Year-end Update

 Christmas has come and gone. It was a calm and uneventful few days. The weather was very warm and well above average. It really did not feel like December at all. My two youngest were here. We went for an early morning hike at Mother Neff State Park. We took King and Uisce with us, so it was a fast paced hike. It felt so good to get out. I had been craving a walk in the woods. It was very healing to walk among the trees. When we returned home we had our traditional Christmas brunch of Smoked Salmon Benedict and mimosas. Then we opened our gifts. My daughter shopped my Amazon wish-list and got me most of the things I was needing for my trips next year. We spent the afternoon relaxing before having a nice dinner of baked salmon and butternut squash stuffed with red curry rice. Both of those were new recipes and will probably become our traditional meal. They were both so good!

I have been sticking to my workouts. My energy level had been pretty low after my trip to Guadalupe Mountains. But I am getting back to where I was. Stair-master has been 1250 - 2000 and the treadmill is an hour with 35 minutes at 15% incline. Yesterday I did just do the treadmill and completed an hour at 15% and then 3% to -3% for thirty minutes. 

I looked back to my post from the end of last year. I am still at about the same level I was at this time last year. I am just going to the gym 5 days a week instead of 2 days. I'm not really pushing myself to go any harder as I don't want to wear out this old body. I am thinking of adding a weight training day to my workouts. I need to build up my strength to make it a bit easier to handle the weight of my backpack. 

Flights and hotel are booked for Peru! Flights are very affordable for March/April travel. Not much difference between them and a US domestic flight/hotel. It was in fact cheaper than a flight /hotel package to Alaska for winter travel to see the Aurora Borealis. I have not booked that trip, but I am keeping my eye on the Aurora and weather forecast for a possible last minute trip. 

Five more days until we ring in 2026. I am so excited for what the year will bring. I am most excited about the volunteer opportunities. The treks have me a bit nervous, but determined and excited to take them on. I know that the sights I will see and the experience of hiking in the Andes and Himalayas will be life changing. 

Here's to 2026! May it be a year of safe and incredible adventures.

Christmas Day hike at Mother Neff.

Just an update...

 The holiday season has had me a bit distracted from updating here. There hasn't been much excitement and the days have been passing too quickly, but uneventfully. I did finally get confirmation of my two-day Inca Trail trek yesterday. I am now in the process of trying to find flights and lodging for the last few days of my stay there. I've a few more things to get in place for my volunteer placement. I will do that in January. 

I have spent the last three months keeping an eye on the weather conditions in Nepal. By this time next year I will just be returning home. When I arrive in Kathmandu in September it will be quite warm and rainy. Salleri will be mild, but wet. By the time I start my trek in November winter will be ramping up. It doesn't get too cold in Salleri, but if I trek all the way to Gorak Shep and Everest Base Camp it can be in the single digits there. I had been thinking of a stop-over in Singapore on my way back home. But when I looked at the forecast, I changed my mind. High's are in the  upper 80's to Low 90's with rain every day. I am thinking instead of maybe going to Seoul instead. I might just come straight home. It will really depend on the airfares at the time.

My workouts are going well. I haven't been doing as many steps on the stair-master, but I notice I am much stronger on it. My treadmill workouts are still the same, just have become easier as I get stronger. I have also been going hiking at Mother Neff State Park once a week. I do 3.25- 3.5 miles each visit. I have my son's dog for the month and take him with me. He keeps the pace pretty fast. It has been a good workout. 

I do have my annual birthday hike to Enchanted Rock planned for early next year. My birthday is the end of the month, but in years past the park is so busy then, it has left me thinking that I might just wait until early January. I will keep an eye on the weather and then decide. Big Bend is reserved for 5 days in February and I am really looking forward to returning there. I need to get my confidence back up after the Guadalupe Mountains fiasco. 

Merry Christmas to all.

Butt kicked....

A week ago today I set off on what was planned to be a week-long adventure in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. And as I am sure you can tell by that first sentence it did not go as planned.

The drive was long... just a bit over eight hours. This included gas, bathroom breaks, a stop for lunch. and a stop at Walmart in Carlsbad as I had forgotten to bring my pillow. It was very tiring.Upon arrival at the campsite I discovered it was not what I expected. The sites were a lot closer than what they appeared on the website. The one I booked was very exposed to the elements and the adjoining sites. The trail to the site wasn't in the best of hape but I was just able to pull my (folding) wagon down it from my car to the site. Traffic noise was very annoying and it went on all night. My campstove mal-functioned which led to a cold burn by the propane tank on two of my fingers. Luckily I had on gloves at the time so the burns were minor but still painful. The weather forecast kept changing for the week so I knew f I wanted to complete the hike up to the top of Guadalupe peak I would need to do it on Monday. Not ideal to take on such a big hike the first day, but it had to be done. I knew it would be challenging. It was. The trail wasn't in the best condition. Extremely rocky conditions, high steps that aren't great for old short ladies. I pushed through and made it to the top within my targeted time. I rested and ate a sandwich and a banana at the top. Had a nice conversation with a Park Ranger bfore heading back down. Now I knew that downhill hikes are the most difficult for me. Rocky trails  and lots of steps just add to the misery. I knew the return would be a challenge. Halfway down my head started pounding and my stomach became quesy. I had to keep going. It took me longer to get down than it did going up. I felt wretched by the time I returned to the campground. My headache worsened, I was only able to eat a few bites of soup for dinner. I was asleep by 7 pm. I was awakened at 10 pm by winds pounding my tent. The winds just increased as the night went on. I managed maybe another hour or so of sleep. OTC pain relief did not help the headache. It was a full-blown migraine at this point. I just wanted to go home. 

The weather forecast was not looking good for the remainder of the week. Highs in the 80's! The had been forecast for the upper 60s. The trails for the other hikes I had planned were in worse condition than Guadalupe peak and were very exposed to th sun and wind. I just could not see myself staying another day. So I packed up and drove the long drive home on Tuesday. I still felt like crap. Head pounding. Queasy stomach and sore muscles. My migraine didn't abate until Wednesday morning. 42 hours after it began. The drive home was so hard. But I just didn't want to stop as I wanted my own bed.

Guadalupe National Park kicked my butt!

I had plenty of time to think on the way home about my planned Inca Trail trek. I knew it was more than I could probably achieve. I knew I would need to change it to the two day trek. With just four months left to train, I doubted I could be in the condition I would need to be. The two day trek is right where I successfully hike right now. I just have to maintain this level. I contacted Alpaca Expeditions and made the change on Wednesday. 

My biggest concern with the Inca Trail is it has to be done with a group. You have to be ble to keep up. Most of the trekkers are under the age of 35. I was getting passed all day by young people on Guadalupe Peak trail. While I did see many of them at the peak, I was decades younger than most. The Inca trail is also very rocky. Four days/26 miles of it would kill me. The 2 day is 6 miles. My favorite distance to hike. 

