I decided to stop being a slug and actually do a work out. Today was an endurance day.....well short endurance since it only lasted 3 1/2 hours.
This reminds me of how far I have come in the past 2 years when I (and everyone else) thought that an endurance workout was about an hour long. Now I think of an hour in the stairwell as barely getting started.
I hit the stairwell at 8am, after coffee with Ted and did 11 laps. During that time I left to feed the meter twice which takes 10 minutes each time, two nature breaks and had a snack with Ted and company which took up 15 minutes, and still managed to do 11 laps with 30# of weight in the backpack.
One interesting note....I have gotten to know all the maintenance men in the building, the construction crew, cleaning staff, staff who take the stairs to the 6th or 12th floor and the administrative staff on the 28th and 33rd floor, and today I realized that some of the couriers know us as well!!! When I think of doing the stairs, I always think of it as solitary training yet I seem to have met many people at the elevators or in the stairwell numerous times....I guess I do spend a lot of time there!
I drove to work instead of taking the bike as I was running out of time....and I plan to do the Emily Murphy hill tomorrow night after work.

Bike to and from work, with a detour to drop off my backpack with Ted so that I could run the stairs, but after coffee (tea) the weather looked terrible, so I just headed home to beat the rain. On the ride home I felt so free to be without the backpack. This is the first time that I am on the bike without the pack.

Bike to and from work.

Bike to and from work. Stopped at the Sugar bowl for celebratory beers on the way home....which was fun, but it was getting dark while I was cycling home, so even though I have lights I rode on the sidewalk.

Today I got up early and moved 5 wheelbarrels of soil from the neighbor's front yard to my garden.

Then I did the 3-6-9 workout x 10 rounds
3 pull-ups
6 push-ups
9 squats

Cycled to work 11.5k in 31 minutes. Worked 10 hours - OK it was a quiet day.
Cycled to the stairs at Glenora and did 5 sets.
The first set I ran singles, and the other 4 sets I ran doubles for the top and bottom, singles for the tough middle section. It was tough because there were so many people on the stairs, some walking side by side taking up the entire step.
After the stairs I cycled home.

Rest Day

Cycled to and from work. I only worked 4 hours today 15-19, but it was really hot outside so the cycling was tough.

Cycled to and from work, 11k in just over 30 minutes each way. Worked 12 hours.

Cycled to and from work.

I am in Peace River, and the combination of a long driving day yesterday, presenting till 1030, then a few drinks at Pete's I was too tired to get up for my run this morning, so I guess it's another rest day!!!!

Today was an endurance day.
Domhnall and I got into the staiwell. We did 7 laps in the tower - 33 floors and I had 30lbs in my pack, plus 2L of water. We pushed hard for a couple of laps, and we finished in just under 2 hours. This is fantastic time, a little faster than I was doing it prior to leaving for Everest.

Today was a rest day. I cycled to and from work - approx 22k.

Ran the stairs at Glenora for about an hour. 8 sets total. It was a warm day, and we were there at noon, which made the workout that much more difficult.

set 1 - ran up singles to warm up
set 2&3 - ran doubles bottom and top, middle singles
set 4 - jumping squats, doubles all the way up
set 5&6 - same as 2&3
set 7 - started doing doubles, turned into singles the rest of the way
set 8 - my legs are done, singles and walked a few

Rested for 15 minutes, drove to Emily Murphy, one lap with 60 lbs, then family showed up so we went for coffee. Legs were shaking from the exercise. Had Domhnall's company.

Cycled to and from work - 22k today.

Today was a bit of a rest day.
Ran 5km this morning to loosen up the legs, and they are feeling good.

I woke up to sore legs again today so was planing a bit of a day off, but when Domhnall called about meeting in the stairwell I decided to go join him. I spent 3 hrs and did 10 laps to the 33rd floor which was 4000 feet.

Laps 1&2 - 20 lbs
Laps 3-5 - 40 lbs
Laps 6&7 - 30 lbs
Laps 8&9 - 20 lbs
Lap 10 - 10 lbs

At the end my legs felt terrific......only because I stopped the pain!

I cycled 8km to the stairwell, then 3km to Hudsons where we had a bit of a gathering. Ted took pitty on me and came to pick me up when the rain and lightning started.....Thanks!!!!

I am still a bit sore from yesterday's workout which I find surprising and distressing at the same time. It has been a long time since I've had any muscle soreness which means that I have not only lost muscle mass while I was gone, but also the ability to exercise the way I did before I left. This is to be expected, I just thought that it wouldn't happen to me.

Today the plan was to get into the stairwell with a pack, but was unable to find afordable parking closeby the tower so instead I put on a back pack, and headed into Millcreek Ravine for a bit of a walk. One hour with 60lbs in the pack, walking up and down and I was done. Domhnall joined me for this workout again, thus ensuring that I would have a longer workout with his company than if I had been alone.

