Climbing Whitney in a Day - Gather your gear (the bare bones)

(small excerpt from upcoming "Climbing Whitney in a Day" book)

Climbing Mt Whitney in one day is a lot to ask of your body.  It is 22 miles long (11 up, 11 down); you summit at an altitude of 14,505 feet, and your vertical climb is over 7000 feet! That morning, you’ll wake up before humanly appropriate (approximately 3am).  You barely consume the calories you are burning.  You may get uncomfortably cold, you may get severe altitude sickness, and several other unfortunate situations may arise.   The goal of your training program is to get your body properly prepared, get your gear lined up, and give you confidence to be successful and safe. 

Your gear includes must haves, should have, and nice to have.  Here is a list of Bare Bones items you must have to be safe and successful.

Bare Bones – Must Have

1. A pack to carry your stuff – 18-22 liters in size is good – that’s about the size of a pillowcase.  If you go bigger than you will be tempted to fill it up.  Your goal is to bring all the stuff you need while being as light as possible. Your pack with water and gear should weigh about 20-22 lbs (25 lbs tops). 

Cost: $75-100 for a day pack. 

2. Bladder for water – have a 3 liter bladder. This is enough water for 6 hour hike or 3 hours.  One liter of water = 32 oz = 2.2 lbs = 4-8 miles or 2-4 hours depending on person’s body size, heat, effort, altitude and pace.  On Whitney, there is water every hour.  Your last water before summiting is at Trail Camp so fill up!!!  All of it.  There is also water around switchback 25 but best to fill up at trail camp.

Cost: Usually the bladder comes with the pack if you are getting a new pack.  Otherwise it will cost $25-40. 

3. Water purifier - I prefer the charcoal pump action model. Some purifiers require batteries, and this scares me a bit because if something goes wrong with the purifier, and you need water, you’re screwed!  MSR is a good trusted brand.  One water purifier works for a group – not everyone in the group needs a purifier.  It takes about 5-10 minutes to purify your water – this includes taking it out, setting up, breaking down, and putting it away.  It is best to sync up purifying in the group.  
Cost: Water purifiers can be pricey: expect to pay $100 or more.  

4. Iodine tablets – to purify water when there is nothing else.  They work by disrupting the chemical balance that bacteria need to survive.  They are the size of a small pill, cheap, light and can save your life.  If your purifier stops working or you lose your group and don’t have a purifier, this is a sure way to purify your water.    Always have a few on hand and follow the instructions. 

5. Food – Your water and food, will take up the bulk of the space and weight in your pack.  Here’s the skinny on food – bring different kinds..different flavors and textures.  Your taste buds change at altitude and your favorite bar tastes like cardboard.  Fresh is always more enjoyable, but also weighs more.  This is personal preference and needs to be considered.  Bring your macro nutrients and don’t skimp on your nutrition.  What you bring will get fine-tuned on training hikes.  This is NOT the time to get on your weight-loss plan while on your hikes.  Eat to perform, or else you will eat your friend’s food and they won’t like it and won’t like you. Word.  
MACRO NUTRIENTS: 
Protein – beef jerky, nuts, salami, tuna pouch
Fats – nuts,  peanut butter, chips, trail mix  
Carbohydrates – fruit cups, dried fruit, okay you can bring your favorite bar, apple sauce
When packing your food, bring a large zip lock bag to keep your food in so it doesn’t get messy in your pack.  Also bring an extra bag to store your trash.

6. Head light – when you climb Mt. Whitney, you start in the dark and you may even end in the dark.  You will want to have a headlight that you can put on your head and have your hands free.  The price on headlights range drastically --  you can get these dirt cheap, or you can go nuts!  I have a spare one in my gear box that I bought for $10 at Sports Authority.  And I also have the coveted one that I purchased for $60 from REI.  What’s the big deal…?  The more expensive one offers more functions - different levels of brightness including the red light.  The red light function is important when you want to be seen but don’t really need to see, such as when you are talking to someone.  The regular light will blind people when you are looking at them.  Sometimes you have to take a pee but don’t need the big bright light and sometimes you are working your water purifier and need to be sure you have it set up correctly.  Be sure to carry spare batteries.   
Cost of a headlight: $10 - $120. 