I still plan on the EBC trek. I will be flexible and I will be able to go at my own pace as it will just be me and my guide/porter. My goal is just to see Mount Everest. I probably won't hve to go all the way to Base Camp - it's not even visable from there anyway. Base camp is just the photo op. The best view is from the top of Kala Pathar near Gorak Shep.

So I did learn a bit about myself on this trip. I am human, I am 66 years old and at 5ft 3 in, 114 lbs I am not a super-woman. I am determined but fallible. I have to know my limits and not take risks by pushing myself beyond them. 

But, hey... I did stand on the highest point in Texas.

A New Month

 November has arrived. We are also having a bit of Autumn weather, but it is supposed to warm back into the 80's this week. This time next year I will be wrapping up my teaching assignment in Salleri and will be preparing to set off on my EBC trek. I have been following the weather closely and it has been a wet Autumn with bitter cold and snow at the higher elevations. The trails and passes were shut down for a few days this past week due to the heavy snowfall on most of the mountain treks in the Nepalese Himalayas. The temperatures have not been above freezing for the past 4 weeks in Gorak Shep. Overnight lows are in the single digit Fahrenheit. 

My trip to Guadalupe Mountains National Park is getting closer. A few kinks have come up due to the Government shut-down that has me looking at a few other options. McKittrick Canyon trail is closed and inaccessible and Carlsbad Caverns is completely shut-down. Those were the two places I was going to go to on the windier days when the elevated trails are a bit perilous. I am hopeful that the shut-down will be resolved before I go, but if not then I may head up to New Mexico to one of the State Parks there to camp for a few nights.

No change in my workout schedule. I feel I am at a good place and doing what I need to be to prepare for the Inca Trail. I think once the holidays are over I will start wearing my backpack several days a week when doing the treadmill and stair-master. I have been trying to do so once a week the past two weeks. I am also going to Mother Neff once a week and hiking 3.28 miles. Today is my 1 hour on the stair-master workout (ugh) It is a challenge but I have been completing it the past three Sundays. I have also added a short treadmill workout (30 minutes) afterward.  My Saturday workout is limited to the treadmill but I do 90 minutes on it with 50 - 55 minutes at 15%. I have also set my pace on the treadmill a bit faster. 

Mentally, I am in a very good place. Yoga and meditation are really paying off. I am also re-reading Thich Nhat Hanh's " The Heart of Buddha"s Teaching". Each time I read it, I understand so much more. I am gradually living more in the present. I am creating a more peaceful existence for myself and hopefully others around me.

I am looking forward to the weeks ahead and hope that everyone has a peace filled month.

Kripaya

 Another week is flying by. I had thought the days would pass more slowly once I retired. Instead they are flying by even faster. I do find that I am quite busy and much more physically active now which probably helps. I can now spread out my household chores and yard work across the week instead of trying to get it all done on the weekend. I have tackled over half of the projects I had on my list. I still have a large landscaping project to get to, but I am waiting for cooler weather and a trip to Waco for supplies. 

I am still watching the Aurora Borealis forecasts, hoping to catch a strong showing. Fairbanks or Yellowknife, NWT are my best bets. But weather and aurora forecasts just don't seem to want to align. Flights and hotels are also a detail that has to work out. I keep watching and hoping.

Since returning from Colorado, I have really been doing great with getting to the gym or going hiking. On Sunday I hit a goal that I was aiming to get to in the next month or so. I did a full hour/3177 steps on the stairmaster plus an hour on the treadmill. It felt great. I then went hiking on Monday at Mother Neff State Park and completed a 3.28 mile hike. It was a beautiful morning and I got started early before it warmed up. Tuesday and Wednesday, I was feeling my energy start to drain and I was having a bit of back pain. I still went to the gym both days but cut back on the stairmaster. I think I may take a day off today. 17 days without a break, I think one is due!

I have completed the first two chapters on my TEFL course. It is so easy and at the pace I was going I would complete it in just a few weeks. So I have slowed down and just trying to do a chapter a week instead of one a hour. I am trying to spend more time on my Nepali course instead. I thnk it might be starting to sink in as I was watching show on HBO while working out at the gym yesterday. "The Pitt", set in a Hospital Emergency Room. They had a seriously injured woman come in and they couldn't understand her and could not figure out what language she was speaking. She kept repeating Kripaya, kripaya.... Please, please - in Nepali. I knew!! They did eventually figure it out. 

Please - Kripaya

Thank you very much - Dherai Dhanyvada

Retirement Updates

 I am now in my 4th week of retirement. It still feels a bit surreal. It is still sinking in that I do not have to go back to work. I guess I am still trying to get my daily rhythm. I spent my first week getting ready for my trip to Colorado. The second week I spent in Colorado. Thursday of my third week and I have started my project list. First up was a solar clothes dryer, aka a clothesline in my back garden. I have it completed. 

Colorado was fantastic! The weather was perfect for hiking. Our Air BnB  apartment was really nice and the location right on the main street in Manitou Springs was perfect. The bedrooms were on the back side so they were quiet. 

Our first hike was to Cheyenne Canon Park, where the trail was Daniels Pass to Mount Muscoco - 4 miles, with 1,040 ft. of altitude gain. I really enjoyed the hike and the views were well worth it.  

Wednesday morning I set my alarm for 4 am. I started up the incline by 5 am hoping to be to the top for the sunrise. I made it and did it 45 minutes faster than last year. As I started back down I had to decide if I would go all the way and attempt a second climb or partial climb later in the day or just hop back on the trail at the 1800 step bail out and go back up about 900 steps to the summit and then all the way back down the Barr trail.This is what I did... I was questioning my life choices at one point, but once it was accomplished my confidence to take on the Inca Trail was encouraging. 

Our final hike was our favorite hike from last year - The Crags Trail in Pike National Forest. It is a moderately challenging hike due mostly to the first mile being uphill, followed by a mile of near flat and then a half mile uphill to the summit. Elevations from over 9000 ft to 10,780 ft. Oh, but those views at the top! We got surprised by the cold when we arrived, as it was 29f. It was 48 in Manitou Springs and we were not prepared for it to be as cold as it was. Once we got moving, we warmed up. So it wasn't too bad after the first mile.

We spent our last day driving the scenic route to Denver. We were hoping the aspens would be as pretty as they were last year, but unfortunately, they are changing a bit later this year.  We arrived in Denver earlier in the day than expected so we paid a visit to the Denver Zoo. We really enjoyed it. Afterwards, we went to lunch at a local Ethiopian Restaurant before heading to the airport for our flight home. The flight was delayed a bit so I crashed on Fantu's couch before driving home on Saturday morning.