Today was a strength/power day. The weather was great, overcast but no rain.
Domhnall met up with me for the workout.
We started off doing stairs at Glenora. I did 8 sets, and my legs were done at the end.
1. Ran up singles.
2&3. Ran the first set double, then the rest single
4. This was the tough set, jump squats - doubles all the way up, with rest stops as needed.
5&6. Same as 2&3.
7&8. Ran the bottom set singles, the middle set walked up doubles then ran the top doubles.

Domhnall did a few more sets than I did, with more jump squats and running doubles and walking triples. I can't keep up!!!

After our legs were done, we headed off to Emily Murphy and walked up and down 3 times. It takes about 16-17 minutes for each lap. I had a pack weighing 65lbs, while Domhnall had a pack that was considerably heavier.

Another rainy day in Edmonton - perfect for a run. The temp is 6C and the rain is fairly light so I enjoyed a 10K run this morning. The body is feeling great - no hip pain today, and I'm still enjoying the effects of having been at altitude. Usually it's my cardio that dictates my speed, but since my return from Everest my breathing feels good, and although my legs feel strong, some areas are not as happy such as my hip flexors.

I ran the stairs at Glenora in the rain. 5 sets was enough for today.

I got back into the staiwell today. Back to the fun!!???!!

Three sets of 33 floors (1200') with 35lbs in 45 minutes.
1. 15 minutes
2. 10 minutes
3. 16 minutes
The remainder of the 45 minutes was waiting for the elevator. The first two felt OK, but was feeling depleted for the third so I stopped there. I may have to start back more slowly than I want to.

Went for a short run today in Salmon Arm. 45 min with uphills at the middle (turn around point) and at the end.

Went for a great 8K run this morning, feeling good for most of it. Hips are sore, must be the muscles that I haven't used in the past two months. Cardio is super.

I couldn't resist going for one last run, 8k this morning.

For those following this blog, this will be the last post to my training blog until I return from my Everest expedition, and start my recovery and training for the next adventure.

I wonder wonder what that might be. Stay tuned.

My last training day. I really just went out to stretch the legs, and they are feeling great. I headed to the stairwell for one last session. 45min with 40 lb pack and managed to do 1200'. Just a nice relaxing workout.

3 days to go
RHR 58
Fluid intake 1L
Sleep - lots - more than 7 hours

WOD
I decided to take a rest day, and sort out all my gear. Spent 20 minutes walking back and forth on the ladder with the crampons on and a 35lb pack. At first I was falling into the 'crevass', but after a few times across I got the hang of it, and managed to cross safely. The little khumbu is melting away, only a few more days left if the warming trend continues. Good thing that I'm leaving soon.

4 days left
RHR 46
Fluid intake 1L
Sleep 5 hours

WOD
Edmonton woke up today to a winter wonderland, 2 inches of beautiful snow fell overnight.I got up early and went for a 5K run, and I made first tracks for most of it, then headed off to the tower and did 4 laps (1600')with 35lbs before heading out to do some last minute shopping.
The legs are feeling good, but I don't have much energy after yesterday's bug. I lost 3lbs in one day.

5 days left
RHR 52
Fluid intake 1.5L
Sleep 8 hours - interrupted

WOD
This was a complete rest day. I was awakened at 0430 with a stomach bug that stayed with me almost all day.

6 days left
RHR 48
Fluid intake 1L
Sleep - almost 8 hours!!!

WOD
I feel great with all the extra sleep. Got up early and went for an 8k run to relax the legs, and they are feeling great. It was a great morning for a run. Then after breakfast and some shopping, Ted dropped me off at Government house park where I put on my Millet boots to break them in a bit and with a 40lb pack walked up and down the hill for an hour. On the last time down, I was suddenly surrounded by runners who were heading down the hill to an open cooler. I was introduced to a great running club, the Hash House Harriers, and got to share a glass with them. This is a group that I intend to look up and join when I get back. A run mixed with a lot of fun - perfect.

One week to departure
RHR haven't rested yet
Sleep - none yet!
Fluid intake - not enough

WOD
Hit the stairwell right after working a 12hour night shift. Managed to do 1200' in 50 minutes with 40lbs. Not bad, the legs are actually feeling better than I thought. The cycling yesterday must have helped the recovery.

8 days left
RHR 60!!!
Sleep 6 hours

WOD
This is a total rest day. My RHR is up, and I'm not getting enough sleep. I rode home from work this morning (11K) in the sleet, and my hands were cold when I got home. It took me a long time to get off to sleep so I will rest until work tonight.

9 days left
RHR 48
Fluid intake 2L
Sleep 6 hours + 2 hour nap before night shift

WOD
My legs are feeling heavy so at the trainer's we concentrated on the upper body and also did some full body drills. Then I headed out to the river valley and the stairs at Glenora. I ran up and down 7 times. The legs held up OK. Then after the afternoon nap I rode my bike to work 11K. There was a strong head wind and a bit cool, but felt good to get back on the bike.

