You're crazy! #conquerseries

You're crazy! The words that I hear on a regular basis. Nothing has changed really, the same friends hear what exercise I do on a regular basis, they in fact know my whole schedule I'm sure but they still tell me I'm crazy. So how did I get crazy and decide that climbing Everest was number one on my fitness goal list? It's pretty simple really, I like mountains.

Right now some of you are probably laughing and talking at your computer screens, 'yeh right, your still crazy' is the mantra your saying to Mr Toshiba seated in front of you; but seriously that is where it started. As a young child I always enjoyed climbing, dirt mounds, rocks, mountains on family trips- I liked it all. Pretty quickly I learnt that I probably have a closer affinity to mountain lions than some of my peers, whilst not always surrounded by mountains I'll climb one when I see one. Yes, yes I am one of those random people who drives down a highway, looks at a mountain and sees an opportunity- not for the chance of being able to climb it but an opportunity to see the view from the top of it. The curiosity of the view at the top is what motivates me. I guess it's my real life version to the question of 'what animal would you be if you could?' because when I am on top of a mountain I'm like a fly, mosquito or ant completely insignificant and completely in awe of the marvellousness that surrounds me.

 

'Mt Everest though?' you say. Well it is simple, its just another mountain. Yes it is the tallest mountain in the world but if we got caught up on the biggest things in the world there would be plenty of things we wouldn't do- wouldn't travel to countries with the most people, places with the most non-English speakers- all sorts of things we should absolutely experience.

Rock climbing, mountaineering, bouldering, hiking all of it is problem solving. I understand it's not for everyone (I've taken people on hikes and they whinge that they had to think about where their feet were going) but I personally love that it engages my mind and my body. Everest has its own challenges, it always has, currently I am reading a book titled 'Everest, The First Ascent' it talks about Mr Pugh's role in uncovering the science that would make the first ascent successful after almost 3 decades of failed attempts, whereby people didn't understand or weren't prepared to acknowledge the effects of high altitude, acclimatisation and fatigue on individuals. It fascinates me how some individuals were adamant they could attack the mountain with little or no training and no oxygen and others were dedicated to investigating ways to ensure a summit success. Since I began training and I became comfortable enough to tell people it was my goal to reach base camp I have met people who have completed it by simply 'walking 3 times a week for half an hour' or just 'rocked up' to Kathmandu and hit up the base camp and then there's....me. Training 20 hours (minimum) a week plus 5/6 hour hikes regularly on the weekend non-stop and still working a 40 hour week. My logic- I refuse to be conquered. I don't care what mountain it is, I'm going to see that view. In fact, I've dreamt about it, the tears on my face, the smile from ear to ear and my face getting sore, my mass sighs of relief and screaming in excitement that all my hard work has paid off to be sitting on top of the world.

So crazy or not I care not. My dream will come true there is no doubt about it. Every gym session, every hike is not for some fickle obsession to make my body society's ideal, its for an intrinsic love that I have to experience the freedom, majesty and the awe of life when I witness a great view that reminds me of my own insignifance. That is why 5am mornings, 3hour gym sessions, regular bouts of 800 jump squats (for example) and regular 5/6hour hikes can be done.

Over this series you'll notice, even in the picture below that I am ME. My training isn't perfect, I've never not lost motivation, I've eaten cake more than twice a week since I've been training, I look in the mirror and wonder why my stomach won't go away (probably that cake haha), some days I feel super confident other days I want to rip my face off and replace it with another face out of frustration. Yep, I am just a plain jane woman. Whilst people go on at times with crap about me being inspirational I'm not, I'm just a person who chose a goal, has intrinsic motivation for it and decided how I will achieve it. Anyone is capable of achieving what they want. I guess you just have to be crazy enough to think you can.

I hope you liked the first segment of the series.... Any comments/queries are welcomed.

Julia