I spent part of my weekend watching YouTube videos of the Inca Trail. I wavered a bit but when I looked at how much I had improved from last year on these hikes and knowing that I have five months to keep training at a more intensive pace, I decided to go for it and booked the trek for next April.  So Monday morning I paid my deposit, completed my forms and now I sit back and wait until the end of the month to get confirmation once the permits are purchased on the 29th release date. I went with Alpaca Expeditions as they are the highest rated, most trustworthy and are a Peruvian-owned and operated company. Their groups are a little larger than I would have liked and they hike a further distance on day two than some of the others (which will be a challenge for me). But with larger groups, I can hope there will be other people at my skill level so I won't be left behind!

I think I am going to enjoy my retirement. 

Surreal

 It is Thursday. I just checked my watch to confirm. It is wonderful living each day without having to look forward to the weekend. I am settling into a routine, which was something I had thought about and planned before retirement. I watch a few minutes of news when I wake up, just to get the weather forecast. I then do my yoga, make my coffee, and then sit out on the deck to drink it. I then refill the bird feeders, water plants and pick any ripe veggies I have. I tend to have a wonder around the yard, pulling weeds or pruning any plants that need it. On Tuesday, I pruned my front hedge, mowed the yard, and then did the trimming and edging. This took most of the morning and I replaced my afternoon workout with this. I took a nap instead. What a luxury to take a nap! It all still feels a bit surreal though knowing I don't have to ever go back to work. 

I do spend about an hour on the computer at some point during the day. Emails, social media, Nepali language lesson, and then of course this blog. After my upcoming Colorado trip I will start my TEFL certification course (online) and that will add about an additional hour a day online. I will also start some landscaping projects and a whole list of chores I have been putting off. My tent needs cleaning and some repairs. It took a beating from the wind in Big Bend this past February and one of the tie-down fasteners tore loose. I also need to go through my camping gear and get it organized and re-packed before my November trip to Guadalupe Mountain N.P. 

My fitness workouts are going really well. I did an hour on the stairmaster on Sunday. Full workouts Saturday and Monday. Yesterday I concentrated on the treadmill - 4 miles total with nearly 3 miles at 15% incline. Today will be the full workout and I'm planning tomorrow to do an hour on the stairmaster. 

The weather is looking good for Colorado and I am getting mentally prepared to do a double ascent of the Manitou Incline in one day. I'm feeling mostly confident, but I know it will be a challenge. The plan is to start the first hike at 4:30 am and catch the sunrise at the top. Once we descend, we will take a break, get something to eat then go back up starting by 10:00 am. Success will mean I can confidently book my Inca trail trek for next April. 

Wish me luck!

Like a kid waiting for Christmas

 Three days, 4 hours and counting down. I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas morning. I'm spending my work hours just wrapping things up. I'm sending all new requests to other people that will be either temporarily or permanently taking on my duties. It's a bit of a mess as no one knows what is going on and who will be doing what. My position as it is now, is being eliminated. No surprise there as the title and job duty change was made just to push me out of here a bit sooner. My position is being transferred downtown and while it will still do some of my current duties it is going to be the Executive Assistant to the Director of Marketing ( the b***ch that pushed me out). The replacement starts next week. She will get no training from me, and I don't think anyone else here really knows what all I do and how to do it to show her. But you know what? It's not my problem! 

I was chatting online with Alpaca Expeditions earlier. I needed to confirm how they handle solo travelers. They only charge an additional $30 for a single occupancy of the tent. Very doable! I will need to book before the end of the month as the Inca Trail permits are released in October for 2026. April isn't the busiest month but since I might need to be flexible on my dates I wanted to get it in early. Once I have confirmation then I can start looking at flights. I had a glance at them today and the flight plus two nights hotel was right around $1000.00. 

I am wanting to wait until after I return from Colorado to book this just in case my attempts to to a double on the Manitou Incline are a total bust, then I will know I need to look into the Lares trek or just a overnight Inca trail trek. My goal though is of course the 4-day Inca Trail Trek.

I only had a normal 2-day weekend this past one, so I didn't get three workouts in like I had been the previous five weeks. Saturday was my usual Stairmaster, Treadmill, Rower. On Sunday I just did a full hour on the Stairmaster. That was just over 3000 steps.  Starting this weekend and going forward it gets serious. Seven days a week at the gym or on the trails. No excuses. It will be a challenge as I will have to increase my calorie and protein intake. I have been looking at some changes and additions to my diet. Over the past month my weight drops a few pounds on the weekends after my workouts and then increases back up a few pounds during the week. Right now I swing between 115 - 118 lbs. I really need to stay there or even gain a few pounds before I go to Nepal. The EBC trek burns a lot of calories and the altitude can suppress the appetite so most people lose quite a bit of weight. 

So I guess this will be my last pre-retirement post. Woo hoo hoo! 

Time is slowing down...

 One more week. I hope it goes faster than this past week has. I only had a four-day work-week but it feels like I've been here for six. The days are dragging, I just sit and dream about walking out of here and creating a new beginning. Living life on my terms. I am so beyond ready. 

I am ready to take my workouts to the next level. I have hikes planned that will challenge me and are harder and longer than any I have ever done. I am going to travel to places that I want to see and do things I want to do... solo (well my daughter might join me occasionally). 

I am getting excited again about my trips to Peru and Nepal. Confidence is returning and the self-doubt and nerves are abating.  will be stepping well outside my comfort zone for both of those trips, but I am confident that they will be amazing adventures and experiences. I also realized that in exactly one year I will be on my way to Nepal. It has been eleven months since I committed to my volunteer position in Nepal. It has passed by quite quickly. I'm sure the next twelve months will fly by. 

This past weekends workouts were good. I had three days due to the holiday so I really pushed myself. 

Saturday  - 1 hour Stairmaster (3000+ steps) 40 minutes treadmill, 20 minutes rower

Sunday - 1 hour and 30 minutes treadmill ( 1 hour at 15%) 10 minutes rower

Monday - 40 minutes Stairmaster, 1 hour treadmill, 20 minutes rower.

I had wanted to go hiking on Monday, but heavy rains on Sunday meant the trails would be slick and muddy. 

Impatiently waiting... one more week.

Breathe in... Breathe out...

 Two weeks.... two weeks from today and I will work my last day. Two weeks from today I will put this sinking ship, shit-show, dumpster fire of a workplace behind me. I am beyond ready. The stress and drama of this place has worn me out this week. I am sitting in a darkened office today listening to meditation music trying to get this migraine to go away. I am not having much luck. four more hours and then a three day weekend begins. 

Breathe in.... breathe out...

I saw a post on Facebook that the construction project in Big Bend National Park that was scheduled to close down the Chisos Basin section of the park this year has been delayed until next year. I immediately went online and booked five nights at the Chisos Basin campground in February. I had regretted not hiking the 12 mile South Rim trail when I was there this past winter. So I am returning to take it on along with the other trails in the basin plus a few others that I had skipped. I wasn't feeling confident enough to do a 12 mile hike then, but I am now. It has over a 2000 ft altitude gain and is longer in distance than any of the daily hikes on both the Inca trail and EBC. This will give me three challenging hiking trips in the next few months prior to going to Peru. I will of course be doing a lot of local hikes in between these three.  Oh I cannot wait to get on the trails. 