10 days left
RHR 47
Fluid intake 4L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD
8000' in the stairwell today in 7 hours!!!! The plan was to take it easy, have an endurance/rest day. My legs are sore today from yesterday's workout so this morning (0530) I went for a 5K run to stretch them out. Then I headed to the stairwell. The plan was to go really light, but instead I decided to to start off with 40lbs to see how the legs would react. I did 11 sets of 33 floors before lunch - 4400' then after lunch did another 4 for a total of 6000' then removed 25 lbs and did another 5 sets for a grand total of 8000', a new best for me. After a few hours of rest my legs are feeling good. Total workout time today 7 1/2 hours.

11 days left
RHR 47
Fluid intake 1.5L
Sleep 5 1/2 hours plus a nap in the afternoon

WOD
Worked out with the trainer at 7am for an hour of strength/power. This was a hard workout and I was really feeling it when I was done. Nonetheless I headed off to the stairwell with a 55lb pack. I did one and was feeling really tired, and my legs were done. I dropped the weight by 10 lbs and did two more, but when I was falling asleep in the stairwell while I rested at the top, I decided I should head home and slept for 2 hours. Domhnall and I did some shopping, and gathered up my gear and started packing. Not much time left, but I think that I have everything that I need. Just a few odds and ends left to organize.

12 days left
RHR 50
Fluid intake 1L
Sleep 5 1/2 hours (daylight savings!!)

WOD
Ran 5K before going to work.

13 days left
RHR 48
Fluid intake 1.5L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD
Worked a 12 hour day shift, and after that went to do stairs at Glenora. I managed to do 9 flights because I had some company. We mixed it up, running up singles, then doubles. Went part way up doing jumping squats, jumping up two flights at a time. Then walked up all the way taking two stairs at a time alternating between landing the full foot on the step and landing and pushing off with just the toes.

2 weeks left
RHR 50
Fluid intake 2L
Sleep 7 hours


WOD
Worked out with the trainer for 1 hour power/strength

15 days left
RHR 53
Fluid intake 2L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD
Rest day. Worked a 24 hour shift so I took it easy.

16 days left
RHR 53
Fluid intake 2L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD
I got up early, and cycled to the trainers - 30 minutes, worked out for an hour then cycled to do stairs. I did 6000 feet in the stairwell in 3 1/2 hours with a light pack. I was feeling a bit tired, but not sore. I forgot to bring the music so was lacking a bit in motivation.

17 days left
RHR?
Fluid intake 2L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD
Another rest day. Was in course all day, and left to return to Edmonton right after the course and got home at 2030.

18 days left
RHR?
Fluid intake 2L water, and some beer
Sleep 6 hours

WOD
Rest day. I was in course all day and the weather deteriorated so I went visiting instead.

19 days left
RHR?
Fluid intake 2L
Sleep 7 hours


WOD

We spent the night at Janet's, got up early 6am and headed off into the Ghost area to play. We decided on Beowolf, and it was a great decision. With the new bridge that was being put in the last time we were here, it cut down the hiking time.















We were a bit chilled waiting as we arrived right behind a party of three. Once we were up the first pitch, the sun was warming us up, and we had to strip down a bit.

















A great climbing day.

20 days
RHR ?
Fluid intake 1.5 L
Sleep 5 hours

WOD

We got up early and headed out for some ice climbing. The weather was perfect and we had a great time.

21 days left
RHR 50
Fluid intake 1.5L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD
Stairs in the morning, 2000 feet in 2 hours with 50 lb pack. During that 2 hours I had coffee with Ted, and plugged the meter, so it really only took me 1 1/2 hours. Good pace.
In the afternoon I met up with Jeff for a good hour of training. We started off with running some stairs outside because it was so much better than working out indoors. Feeling good.

22 days left

RHR 48

Fluid intake 1.5L

Sleep 5 hours

WOD

Ran 5 K before going to work. Feeling good.

23 days left
RHR 48
Fluid intake 1L
Sleep 4 hours

WOD
Right after working a night shift I headed to the stairwell and did 3 sets - 1200' with 45 lbs in 43 minutes. I was going to do a bit more, but headed home to get a bit of sleep before meeting up with Jeff in the afternoon for an hour of strength/power training. This was a low energy day, not much sleep, food or fluid intake makes it a bit difficult.

24 days left
RHR 50
Fluid intake 3.5L
Sleep 6 hours after a night shift

WOD
The plan was to do stairs after the night shift, but with so little sleep for the past few days I was too tired. I was falling asleep on the drive home. After 6 hours of sleep I got up and felt great so went out for 5K run before going back to work.

25 days left
RHR 45
Fluid intake 3.5L
Sleep 5 hrs + 1 hr nap before a night shift

WOD
I met up with my trainer for a good hour of power/strength workout. Then I headed to the stairwell. The plan was to do 5 sets of 33 floors as quickly as I could. Total elevation was 2000' with a 45lb pack and I managed to do it in 1hr17min. This is the fastest I have ever done this elevation gain with this weight, and even though I cheated a bit by wearing running shoes instead of my heavy mountaineering boots, it's still pretty fast.

