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.