Breathe in... breathe out... 

There is a saying that I'm sure most of you have heard, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade". I can honestly say I'm not sure that has ever really been relatable to my life. Maybe when something major has occurred that forced me to make changes or inspired me to pursue a path that I had dreamed of. But the way things are going lately at work and the decisions I have made, well it seems that it's time has come. I was just cruising through my days counting down to my retirement in January. I knew what to expect each day when I came into work. Then out of the blue our department was reassigned from Parks and Rec to Communications and Marketing. I immediately had a bad feeling that I would be pushed out. When meeting with the new management team I stressed that I only had seven months left until I would retire with the hope that they would leave me alone. I guess that was wishful thinking on my part. They did at first as the Operations Manager position was vacant and they needed me to help run the facility and then help get a new manger up-to-speed once she started. Well it only took a month after she started for the shit to hit the fan. They knew exactly what to do to make me miserable and get me out the door even sooner. I was so lucky that within a week of the start of this crap I received confirmation of my retirement benefits and income. It was more than expected. It made retiring now totally doable. I would have just given a two week notice, but I didn't want to let down my co-workers just as we were entering a really busy period. So I decided to stay through one last huge event. I was going to gain so much by leaving in September instead of January. This gave me the whole of Autumn to go camping, hiking and daily trips to the gym. The daily negative drama that goes on in the office will be a thing of the past. I hope that the migraines (they recently started back up) will cease once I get away from the stress of this hell-hole. I have a list of projects to tackle around my home that I won't get bored any-time soon. My list of planned hikes grows by the day. I have so much more time to get in shape for Peru and Nepal my confidence has soared. 

Breathe in.... Breathe out...

Oh and drink some lemonade!

Looking forward

 Summer is winding down. I am so looking forward to cooler weather and knowing that I will be able to get out and hike without dying of heat stroke. Compared to the past three years this was a mild summer. Just a handful of days did the temperature hit 100f. We have had regular rain so that everything is still green. Usually by August the fields and roadsides are brown, and the soil dry and cracked. The humidity though has been a killer and as pushed the heat indexes up over 100 most days. The first cool fronts are starting to arrive, but they only bring the temperatures down a few degrees. It won't be long though until we start to see some drops that bring the days down to a pleasant "I wanna be outside" kind of day.

I have been looking at hiking trails that are within a easy drive to my house. I few I can make day trips out of, and some I can do an overnight camping trip. I plan on getting out on the trails at least once a week, with an overnight once a month (or more). I still plan on intense gym workouts on all the other days. So, speaking of the gym and workouts - I had a great weekend. Friday I did a full hour on the stair-master, 3010 steps, followed by 2 miles on the treadmill with 1.5 miles of that at 15% incline. I finished up the workout with 15 minutes on the rower. On Saturday I focused on the treadmill. Ninety minutes total with 55 minutes at 15% incline. I then did 30 minutes on the rower. I was feeling great on Sunday so I went for my full workout. 2000 steps on the stair-master, 3 miles on the treadmill with 1.5 miles of that at 15% and then 30 minutes on the rower. Sunday's total workout time was 2 hours and 10 minutes - my longest yet.  I was really tired by bedtime and a little bit sore, but I am fully recovered today. 

Peru is now seven months away and if I'm going to do the Inca trail I will need to get it booked by September 30th. I am also just over a year away from Nepal. I have to say I am getting a bit nervous about both trips. I am quite a bit older now than I was when I traveled to Ethiopia. I also had family with me on that trip That was ten years ago. It has been nine years since I last travelled internationally. I am not looking forward to those long flights. I have been looking into breaking up the flights to and from Nepal with a multi-day layover in Istanbul on the way over and then Singapore on the return flight home. I keep second guessing myself though about doing this, and wonder if it will make the trip even more stressful. I would love to see both of those cities and this would be the perfect opportunity to do so. But I would be adding additional days and expense to the trip. I also worry a bit about safety in both of those cities. I still have plenty of time to research it and decide. 

I've another three day weekend coming up - Labor day. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will be good for at least a hike at Mother Neff one day. Retirement is getting so close.... they are conducting interviews today for my replacement. As soon as they start (if it's before I leave) I plan on stepping aside and just be there to guide them as they learn. It's kind of odd though as quite a bit of what I will have to show them will  be changing in the next three months as new software comes online and then the catering and bars will be taken over by an outside vendor.  But it's best they are here to learn from the start rather than come in during the middle of all the changes. I am so glad I will not be here for it, hopefully I'll just be on a mountain somewhere!

Discouraged but Determined

 I keep getting discouraged. Instead of improving lately on my workouts I seem to be falling back. 

After last weekends disappointing workouts (or lack of)  I had hoped to bounce right back this weekend. My Friday workout while not a total failure it was a struggle. Since it had been a week since I had made it to the gym I decided not to push myself and just use it as a weekend warm-up. I didn't even do 1000 steps on the stair-master. I did do an hour on the treadmill with half of that at 15%. I think I did 15 minutes on the rower.  I was worn out by the end of it. I had not slept well the night before and was just feeling a bit worn out. I did sleep well the next two nights (well for me anyway) and was feeling a bit more optimistic. Saturday, I did make it to 1500 steps on the stair-master, an hour on the treadmill with half at 15% and then 15 minutes on the rower. Sunday I increased to the steps to 1800, but the treadmill kicked my butt and I maybe di 20 minutes at 15%. I did last 20 minutes on the rower though.  

I really feel that I should be easily doing 2000 steps on the stair-master by now. I've done it in the past, so what is wrong now? I looked back at some old posts and when I was regularly doing 2000 plus steps on it I was only on the treadmill for 30 minutes afterwards. I think my total workout time was just over an hour each time. I am now working out an hour-forty five to two hours each time and have added the rower to the workout. I have less than four weeks left to work before retirement so I am looking ahead to what my workout schedule should be. 

Monday - Go hiking, anywhere just get out and go!

Tuesday - Full workout (2000 steps stair-master, 1 hour treadmill, 20 minutes rower)

Wednesday - 1+ hour treadmill, 20 - 30 minutes rower

Thursday - Full workout

Friday  - Stairmaster  1 hour, rower 20 minutes

Saturday and Sunday - Full workout

Any of these are subject to change if I decide to go camping and hiking on a whim or one of my scheduled trips. I think the best judge for if I will be ready for the Inca trail will be how well I can do out on the trails. I will start pushing myself to take on a few 8 - 10 mile hikes with some altitude changes. They can be hard to locate in my part of the state, but I will have the time to get out and travel to them by October. 