26 days to go
RHR 50
Fluid intake 1L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD
I took it easy today. Walked up and down Emily Murphy hill for 90 min with a 60 lb pack, feeling good but it was a bit slippery in sections. I was careful because I would hate to fall with so much weight on my back. Just a few months ago I would have considered this to be a good workout, and today it almost feels like a rest day!! Did a few pull-ups and push-ups during the day.

Less than four weeks to go!!!!!
RHR 50
Sleep 8 hours....that hasn't happened in a long time!!
Fluid intake 1L

Rest Day

I had a nice easy run this morning as a recovery. It did feel though that I was running against the wind for the entire time - despite doing an out and return.

28 days left
RHR 47
Fluid intake 1.5L
Sleep 5 hours

WOD

This was an active rest day. Ran 5K in the morning before work.

29 days left
RHS 48
Fluid intake 3L
Sleep 6 hours

WOD

Stairs again today. I started off with 50 lbs and only managed 3 1/2 sets of 33 floors. I dropped 10lbs off with Ted and did another 3 1/2 sets for a total of 7 sets (2800') in 3 hours. I'm a bit sore from the one leg dead lifts from yesterday but otherwise I'm feeling good.

One month left!!!!
RHR 50/min
Fluid intake 4L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD - a total of 7 hours today.

I had a full days of workouts planned.
I got up early and went for a 5K run right after getting up.
Went to see Jeff (trainer) at 7am and did a strength/power workout till 8am. He's really pushing me now and isn't letting me get away with doing anything but hard work for the entire hour.
Next I went to do stairs.
I went to the 33rd floor 10 times for a total of 4000 feet with a 45lb pack. I did the first 5 sets (2000') in 1h40min, then walked over to plug the meter and then did the second set of 5 in 1h43min. The last one was tough but certainly manageable. I ran into 5 people in the stairwell that I have either met and chatted with before and another who had heard of me. I think that I'm spending way too much time here.
Then I finished off the day by putting on a 60lb pack and walked up and down Emily Murphy hill for 1 1/2 hours.

31 days left
RHR 50 beats/min
Fluid intake 1.5 L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD

Went for a 5K run before going to work. The run felt great. After work I ran 3 sets of stairs at Glenora. Feeling good.

32 days left

WOD
Spent an hour with Jeff doing strength/power workout right after work. After some sleep I took it easy and didn't do any more of a workout.

33 days left
RHR?
Fluid intake 1L
Sleep 5 hours

WOD
I'm not feeling like doing too much of a workout. I work tonight, which is my 6th 12 hour shift in 7 days.
Had a bit of a nap in the afternoon, then walked on the ladder with my boots and crampons. It would be nice if my feet were big enough that I could have my foot on two rungs at the same time, but it is not so. I have to balance the middle of my foot on one rung. A bit precarious and it requires balance.

Ran stairs at Glenora x2 on the way to work.

34 days left
RHR 48
Fluid intake 1.5L
Sleep 5 1/2 hours

Rest day

35 days remaining
RHR 43
Fluid intake 2L
Sleep 6 hours

WOD
I planned a full day workout today, but I was really tired and needed some sleep, so I had to cut it down.

Ran stairs in the stairwell with a 30lb pack for one hour. I went to the 28th floor 4 times as follows.
1. Steady up
2-3-4. Ran 3 flights, walked 2 flights x 10
This was a tough workout.

I had 30 minutes before meeting up with Jeff so I put on my big Millet boots with crampons and walked up Government hill. The boots feel big, and the gaiter are will above my knee, but I can imagin wearing them to the summit. It's all about visualizing what you want to happen.

Work out with Jeff. Power/strength for one hour.

Went back to the tower with 60lbs and went up twice to the 28th floor, this took about an hour. I had to leave to plug the meter and decided instead to go home where I fell asleep for 3 hours. I really needed some sleep.

36 days left
RHR 48
Fluid intake 1.5L
Sleep 7 hours

Rest day.

37 days left
RHR 50
Fluid intake 3L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD
30 minute run first thing in the morning
Ran stairs at Glenora x 3.

38 days left
RHR 50
Fluid intake 1.5L
Sleep 8 hours

WOD
I decided to take it easy today.
I got up early and did a PP workout.

Cycle 3 minutes hard
5 chin ups
36 abd crunches
15 burpees
15 push-ups
30 squats
Cycle 3 minutes hard
12 squat and dumbell presses with 10 lbs
10 feet elevated push-ups
36 low back extensions
15 bench dips
15 jumping lunges

After work I ran the stairs at Glenora x 5.

39 days left
RHR 43
Fluid intake 3L
Sleep 8 hours

WOD
With just over 5 weeks to go I am now entering the next phase of my training. I need to put in as many long days as I can, while still doing some speed work and power/strength workouts.
I got up early and went for a 45 minute run. Then I headed out to Emily Murphy hill and walked up and down with a 70lb pack for 3 1/2 hours which was 10 laps. I was finding the last 3 getting tough, everything was starting to ache. I took a bit of a lunch break......some fruit and a can of ensure then headed off to the tower to do stairs. I did 7 sets up to the 33rd floor with 45lb pack, which took just over 3 hours. The elevation gain in the stairwell was 2800 feet. Then I ran down the last time.
Total workout time today was 7 1/2 hours, and I'm feeling good. Tired and achy but good.

