Journey of Faith

 As I venture on this journey to get physically stronger I find myself on a journey to become not just mentally stronger but a happier and better person. I have struggled with western religions most of my adult life. I have tried attending different denominations but I am just too skeptical to blindly believe the whole heaven and hell afterlife. I have always had respect for Buddhists and the philosophy that their belief is based upon. I have immersed myself in some of the teachings and it has really helped me to be in a better happier place. The eightfold path, the four precepts and some of the meditations I have incorporated into my daily life brings me comfort and a peacefulness I have not felt in a very long time. I do find though as I learn more about the faith I find that my skepticism of  Karma and it's determination on the cycle of rebirth and death keeping me from delving too deep into this faith. I will continue studying and practicing much of what I have learned in my studies of Buddhism and hope that it will continue to bring me the joy and peace I seek. I have much to learn about it yet so maybe someday the skepticism will depart and I can completely accept the teachings of the Buddha. 

This has been a good week as far as my workouts have gone. Today I hit 1000 /2000 steps on the stairstepper for the week and I've still one more day to go. Today and earlier in the week I did 200/400 in one series. I am still doing the same yoga workout as I really do not have additional time available in the mornings to do more. As far as Wim Hoff breathing I am becoming stronger and it is becoming easier. I am not looking to take on additional breathing exercises as I feel the series I do will serve me well. 

Tomorrow will be October 1, and it is still getting into the mid-90's here in Central Texas. The hiking has been put back on hold. We do have a cooler weather forecast ahead but I will be traveling to the Texas coast for a few days so my hikes will consist of slow walks while bird watching or strolls on the beach. I do hope that the hot summer weather will be behind us and I can soon get out regularly on the trails. 

This journey I have set upon requires faith in many forms. Faith in my ability. Faith in my health. Faith in my mindset. Faith in my soul. It is a journey of faith.

                                                My daughter in Alaska, taken on our recent trip. 

The Path

 Another wonderful week is in full swing. My workouts are going great, steps are back up to pre-vacation levels. Wim Hoff breathing is also improving, I did not struggle at all with it today. Yoga is good, just slowly stretching out the muscles.  I feel that right now I am on a good path to get stronger and healthier.

I am re-reading Teachings of the Buddha as the first time I seemed to miss quite a bit in the early chapters. It really started to impact my thinking as I get well into the book. I felt that I needed to go back to the beginning to reinforce what I read.  Wow, it is really changing my outlook on life and how my mind works. I feel so much more positive about everything and everyone. I can recognize the thoughts and actions that cause suffering and know how to handle them to change the thought process to one that is joyful and positive. It is the first step of the 8 Fold Path.   I also credit the morning workout routine. It starts my day off on a positive note and keeps me motivated to do even better. 

I wish I had delved into this earlier in my life, but I also realize that right now is the perfect time for this change. I am right where I need to be at this moment. I am so full of joy to be here. 

Life is good... life is wonderful. 

Wonderful Moments

 It's Friday! 

        It's a good day! 

                    Positive energy is flowing!

I love days like this where I feel so energized and happy. I feel like a I am reflecting my meditation mantra:

In....out..

    Deep... slow..

            Calm... ease..

                    Smile... release..

                            Present moment... wonderful moment..

I see myself as a mountain.. I am solid and stable

    I see myself as a flower... I am fresh and free

        I see myself as still water... I reflect things as they are.

            I see myself in the vastness of space...I am free.

These are influenced by Thich Nhat Hanh a Buddhist monk /author that I have read and am currently reading. 

I have more days lately where I feel amazing. It is wonderful to have this positive energy flowing through me and around me. The past few days I have come to terms with the reality that I might not be able to get in the physical shape I want to be in to do EBC. But I will no matter what be healthier and fitter than I currently am. I might not make it to EBC but there are lots of other paths to trek. I am okay with that. 