My lack of energy has been a bit of a concern too. I am going to take a hard look at my diet and see where I can make improvements. I have added a protein shake, but I'm really not a fan as they seem to depress my appetite. I don't think I can go back to eating a meat based diet, but I am open to adding more fish. I am hoping to that I will sleep better once I have retired as the worry and stress of work should no longer be a concern. I have already seen a bit of an improvement over the past two long weekends I have had. 

Just one last bit of news - my retirement date is now official as I gave my written notice to my boss last Wednesday. She already had it about figured out as someone in HR posted a congratulations on my up-coming retirement on the city web-site. I had been working with HR to get my paperwork in order prior to my written notice but had asked them to keep it under wraps until after the 14th. It was posted on the 13th. Oh well, it sure is nice  though to not be tip-toeing around it and to have it out in the open. 17.5 more days in the office!

Summer Hikes - YIKES!

 

Summer hikes in Texas are best avoided. I let my daughter talk me into going on one this past weekend. We went early, just after 8:00 am.  The temperature was 76f, but it was very humid. We went to Mother Neff State Park and would only hike in the wooded, shady areas. I picked out a route that would give us close to a three-mile hike. There wouldn’t be much altitude changes as there are only a few hills there.

Being the first on the trail presents it’s own set of problems  - no one has come through yet to clear out the spider webs that get spun overnight… we did that for everyone else. I hope that they are thankful for that! But we saw several deer on our hike and heard lots of birds. We only met two other people on the trail so it was very quiet.

Oh but the mugginess of the morning. I was quite damp with sweat early in the hike. As the morning warmed up it just began to drain my energy. By the end of the hike, I was feeling discouraged that I was so exhausted by the end. My seven-mile hike at Big Bend with substantial altitude gains didn’t wear me out like this hike had. I know that it was the weather conditions and not the hike itself that wore me out.  It still made me question my fitness level and if I will be ready for the Inca Trail next Spring (Autumn in Peru).

My daughter and I do have our trip to Colorado in a few months, and I will use that to judge my preparedness for Peru. I know too that since I am retiring in a month (instead of in five months) I will have so much more time to work out and go on some big hikes that I should be ready for it. I will most likely have to book the trek no later than early October to confirm that I can get a spot. I wish I could wait until after my late Autumn trip to Guadalupe Mountains, but I would risk all the available trekking spots being sold out. They only have a very limited number available on any given day.

I did have a three-day weekend this past one. I made it to the gym on Friday and had a really good workout. 2000 steps on the stair-master, 3.2 miles on the treadmill with 35 minutes at 15%, and 20 minutes on the rower. I had planned on going on Saturday, but while working in the yard I got stung by a wasp… not good. I am still swollen on my hand and wrist from the sting four days later. It is starting to improve though. The hike on Sunday morning was my workout for that day. I have the next two Fridays off so I will have two more opportunities for three workouts over the weekends. I will then only have three weeks left until retirement and one of those weeks will be short due to the Labor day holiday.

I am hoping that by then the weather starts to cool and I can safely return to the trails!

Taking it day to day ...

 The countdown is officially on, I have 23 days left to work. 23 early morning. 23 days of driving 45 minutes each way to and from work. 23 days of stress and frustration.. 37 days until I am free to live my life without being tied to the 8-5 daily grind. I have a few Fridays scheduled off as I am over the allotted accrued pay-off on vacation time. The shortened work weeks really help. I am only working three days this week. So far the stress hasn't been as bad as last week. I was in knots last week and battled migraines for most of the week. I could barely bring myself into work the end of last week. My weekend was so nice. I left all thoughts of work behind and just focused on myself and my plans for retirement. Yesterday I was back at work but the boss was out all morning and I had a meeting with the HR rep for the City that will assist with my retirement paperwork. I asked her to keep it confidential for another week or so as I wouldn't be putting in my notice to my management team until the 14th. 

Three days off work meant three afternoons spent at the gym.

                   StairMaster        Treadmill                        Rower

Saturday    1600 steps       3 miles/1.5@ 15%          20 minutes

Sunday       2000 steps       3 miles/1.75@15%        15 minutes

Monday      2000 steps      3.2 miles/1.75@15%       15 minutes    

I've a hike planned this coming weekend with my daughter. She is coming up for the weekend. I should still get at least two gym workouts completed though as I am taking off work on Friday. I just have to get through the rest of today and tomorrow. The weekends are so important now as I am constantly on edge at work. I don't know what to expect once I give my notice. My gut tells me it's going to be a bit ugly. I really don't care any more. I am done with this 8 to 5. I am ready for sunrise to sunset in the mountains.

Life's Challenges...

 My last post I commented about how quickly life can change. Sometimes it can be wonderful (like in my last post) other times it can be heartbreaking. Just after I had written my last post the week became heartbreakingly sad. First a friend and the father of one of my son's best friends passed away. He had been an amazing father to his three boys and was such a really wonderful person. I hated to see the loss that his sons will face in the weeks and months ahead. I then received word that a co-worker that had been diagnosed with a brain tumor just a few months ago had passed away over the weekend. Him and his wife had just re-located to Temple from New York state just a year or so ago for retirement. She is now alone and away from her family with him gone. On Wednesday morning, my dear friend and co-worker received a call that his oldest son had passed away. Most likely cause a brain aneurism. My friend was devastated. It has broken my heart to see him hurt like this and know what he faces in the days, weeks and months ahead as he faces the grief of losing his son. I felt like I lost a member of my own family as him and I have shared so many stories over the years about our kids. You would think three deaths in a week would be enough. But no. On Friday morning I received a call rom my eldest sister. I knew the second I saw the caller ID that the news would not be good. Our nephew died suddenly Thursday night. He was my (middle) sisters youngest and only son. She had been the only one of us four siblings to have not lost a child. My nephew had been a really sweet kid. Red hair and a feisty personality to go with it. He lived large and partied hard. He had just been diagnosed with liver disease a few weeks prior. It was more serious than he had let on. I unfortunately am estranged from his mother, and I am not sure if I would be welcome at his funeral. I am leaving it up to her to let my eldest sister know if I am or not. I do not want to make her uncomfortable during this time.  

The uncertainty of life and death reinforces the importance of  chasing your dreams while you can. I was six months from retirement when things changed for me and made me reassess my priorities. I was holding on to the January retirement date for the extra money it would provide. But what I would receive in September would be enough. I want to start living my dreams now. I don't want to stay in a job where I am being beat down and not built up. If I can't change a stressful situation then I have to step away from it. I just want peace in my life. I want to get out and hike. I want to teach. I want to help those that need assistance. I need to do this now while I can. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Workouts this past week were a bit mixed. I didn't make it to the gym on Wednesday. I was just too drained after the tragic news of the day. On Saturday I went, but I struggled with my workouts. I only did 1500 steps on the stair-master, an hour on the treadmill and 15 minutes on the rower. My head was filled with doubts that I could actually get in shape for the Inca Trail next Spring. Sunday was a new day though and I did 2200 steps on the stair-master, just over an hour on the treadmill and twenty minutes on the rower. My total workout time was 2 hours and 15 minutes. I felt much better. My knees are also getting stronger and I've had very little pain the past two weeks. I also noticed an improvement in my yoga routine. I am more agile and stronger. I can easily transition poses without pause. I know that with the early retirement I will have plenty of time to achieve my fitness goals and successfully complete my hikes. 