Happy Valentine's day

40 days left
RHR 45
Fluid intake 1L
Sleep 7 hours

Rest Day.

41 days to go
RHR 50
Sleep 7 hours

WOD
I took it easy today. Ran the stairs at Glenora on my way home from work x 5.

42 days left....6 weeks!
Fluid intake 1.5L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD
Woke up early and my body is feeling good. Met up with Jeff at Body By Bennet for a good workout. I'm sure my upper body will be sore tomorrow with the amount of push-ups that I did today. A relatively light day with just this one workout planned.

43 days left
RHR 43
Fluid intake 3.5L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD
The goal today was to do as many laps in the stairwell as I could during an 8 1/2 hour period. I took the bus with Ted, and started in the stairwell at 8am with a 50lb pack. The pack dropped to 45lbs as I drank water during the day.
Laps 1-5 were to the 28th floor.
Then I met the person doing the construction on the 33rd floor, and he told me that the crossover floor was open for use.
Laps 6-18 were all the way to the 33rd floor.
I walked down after the last flight.
I calculated that it was 7000' of elevation gain during this time. After the 11th lap, I met up with Ted for lunch, and lingered for a whole hour. I wasn't prepared to go back, but Ted suggested that I at least go up to the 10th floor. Once I had started I continued on. I was tired, my legs and back were aching, and my feet hurt but no real pain, and the knees are feeling good.

44 Days left
RHR 48
Fluid intake 2L
Sleep 6.5 hours

WOD
Another rest day.

45 days left
RHR 43
Fluid intake 2L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD
5K run in the morning
Spent one hour with the trainer, running 1 mile as a warm up. Spent the hour doing strength/power workout
Hit the stairwell with 40lb pack. I went fast but steady trying to do 5 sets of 28 floors as quickly as I could. Normally I can only do 3+ sets in an hour, but today I did 5 sets in 64 minutes. This is the fastest I have ever done the stairs. After the sets I walked down the last time instead of taking the elevator.
The legs are feeling great, and I find that I have a lot of energy....probably due to the increase in sleep/rest time.

46 days left
RHR 48
Fluid intake 1L
Sleep lots

Rest Day
I was planning on doing stairs when I got off work, but I was still sore from yesterday's workout so I took the day off and rested.

47 days left
RHR 50
Fluid intake 2L
Sleep 6 hours

WOD
In the early afternoon I went to do hills at Emily Murphy park with a 90lb pack. I managed to go up and down 3 times in 75minutes. The pack is feeling very heavy because I haven't worked out with a heavy pack for about 2 weeks.
Durring the night shift I work I did a full upper body workout with the resistance band.
Jumping squats x 100
Jumping lunges x 100
Box step-ups x 50 per leg
Plank 60 seconds x 3

48 days left
RHR?
Fluid intake 1.5L
Sleep 6.5 hours

WOD
Another climbing day. Janet came to pick us up and drove to the Ghost area where we decided to climb This House of Sky. I just wasn't too sure about this, 12 pitches, 2 creek crossings and 1500' of elevation gain. As it turned out I was up to it and as usual we had a fabulous day.














Sunny skies, with barely a breath of wind and spending the day in the canyon was great. One team ahead of us turned around when one of their team broke through the ice getting on foot wet. Unlucky for him, but he clearly marked for us the area to avoid.















Domhnall and Janet free climbed and they set up a rope to belay me up for most of the pitches. At the end we continued to climb two other pitches. Domhnall free climbed the first, setting up a belay for Janet and I, then Janet climbed the last pitch.

The three of us after a full day of climbing. Grins all around must mean that we all had a great time.

49 days left
RHR?
Fluid intake 2L

Sleep 5 hours

WOD

I got up at 4am to pick up Domhnall, and we headed out to the Kaninaskis area for another day of ice climbing. Our destination was the Evan Thompson Creek area where we would decide on the climb once we arrived. There was one other vehicle in the parking lot. The lead was part ways up Moonbeam, so we set up to climb Snowline. It was thin at the bottom, and it was quite a while before Domhnall could place any protection. The bottom felt a bit uncomfortable with all the ice falling from the other group. The second pitch was very wet at the beginning and at the top we were rewarded with a great view.

We quickly got down and headed to do Chantilly Falls. We were here earlier in the season, but it wasn't quite formed at that time. This time it was nice and fat. Domhnall climbed it in one pitch, only placing one ice screw. The ice was great but we were on a schedule so we got up and down as quickly as we could. Another spectacular day.

50 days left....it's getting closer
RHR 58
Fluid intake 2 L
Sleep 6 hours

WOD
Speedwork in the stairwell. I had a 45lb pack and did 4 sets of 28 floors.
1. Steady - I thought I was slow, but it only took me 13 minutes
2 & 3. Speed - ran for 30 seconds (3 flights) then walked for 30 seconds (2 flights) x 9
4. Steady - took about 14 minutes
Then I ran down. This workout took just over 60 minutes.

