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.
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