International Man of Mystery...

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I grew up in the Boston area and lived there until my junior year in high school when I attended the Mountain School, a semester program run by Milton Academy in Vershire, VT. I then attended Colby College in Waterville, ME. During my time at Colby I studied anthropology, spent a semester in Northeast India, and became fluent in Nepali. Before I became a guide I earned my black belt in kenpo karate and taught karate for 6 years. I began guiding in college on the rocky coast of ME with Acadia Mountain Guides and on ice at the International Mountain Climbing School in NH. After graduating I took to the highway and drove from ME to WA for the big mountains and glaciers. I spend my winters in lovely Ouray, CO guiding in the famous ice park. I am currently working towards becoming a certified guide through the American Mountain Guides Association. I live, work and play in the hills and on the rocks. On the rocks both literally and, well, with ice.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Training Questions Answered Part III


Concrete goals are essential to a successful fitness program. Now is a transitional time. After ice climbing all winter, it is time to rock climb and the mountaineering guiding season is fast approaching. Ice climbing fitness and rock climbing fitness translate surprisingly poorly. While both require a strong upper body, the mountaineering guiding season requires a total shift to cardio and leg strength.

The point is identify your objective. Find something concrete. For example, "I am working on my cardio and leg strength for my upcoming trip to climb Denali" or "I am working my core and back so I can be comfortable carrying a heavy pack on Mount Rainier." Goals such as "I want to be more fit" are hard to follow through on, hard to measure, and not that fun to pursue.

Once you have identified your goals tailor your workouts to focus on those muscle groups. Don't neglect holistic training and your flexibility but that kind of focus can help you get your training underway. now reconcile that with the ideas of Fun, Variety, and Personality along with advice from a professional and you should be well on your way to realizing your goals.


Check out this article about fitness myths it is geared towards women but is mostly relevant to everyone: http://www.thebostonchannel.com/health/19905329/detail.html

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