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Flatlanders' Lament
April 11, 2006The hikers on the cover of "Backpacker" magazine are svelte but muscled, glowing with tans and confidence.
Let's just say, I'm a little different.
The biggest glow I ever got from hiking came from the sweat dripping into my eyes as I squinted into the sky in hopes of spotting a rescue helicopter.
Before I set foot within 50 miles of Mount Whitney -- literally -- I knew I'd have to get in shape. I read up on workouts for backpacking. Many had titles like: "It only takes a month!" or "Get in the best shape of your life in six weeks."
So I thought I was starting ridiculously early when I hit the treadmill about two and a half months before the hike.
I added a weight workout with Jill, the newspaper's librarian/assistant to the editor. Pumping iron at Gold's with her was like having a personal trainer, cheerleader and realist all at once. Second-in-command coach was Julie, one of our managing editors.
Between the two of them, I almost became a regular at the gym.
But the first workout was the hardest.
The next day, I took baby steps all day to spare my aching thighs, never raised my arms from my sides and wept between telephone calls.
But in the end, miles of walking, pounds of pumped iron and the occaisionally ignored cookie paid off.
I lost 20 pounds and found energy I hadn't had since high school.
But it wasn't enough, not near enough.
I found that out the first day in the mountains where up means way up and a fish out of water gets more oxygen.
Before five days of backpacking were over, I'd ask myself again and again, "What were you thinking?"
It became my theme song and my lament. Nobody was around to hear it though.
They were all way ahead of me.
Posted by at 03:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Comments
Trish, give up Gold's Gym and all that hitchhking or whatever you call it and join us athletes who bowl and drink beer on Wednesday night, then go to Wild Wings and drink more beer after we finish bowling.
I feel your pain. Literally. Boot camp is for the birds. I think I'm going back to the pool for water aerobics or to the operating table for knee and ankle replacement surgery!