51 days left
RHR 58
Fluid intake 3L
Sleep 6 hours

WOD
Did a strength/power workout with Jeff in the morning for 1 hour, then headed off to do stairs. I put on a 55lb pack and did 5 sets of 28 floors in 90 minutes. I had planned on doing a bit more but I'm feeling tired, so I headed home for a short nap before going to work.

52 days left
RHR?
Fluid intake...not much
Sleep 10 hours!!!!

WOD
Climbing the first two pitches of Elliot left hand. I spent the night in the bivy bag outside while Domhnall slept in the truck. I had a great sleep, and was actually too warm which was good because I was unable to zip up the bivy bag. I just felt too enclosed. We slept in, and took our time in the morning.....so arrived at the site a bit late.

We missed the trail by 20 meters, so we bush whacked for 45 minutes to get to the icefall.

The icefall was spectacular and I had a great day here. We only had time to do the first two pitches as I had to be back in Edmonton for 7pm. The third pitch is the crux, but it will have to wait for another day.

On the way out we found a great trail. Someone has spent significant time cutting through the fallen logs to make a great path. I felt really good today, and the climbing is feeling better.

53 days left
RHR?
Fluid intake 1L
Sleep 5 hours

WOD
I picked up Domhnall from work at 0730 and we headed out to the Nordeg area to do some climbing. We got to Two o'clock creek at 1030, and headed in. The approach is only about45 minutes on a good trail.....well it would have been good if we had found it. The climbing was good, but I was feeling a bit uncomfortable.

After we got to the top and rappelled down, Domhnall free climbed it. Pretty good for only having had a few hours of sleep on the drive down. We set up for the night at Preacher's Point, Domhnall in the truck while I tried out his bivy bag.

54 days left
RHR 60
Fluid intake 1.5 L No beer....No wine...what is going on????
Sleep 5 hours

WOD
I got up early to run the stairs at Glenora. I did set in 30 minutes.....and the legs are actually feeling good. I'm feeling a bit tired, but did manage a few hours of sleep on the plane.

58 days left
RHR ?
Fluid intake 1 L plus a huge beer in Germany
Sleep 4 hours

WOD
I got up super early for my last run in Lucern. It is still snowing here, and we are wondering if our flight will be delayed. We had breakfast at 0545, then headed out to the airport at 6am. My last morning to have chocolate spread on my croissant....I will soon be in withdrawl. Everywhere we go there are bowls of chocolate for us. We just have to get to the airport early enough to buy some to take home. We had a 3 hour layover in Frankfurt where we had a working lunch, then headed home. The flights were delayed, but I made it home by 8pm. I'm glad it wasn't any later as I have to work in the morning.....and there won't be any chocolate to spread on my toast....what will I do????

56 days left
RHR?
Fluid intake wine and beer.....and some water!
Sleep 4 hours

WOD
I woke up at 5am for a short 30 minute run before an early breakfast, and a long work day. I started off easy, then did some speed work. 30 seconds hard run followed by 30 seconds of easy running x 10, then finished off with an easy run back to the hotel. We are on the outskirts of Lucern, and although we can't see the mountains because it is snowing so hard, it's nice to see the houses. We worked for 12 hours today then went out for a great supper. After supper we walked around Lucern a bit and walked across the old bridge that I remember Ted and I walking across on our honeymoon 23+ years ago. Nice memories. It would have been nice to do a bit of shopping, but we are here to work. We will have to buy our chocolate at the airport.

57 days left
RHR ?
Fluid intake 1L plus some wine
Sleep 5 hours

Rest day.
I woke up early, but stayed in bed instead of doing a work out. We spent the day working inside, and when we went out for lunch, we noticed that it had been snowing heavily all day. I looked like about 4 inches of wet snow. One of our Swiss guides is a paraglider pilot, and he was hoping to show me the local launch site, but not practical with all the snow, especially since I was wearing heels. I had to settle for the pictures he took last summer.

58 days left
RHR ?
Fluid intake 1.5 L
Rest - a few hours on the plane ride over

WOD
Arrived in Switzerland at 1230 local time and we grabbed a bite to eat while waiting for the last two to show up. We then piled into two vehicles and drove from Zurich to Lucern. On arriving at our hotel on the lake, I was told that we had dinner reservations in 45 min. I quickly threw on my running clothes and headed out the door for a 30 min run around the lake. I took me 10 minutes to shower and change for dinner. We were hoping for a fondue, but instead we were taken to a great Italian restaurant close to the hotel. Very good food, but we are all a bit jet lagged and were looking forward to our beds.

58 days left
RHR 58
Fluid intake 2L plus beer

WOD
I got up early to get a work out in before flying to Switzerland. I did stairs with 50 lb pack, 3 x 28 stories which took just under an hour. I had enough time to get home, pack, shower and change before heading out to the airport.