Adventures are coming soon

 It is amazing how quickly one's life can change. Last week when I posted I was stressed, angry and questioning my immediate future. The day following that post everything changed. The stars aligned and a long awaited phone call finally came. The news was better than I ever thought it would be and I can go ahead with my dreamed of earlier retirement. I am now looking at mid-September, less than 8 weeks away. I am still just in disbelief that I will walk out of here four months earlier than I had thought. I haven't quit smiling.

I immediately started making plans for camping, hiking and other bucket list trips that I can try to fit in before I head to Peru next Spring. I booked a week at the Pine Springs Campground at Guadalupe Mountains Natl. Park in November. I'm watching weather and Aurora forecasts for Yellowknife, Canada. This has been top of my bucket list for years and we are currently in an active period for Aurora's, so I would like to try to catch it before it is too late. 

Retirement.... time to have great adventures.

I have to get in shape first. As I said last week I was adding a mid-week workout. I did go. I enjoyed it and by going later in the evening the after work crowds have cleared out and I was easily able to get on the stair-master and rower. I am limiting my weeknight workouts to one hour so I am skipping the treadmill. In less than eight weeks though I can go every afternoon and do a two- hour workout! I do plan on taking one day off to get out and go hiking or just get out of town for the day. I hope to go to Austin at least once a month and hike with my daughter. Lots of good trails down there. I might even get down there before I retire as I have to burn up some vacation days that are over the max pay-out. Lot's of 3-day weekends ahead!

Retirement.... life is just getting started.

Exercising Frustrations

 

Last week was a stressful, frustrating, swear-word inducing week. It had nothing to do with training or traveling, it was all work related. It now has me re-evaluating my retirement plans and possibly moving it up by 3-4 months.  The new management/managers just dumped a bunch of new responsibilities on me that are outside the realm of my initial job responsibilities. While it is not anything I cannot do, it is just tasks that I thought I had left behind me over twenty years ago. They have nothing to do with office administration. I voiced my displeasure and then faced disciplinary action. The thing is the write up was for under-performing my job – but everything they wrote up was the new job tasks that I had not even been officially assigned. They explained the new job duties  after that. I was already struggling to stay motivated to come into work each day. I have less than six months to my planned retirement date – one that they are all aware of. It completely feels like I am being pushed out early. The thing is, it was not unexpected as I had mentioned to co-workers when the management change was announced that I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to push me out early. They did the same to a former co-worker four years ago when she was reassigned to that department just shy of her 67^th birthday.

Workouts benefited this past weekend though from my frustrated state. Saturday, I did 2000 steps on the stair-master, an hour on the treadmill with over thirty minutes straight at 15% and then the rowing machine for 25 minutes. Sunday, I skipped the stair-master as they were already in use when I arrived. So I went right onto the treadmill – 5-minute warm-up, 55 minutes at a continuous 15% then 15 minutes at -3% and a short cool-down. I then did close to 30 minutes on the rower.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) I will start my mid-week workouts to get in better shape for the Manitou Incline in September. I plan on concentrating on the stair-master. I plan on doing at least an hour mid-week and then continue with my two-hour workouts on the weekend.

No more excuses.

Drained

 I spent the holiday weekend at the Texas coast with my family (3 of my 4 kids, eldest child's partner and his 2 young boys and my grandson.. oh and 3 dogs). It was a fun weekend but was very tiring, I wasn't really expecting it to drain my energy the way it did. Was it the heat? wind? salty air? sand? or just the wonderful chaos of eight people under one roof? It was an experience trying to coordinate everyone getting together at various places at the same time. We all needed to arrive at the beach together as we had purchased the passes for the State park for both car's passengers together. There was then meeting up for dinner and a baseball game. 

I did get a bit of time to relax Saturday afternoon when just my middle daughter and I stayed at the beach house while the others went off sightseeing. I had an early start home on Sunday as I had to pick up my son (who lives at the coast) and his dog. I dropped my son off at the airport as he had soccer a tournament this week in Denver. I brought his dog home with me for the month as my son has a trip to Spain in a few weeks. 

I took Monday off work to get laundry done and shop for a few groceries. It rained most of the day. We didn't really need more rain as it had rained at my house the entire time I was at the coast... I think we had 10 - 12 inches total. I did make it to the gym Monday afternoon, 1000 steps an the stair-master, an hour on the treadmill (30 at 15%) and 15 minutes on the rower. Not a great workout, but I was still tired from the trip.

This experience left me full of doubts about having the energy and stamina I will need to accomplish my hiking goals next year. Was it just that the seashore drained my energy? I know that when I am hiking in the forests and mountains I draw energy and feel invigorated. Will that be enough to keep me going on those multi-day treks? I have been looking at a few things I can do to improve my iron and protein intake. I am adding a protein shake to my mornings a few days a week and will add a few more iron rich foods to my diet. It takes planning and research to get the right balance of nutrients when eating a vegetarian diet. My weight also dropped a few pounds over the weekend, so I need to get those pounds back. I will also starting next week be adding an additional workout mid-week. It won't be a two hour one, probably 2000 steps on the stair-master and 20 - 30 minutes on the rower. I'm going to need all the motivation I can get to go in the evenings. It seems every time I plan on going something comes up or I find an excuse to not go. I have to go. I have to get stronger if I want to complete a double hike up the Manitou Incline in the Autumn. I need to do a double on it to have the confidence to take on the Inca Trail.

Adventure Awaits

 Retirement is getting closer... 6 months, 2 weeks. The most common question I get asked is " what are your plans after you retire?' I of course reply travel, volunteer and hike. This blog is of course was originally created to document my journey to get fit, and prepare for my trip to Nepal next year. I have since added the hiking trips I have taken while getting in shape and then of course the plans I am making for new adventures. Colorado this autumn, Guadalupe Mountains next winter, Peru in the spring (autumn there) and then the big one to Nepal. 

My plans don't just stop at Nepal though.  I have so many more places I want to go and things I want to do. I am already looking at 2027 and a 6-8 week camping road trip to twelve National Parks in the western and northwestern states. I've looked at camping options in the parks, the hikes I am interested in so I can plan on how many days I would need to stay. I've looked at distances and drive times from park to park so I can see what stops I can add between them. I want to build in some days so I can be flexible, but I will have to also set a schedule to arrive in the parks if I have campsite reservations. The total distance I would be traveling is over six thousand miles, That is a lot of driving. Two of the National Parks I have been to, but did not do any or very little hiking, Grand Teton and Rocky Mountain. I love both parks and would love to explore them a bit more than I was able to on past trips. I also love the Jenny Lake Campground at Grand Tetons. It is my favorite campground of the ones I have stayed. 