7.  Water – Bring water and don’t EVER skimp on it!  Not sure if you should bring 1 or 2 liters…bring 2 liters.  Over the course of your training hikes, you will learn how much you drink for a given time period, temperature, pace, and level of intensity.  You also need to consider if there is water on your training hikes.  For Whitney there is plenty of water along the trail. But on your training hikes you may not be so lucky.  You may have to pack your own water for the whole 12 – 15 miles.  Do the math and make sure you carry enough even if it means buying another bladder.  Once you are out of water things get ugly fast. Cost of water – priceless.  

8. First aid kit: You need ibuprofen, duct tape, tums, blister kit (more duct tape), antiseptic wipes, something to close a wound, bug repellent and antihistamines.  If something unfortunate happens, such as your friend tripping on a rock and gauging on his/her knee, you want to be able to keep them comfortable. If something terrible happens, your friend has the symptoms of severe altitude sickness, you need to get the person down and off the mountain.  The national service rangers will not carry you off the mountain.  The only way you are getting down is your own two feet (or if your friends carry you).  They do have a helicopter pad near Trail Camp; I can’t imagine how much that costs…I’m guessing $10,000?   
Cost for first aid kit – approximately $20  
9.    Toilet paper / WAG bag – for when nature calls.   I fold toilet paper into “uses” and I like baby wipes too.  I get the individual “feminine” packets.   I also carry some Aguaphor - healing ointment.   Ladies – if it’s ‘that time of the month’ my apologies in advance.  Not fun at all and quite a logistical nuisance too.  Make sure you are prepared and take time to take care of yourself and your needs.  This may mean making the group stop more often than normal.

10. Pen/paper – Carry this in a zip lock bag in a convenient place on your pack along with your permit. 

11. Map – make sure it’s water proof or put it in a zip lock bag.  You can keep this puppy on the bottom of your pack or in your first aid kit. 99% of the time you will never need it since most of the trails are so well marked.  But when you do need it, you will thank the map gods.

12. Electrolytes – Your body is under a lot of stress with the distance and elevation on this hike.  You should be drinking lots of water to replace the fluids that you are losing.  But that also means you are losing valuable electrolytes such as salt, potassium, and magnesium.   But for now, have either electrolyte pills you swallow, electrolyte that you mix with water, or coconut water.  

Happy Trails!
Chi

Whitney permit - confirmed!!

It's that time again and a Whitney permit has been confirmed.  Wohooo!!!!!

Training will start the beginning of May with summit date of July 31st.  We have 6 spots still remaining.

Here are the details
MT. WHITNEY TRAINING - PERMIT CONFIRMED

Date: July 31st
Number of spots: 10 (6 spots available)
Cost per person: $400
Includes; 3 months of training for the event and guide for the Whitney hike

• Overnight camping at the portal, overnight stay at Dow Villas, and enjoy a warm meal after the summit.
• One day summit permit!
• Lots of good memories, new friends, and a sense of true accomplishment.
• $100 deposit to hold your spot.  The balance is due by May 30th.

If you are interested in training but not wanting to do the Whitney summit, please email at mtnbikechi@gmail.com and you will added to the training hike invite list.

It's going to be a great summer!!!

Chi

Be Nimble, Be Quick - 5 Tips to Improve Your Speed

Taken by Dan McCormick

Race season is around the corner...my nutrition is getting a make over, I am increasing the intensity of longer rides, and watching my sleep hours (need to cut back on my beer intake too).  Plain and simple - I love racing and I love training for my races.   I get excited, nervous, pumped, motivated, and overjoyed!!!  Boooyaaaa!!!  I race because it is fun, pushes my limits, and makes me faster!


