The Conditioning begins…and ends
I realized a couple of weeks ago when Steve and I went for a casual walk through some of the nearby neighborhoods (that took us through the Oakland hills and some walking paths that were basically staircases) that I’m not quite in the physical condition that I would like to be for some of the more exciting plans for our trip (like the 4 day Inca trail to Machu Picchu). So, Steve has devised a little conditioning exercise for us.
The Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve is nearby and there’s a steadily steep .75 mile hiking trail that takes you up onto a ridge with a gorgeous view of the East Bay and San Francisco. The plan is to hike this trail twice a week (on Tuesdays and Thursdays) without packs until it gets a little easier, and then to do it with our full backpacking packs that we’ll be taking on the trip. Up and back takes us about an hour at present (we’ve done it twice so far), so it’s not a big time drain. Although it’ll be difficult to do if it’s rainy since coming down is already a bit scary in sections (for me, at least). But we’ll figure it out.
I’m by no means in bad shape. I’m in the best shape of my life (which isn’t saying much since I don’t exercise and I never hiked until I met Steve). And I could probably do Machu Picchu. But it’d be painful and I might doubt myself into wanting to quit. Which wouldn’t be fun for either of us. So, the training is both for the practical reason of getting in better shape as well as a confidence booster for me. I’m already feeling more confident about that stupid hill. I kick that hill’s ass.
Update: We no longer hike up the Claremont hill. It lasted for maybe a month. But it’s really boring doing the same exact grueling hike twice a week, every week. So I quit. I’m a quitter. It did it’s job, though–it gave me the confidence I needed to know that I can do it if I put my mind to it. So it’s all about keeping a positive attitude. We’ll see how the real deal goes.
Tags: Pre-Trip Planning
montarsig
Gina & Steve, I came across your blog tonight on BootsNAll and it’s been most interesting. Sounds like you’ll have an amazing trip! I’m planning my own rtw beginning at the end of July, but am not nearly as organized in the planning as you are. I’m starting in Costa Rica and spending 2 months in Central and South America (including Peru and the Inca Trail). It’s fuzzy after that – can’t decide where to head after that.
Random question: Have you researched credit cards yet? I’ve been trying to find one that doesn’t charge outrageously for withdrawals and exchange fees.
Thanks for tips on gear and planning books! I look forward to reading your blog in the coming months!
Cheers!
Casey
Hi Casey,
I’m glad the site has been helpful for you. So far, in terms of credit cards for the trip, I haven’t done too much searching. I need to call Capital One and Bank of America to see if I can work something out with either of them in regards to atm fees and the like. Once I figure out what we’re going to do, I’ll make sure to write a post about it, so stay tuned! And let me know if you find something great! I’m not very bank savvy, so it’s a little frustrating for me to try to figure this stuff out. I think I need to go the old fashioned route and start calling people. This might be one area that the internet is lacking.
Gina.