60 days left
RHR?
Fluid intake 3L
Sleep 6 hours

WOD
Workout with Jeff in the morning power/stregth for 60 min.
Then hit the stairwell with a 50lb pack. Total of 7 sets of 28 floors. Did the first 4 in just over an hour, then after plugging the meter I did another 3 in 55 minutes. Thats a total of 24oo feet in 2 hours with a 50 lb pack. Feeling good, even after a hard workout just before.

61 days to go
RHR?
Fluid intake 2L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD
Got up really early (0430) so that I had enough time to run some stairs before work. Went to Glenora, and ran 5 sets of stairs, most of it 2 at a time. Was tired when I got to work, but drank some Ensure which gave me some energy.

62 days left
RHR?
Fluid intake 2L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD
Did an upper body strength workout at work with the resistance band, then after work did hills at Emily Murphy. Only did two with a relatively light pack (65lbs).

63 days left
RHR?
Fluid intake 1.5L
Sleep 6 hours

WOD
This was our last day in Portland, so I went out for a 5K run before we flew out. Feeling great.

64 days left
RHR?
Fluid intake 3L
Sleep 6 hours

WOD
REST DAY....
This was our second full day here in Portland. I was thinking of having a rest day, but couldn't resist a bit of a run. So only did 30 minutes because I slept in until 0515 so didn't have much time before we met up for breakfast.

65 days left
RHR?
Fluid intake 3L
Sleep 6 hours

WOD
We went to bed a bit late last night, because we only headed for supper after 8pm. Portland seems to be a really nice place, but unfortunately we won't have much time to explore work, work, work!!!! I got up a 5am so that I could have a bit of a workout before breakfast. This place is fabulous, when I asked at the desk if there were any running trails closeby, they handed me a map with trails and distances marked on it. The map was nice and small, perfect to carry with me. The running here at sea level is effortless....and I am feeling fabulous. Just ran 30 minutes and did some jumping squats and walking lunges. Then I just had time for a quick shower and change before breakfast and heading off.

66 days left
RHR 48
Fluid intake 3L (including some beer)
Sleep 6 hours

WOD
I got up early and did an upper body work out at home
Stair training.
I did some interval training in the stairwell that caused me to feel both syncopal and nauseated at the same time. I was cursing the two who suggested this type of workout...you know who you are!
1. moderately fast up (28 floors)
2. ran up 4 floors, slow for 3 floors (4 reps for total 28 floors)
3. ran up 4 floor, slow for 3
4. moderately fast up
ran all the way down.
I got all this done in 55 minutes with a 40lb pack. This is the fastest I have ever gone up the stairs. All the work with Jeff is paying off.

I got all this done early in the day, then I flew to Portland, and will return on Friday afternoon. I am hoping to get some kind of work out done while I am gone, but will wait until I see what kind of facilities are available and how much free time I have.

67 days left
RHR 50
Fluid intake 3L
Sleep 8 hours

WOD
PP work out - see Jan 3
Then right after I headed to do stairs.
The first two sets of 28 were slow and my legs felt tired-pack weight 65lbs
I dropped 15lbs when I went to plug the meter then I did two more much faster. The plan was to do a total of 5, but at the start of the fifth there were workers in the stairwell and there was a loud noise....good enough excuse for me to stop.

68 days left
RHR ?
Fluid intake 3L
Sleep 8 hours

WOD
After working a day shift I put on the pack, dropped a bit of weight and went up and down Emily Murphy. Pack weight 65 lbs and went up and down 3 times for 45min. This usually takes me 1 hour with a lighter pack, but I was really pushing hard so that I could get home.

69 days
RHR 58
Fluid intake 1.5L
Sleep 4 hours

WOD
After working all night I ran stairs at Glenora, most 2 at a time, and I'm feeling stronger and faster.
After a short sleep, I did a workout with Jeff.
We started off by doing a 1 mile time trial on the treadmill - 8:36. Not bad, but I know that I can go faster outside. After this we finished the hour with power/strength.

Finished off the day by sitting on some motorcycles at the show, planning for my next bike.

70 days left.
RHR 50
Fluid intake 4L
Sleep 8 hours + 1 in the afternoon before working a night shift

WOD
Endurance training in the stairwell.
28 floor x 10 with 65 lb pack, 3:45.
This is the first time with this much weight, and it is 15 lbs more than I have been doing lately. The weight is feeling OK, and the extended time is because I had to plug the meter twice, which takes 20min each time. The first 3 - which is about 1000 feet only took 53minutes, but I did slow down a bit for the last 7.

71 days
RHR ?
Fluid intake 3L
Sleep 6 hours interrupted

WOD
I tried to do a one mile timed trial on the treadmill which I found very difficult to do, especially since I don't like using a treadmill. The one mile took 8:50.
Used the rowing machine for 30 minutes, alternating 1 minute as fast as I could, followed by 1 minute of slow.
Upper body strength and core strength

After work I headed out to Emily Murphy hill, and walked up and down for 75 minutes with a 95 lb pack. The pack is certainly heavy, but not impossible. I do hesitate to add any more weight though, because the trail is a bit slippery. Falling is just not an option as I could never pick up the pack!

