Getting nervous and excited (all at the same time)...

It seems like not a day goes by that someone doesn't ask me WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? Each time I think about the "why" and find it hard to put my finger on one reason. Perhaps its the tough year I've just been through with losing my best friend, my mom, being in a pretty big car accident, watching my little brother experience a heart attack and all the problems that go with that or hearing of my older brothers cancer scare. Maybe its just that MID LIFE CRISIS I keep hearing about?

Maybe its best summed up by Sir George Leigh Mallory who actually summited Mt. Everest...
"So, if you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won't see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to enjoy life. That is what life means and what life is for".

Yes, its quite the adventure, probably the biggest I've ever taken on! I've built an airplane (and crashed it), experienced the thrill of scuba diving, surfing, hiking the Sierra's, lived through a pretty horrific car crash, but this just may be what Sir George Leigh Mallory stated, its the JOY of doing it!

NOTE: Thought you might be interested in the route I will be on as I head to the Mt. Everest Base Camp, see the picture of the map!

Friday, April 8 - 5 days to go...

You've heard me talk a little about the altitude bed I am using to prep for my trekk to Mt. Everest, well, here is a picture for you. Currently, I set the altitude at 12,500 ft when I go to bed at night. The training concept is called "Live high...train low". When the human body is exposed to hypoxia (oxygen reduced environments), it struggles to produce required amounts of energy with less available oxygen. This struggle triggers the onset of a range of physiological adaptations geared towards enhancing the efficiency of the body's respiratory, cardiovascular and oxygen utilization systems. Sleeping at altitude, currently 12,500 ft., provides me with about 13.1 % oxygen (normal at sea level is approximately 21%) while I sleep and creates that state of hypoxia mentioned above. Five days to go now until I take off. People keep asking me why and the only answer I can come up with is WHY NOT! Flights are set, Sherpa's and Yak's are all arranged, shots are done, equipment ready to go, I'm getting psyched!

12 days to go and counting...

Last night I upped the Hypoxico Altitude bed to 10,120 ft and tonight Im headed up to 12,500 ft simulated altitude. Slept quite well with only 14% oxygen as I train my body to work with less oxygen than here at sea level After getting up and getting that breath of 20% oxygen I headed out to the doctor's office for my immunizations. My shoulders are killing me as my body soaks up the Hepatitus A, Tetanus, and Typhoid immunizations! I didn't cry once! Tonight, its back to the training on the tread mill and stair master! 12 days to go, I cant believe it!

Getting ready to go...

Well,  its March 31 and I leave for the trekk to the Mt. Everest Base Camp on 4/14 at 1:35 a.m.  Every day is focused on getting ready to go.  Last night the altitude bed was set at 9,060 feet that gives me the equivalent of 14.5% oxygen,  we normally breathe about 21% oxygen at sea level.  Tonight I head up to 10,060 ft.  Before that I head to the gym and walk about 3 miles on the StairMaster then another 3 on the tread mill at a 15% grade.  Believe it or not I sleep very well!  Looking forward to my departure.  Last night I heard that I am going with two ladies from Australia who I will meet at the start of the trekk!