Hiking this weekend will not be happening as the temperatures are soaring back into the upper 90's. I beginning to think that summer will never end. I am hopeful for next weekend as it will be my last weekend with King (son's dog) and our last chance to go hiking before he goes back to live with my son in Corpus. I will start taking my little girls out with me starting mid-October and hope I can get them trail trained and ready by next Spring for hiking in New Mexico. It will be interesting as they are both quite small and have never really ever been taken out anywhere. They really aren't out-doorsy dogs, more pampered lap ones. Maybe I can convince them to love the great outdoors. 

Have a good weekend. 

Focus on the Goal

 Staying focused on the goal even though I know that it is probably a fifty-fifty chance of succeeding is where I currently am. To not focus on it and to give up on the workouts would mean a 0% chance of success. I am also focusing on just getting stronger and healthier. That is really important at my age and is one of the benefits of working towards this goal. So if I don't get to Nepal, I still benefitted from the journey.  I just love seeing the photos that people post from their trips to Nepal. It does inspire me to keep working out. 

So I push myself to get up early each morning to do my workouts. Slowly I improve. Step by step on the stair stepper. I will keep pushing myself to get out and hike locally on weekends and plan some hiking trips for upcoming vacations. I hope to be heading to Cloudcroft NM in about six months to do my first multi day higher altitude hiking in years. I am looking forward to the challenge and I hope I will be ready. I did look online yesterday at used treadmills., so many brands, options and prices. I know I do want one that has adjustable inclines which does usually bump up the price quite a bit. Maybe I should just join the gym and make myself go four times a week. I could easily do a couple of evenings plus weekends. I'm just not a people person and like working out at home. 

Yesterday I thought a bit more about where I want to volunteer. I know there are opportunities in Pokhara, but I previously wasn't sure about the area. But I recently started following a group for Hikers and Trekkers in Nepal. This group doesn't focus on EBC, but on all areas of the country. The more I see of things in and around Pokhara I realize it might be a good place to be. The mountain views of the Annapurna range are amazing and offer treks from a few days to a few weeks. It would be a good area to be to get ready for EBC.  

When I see these views, it gets easier to focus. 

INSPIRED!

                                    View of Annapurna from Pokhara

Doubts and Plans to Defeat Them

 The doubting demons are back. It has been a struggle ever since my Alaska trip to feel confident about getting fit enough to complete the EBC. I have such a long way to go to be in the kind of shape I will need to be in to even think I can attempt it. I did briefly look into some easier treks in Nepal, but they don't excite me like EBC. If I do travel there and do some volunteer work I might take on the Poonhill trek as a practice run as it is a shorter one at lower altitude. I could do it when I arrive. If I do well on it then I can decide if I feel confident enough to take on EBC. I am currently right at the three year mark before I would be going to Nepal. I am only four months in to my fitness routine plus I did no hiking for over two months due to the heat. I am not giving up as no matter whether I make it to EBC or not I do want to get in better shape and be a lot stronger. After the heat from this summer derailed my workouts I know that next year I will need to hit the gym and get on the treadmill or go buy myself one. 

I have discovered this though about myself when I workout. The routine I do not only benefits me physically it has improved my mental state too. I am calmer and more focused. I don't get stressed out at work either. I did see a video of a doctor commenting about a patient that suffered severe anxiety. She started doing Wim Hoff and her symptoms abated and she longer required medication. 

I may try adding an additional workout in the evening once I get my son's dog returned to him in October. I will have more time and it will be easier to focus on myself. Maybe I should go ahead and get a treadmill and I could do that in the evenings along with a night time yoga routine.  That sounds like it might be a good plan!

Back on the trails

 Autumn is slowly bringing a bit lower temperatures. Sunday morning had a low of 68f so I knew I could handle getting back out on the trails. The humidity was very high, but I would be hiking the woodland trail at Mother Neff State Park so I had high hoped that it would be pleasant. I grabbed King - my son's dog that has been staying with me for the past six months and off we went. I wanted to get out with him as he will soon be joining my son in Corpus Christi as he located an apartment that doesn't have bred restrictions. 

