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.