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!