I decided to try a new route in the wooded area of the park. I had never hiked the Bluff Loop so I worked it into my planned path. I did a few sections that I knew had some inclines and steps (nothing hard or steep in this part of Texas) anything I can add to make this hike a bit more challenging I will do it. The bluff loop is a bit less maintained and more primitive than  the other trails. I'm thinking it doesn't get as much use. The park was mostly deserted yesterday morning when we went so I didn't meet anyone on the trail until I was on the way back to the parking lot. I really did like this trail as it added some scrambling over a few rocks and steps. I did like that it felt more isolated. King is great to hike with as he takes the lead and sticks to the trail. He has learned to pace himself to match my speed when going down steps. This was great yesterday as the trails were damp from a heavy rain on Saturday. It's a shame that as soon as I get him trained to hike well with me he will be leaving. I will now have to train my little mutt girls to hike. That should be fun with their short legs and delicate paws. 

We hiked for right at an hour, and probably did somewhere around 2 miles I think. I would have stayed out longer but it was starting to warm up and with that humidity I was starting to get uncomfortable. Allergies were also getting bad as ragweed has started its season and I am very allergic to it. I have been congested ever since the hike yesterday. 

It was great to be out again, I hope that maybe we can return next Sunday, but the forecast doesn't look promising. I've two more weekends with King here before he joins my son down at the coast in October. 

I'm getting back into my morning workouts. Yoga and Wim Hoff are back up to pre-vacation levels, the stair stepper is still below where I was. I'm not going to push it as I discovered the time and distance on it does improve in spurts. I prefer to get strong at one level before increasing the steps to make a push to the next level. I am optimistic I will soon be back up where I was and then well on my way to my goal. 

Come on Autumn weather - I want to get outside and on the trails!

Alaska Part 3

The physical demands of this trip surprised me. I honestly thought I was in much better shape than that. The flight exhausted me, maybe because of the time difference and that I got very little sleep. Most of our days were long with early starts and days filled with activities. It took a toll on me.

Prior to the trip I was feeling so confident with my morning workouts. I was strong on the stair stepper, I was enjoying my yoga, and my breathing had become much stronger during my Wim Hoff exercise. I was feeling I could tackle any of the trails thrown my way. I was so excited to attempt Mount Healy. 

Mount Healy kicked my butt before I was halfway up. Those inclines had me stopping to catch my breath  every few minutes. I  felt like I was an old couch potato that hadn't exercised in years. I was so discouraged and disheartened. How would I ever get in shape to take on the EBC trek? I guess I need to remind myself that I only started exercising less than four months ago. I hadn't hiked in over two months prior to the trip due to the summer heat. I am pushing 65 years old and it will take longer to get in shape. But the doubts are planted in my brain now. I know how hard it is going to be to get in the kind of shape I will need to be in to successfully complete the EBC trek. 

We did walk the distances most days that I will need to do on EBC. We did a few with some minor inclines and I did great.  But the inclines that are on EBC, plus the high altitude, well it's a whole another challenge. When I first arrived back home I was on the verge of giving up my EBC dream. I then struggled feeling wretched for the first week home and skipped my workouts. But then I started seeing the posts on social media and the pictures taken along the trek. Oh I want to see that... I want to be there.... I want to achieve that goal. So this week I returned to the early morning workouts. Yoga is going well,  A few stiff muscles that don't want to stretch. The first day of Wim Hoff was a bit tough but day 2 went great. Stair stepper was a few steps back from where I was before the trip, but I'm sure in a week or two I'll be back up where I was and increasing the count. The forecast for this Sunday morning is a low in the 60's so I am heading back to the trails. My goal is three Sundays a month on the trails no matter the weather. I can't wait. 

While it has been a rough time emotionally and physically I am ready to get back on track and trek!

