Finding your balance
As I write this we’re in full-prep for our upcoming expedition. This means getting in as much hours of training as possible, taking meetings with our partners, checking the gearlists, trying to find information on our envisioned routes, keeping our communication in-check and trying to balance it all with our fulltime dayjobs. It’s a hectic period, a labyrinth of responsibilities and quite the balancing act!
Last week our high-altitude tents arrived and we all started our pre-acclimatisation. The last weeks I’ve been amping up my training regime. Taking my base of cardio and max-strength training and commiting to a minimum of 6 to 8 hours of low-intensity cardio a week. Add up an average of -say- 50 work hours a week, and you can imagine it leaves little time to enjoy the ‘simple’ things in life.
Our departure day is getting closer and I feel that I’m mentally and physically growing towards the moment that there’s just us and the mountain. It’s a process in which I start to recognize patterns that seem to reoccur. Like a growing tension in which the days seems to just fly-by. I think we are all looking forward to the moment our expedition starts. The ‘slow-travelling’ through Central-Asia gives you time to process, clear the mind and enjoy. An empty agenda and a clear mind gives focus and that’s what we’ll need this summer!
Colourfull contrasts
I’d be lying if I said that I haven’t been thinking about the ‘why’. I’ve come to realize that the carefree times of simply getting into a car and drive around the Alps for weeks are long gone. We’ve all found jobs that suit us, people around us are having babies and I just got married for Christ sake! But the passion is still the same, as is our goal! So, it’s certainly not all about having fun, you could even say that most of it actually isn’t. However there’s no colour without contrast and for me this project is still about dreaming big and working towards a clear goal in a disciplined and devoted way. As long as I find support in the people surrounding me, that works for me and we’ll get the job done.