19 Jun GETTING IN SHAPE FOR THE ARCTIC
I’ve been trying to get in shape for my upcoming Arctic expedition since last November. Will all the effort it takes to put together and execute an Arctic expedition, there is just too much on the line not to ensure that I maintain some level of physical fitness. Something as simple as a muscle pull could really ruin a journey. Not that injuries can’t happen, but I like to reduce the odds as much as I can before going out in to the remote wilderness where I need to be self-sufficient for days and even weeks at a time. Besides, exploring and painting out there is more enjoyable when I’m not breathing so hard that I can’t hold my brush steady!
Over this past winter, much of my training has been in the from of early morning visits to our unheated barn with my buddy Ben. At times we were trudging through knee deep snow in -20 degree temps, in the dark, to face to the cold steel of my weight set out there. Tony Horton and his P90x videos would be barking orders trough our old TV set, flickering and straining to produce an image in the sub zero environment.
With spring came nicer weather, and working out has been a little more enjoyable, building up some cardio on my bike along with the weights. Now, with little time left, I’m trying to ramp things up with some real world training.
This morning I broke in my new Asolo S.p.A. Power Matic 200 GV boots for just over an an hour in beautiful Hockley Valley hills.
With an 87.8 lb pack, my boots are now broken in. Me on the other hand, well I felt a little broken afterwards. But after a day or so, I now I’ll be a little more ready for the trip too.
Thanks to Ben, Barb and Janet for getting up at 5:30am with me and cracking the whip!
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