My Mt. Whitney hike is one week closer, and I still don’t know what date we will be going. But I do know that it will be in the first week or so of June. So, last night I had the panic moment that I fully expected when I got about 5-6 weeks out from my first big hiking trip. As in, “Oh #?&%, I need to get serious.”
Like in the TLC show I Can Make You Thin, I need to fight my inner eating voice that tells me that it’s okay to cheat today, “you can be better tomorrow.” Well, with the aforementioned “panic moment,” the time to be serious is now. I’ve decided that I will be hardcore with my diet six days of the week, allowing for one cheat day.
I’m also stepping up my actual “on the job training.” This weekend I’m taking a day trip to Sierra Buttes in Tahoe National Forest, California. The hike will be about 6-7 miles and about 8,000 feet above sea level. Not bad preparation but still only half the mileage of Mt. Whitney and 4,500 feet lower. I’ll let you know how sore I am, and even better, publish some photo evidence of my trip next week.
I’ll leave you with a couple of tips that for anyone doing long-term endurance exercise, like day hikes:
– An hour or two before your trip, drink about 20 ounces of water to make sure you’re hydrated.
– Stay hydrated during the exercise with a sports drink, or water with an energy bar.
– And when you’re done, guess what, more hydrating.
See ya next week.