Racing is not the only way to get faster.  Many of my clients, runners and bikers, are looking to PR their next race.  They want to push their mental and physical limits and see what boundaries they can break.  Below are some insights into revamping YOUR training to be a better and faster rider or runner.




1. Lose your Muffin Top or Keg Belly
trim down and watch your sugar and alcohol intake.  In a week or two you will start to feel a big difference.  Dropping 5 pounds make you faster and your power is not lost in extra weight.  People spend hundreds of dollars getting their bike lighter when they can lose that weight in their waistline.


2. Strength Train
this is my favorite topic because it is simple and yet so many people think since they use their legs they don't have to train their legs.  That is exactly why you do have to train your legs.  Runners and bikers want to stay light and lean so using your own body weight is perfect.  think simple - pushups, pullups, lunges, squats.  Add core exercises such as plank, twists, and crunches.  Finally, round up your routine by challenging your balance - strengthen your ankles, hips, and shoulders.  If you are starting your race season or that half marathon is around the corner, wait for a break in your training schedule to add these exercises.  


3. Gear up!
Take a look at what you are riding or running in.  If you haven't replaced your running shoes in 6 months or your bike has seen better days, consider investing in new gear.  As an endurance athlete,  you spend hours and hours training and your bike/shoes should be able to handle this wear; keep your gear working at its best so you can keep moving at your best.  Take care of your gear - keep it clean and dry.  New tires can help your turns, better socks can make your feet feel comfy for hours, look into new nifty breaks...don't settle with what you got with your initial purchase.


4. Nutrition is Key

Taken by Dan McCormick

Be ready for your ride/run hours before you need to.  Consider your intensity, duration, and the natural elements (heat, humidity, dry, cold) and adjust your calories and nutrients accordingly. Hydrate not just hours before your race/run/ride, but start days before.  Practice with what you put in your body and see how you feel; maybe you have trouble carrying the bottle or gu.    I learned during my long (4+ hour) rides, that electrolyte pills were more effective than Nuuns, although I love the way Nuuns taste and feel in my body.  It just wasn't cutting it for my needs.

5.  Challenge Yourself
Ride with better riders.  Ride in new places.  Sign up for a race for the fun of it.  Taking mountain bike road trips with friends is one of the funnest ways to get your groove on and test your speed and bike skills.  Riding with faster people makes you pace yourself harder and see how fast your legs can go.  My new challenge is the Strava App that lets me compare segments of my favorite rides with other riders.    It is a simple tool; just hit start and it does the rest.   The addiction factor is high on this tool so be forewarned.


Jack be nimble, jack be quick, jack jumped on his mountain bike.


Train hard, train smart
Chi

Let's get dirty! Simple checklist for cleaning your bike

Though I regard my bike fondly (I nickname it my 'boyfriend'), taking care of my bike is a whole different matter. I used to treat my bike like my yoga mat, use it and then roll it away until the next time. My idea of bike maintenance was lubing the chain and doing a quick tire pressure check before each ride.

When I upgraded my hard tail to my current Epic; and although I had big aspriations of caring for my bike, little changed. It took some rough ridicule by my favorite riding buddies for me to really change my ways. I was stepping up my racing and I needed to get serious about my gear.

Having a clean bike goes deeper than the way it looks - a clean bike functions better and the parts will last longer. Rust and dirt are a drive train's worst enemy. And though I understand this, making it a habit was more difficult than I thought. I asked some more experienced riders how they cleaned their bike. The Goal: to create a simple checklist that I would abide by that would be quick, easy, and thorough. Being a girl, having kids, and having a busy life were no longer acceptable excuses - and if I had a simple list, I knew I was more likely to take care of my bike.

Checklist for a clean bike - to be done immediately upon returning from a ride no matter what time of the day or how I tired I am.

1. PRE-WASH -(especially after a wet, muddy ride)

- squirt down your bike with a hose at high pressure.
- some people swear not to do this and some say it works well. I think it works well especially when it is taken thru mud.

