Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Vitality Vs. Vanity, "Advice for the common man."

During the short and cold days of winter, it can be hard to prepare adequately for long journeys to remote and inhospitable locations. All of life’s usual demands are still lining up in the morning for your immediate attention, but you are tasked with putting something extra in the bank. Energy, that you can cash out on your journey when the stresses of travel catch up with you. You have to get in shape, but by shape I don’t mean just physical fitness. In order to thrive well for long periods of time on strange foods, water sources, sleeping situations, and different physical stresses ranging from sitting on an airplane for 24 hours to carrying a backpack in the snow at 21,000’, you need to build up your constitution. So, to the 13 of you that will be traveling to Tibet this April with me (International Mountain Guides), this is the time to do just that.

By now you have all been training at the gym, on the trails, at pilates, etc. You have done your homework and it has paid off. You are in great shape and feeling VERY excited about your impending trip to Tibet and the highest place on earth. Your task now is to change modes in your training. If you hit the gym or the office too hard right now, you risk starting this trip over-trained and over-stressed. Integrative Medicine Guru Dr. Andrew Weil has coined a phrase that has changed the way I see fitness. His philosophy is “Exercise for Vitality, not Vanity.” A month before any long trip, be it physically stressful or not, I take this to heart. When I go on a run, I run with the goal of coming home feeling better than I did before the run. I am not trying to improve my time, or lengthen my run. My goals are to get the blood moving healthily, clear the mind, and to not risk injury. Interestingly, it is often during this time that I end up having some of my most inspiring runs. Even if I have not met my previous training goals, “Exercise for Vitality” trumps all else with trip departure so close. Simply stated, build your constitution, and don’t risk overtaxing and depleting your body while trying to reach a training goal. In addition, I make sure to get as much sleep as my body needs and to eat well. We heal physically, mentally, and emotionally when we get adequate sleep and eat wholesome foods. They are an integral part of building vitality.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

New Website Posted

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new website for Adam Angel Photography at www.AdamAngel.com.

The new website features a dramatically enhanced viewing experience, an easy to use shopping cart, and an up-to-date news blog with current information about photo projects and expeditions. The new "Client Access" area is very straight forward and a pleasure to use.

All old client access areas have been terminated and will only be restored upon request.

Thursday, February 1, 2007

New Web Site On The Way.

The new year is underway, the snow has been flying, and we have been busy here in the Northwest. The huge snowfall and good weather has enabled many good days of skiing and for those of you who know Asia (my 21 month old daughter), a new skier has been born. She is amazing as the youngest kid at White Pass.

Thank you to everyone who worked with the studio this past year. You helped make 2006 our best year yet. It was a pleasure to work with each and every one of you. For those of you that traveled to Tibet and Tanzania with me please stay in touch until we meet again. Those that I met in Savannah and Mendocino, you were a real inspiration. Some more than you know.

We've been working hard this month to get our new web site up. (Thank you Jan for giving me a kick in the pants!) I anticipate that we will go live with it sometime early next week. It will offer easier navigation, enhanced presentation, and a much easier to operate client access area and shopping cart. I have also added many great features to our BLOG. You can find up-to-date information about events at the studio and plans for travel with International Mountain Guides. Feel free to explore.