Monday, May 7, 2012
Handling The Details
My first order of business for the trip today (fit in around all my business for, well, my business) was finishing my part of the trip confirmation. ACTIVE is in New Zealand and I confirmed by phone last week. After that, they sent me an email with a reference code to log into their online booking site, where the details are all laid out for me, and where I sign away my life. I’d logged on quickly last week, but the first item was to print, sign, and fax or scan the contract. Since my printer and scanner are BOTH acting funky when accessed from my travel laptop lately, I put it off until I was on the computer in my office. I did, however, download and read the gear list, information about Nepal, and their reminder to “get fit” with some tips on how to not be a slacker and ruin the trip for yourself and everyone else. Tips that I learned, in Peru, will do you absolutely no good with regard to high altitude. Fit or not, you can end up being That Person as soon as you hit 12,000 feet or so. So the goal for me is to make sure that the altitude is the ONLY problem that I will be dealing with in the mountains, should it hit me hard again.
Today, I logged back in to print out the contract and realized that I could just mail it back along with my $750 non-refundable deposit. Gulp. The moment of truth. I just had a very expensive and unexpected car repair, but I’ve budgeted for this trip well in advance. Still, anything non-refundable always causes a moment of pause – that brief moment of fear before you dive in completely – but it was only a moment. As I slid the check into the envelope the fear lifted and was replaced by firm commitment. This is real. Whether my friends (who are still debating the trek portion of the trip) choose to go or not, I’m doing this.
The Training
I was really busy with work all day and didn’t get to the gym. As evening hit I was exhausted – mentally more than physically, but my allergies were also really terrible and I had a sinus headache. I really, really, REALLY didn’t feel like working out. At all. In any way. All I wanted to do was kick back on the couch and watch the two hour finale of The Amazing Race. I indulged my fantasies of a workout-free evening for about an hour before realizing I felt restless and guilty. I mean, this inertia is exactly the kind of scenario I might run into on the trek, especially if I suffer from altitude sickness. I remember that altitude headache – today’s sinus headache’s got nothing on that monster. It’s not even in the same league. If I can’t get in some cardio in my own living room when I feel like I do now, how do I expect to keep putting one foot in front of the other through worse pain and exhaustion in the Himalayas?
So I dragged my spinning bike in front of the television, cued up the TiVo, and spent two hours multi-tasking – some hard spinning AND the Amazing Race finale. I used the legs of their race as a guide – I’d crank up the tension on the spinning bike and tell myself I couldn’t ease off until all of the teams got the next clue. By the time the winners crossed the finish line (for the second time), I was drenched in sweat and feeling really good about my night.
If I can keep this up, I’ll be ready. Mind over matter. Mental as much as physical. No doubt.
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