Here is my list in the order I plan to visit:

• Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP
• Rocky Mountain NP
• Grand Tetons NP
• Glacier NP
• North Cascades NP
• Olympic NP
• Mount Rainier NP
• Redwood NP
• Yosemite NP
• Sequoia NP
• Zion NP
• Bryce Canyon NP

I plan a a later trip to Arizona to take in some places there that look interesting. I also have several places in New Mexico that I want to visit that I will add to one of these trips. 

I have ideas of places and things I am considering down the road. A volunteer trip to Guatemala to work with a Sea Turtle Conservation program. National Parks staff volunteer or seasonal employee. Summer work in Alaska at a lodge or park. I might even decide to return to Nepal to teach again and maybe trek the Annapurna Circuit. The problem with aging though is you never know what can happen. Illness, injury or death. I've had family members be active up to their 90's. I've had others that were old and feeble in the 60's. I am going to do my best to stay active as long as I can. I would love to still be hiking in the mountains well into my 80's. I just can't let myself slow down. 

Finding Calmness

 

What a week it has been and it is only Thursday. It had been very stressful up to last night. Things were finally resolved on a positive note and I felt as though a weight had been lifted off of me. I just had to quit imagining the worse case scenario and know that things would most likely work out for the best. You know what? It did! One bit of advice I have is DO NOT try to shop for a good used car right now. If you can wait - do so. I also had been worried about the new boss we were getting. The staff here was imagining the worst. She started on Monday and so far everyone seems to really like her. She is struggling a bit and is overwhelmed by the chaos and workload that has landed in her lap. I just tell her to breathe (something I have been telling myself a lot lately) and to let it all just fall into place. 

I had hoped that with the stress having departed and my mood more joyful, I would get a good nights sleep last night. Mother Nature had other plans. Sometime between 2 am - 3 am an insane thunderstorm came through and lasted at least two hours. Thunder, wind and heavy downpours. I went outside as soon as it was light this morning (after the storm had passed) and checked my rain gauge... It had over-flowed. It has markings up to six inches and then another 1.5 inches to the rim. So we had over 7.5 inches of rain in just those few hours. The rivers and creeks around us all flooded over their banks. Luckily the drive to work was not impacted and I easily made it in on time.

Workout updates... I have started watching YouTube videos during my workouts. One on the EBC trek, one on the Inca Trail and a few of other sights to see in and around Cusco Peru. They really help the workouts go by so much quicker than listening to music. On Saturday I did 1500 steps (30 minutes) on the stair master, an hour on the treadmill with 30 minutes at 15%, and then 30 minutes on the rower. I felt great. Sunday was a different story, 800 steps, 50 minutes treadmill and 30 minutes rower. It was all a struggle. This weekend I will try again for the 30-60-30 on Saturday. My daughter will be in town on Sunday so we hope to go hiking. I'm not sure how the trails will be after all the rain, but we will see. 

I do have a ton of yardwork to do so that will be a good workout too. 

Breath in

Breath out

Deep

Calm

Smile

Release

Present moment

Wonderful moment

In... out...

One more summer in the office..

 Summer is now here! This past weekend was the Memorial day holiday which is traditionally the start of Summer (here in Texas at least). I hate summer weather. I usually just dread the arrival of it. The only bright spot in it, is that morning traffic is so much lighter that I don't have to leave as early for work. This year though I am really feeling a bit excited though as it will be my final summer to have to get up and go to work. Next year if I get sick of the heat, I'll just throw my camping gear in my car and head to the mountains for a break. But I still have to get through this one. I am feeling though that the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter. I've just over seven months to go until I will be retired! Once I get through this summer I will be in the home-stretch.

I enjoyed this past holiday weekend. I worked on a few DIY projects around the house. I drove to the big HEB store in Waco to do a good grocery shopping trip. They have a much better variety of vegan options there. The Gym was also open all three days so I got 3 good workouts in. Stairmaster (1200 -1800 steps) treadmill (45- 60 minutes) and rowing machine (15 - 20 minutes) My total workout time on Sunday was 1 hour 55 minutes. I am really enjoying the rower. It is a total body workout. I had initially thought I would just max it at 20 minutes each session, but I feel it is so beneficial that I will take it to 30 minutes. So I think for the summer I will aim to workout Saturday, Sunday & Wednesday evening.

Saturday and Sunday :

• Stairmaster - 1500-1800 steps
• Treadmill - 60 Minutes (3 miles) 5 minute warm-up, 30 minute 15% incline, 20 minute -3% downhill, 5 minute cool down.
• Rowing Machine - 30 minutes

Wednesday evening:

• Stairmaster or Treadmill - 30 minutes
• Rowing Machine - 30 minutes

I've a trip to Corpus Christi in July for a few days. Myself and my kids all renting a house near the beach. This will hopefully break up the summer with a bit of fun and sun... oh and lots of seafood!

Vegetariana/Shahakari/Vegitarian

 With the commitment to volunteer in both Peru and Nepal confirmed I now have to get serious about getting ready both mentally and physically for both of these trips. Yes I have been prepping for the past two years, and I have recently stepped up my workouts to a new level. This past Sunday I did 1300 steps on the stair-master , 3 miles on the treadmill with 2 of those miles at 15% incline. I also did 15 minutes on the rower. My total workout time was one hour and forty minutes. I am also still doing my daily yoga first thing every morning. 

I think though the hardest thing I am doing is trying to learn two languages at once. I don't expect to be conversational in either, but would like to know enough to communicate some basic needs or ideas. The Spanish lessons aren't too bad, but having been in Texas for most of my life I have been exposed to Spanish for most of it. Learning Nepali though is on a whole different level as the sentence structure is different along with the lack of exposure to hearing it spoken makes it quite the challenge. I am focusing on some key phrases right now - Ma angrezi bolchu (I speak English), ma USA bata hun ( I am from the USA). Dhanybhad ( thank-you) Vegetariana (sp) - Shahakari (np) (vegetarian) and learning to recognize numbers so I can read prices on items. It really is harder to learn a new language when older. 

I did have a mild panic attack this past weekend... wondering what the hell am I thinking traveling to Peru all alone. I really should just stay in my nice comfy home all safe, snug and cozy. But then I stop and think about the exhilaration of a new adventure, one where I step out of my comfort zone. I know I will love the volunteer work, I will love the trekking and I will love the culture of both Peru and Nepal. 

It's going to be great - I just have to step out of my box.

 

I guess I'm going to Peru!

