Stay on Offense Climb Mountains

Attacking Adversity

Go Hiking And Go Faster Than You Think You Can

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Yes, it is always possible to get to the top of a mountain faster than you did before. You don’t need special technology as described in the book, “The Future is Faster Than You Think.” You just need to train harder and smarter?

Training Harder and Smarter

Sure, you can improve your time by incorporating step-ups at the gym, doing HIIT workouts, and pushing yourself beyond your current fitness level.

You can also take supplements that help you adjust to the altitude. You can take magnesium to keep you from cramping after seven or eight hours on a climb. It all helps, however, these things may not be the best way to improve times.

Lose the Fat

Here is the secret. When my time has improved significantly it was because of reduced body weight. Hopefully, that was just reduced body fat.

If you carry a backpack filled with weight to make things harder for you then you understand this. As soon as you lighten your load you speed up significantly.

When trail runners fly by me it is rainy because they are not carrying weight. So if you are 10 pounds overweight or more then dropping the extra pounds will result in much better times for you.

Hike More Often

This is huge! You can cut your time by climbing more often. If you can climb a mountain two or three times a week then you will have a big advantage over anyone climbing less. Volume is important.

The minimum should be once per week. Any less than that and you are just a casual hiker.

Why Should You Care?

Some might ask why it is important or necessary to improve your time to the top of a mountain. It sure isn’t for those on a nature walk, but for those that use hiking for developing their fitness levels, it is critical.

First, it gives you a weekly goal. Something to shoot at. Second, you will feel pride in beating your previous record. Third, it gives you a reason to train hard.

So set some target times on your favorite mountains and get busy. Go hiking!

Go Hiking and Stop Doing That Sh*T

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This one is pretty straight forward. Instead of sitting around on your rear end get outdoors and go hiking. Stop doing that “sitting around sh*t.”

Many of us are sedentary. Unless you work at a physical job you are a sedentary person. I myself sit at a desk all day. Sure I exercise at the gym, but that doesn’t matter much. It is the constant sitting that takes its toll. So what should you do?

Go Hiking

Sure you should go hiking. If I could go hiking every single day I would. That would solve a lot of problems for me personally. I met a woman on the trail last week and she climbs a mountain multiple times a week. She was very fast. However, I can’t and you probably can’t do that. You can go hiking on the weekend so do it.

Hiking on the weekend will improve your cardio and your resting heart rate will drop. I am almost 75 and my resting heart rate is 46.

Stay Active All Day

In the meantime, between hikes when you’re sitting on your butt hour after hour you can do something. Get up every hour and do kettlebell swings. If you don’t have a kettlebell use one of those cloth grocery bags they give you at the store and fill it with five five-pound water bottles (1 liter). Then every hour, get up and do those swings. Do 15 reps at least. Maybe every half hour. That way you are active all day which is best.

Does this mean you can skip the gym? No, the gym is necessary for mental stability. It is your daily Zoloft. Yes, it has been proven that exercise is the same as taking anti-depression medication (without the side-effects). Can you get addicted to exercise? Sure! So what? It is much better than getting addicted to many other things. And you probably won’t.

Don’t do it

Remember, don’t do the sh*t that you know keeps you fat and sick. Don’t eat the cookies and the donuts and the cakes and the ice cream. If you don’t stop doing that sh*t it will set you on a path to Type II Diabetes or even worse. Experts on the Covid-19 pandemic say that people at major risk are those that are obese.

Maybe you are not a sugar eater. Maybe you like salt so you eat chips and frys. Maybe, you eat fast food. Well, stop doing that sh*t. Your body will thank you. Your future self will thank you and you should be looking out for your future self all the time.

And once again go hiking!

Go Hiking And Attack Adversity

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What are you doing when you go hiking, but attacking adversity? Every log, rock, even every step is an adversary. You have to overcome them. Subdue them. Conquer them. Attack them!

Being on offense is key to climbing a mountain. It is faster too!

The Trail

Every trail is different and has its own challenges. Attacking it needs to be nuanced according to its particular obstacles. Any offense needs tactics. If the hardest part of the hike is the last two miles you might want to conserve your strength.

Alpinists say it is one thing to get to the top of a mountain, but you need to remember that you are going to have to have energy left to get back down the mountain. This isn’t such a big problem when you are going on a typical hike, but it is something to keep in mind.

The Weather

When it is cold and the snow is blowing, how do you keep yourself from just turning around and heading for the car? You do it by having that offensive mindset. You beat that cold into submission.

It also helps to have the proper clothing. When it is cold you do not want to overdress. If you do it will cause you to sweat and then you will get even colder. Actually, on shorter hikes, it doesn’t matter as much because you won’t be out in it the long.

As I have said before be sure to have cold-weather gear like Yaktraks or Microspikes. Most mountains do not require regular Crampons.