72 days
RHR 53
Fluid intake 2L
Sleep 7 hours

REST DAY!!!!
Well a rest day for me means working a 24 hour shift, then stay for an all day meeting as soon as I get off. Hopefully I will have a chance for a bit of a workout in the morning before the meeting starts.

RHR 46
Fluid intake 2 L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD
Strength - upper body before work
Ran stairs at Glenora - x 8. The first and last I ran just one stair at a time, but most of the rest were all 2 steps at a time. The weather is +1C outside, so a bit slushy, but fantastic weather for a great outside workout.

RHR 58
Fluid intake 1.5 L (poor)
Sleep 6 hours

WOD
Walked up and down Emily Murphy hill for 75 min with 85lbs in the back pack, which means about 93lbs on my back including the weight of the pack and other contents. Feeling good, and although this is at the upper end of my limit, I think that I could carry a bit more. The only issue is that if I ever fell down, I would never be able to pick up the pack!

75 days
RHR?
Fluid intake 2L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD

Run 8K, hard effort.
Run the stairs at Glenora x 6.
1. Run the stairs 1 at a time
2-5. Run most of the stairs 2 at a time. I wasn't able to do all the middle set 2 at a time.
6. Took it easy, and only ran the bottom and top 2 at a time, but not the middle set.

76 days
RHR?
Fluid intake 1.5L (poor!)
Sleep 8 hours!!!!

Rest Day

WOD
Went to Elk Island Park with Renee and carried a 40 lb pack for 2 hours. It was flat, but the crusty snow increased the difficulty a bit.





Picture from Little Khumbu in the back yard.

77 days
RHR 53
Fluid intake 4L
Sleep 7 hours

WOD
This morning I put on a 50 lb backpack, and climbed 28 floors of stairs x 9 for a total of 3 hours. The first 3 went really well, the next 3 were tough and the last 3 weren't too bad. I was able to push fairly hard for #7 &8 and took it a bit easier for #9.

After this I went to see Jeff and did a strength/power session for 1 hour.

Working a night shift tonight.

78 days
RHR 48
Fluids 2L
Sleep 6 hours last night

Worked a day shift.
WOD
5K run in the morning

After work I did hills at Emily Murphy
1 hour - 3 reps, one walking backwards with 75 lb pack

79 days
Rest Day!!
RHR 48
Fluids 2L
Sleep 4 hours during the day

I was feeling tired this morning after my third night shift in a row, with minimal sleep so I took it easy.

WOD
am - before going home to sleep
Stairs - 28 floors x 2 sets with 50 lbs, nice and easy.

pm - after I got up I did a 3-6-9 workout.
3 pull-ups
6 push-ups
9 squats
I did 10 reps as fast as I could.

80 days
RHR 58
Fluid intake 2L
Sleep 6 hours

I'm starting to feel a bit tired from lack of sleep while working night shifts.
WOD
Stairs - 28 floors with 40 lb pack, 4 reps in 1 hour.
1. Slow and steady.
2. Run 2 flights, walk 2 flights - 10 reps
3. Run 1 flight, walk 2 flights
4. Run 1 flight, walk 3 flights

After I woke up I cycled for 15 min to loosen up.
Then at work at 3am I did an upper, lower and core workout with the resistance band.

81 days
RHR 60
Fluids 2.5 L
Sleep 3.5 + 2 hours

WOD
In am after working a night shift before going to work
Stairs at Glenora
Run up 10 times - 1 hour
The last 5 I took the bottom set of stairs two at a time.
This was a good day, and despite feeling tired, I am feeling strong.

82 days
Resting HR 58
Fluids 3.5L
Sleep 7 hours + 2 in the afternoon

WOD
am
PP workout
Cycle 3 minutes hard
5 chin ups
36 abd crunches
15 burpees
15 push-ups
30 squats
Cycle 3 minutes hard
12 squat and dumbell presses with 10 lbs
10 feet elevated push-ups
36 low back extensions
15 bench dips
15 jumping lunges

pm - on my way to work
Hill climbing at Emily Murphy hill with 75 lb pack for 1.5 hours

Worked a night shift at the hospital. Did an upper body workout with resistance bands along with a core workout at 3am.

83 days

After a leisurely breakfast of french toast with Jessica we started to head home. Domhnall was checking out possible ice climbs when we passed this one. We backtracked, and after a 30 minute access, we were at the base. Once again Domhnall climbed up and placed a top rope, then we had fun climbing up and down for several hours before driving back home.

84 days

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

We got up early, but were unsure of where to go climbing due to the recent snowfall. It was still snowing a bit in the morning, and rather than take any chances, we decided to head out to Johnson's Canyon, stopping for tea and pastries at Lagan's on the way.

We had a great day climbing here. Domhnall went up and set up a top rope so that I could climb up. Shortly after 3 other climbers showed up. Two more top ropes were place, and we all took turns on all the ropes. It was a bit cold in the morning, but warmed up nicely in the afternoon. I hadn't adjusted my crampons very well, and in the photo you can see that the right one was falling off!

On the way out I carried both packs with all the gear so that I could get a bit of a workout, and get some practice walking downhill.