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Machu Picchu Charity Trek #PrepForPeru

#PrepForPeru – 6 Weeks to Go

As I write this latest instalment of the #PrepForPeru blog, I’m beginning to feel the excitement. There was a point recently when the trip to Machu Picchu was in doubt due to low numbers. This went further into doubt when two people dropped out at the last minute – well actually it was after the deadline but we’ll not get into the nitty gritty now. I started to worry that all my training, all my fundraising and preparation would be in vain and I wouldn’t be heading to Peru with over £4,000 raised for charity – notably for Mental Health Foundation

However the news came through that although there had been dropouts, they were still going to go ahead with the trip. This left me in jubilation that I could follow through with what I said I would do, it meant I wasn’t letting anyone else down and I wasn’t letting myself down.

Now before I go further I’d like to thank my corporate sponsors KAYS Traffic Management Systems Ltd and of course everyone who has made a kind donation over the past 10 months or so – I appreciate every single one of you.

As I received the confirmation that I’d be boarding the plane and eventually climbing to 4200m altitude (which is above Machu Picchu) I began to feel the buzz – it’s getting real now. As a result as I was able to get my vaccinations of which there was three – luckily nothing more than a dead arm for 36 hours or so.

In terms of training I had a little niggle after my snowboarding holiday in my left glute and so this meant I needed to avoid any lower body training for just over two weeks whilst it healed. It made more sense to wait longer now and train hard later, than to train now and delay and maybe hinder the recovery. Since then however I’ve returned to my good buddy the stepmill and this week I’ll be adding the weighted vest back in for the 50 minutes on there.

I’m not willing to allow myself to get to the trip and not be the top of one of the top people on it in terms of preparation and for fitness. I’ve now spoken with a few of the other trekkers and it seems there is a mix in terms of how prepared people are, I will be going there with no stone left unturned and with every confidence that I will be able to complete the long hikes each day. I don’t expect it to be easy, it’ll take it’s toll on my calves and my feet but as I say I’ll be doing everything in my power to be in the best possible condition, I feel it’s my duty to me, but also to my sponsors and of course I’m a Personal Trainer of which I feel carries some responsibility.

From here on in I’ll be maintaining a relatively similar diet, especially for my daytime meals which will fuel my training, manage my body fat and do all of that whilst maintaining good health, sleep and of course my mood and motivation. I’m going to be keeping the booze at a minimum,  I don’t really seem to be desiring to drink all that much right now and I do believe that’s because I’ve got a mission, a higher purpose and by not drinking, I’m giving myself the ability to be at my best.

I set myself another target of getting out on some hikes ahead of the big trip to Peru. I haven’t managed to get out this year yet until the weekend just passed when myself and a small group took on Scafell Pike – the tallest peak in England. Scafell Pikes sits in the Westerns Fells of the Lake District and is just over a two hour drive from Preston. So we set off at 6:45 and arrived shortly after 09:00 – we had a quick coffee stop, of course!

Me and a couple of the others managed to complete the whole hike in 3 hours and 6 minutes of which I’m pretty happy with. I wouldn’t say we rushed as such and I do believe I could have done it in under 3 however I was happy with the pace we had and I felt in control the whole time. Although I breathed a little heavier at points, I seemed to manage the tallest peak in England without any real difficulty which is testament to my preparation and training. This gives me a lot of confidence looking ahead to Peru. I was of course joined by my little Puggle, Nala, who thoroughly enjoyed the hike too. We were blessed with a beautiful day’s weather, especially on the way down as the sun shone above us resulting in a layer or two coming off. Of course we celebrated with a drink at the pub afterwards but I kept it clean with a coffee #nobooze

I suppose an apt quote for my mindset around this trip is…

“Don’t be upset with results you didn’t get, for the work you didn’t do.”

I don’t just want to complete this trek, I want to complete it and be able to enjoy it, I want to be able to take in the beautiful scenery without getting crippled with breathlessness of altitude sickness as a result of not preparing correctly. I will not fail at this.

With now just over 6 weeks to go the #PrepForPeru continues and the ante increases. I’m tacking Striding Edge of Helvellyn on April 3rd of which I’m super excited for. This will be a different kind of challenge with it being an exposed ridge with lots to think about. Hopefully I’ll get another hike in within that time too but that’s yet to be confirmed but if there is one thing for sure, I’ll be continuing the blossoming relationship I have with my mate the stepmill.

I’ll continue to keep you in the loop as much as I can and I’ll be aiming to keep a vlog of the actual trip from April 23rd which I’ll edit and post after the trip. In the meantime I urge you to continue to #DoTheWork with your own goals and aspirations – I hope maybe that my commitment to this cause can inspire you onto something greater.

Speak soon.

Dale

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