I was so sad to hear of the passing of Henry Worsley, the explorer who died trying to fulfil his dream of becoming the first man to cross Antarctica completely alone and without any back-up. I’ve never really understood the drive and determination that would lead someone to want to do something like that but then I suppose in the round I’ve lived a fairly safe and lazy life, so it’s not a mindset within my frame of reference at all. May you rest in peace, Sir.
I was lucky enough to attend a lecture a couple of years ago at the Royal Institution by Sir Ranulph Feinnes, who was there to talk about leading through adversity. I was captivated and horrified at the same time, and it seemed a bit incongruous being there from a business perspective.
I was looking for a key to unlock the discretionary effort in a team who didn’t really like me that much, in fact didn’t particularly seem to enjoy being at work. He was talking about leading a team of starving men across the North Pole when pretty much everyone’s fingers and toes were dropping off with frostbite. I felt a bit foolish trying to draw parallels between the two.
Now obviously I’m not comparing myself to the great man himself, and I’m not saying that I’ve had an epiphany, but over the last month or so, certainly since I registered for the Cuba trek there have definitely been occasions where I’ve had to make my body keep going despite my head shrieking instructions to the contrary. Thing is, despite my unfailing optimism even I know that this Cuba trek isn’t going to be a walk in the park.
If all goes according to plan I’ll be about 70lbs lighter by the time we head out, and it’s a good job because nobody in their right mind would drag this arse up a mountain. It’s 90km altogether, some of it uphill, in a rainforest. All the blurb I’ve seen about it calls out the amazing views when you get to the top, although I’ll probably be hooked up to an oxygen tank by the time we get that far so I might miss it.
I keep asking myself whether I’m really up for it, and for the first time in living memory I’m answering yes to something I know is going to hurt. What’s that all about? Maybe you grow a pair when you hit fifty?
I’m guessing flip flips won’t be deemed suitable footwear, and my fat feet don’t respond well to being stuffed into boots, unless they say ‘UGG’ on the back and cradle my toes gently in sheepskin. So, sore feet is a given. I’ve got a dodgy knee and a back which takes no persuading to give me hell. We’ll be trekking at altitude – no shit Sherlock, it’s a chuffing mountain range – and I have the kind of lung capacity that a gnat would be embarrassed to own up to, so all in all it’s going to be tough.
But you know, in between the agony there’s going to be high points. I’m looking forward to those. The opportunity to see and experience things that would have been impossible for a mobility-challenged fat lass is one I never thought I’d be given, so if I need to work my newly acquired balls off to make it to the finish line, well that’s what I’ll do.
It’s about fixing your sights on the end goal, and pushing the hell through. I can do that 🙂
When you get to be old enough, you don’t care what others think and you decide you are going to do what you always thought you couldn’t. That is, if you are very blessed, you do that.
Start scouting for great hiking boots that make your feet feel as good as they can in such gear now.
Yes, Im going to 🙂
Think you need to get measured for proper walking shoes/boots.
I got some recently having always struggled with blisters if walk further than end of the road- and they are so comfy! The shop measured my feet- like when in primary school and you went to the Clarks shop- and then they made suggestions based on likely usage. Obviously my lightweight version for trotting a couple of miles on a pavement is different to what you need but if you get one less blister…
Hi Sue, I didn’t even realise you could do that, so I’ll look into it. I do have some walking boots but to be fair I picked them because they were pink, not because they were right, you know? They’re not especially comfortable!
Ha ha- I wanted pink but they didn’t have any! So mine are blue and I got over myself when I found them comfy first time on and since ?
I do think there’s something about 50 🙂
And yes you’ve got brass ovaries LOL
And you’re going to do great – in fact I cannot wait to hear all about it when you return! Because I’ll still be here in awe 🙂
You won’t need to wait till I return Cherie…one sniff of a blister and you’ll hear me moaning all the way from Cuba!
No no no, you haven’t grown a pair of balls! You’ve finally grown a pair of ovaries! Girl power!
Do you wear flip flops all the time? That could be contributing to your sore back and knee. You need proper supportive footwear. What do you wear on the elliptical?
Ha ha sadly my ovaries were whipped out several years ago 🙂 No, I don’t wear flip flops all the time,on the elliptical I wear bare feet!
You can do it and you will!! I was so excited to read about the Cuban trek you signed up for. I have been trying to get myself psyched up to do something similar, but kept thinking I had to be at my “goal weight” before I could commit. With forty pounds gone and 16 pounds more to go, I’ve been scouting around for a new adventure. There are some wonderful memoirs out there about people (women!) who have achieved exciting things. For inspiration, I highly recommend: “Three Miles Per Hour” by Polly Letofsky who walked 14,000+ miles around the world raising money for breast cancer education/awareness (Letofsky’s humor reminds me of you) and “Gorge” by Kara Whitely who hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro while weighing 300 pounds and raised money for the Global Alliance for Africa, and your blog (also highly recommended for inspiration).
Oh bless you what a wonderful thing to say! I’ll definitely look out for those reads, I devour books at a rate of knots so I appreciate the recommendation! 🙂