Prepare for the Worst....

My personal life philosopy is, "Prepare for the worst, Expect the best, Accept what you get, Move on". In light of that deep bit of thinking, lets look at what's been going on....

Prepare for the worst:
Night time summit temperatures can be around -30ºC with the windchill. I have been busy acquiring and testing my various layers to ensure I can be reasonably warm without much exertion at this temperature. So far I have reasonably succeeded. I say without much exertion because the climb to the summit is at a very, very slow pace, so slow in fact, you can't count on moving enough to keep you warm.

I plan to use disposable hand warmers to help ensure my water bladder doesn't freeze on the summit climb. I have checked with the University of Google, my 17 year old son (who knows everything) and his chemistry teacher. They have all assured me the hand warmers (which are oxygen activated) will work at the summit. Ms. Wong - if my water freezes, its all your fault!

Altitude sickness is a bitch...to that end I have a prescription for Diamox which I plan to take prophylactically. I will also ensure I am well hydrated at all times.

Nausea, a very common symptom of altitude sickness, is also a bitch...I have a secret plan to ensure I get sufficient calories during the hike no matter how nauseous I am. I am not ready to divulge it right now, but I will let you know on the blogs from the summit whether it works or not.

To get to the top, you have to do a LOT of walking.... I have finally gotten some orthotics for my hiking boots and shoes. I am up to eight hours a day in them and they seem to be working pretty well. I have been on one hour hikes in my boots with them and felt ok. Tomorrow I plan to do 1 1/2 to 2 hours to see how they work out. I am getting worried as my hikes are so short due to foot issues and an ongoing cold that I am losing what little fitness I may have had.

Expect the best:
The actual predicted temperatures for February at the summit are around negative single digits. This is a lot warmer than we have been preparing for. Caveat - they say altitude makes you feel much colder, so -6º at altitude is not the same as -6ºC in my front yard.

I got insulated tubing for my water bladder for Christmas, and combined with blowing back through the tubing and the hand warmer, I do expect to make it to the top with drinkable water.

Altitude sickness.... I expect to manage whatever level of altitude sickness I get with a minimal amount of whining (maybe even none). A friend who summitted 5 years ago (and is doing it again - the only person I know who's going for a second time) wasn't bothered at all by altitude sickness.

Nausea...I pretty much eat whenever I'm stressed, or nauseated, or sick, or depressed or...you get the idea. I imagine I will cope fine with eating while nauseated.

A LOT of walking... when we started training 10 months ago - Joan and Breanne said you don't have to be super fit to summit - you just have to be fitter than you were. I am definately fitter than I was.

Accept what you get.... Well, you'll have to wait until the trip blogs start being posted to decide if I have gracefully accepted whatever I got...

Countdown - I board the plane in 39 sleeps (February 7th)!

An interesting aside: I have been spending a fair amount of time on the internet reading blogs of people who summited and watching their videos as well as reading actual books on the subject. No body ever writes that it was easy and yet some of the authors speak of their companions saying the climb was easy. The question then, is it easy for some people and they don't bother writing about it? Do we publish our struggles for others to share and don't feel its worth it to post our journey if it was easy? Hmmmmm....I'm betting publication bias exists and there are people out there who didn't find the climb that hard or perhaps not even a life changing experience. Something to think about...

Life Goes a Bit Downhill...

Its been a very long time since I posted - mostly because as things have gone downhill, I've felt less like sharing...

I had some minor elective surgery at the end of October which curtailed my workouts for a bit as I wasn't allowed any strenuous exercise for two weeks.

When I got back to hiking with the group it was mid November and it was starting to get cold, which means we got some good opportunities to try out our layering systems. I had a few EPIC FAILS in that area, resulting in my shivering through lunch at a very nice restaurant on one occasion and being unable to feel my jiggly bits on a different day. In fact I was so cold one day my nipples hurt....TMI right?

We are up to three + hours of walking now - what that means is three hours of walking plus whatever time you spend going to the bathroom. I mistakenly accused Joan of being unable to tell time until she explained that if I quit lollygagging around at bathroom stops we could all be done sooner.

I did go out for a three hour hike with my two buddies one Saturday. It was -20ºC when we started. We practiced walking slow to replicate summit day and see how our layering faired. To practice going slow, I walk in front and pretty much walk at my usual pace. Helen did a fantastic job of staying behind me - in fact, basically glued to my shoulder so I could limit her usual breakneck pace. Two of us discovered we only need minor tweaking, one of us discovered she needs way, way, way warmer socks. Thankfully - no toes were lost during this outing! The best part.... warm drinks and homemade eatmore bars at the turn around spot!

I have been fighting ongoing foot pain. Across the top of my foot and up the inner part of my shin. It's worse after long walks and limits me from climbing stairs like an adult as I am forced to lead only with one foot. I tried chiropractic, massage, accupuncture, cupping, yoga, and analgesics without much improvement. Finally I broke down and made a trip to the podiatrist. I have inflammation of the muscle across the top of my foot and the anterior tibialis tendon. Result - orthotics, ice, cross friction massage (insert numerous expletives here) and rest.

Don't you just love doctors? When asked how much I could exercise on the foot he said, "Take it easy". Well, isn't that a helpful comment? Finally I pinned him down to a bit more specifics, which mean two walks less than one hour per week. Biking, rowing, elliptical and swimming are all allowed.

Still sounds like I can do a lot right? Sadly, the pain in my foot is a big limiting factor as, you know, when something hurts you should stop doing that! I am trying but haven't gotten very far. This is weighing heavily on my mind as my colleagues are taking 3+ hour walks and I feel like I can barely make it down the hallway.

My shopping is mostly done for the trip barring what I put on my electronic wish list, which I was very clear to send explicit directions on how to access to my friends. OK - really I only have one friend but it sounds less pathetic if I say friends! I have started collecting what I'm taking with me in one central location so that its all handy when the time comes. I mean, its not like I need to wear my sun hat any time soon in this country!

I tried to stock up on the snacks I'm taking with me, but...I just ended up eating them, so will need to repurchase those closer to leaving date.

Tale of the tape update:
I weigh the most I have since 2000. I am pretty unhappy about this. I am trying to be a bit more strict about what I eat - should be easy peasy since .... its only Christmas, New Year's and one family member's birthday between now and D day! Urgh....
I am one to two sizes smaller in pants.
I bought a medium fleece shirt last week, which is a size I've not purchased since I was 8 years old.
I had to purchase smaller long underwear since the pair I had went up to my bra line and I looked like Steve Urkel on steroids when I wore them.