Training for Kilimanjaro

Back in December, when I lost my mind and abandoned all mental rational, I signed up to climb Mount Kilimanjaro at the end of February. After the initial shock wore off that I was going to be on top of a live volcano that also happens to be the fourth largest peak in the world, I realized that I had to get in shape.  I was going to be in more than five climate zones in less than a week, not to mention walking uphill for almost five days straight.

After reading a lot online about training for this particular climb, but never really finding a regimen or schedule to follow, I decided that a lot of running, climbing stairs, and spin classes would be the best way to prepare for something this grueling. That, and breaking in my hiking boots.

BODY

I don't think I realized how much this mountain was going to demand of my time, my energy, my money, and my thoughts. It has completely taken over. I spend most of my Sundays planning my exercise schedule for the week. I wake up in the morning thinking about my work out (or two) for the day. I get through work thinking about the 2 mile run I'm going to go on when I get off, or still on a high from a run or exercise class. I think about my calf muscles that are sore pretty much 24/7. I think about it all. the. time.  I've walked up and down Steamboat Mountain a few times, one of the only hill-y areas around, just south of Abilene, which has done wonders for breaking in those boots. My goal in all of this was to simply be prepared to climb a mountain, but the residual effects are quite pleasing. I feel better than I have in a long time, my clothes fit better (if not loosely), and I'm starting to see muscles I haven't seen since high school.

Although I was never this happy while working out. How is she even smiling right now? 

From this point on, I need to keep the steady pace of working out every day, cross training between dance and spin classes, running and the stairmaster. My plan is to have my last workout on Monday, February 17th before we leave on Tuesday. That way, I'll have a good five days of rest before the climb!

MIND

The other day, I was at a spin class and contemplated quitting halfway through. I could have done it. No one would have stopped me or made me keep going; I wasn't there to receive points or a grade. It would have been so easy for me to just stop pedaling, swung a leg over and walked out. But then the instructor said something like "this is your mountain, and this is where you get stronger." MY mountain. My choice to push through the pain or to let myself quit.

In addition to that, constantly in the back of my head is the paralyzing fear that I will have terrible altitude sickness once I'm up there. Apparently, it doesn't matter how good of shape a person is in. The fittest person in the world could have horrible altitude sickness and have to go back down the mountain. It cannot be helped or prevented, and each person reacts differently. Luckily, I know that my dad didn't really have it too terribly when he summited, so that gives me hope. The only thing he complained about was an awful headache, which sounds like most of my Saturday mornings...

The better shape you're in, the more enjoyable the climb will be. And mental preparedness is just as important as the physical preparation. I am probably going to want to turn back multiple times during our trek because it will be too hard. But I'm training myself to ban any thoughts of quitting. I've learned that your body is stronger than you think, and as soon as you can exile any thoughts of quitting, to get your mind out of that pool of doubt, you can push yourself to do more than you ever thought possible.

SOUL

Regardless of all of that, I am determined not to let the altitude or mental exhaustion drag me down. As I've said before, this will most likely be the hardest thing I've ever done. But every time I get scared that I won't make it to the top, I grit my teeth and push just a little harder, thinking of that snowy summit, and the relief and joy I'll feel when I get there.