Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Seven Summits Quest
Upon finishing Beck Weather's book Left for Dead, I have decided to read all I can about the Seven Summits Quest. Off to the library I go!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
dominating thoughts
Over the past 10 days, besides sticking to my new diet and exercise routine, I started the following three things:
1) My husband and I brainstormed how to start making money from home while I raise our three kids. (I am leaning heavily towards painting again and encorporating my father-in-law somehow. Perhaps he will be my future art manager/dealer?)
2) got a physical (have yet to do my labs)
3) ordered two books, which I almost finished:
Sir Edmund Hillary's View from the Summit and Left for Dead, Beck Weathers story of survival off Everest in 1996. Speaking of which, I think you might find the following TED video interesting:
Ken Kamler: Medical miracle on Everest Video on TED.com
1) My husband and I brainstormed how to start making money from home while I raise our three kids. (I am leaning heavily towards painting again and encorporating my father-in-law somehow. Perhaps he will be my future art manager/dealer?)
2) got a physical (have yet to do my labs)
3) ordered two books, which I almost finished:
Sir Edmund Hillary's View from the Summit and Left for Dead, Beck Weathers story of survival off Everest in 1996. Speaking of which, I think you might find the following TED video interesting:
Ken Kamler: Medical miracle on Everest Video on TED.com
Saturday, July 17, 2010
How?
How are we going to make it to Everest?
What are we going to sacrafice to get there?
The small steps:
First, I am going to sacrafice a few of my guilty pleasures. Instead of sitting in front of the computer with my cup of coffee from 6-7AM, I will get my girls ready and take them running. Maybe this means that I go to bed earlier, and rise at 5 instead of 6. Also, I am giving up sugar. Normally, when I am feeling low, I will eat a bowl of ice cream, or bake a plate of apple cake and eat 1/3 of it. If my ultimate goal is to build endurance and climb mountains, then I can't do it feeling sluggish and tired can I?
Second, I will need to budget my time better. Most importantly, I need to focus my energies on learning all I can about our new craft. For instance, 8PM is bedtime for my girls and also my time to catch up on missed TV shows. Although, sitting in front of the TV is mindless and relaxing for me, do I really need to watch it? Instead, I can use those two hours to read historical mountaineer biographies or find a part time job to save for gear and airfare when the time comes!
Last night I researched mountaineering sites and found good advice for conditioning here:
http://www.rmiguides.com/resources/conditioning.php
What are we going to sacrafice to get there?
The small steps:
First, I am going to sacrafice a few of my guilty pleasures. Instead of sitting in front of the computer with my cup of coffee from 6-7AM, I will get my girls ready and take them running. Maybe this means that I go to bed earlier, and rise at 5 instead of 6. Also, I am giving up sugar. Normally, when I am feeling low, I will eat a bowl of ice cream, or bake a plate of apple cake and eat 1/3 of it. If my ultimate goal is to build endurance and climb mountains, then I can't do it feeling sluggish and tired can I?
Second, I will need to budget my time better. Most importantly, I need to focus my energies on learning all I can about our new craft. For instance, 8PM is bedtime for my girls and also my time to catch up on missed TV shows. Although, sitting in front of the TV is mindless and relaxing for me, do I really need to watch it? Instead, I can use those two hours to read historical mountaineer biographies or find a part time job to save for gear and airfare when the time comes!
Last night I researched mountaineering sites and found good advice for conditioning here:
http://www.rmiguides.com/resources/conditioning.php
Friday, July 16, 2010
why?
7/16/2010
"Strong motivation is the most important factor in getting you to the top." ~Sir Edmund Hillary
Why? Why set such a large goal?
Well, Why not?
Currently, I believe that I am emotionally, mentally, and physically strong compared to others who are seriously lacking in those areas. However, I want to be much, MUCH stronger! I want to find Everest with my husband and three daughters. The idea of my family feeling like they can conquer anything in life if they are motivated, determined, and enthusiastic brings a burning in my gut similar to the passion and happiness that I feel when I get to teach art to 26 eager 6 year olds. To feel love and be able to pull strength from nature around them~ I want that for them.
As a child, I experienced a joy like no other backpacking with my family. I remember once we hiked for hours in what seemed like 90 degree heat to reach a crater lake. When we summited, exhausted, the beauty took my breath away. Before dark, we pitched our tents, made dinner, and fell asleep, only to wake 6 hours later to howling winds and a freak snow storm! Frantically, we packed up and because we packed for a summer trip, we put our socks on our hands as gloves, extra shirts wrapped around our heads like beanies, and trekked a fast 8 miles down to the shelter of our car. With that said, over two decades later, I want to go farther, higher, and work harder... pushing my body and mind beyond its current limits.... despite the odds.
"Strong motivation is the most important factor in getting you to the top." ~Sir Edmund Hillary
Why? Why set such a large goal?
Well, Why not?
Currently, I believe that I am emotionally, mentally, and physically strong compared to others who are seriously lacking in those areas. However, I want to be much, MUCH stronger! I want to find Everest with my husband and three daughters. The idea of my family feeling like they can conquer anything in life if they are motivated, determined, and enthusiastic brings a burning in my gut similar to the passion and happiness that I feel when I get to teach art to 26 eager 6 year olds. To feel love and be able to pull strength from nature around them~ I want that for them.
As a child, I experienced a joy like no other backpacking with my family. I remember once we hiked for hours in what seemed like 90 degree heat to reach a crater lake. When we summited, exhausted, the beauty took my breath away. Before dark, we pitched our tents, made dinner, and fell asleep, only to wake 6 hours later to howling winds and a freak snow storm! Frantically, we packed up and because we packed for a summer trip, we put our socks on our hands as gloves, extra shirts wrapped around our heads like beanies, and trekked a fast 8 miles down to the shelter of our car. With that said, over two decades later, I want to go farther, higher, and work harder... pushing my body and mind beyond its current limits.... despite the odds.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
our journey begins
Image via WikipediaGlued to the screen, absolutely fascinated and inspired, I couldn't help but get my husband of 7 years involved in watching Discovery Channel's Everest: Beyond the Limit with me.
"Could you do that?" I asked him. No answer.
Then I paused and asked "....Would you want to do that?"
"Yes!" He replied without hesitation.
"Really?"
"Yes."
WOW, was all I thought.
7/14/2010
11PM, I finished watching the 2006 and 2007 series while my husband was beside me doing other things. Before bed, I found out that he researched how to train for Everest at work that day. He really wants to do this, I thought to myself as I said to him, "Okay! If you think we can start from ground zero (meaning no exercise for him, limited exercise for me) and summit Everest in 5 years from now (probably realistically 10.... which means that I will be 44 and he, 46), then I am with you!! I believe in us! We can make this happen!"
7/15/2010
6AM, I began my day determined to start the first leg of our new exercise routine~ running for 1 hour, 5 days a week. Granted, I have to do it with our three girls who are 6, 3, and 1. I told the girls that if they can work hard and run to the duck pond park (maybe .25 miles) and back without whining, that I would reward them. Baby steps. "Put 2 fingers on your neck (taught them to take their resting pulse) and feel your heart beating. Our goal is to make our heart fast for 1 hour a day. After a year of doing this, we will climb our first mountain." Maybe not as excited as I, our girls are happy... happy to be setting goals as a family. Maybe one day this will be one of them~
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