2. WASH, RINSE, DRY - get a bucket with soap/water and brush and scrub your entire bike; even clean the chain and derailleur. Rinse with water & dry off with a rag. Be sure to dry the entire bike including the shocks. I like to use a rag and with my nail, get any gunk from the bottom of the shock. One bike expert, Scott from Santa Cruz bikes, recommended Dawn because that is what they used for the penguins during the oil spill.

** some riders prefer to skip steps 1 & 2 and instead opt to use Simple Green and wipe their bike down. **

3. LUBE - Adventure racer and endurance rider, Paul Romero, uses Prolink for its cleaning and lubing properties. Squirt it slowly over the chain as you roll the pedals until the dirt starts to come away from the chain. Then give a small squirt to all the joints and give them a little movement. Wipe the excess lube.

That's it! Total process takes about 5 minutes and the bike looks & rides smooth.

For those of you who have your own variation of bike cleaning, please share your suggestions/favorite tools.

My yoga mat still gets rolled up in my car ready for my next session and my bike is nice and clean waiting for the next ride.

Train hard, train smart
Chi

A moment to reflect

It has been several weeks since my last post. I have been revisiting and reflecting on the elements that create and attribute to the sweetness of ....well...kicking ass! The sudden reflection came as I completed my first mountain bike race in a higher category and having celebrated a birthday. The race made me analyze my training and my birthday made me look at what's important in life and then the two thoughts played off each other.

It is actually ironic how I published a post on mental strength - each mantra resonating a truth from a recent experience. And yet, the day of the race and for a few days after, I'd stare of into space wondering "what happened?". Many of you may have experienced this feeling when you step into the unknown and then get a taste of life. My good friend Emily says it best "you just had a fat piece of humble pie".

After some solid reflection, I started to rebuild my foundation of training and my life values. not much had change but it was good to take a fresh look. Here are some of the foundations as i move forward in my racing season and in life.

1. eat good food and eat more of it - eat lean meats, lots of fruits/veggies. eat IMMEDIATELY after your workout and drink water and then more water.

2. get rest - a good riding friend reminded me of this recently...more important to get rest than to ride sometimes. in the last few months, i noticed that I averaged one day of rest for every 10 days (not good).

3. just another session (ride, run) - don't over think the race. it's just you and the trail.

4. be present - whether on the yoga mat, in the ocean, climbing a hill. be there and give it your 100%. don't worry about the past or what's to come. Stay focused and relaxed.

5. take care of your gear & body and it will take care of you.

as far as being one year old and wiser...my life is about honesty, love, and strength. i hope to infuse all three in my relationships, my life, and training.

time to move forward...time to train - train hard, train smart.

chi

Your Pack - 5-day Adventure Race

I recently completed a five-day expedition adventure race (AR) in the Mojave Desert. It was the first time I had done an expedition race or anything more than five hours! 3-weeks prior to the AR, I did a Mt. Whitney/Mammoth Extravaganza - one day summit followed by downhilling the following day. All fun stuff in the world of outdoor adventures.

Being a novice to the world of AR, I was schooled in the concepts of nutrition, mental strength, and gear. Oh all the gear that needed to be collected, borrowed, and eventually bought. Paul Romero, a friend and seasoned adventure racer, lent me trusted gear for hiking, paddling, rappeling, and night-time racing. The employees from REI know me from the many trips I took looking for food, packs, and other misc gear. The night before the race, our team ventured out for the remaining items and last minute gear changes.


The items listed were on my body and pack for the entire five-days.

Pack - Osprey Talon 33 lots of good compartments, sturdy & comfortable fit; light-weight.

TOP POUCH - headlight, TP/babywipes, sunscreen, baby butt cream (yep! for the feet and bootie), sunglasses, eye drops

SIDE POCKETS - (left) a water bottle containing either electrolyte or energy powder. (right) camera, lipbalm, and the bar du jour. my flexibility in my shoulders allowed me to poke around in these pouches without taking it off.