 I did it! I committed to a volunteer position in Cusco, Peru in the early Spring ( Autumn there) of 2026. I'll be at one of three animal programs. Most likely it will be a dog/cat rescue center, but it could be at a wildlife rescue/rehab run by the University of Peru or at a Alpaca & Llama sanctuary a short distance from Cusco. 

My stay will run through the Holy Week celebrations before Easter and will be an amazing cultural experience. I'll also be able to plan a trip to Rainbow Mountain and then of course trek the Inca Trail. I will look into booking it in a few more months. It is also too early to book any flights, but that time of year the prices look to be quite affordable. 

Making this commitment really gives me the motivation I need to take my workouts up another notch.   

I am excited and happy to have finally made this commitment to go to Cusco! 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Level Up!

 For the past few weeks it has been a struggle to just do my weekend cardio at the fitness center as I am usually exhausted from all the yard work I have been doing. Well I still had plenty of yard work to do this weekend, but I had made up my mind to step up the workouts. Saturday I started off with 1065 steps on the stair-master (this takes about 20 minutes to do). I then moved on to the treadmill. 5 minute warm-up then 35 minutes (1.5 miles) at 15% incline, then 20 minutes at -3%, then  5 minute cooldown. My final stop was the rowing machine. I did 12 minutes on it. Sunday was pretty much a repeat but with just over 13 minutes on the rower. So I have taken my workouts from 60 minutes to 90 minutes in a very short time.

 I'm feeling really good about it as I had worked for over 2 hours in the garden both Saturday and Sunday mornings plus cleaned house. I even played with my power-pole saw and chainsaw on Sunday and did a major prune job on one of my trees that had limbs hanging over and on my roof. Once I got them all pruned off I had to cut them up into smaller pieces so I can dispose of them. Several of the limbs were over 12 feet with numerous branches. Looking at them all I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the job, but I got stuck in and completed in under two hours. 

Just a few years ago I took on a similar job. I ended up calling in help before I got the limbs cut-up. It feels great to be in so much better shape that I can easily tackle these challenging physical tasks and then still go to the gym. I will admit my shoulders are a bit sore today, but that is to be expected when using a power-pole saw. 

I was chatting with one of the Inca Trail trekking companies about the possibility of joining a 5- day trek next Spring. They said they aren't that popular so it would be hard to book if solo. I would really need to plan on doing the four day. So after a bit more research I feel pretty confident that it is within my ability to complete. I've eleven months to get prepared and with the improvements I am making, I'll be ready!

Second Anniversary - Look at how far I have come!

 Two years ago I started this blog to document my journey to get healthy and fit enough to trek to Everest Base camp in Nepal. I also had the goal of volunteering there for at least a month. I was not in the best of shape and hadn't hiked more than 2 miles on easy trails in years. I wanted to get fit enough to take on an 64.2 mile hike with altitude gains of almost 21000 feet. Oh and I was 64 years old and I would be 67 by the time I travel to Nepal. Totally nuts right?

It has been a journey with physical and mental challenges. Overcoming self-doubt, knee pain, and stamina has been at times harder than I imagined. But I have stuck with it and have never given up. In fact I added the additional challenge of traveling to Peru six months before Nepal to do some volunteer work in Cusco and then hike the Inca trail. It is 26 miles with an altitude gain of 8225 feet. It will be extremely challenging as the altitude gains are much steeper than EBC. I am more nervous about it than I am EBC.

So what was my plan to get fit? I started with Yoga and breathing exercises. I also started meditating and studying Buddhism. Getting mentally fit is as important as physically fit. I then added a mini Stair-stepper to my morning routine. I went hiking once or twice a month. Started with two mile hikes and quickly worked up to four mile hikes the first few months. Late that first Summer my daughter and I traveled to Alaska. I had a hike up Mount Healy at Denali NP planned. I didn't even get halfway up. I knew I had a long way to go in my journey. I kept up with the workouts and eventually got up to 500 steps on the stair-stepper. That felt good as I struggled to do 50 when I bought it. For my 65th birthday I headed to Enchanted Rock and Lost Maples State Parks, I had  two days of some great hikes and they were getting easier and more challenging. A year into this I went to Cloudcroft NM. Hiking at 9000 feet on hills and doing distances of four to five miles. I did well, but I felt like I still had a ways to go. When I returned home I joined the fitness center. I concentrated on the treadmill at inclines of 3% to 15% and the Stairmaster. By Autumn I was up to 2000 steps and was ready to do some harder hikes in Colorado, including the famed Manitou Incline. Success! I was slow, but I did it along with several five to six mile hikes in the mountains. I was beginning to see a big improvement. 

I have continued my workouts at the fitness center. I gradually spent more time on the treadmill at a 15% incline. My birthday hikes to Enchanted Rock and Lost Maples were so much better than the year before. My time improved and I they had become easier. My Spring hiking trip was more of a Winter trip as Big Bend warms up very early in the year. I went solo and hiked 5- 8 miles a day with some challenging elevation gains. I was still slow, but I was successful at completing all my hikes. I was feeling stronger. 

Since returning from Big Bend I have completed full hour workouts on the Stairmaster. Fifty-five minutes on the treadmill at 15% with an additional twenty minutes at 6% to -3% . I have also added some time on the rowing machine and am increasing the time spent on it by 1-2 minutes each time. I haven't had much opportunity to go hiking as the weather has been lousy on the weekends. I also just don't get enough of a challenge on the trails around here so I just spend my time at the gym. 

Changes I have made includes not eating any meat, cutting back on dairy, and I rarely eat any processed foods. I do still eat fish, some eggs and some cheese. Just not as much as I used to. This change in my diet has really helped how I feel. I lost a few more pounds, my digestive system is much healthier and I just feel better. I consciously do my best to live mindfully and in the present. I am so much happier with my life. I still do a daily Yoga routine, meditate and read Buddhist lessons and wisdoms. I am slowly learning the Nepali language, and hope to have enough basics by the time I go to get by. I have already committed to teaching English for 8 weeks at a Buddhist monastery in Salleri, a village in the Everest region of the Himalayas. I will be committing to do Volunteer work in Cusco Peru probably within the next month. I plan on working with one of the Animal rescue centers there for two weeks.

I've just over eight months now until retirement. I will keep on the path I am currently on until then. Once I retire I will have about three months to really prepare for Peru. I will hit the gym daily with some intense workouts. I also plan on some multi-day mountain camping/hiking trips. I am so looking forward to retirement. The weeks are flying and I will need each one of them to be successful in fulfilling my goals.

Pictures from some of my adventures the past two years.

Switchback Trail - Cloudcroft NM

    

Manitou Incline with my daughter

Lost Maples State Park

Colorado Bend State Park

Enchanted Rock

Last Maples State Park

Denali Nat. Park

Big Bend Nat Park

Boquilas Canyon

Big Bend Windows Trail

Big Bend Lost Mines Trail