55- 60 steps per minute and my heart rate stays below 120 BPM.  Similar result on the treadmill but I've dropped down about 112 - 118 BPM when on a 15% incline. I also have increased the pace on that incline from 2.9 mph to 3.1-3,2 mph. I am also seeing a slight drop in my resting heart rate.

My first post on this blog was May 2, 2023 - over three years ago. This will be my 183rd post. The journey to prepare myself still isn't complete, but I can see how far I have come. I was 64 years old, not in the best of shape when I started- working a desk job 40 hours a week. I weighed 126 lbs. I struggled to hike up a 500 ft incline. I am now hiking up 3000 feet and going on 13 mile hikes. My current weight is 110 lbs. I've retired from my job and now focus on preparing for this adventure. I am now also 67 years old, but feel better and younger than I did when I started. Seeing Mount Everest is the goal - and it is getting closer.

Cloudcroft Adventure

Last week I finally had the opportunity to head to Cloudcroft, New Mexico for Four nights camping and hiking. The forecast was for highs in the 70's and low's in the 50's and no rain. I had read online about some dispersed campsites along a Forest Road just outside of town, so I headed there first to see what was available. About a mile down the road I found a nice secluded site that had parking just 20 feet from the campsite. No other campers were in the area so it would be nice and quiet. The only issue was that there was not a designated tent pad. I found the most level rock free site and set up my tent. the slope was gradual, but it was enough that during the course of the night I slid down feet first to the end of my tent. It was just a minor inconvenience as the location was so peaceful and beautiful. I counted over a dozen different bird species and woke to their songs every morning and had them serenade me throughout the day. I also had some great views to the north across the mountains. Overnight on two of the nights I was awakened by coyotes howling and yelping and the elk barking out warnings . It was a bit eerie as otherwise it was so silent. 

A big advantage to these campsites was trail access was right there. I had a six mile hike right on my doorstep. I did that hike both clockwise and counter-clockwise. It is a combination of several trails that includes the popular OSHA trail. I also did a third hike that I had to drive to that was linked into the Trestle Rec Area.  This hike was under 3 miles but had some great steep inclines. I also did a few short hikes near my campsite along the Forest Road. 

No trip to Cloudcroft is complete without a stop at Cloudcroft Brewery for a Amber Ale and one of the best wood-fired pizzas you will ever eat.It was a great finish to a successful hiking trip.

                        

                                                            Morning View from my tent.

BTW - the forecast was wrong about the rain. It rained on both Monday and Tuesday afternoons and  an overnight shower on Tuesday night. My tent kept me perfectly dry with no leaks!

Restless

 I am feeling very much like I am in a state of limbo. I'm restless to travel again, but at this particular moment I cannot get away. The weather has been quite warm, very humid and still somewhat rainy. It is not an optimal time to go hiking here. It has even been lousy weather for doing a bit of gardening. The few new plants I put out a few weeks ago were eaten by the deer. I have never had issues with deer in the past. I'm not sure why the decided to venture down my street and make my garden their dinner table. I bought an electronic motion deterrent, and that seems to help and the bonus is that it has kept the neighborhood cats from using my beds for a litter box.  So anyway... about being restless. I am considering heading off to New Mexico in a week or two (plus again in July) to do a bit of camping and hiking. I'm just watching the 10-day forecast to find a good 4-5 day window to go.  In the meantime I will keep hitting the gym five days a week and keep up with my maintenance workouts for now. Once I gain some more weight (I've gained 3-4 lbs) I'll start increasing my workouts back up to a training level. I have increased my calorie intake by over 500 calories a day and that seems to be slowly working. I need to gain a minimum of another 9 pounds before I leave for Nepal.

I received an email from the Volunteer Organization I'll be working with while I am there.IT was mostly information about getting ready for the trip. When I first read through it all and clicked on the links it felt a bit overwhelming. There were a few things that I hadn't thought of though that I will need to get. Transportation option were discussed and the expense of each. I am pretty sure I will go with the private jeep to Salleri event though the cost is quite a bit more than a shared one. A shared jeep or the bus usually have luggage limitations and I don't want to stress about that. 

They also sent me information about having them organize the EBC trek. Logistically it just makes sense to do through them as I can roll in the  cost with my volunteer expenses and I won't have to worry about having the cash on hand to pay as I trek. I will be assured of getting a licensed, experienced guide and porter too. They did recommend though that I trek during the two week Dashain Festival in late October as the schools and Monastery will be quiet. This would have me working four weeks after I arrive and then four weeks after the trek. I would then have two weeks remaining to explore Nepal. I know a trip to Chitwan National Parks  is a must and probably a stay in Pokhara. I will also allow a few days rest before I fly on to South Korea. In my nine days there it will be a whirlwind of activity. I will need to be well rested. 

Now I just need to stay healthy and injury free for the next several months. Oh and I've got to keep those doubting demons at bay, they have been taunting me this past week. The best cure for that is to get out and hike!

Maintenance Workouts

 I didn't take but a few days rest after returning from Peru last month before getting back to the gym. I have reduced the intensity and number of days though as I lost too much weight while in Peru. I made it a point to eat three meals a day, but I didn't have time to snack much and I did not eat dessert any of the evenings. I weighed 113 lbs, when I left for Peru and was 105 lbs. when I returned. Thankfully most of my hiking pants have an adjustable waist. Since returning I have only managed to gain back 3 lbs. I am adding more calories to my diet and drinking nutritional shakes. I have added more eggs and fish for extra protein.  Hoping that I can get up to 116 lbs before I leave for Nepal.

My workouts are now just 5 days a week. I try to keep one of the off days to just relax, but that is really hard for me to do. My current workouts are 500 - 1000 steps on the stair-master, 2,75 miles on the treadmill at 15% incline and another .5 miles at minus 3% - +3%.  I have had quite a bit of work to do in my garden since returning and I have my sons dog (very active pittie) that keeps me busy. I won't have a fitness center to go to while in Nepal so I just need to maintain my current fitness level and gain some weight before I go.I know once I settle into a routine in Salleri I will get out and hike daily to keep in shape. 

My trip planning has kicked into high gear. Flights are booked. DFW to IST, 2 night layover before flying on to Kathmandu. I'll be in Nepal 88 days (I'll have a 90 day VISA). I then fly direct to South Korea for 9 days before returning back to DFW. All flights are direct with no lay-overs. That should really reduce the stress of flying. I despise layovers - especially on international flights. This itinerary takes me around the world!