FRONT POCKET - spottrackers home, headwrap, chemical lights

WAISTBAND POCKETS - (right) the AR drug store: electrolytes - 20 ct/day, anti-inflammatory 2ct/day, omega-3 4ct/day, multivitamin 4 ct/day, 1 happy pill per day; (left) 3 gu's and 2 bars

LARGE COMPARTMENT - Bivy (think emergency blanket but just slight bigger), water purifier that never seemed to work, simple first aid kit including hydrocodone, chemical warmers, wool sweater, rain gear top and bottom, long sleeve shirt, running tights by Lululemon (can't believe i brought my cherished pants but they came in handy and their compression component was a nice treat). Note: all clothes were rolled into a burrito and placed in a zip-lock bag. MY FOOD!!! daily alloted meal in a gallon size zip-lock bag including a starbucks coffee (yum), bagel and cream cheese (yum), nuts and beef jerky (blah!), tuna and cracker dust, red vines, more bars and gu's.

other misc: toothbrush/paste; waterproof bag with iphone, ipod shuffle/headphones, and $40

ON MY BODY(trek/canoe legs) - bikini top, buff (on head or as a tube-top), lycra shorts, tall compression socks, smart-wool socks, gaiters, running shoes, Polar RS800CX watch, sunscreen, walking sticks, hat/sunglasses. Yes.. i was sporting some outfit but you really don't care as long as it works.

WATER - 3 bladders of water which held up to 5 liters. although the pack was extremely heavy when the bladders were full, it was never enough water. We drank on average 8 liters a day in 100+ temps during the day with 20-22 hours of constant movement/day.

Having now successfully completed my first expedition race, I still have lots to learn about packing, packing lite, and staying organized. It is one of the skills you develop and get better at with each race. Soledad, a fellow teammate from Argentina, had this skill down to a science... or was it an art? She was quick in the transitions and had all her necessary tools near her fingertips. Having good gear and the right gear was important in this type of event.

Train hard. Train smart.

Chi

Your Pack - one day trip

The three month training for Mt. Whitney successfully ended last week as 8 of 9 summited the 14,500 peak on September 4th. It was a fun trip for everyone and with lasting memories.

It is now that time to unpack gear and put things away. The pack is your life line to make the journey safe, fun, and tasty!! After wearing it for so many hikes, I knew exactly where each nibble, lube, band-aid would be. That is a good sign of a loyal pack.

Here are some items I carried in my pack and on my own body for the 16-hour (22 mile) hike from Whitney Portal to Whitney Summit. My pack weighed in at 16 lbs. Other packs varied from 10-30 lbs!!!

1. Daystar Camelback 70 oz pack - link to item

2. 1.5 liters of water (in bladder)

3. bike bottle for electrolytes

4. walkie-talkie

5. food (the most important item): fresh fruit (grapes, apples, blueberries), powerbar energy blasts, half-submarine sandwich for the peak (super tasty), pita chips, chocolate covered pretzels, prosciutto, Joe-Joe's cookies from Trader Joes, power bar, MoJo bar

6. first aid kit/soft splint (i was a bit paranoid)/hand sanitizer/emergency blanket

7. hat/gloves

8. sunscreen SPF 100

9. windbreaker

10. blister defense (never had to use it thankfully)

11. bug repellent

12. headlamp (with extra batteries)

13. pen/paper

14. map

15. camera/cell phone

16. water purifier - should have used it more often. one can expect to drink 3-5 liters of water when climbing mt. whitney in a day. i was think i can get away with 2 liters but i always run out.

17. how can i forget.... 2 WAG bags! oh the shame!

18. TP & baby wipes

19. permit

on my body (besides clothes)

1. lipbalm with SPF

2. ipod shuffle

3. HR monitor (had during hikes - average heart rate was 100-120 bpm)

Train hard! Train Smart!