The Mindset

You need to be ready for anything the mountain can throw at you. Mentally ready! It is a mindset. Get yourself psyched up for the hike. It is just like a motivational rally where people are standing on their seats chanting or singing, but it is all inside your head.

How to do this? Use triggers. Find something simple like preparing for the hike. Looking at your pack, your boots. Getting everything set up. That is what triggers me. Then it is game on.

Go hiking!

Go Hiking And Be A Searcher

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“Searcher,” is a name that James Kavanaugh originated for the groups of people he had in his workshops. Now there are many other names for people like this. Maybe “seekers” or “travelers, or “the enlightened.”

As you have probably guessed by now almost everything in my life revolves around hiking. So why wouldn’t you be a searcher, seeker, traveler or enlightened when you go hiking? It seems natural enough.

Nature

Once again, nature is the answer to many things. When you are hiking you are in touch with your nature and nature itself. You are searching for the top. It is up there somewhere. Just keep looking. Of course, it might help if you pick up your pace a little!

Nature reminds you of how insignificant you are in the big scheme of things. This way your perspective on life is more balanced. After all, you are no big deal and I am no big deal. Yet, we are a part of the cosmos.

Inner Being

Kavanaugh says his “searchers” are people focused on their inner being. Certainly, when you are hiking alone there is much time for inner reflection. So this is another reason hikers are “searchers.”

Once I wrote a song while climbing a mountain. You can get a lot done when you focus inward.

Living In the Present

This is another section in the book which is certainly talked about incessantly these days. When you are hiking you better be present or you find yourself sprawled across the trail.

Present conditions in the mountains dictate how you prepare. Your present physical state dictates how fast you will get to the top.

If you are a hiker, how many times have you enjoyed the breeze blowing against your face or even the cold clinging to your nose? If you haven’t noticed these things start to do so. When you’re dead you won’t be able to feel the breeze anymore. Take advantage of that ability now!

Go Hiking and Be Focused

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Focus is important in life and its no different on the trail. You need to pay attention to where you put your feet unless you want to end up on your face or back.

Once you have reached the top of a mountain you can relax and enjoy the scenery. Still, what if a cougar crept up behind you? Not good.

The Wide View

There are two kinds of vision you can use in the mountains which keep you focused in different ways. The first is the wide view. Don’t just focus on one thing, but take in the entire scene in from to of you and around you. It is a different way of seeing but useful.

With the wide view, you are scanning for danger and enjoying the differences in forest. You are very present in the moment so it is like a meditation.

The Narrow View

With this view, your eyes are focused on one thing. Usually, this is why you are climbing around an obstacle or scrambling up a rock face. You have to focus your vision or you will fall.

The narrow view is also useful in swatting mosquitoes. This reminds me that I have not seen mosquitoes in the mountains these last couple of years. I wonder why? Maybe I have just been fortunate and had a breeze blowing. But no, there are fewer birds too. Maybe it is civilization being too close.

The Inner View

If you are hiking a relatively easy terrain, which does happen during a hike, then take some time to go inside. Focus on your feelings at the moment. Focus on how your body feels. Focus on your breath. Focus on how you are doing mentally. Pray!

If you are someone who rarely takes the time to examine your life, this is an excellent opportunity to do that. You may discover things you didn’t know about yourself.

So go hiking and be focused!

Go Hiking And Be Aware

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How hard could it be to be aware when your hiking? You have to pay attention or you fall. Of course, Anthony De Mello is not talking about that kind of awareness. He says it is the kind where you don’t care whether you live or die. I reviewed his book and you can read more about it there.

So I will take a little license here to just discuss awareness when it comes to hiking.

Nature

When you are in nature you are going back to your roots as a human. It is, after all where we all lived our lives many moons ago. Now we are surrounded by concrete and skyscrapers. It is far from natural.

One could argue that cars and concrete require a lot of awareness. You have to avoid being hit by a car. But it is actually awareness filled with distractions. People looking at their phones. You are really not aware.

Cell Phones

These devices are not just in the city. People take them on hikes. That would be fine if they left them in their pocket for emergencies, but they don’t. I see people talking on their phone while hiking up a trail. Please don’t do that. It insults your surroundings!

How can you be aware of wild things or dangers if you are on your phone? It is a deadly habit in the woods. I remember an instance when I was running down a trail and came upon a young lady with earpieces in place. She couldn’t hear me coming. So I scared her and she screamed. Good thing I was not a bear.

I suppose it will be much better when instead of the cell phone we all have the chip in our head and will be scrolling Instagram in our mind. Just as dangerous I would presume, but what do I know about chips in our heads?

In the meantime, keep the phone in your pocket until you want to take a picture. Listen to the wind in the trees and the silence. Be aware of your surroundings.