                                                            Coastal Trail in Anchorage

Exit Glacier Trial - Kenai National Park

Halfway up Mount Healy 

                                                                Savage River Trail (my favorite)

Alaska Part 2

The Alaskan trip was a bit of an emotional roller coaster. We had so much fun, we laughed, and we really enjoyed ourselves. My daughter and I loved our hikes especially the one up the Savage River in Denali Park. We were in awe of the beauty of Kenai Fjords and the trip out on the boat. The glaciers were incredible. I was in awe of the size of Ailik Glacier. We saw porpoises, a puffin a sea otter, stellar sea lions and a few other things. We did not see any whales, my daughter was saddened by this. She also had terrible sea sickness during the trip. She has no plans on getting on another boat any time in the foreseeable future. I had looked forward to seeing colonies of puffins. I was surprised and disappointed that we caught a glimpse of just one The guide said that they just didn't show up in large numbers this year. The stellar sea lions are endangered and numbers keep dwindling. They aren't sure why, but are thinking that killer whales may be responsible.

While in Kenai National Park we hiked up to the Exit Glacier. On the drive into the park you see signs that mark where the edge of the glacier was in that particular year. It started a mile back from its current position in the early 1900's. The receding of it was gradual for most of the past century. Is is accelerating as it gets closer to current days. It will be gone it just over 20 years if things don't change. I was so sad when I left the park that day. Over the next few days I really noticed and thought about how climate change is impacting the northern regions of our planet even more than the southern regions. Here in Texas we had a very hot summer and we broke a few records. The drought has been the worse I have seen. There has been some impact on migrating birds and wildlife but not as apparent as it was in Alaska. The impact on all of the glaciers has been dramatic. Tidal glaciers that once covered entire inlets are now over a mile back into the bay. The water rushing down the mountainside from others fills the streams and rivers. I feel like it is too late to make the changes to stop this environmental disaster. Can we even slow it down? 

Alaska Part 1

 I'm back from a several week break. I spent ten days in Alaska and it has taken another ten days to recover. I probably picked up a mild case of CoVid, but I was still functioning, albeit a bit slower. 

The trip to Alaska was an eye opener as far as my fitness level stands now. I was discouraged by how difficult the hilly hikes were for me. Distance was never an issue, just the steeper inclines. We often walked 5-8 miles a day and I was fine with that distance. There were two hikes though that left me a bit winded. We attempted Mount Healy just after our arrival in Denali. It probably would have been better to have waited until the next day, but it fit into our schedule better on the first one. The weather was cool and damp, which felt nice, but it hid the mountain views we were hoping to see. we hiked not even halfway up when I decided it was probably best to just turnaround. I knew I wouldn't make the summit, and with the weather progressively getting worse, I just did not want to continue. I was so discouraged at how quickly I tired. The elevation was not an issue as the summit is under 4000 ft. It was just the incline

Alaska was beautiful in many of the areas we travelled (what we could see through the mist and low clouds). We just had some disappointments on the trip and due to timing missed out on seeing the wildlife we had hoped for. The trip to Lake Clark National Park accessed via float plane was cancelled due to low visibility that morning and high winds forecast for the afternoon. This was to be the highlight of our trip as we would've spent the day viewing brown bears feeding off the migrating salmon in Crescent Lake. We instead went and rented a car and spent the next two days exploring Anchorage and the northern part of the Kenai Peninsula including a visit the the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center where we did get to see brown bears close up and a few moose. We also on our final day caught a glimpse of Denali on our drive heading north back to Anchorage. The clouds broke up briefly, just long enough to get a few pics. Considering the mountain was 150 miles away at that point, well you can just imagine the size. It sits at just over 20,000 feet - 9000 less than Mount Everest. 

So the trip had it's up's and downs. I'll share more in the days ahead. It was an emotional roller coaster on several levels.  

                                            Moose at Alaska Wildlife Conservation

                                            Denali in the distance

Brown Bear at Alaska Wildlife Conservation

Me at the entrance to Earthquake Park and the Coastal Trail.