Earlier this year I decided to take "The Plunge." I asked her last December 2008 to marry me. She said, "Yes!" Then in September of this year (2009) we both said, "I do!"
Everything before the wedding was a blur, then the wedding, even fuzzier & faster, then the honeymoon. She decided to pick the location for our honeymoon.
It was a combination of honeymoon and present to herself she promised she would take after finishing her PhD in physiology earlier this year.
Our conversation went something like this:
Me: "Where do you want to go on the honeymoon?"
My Wife: "Nepal"
Me: "What's there?" (Not having brushed up on my geography I found Nepal to be a small kidney shaped country wedged between India and Tibet/China)
My Wife: "The Himalayas - We are going to go trekking."
Me: "Isn't that like hiking?"
My Wife: "Yes, however, it lasts for a few days."
Me: "How many days?"
My Wife: "Well this particular trek lasts between 18-20 days. It is called the Annapurna Circuit which is 150 miles/220 KM around the Annapurna Mountain range in the Himalayas which among other things goes over the highest pass in the world (Throlong Pass 5,416 meters/ 16,000 feet)"
I was pretty flippant in my response...
Me: "Sure honey, that sounds fine to me."
What I didn't take into consideration is my wife is German and lived in Switzerland for a number of years and worked for the Alpine Mountain Rescue Team in the Swiss Alps for a period of time. Basically this means there are certain things that she just knows about mountains that she wouldn't even know to tell me to get ready for on a trip like this. Of course there were questions that I didn't even know to ask as well. However, I am usually up for an adventure so off we went to Nepal...
This would truly be a test to see if I knew what I was talking about regarding chronic knee pain as well as see how my knee would hold up in the rugged terrain of the largest and tallest mountain range in the world!
I thought back a few years...Yes, in 2001 I rode my bicycle across the United States by myself in 1,700 mile trip. But that was pretty controlled; my knees just had to pedal in circles. This new challenge would require my legs to balance on uneven unstable ground, hike for 5-7 hours per day, up and down mountain sides for days at a time while dealing with heat, cold and how my body would respond to the effects of altitude.
I really wasn't sure how my knees would hold up...I was soon to find out...
The first day only consisted of hiking for a couple of hours. It went well and I didn't think much of it. So the 2nd & 3rd days I decided I was going to show everyone, including myself how well I could do. I went up the side of the particular mountain we were on like I was on the stair stepper at the gym. I tried to keep this pace up for 2 days while the rest of my group trudged away at the trail. I would be the first to the rest area, waiting for the rest of my group to get there. Then I couldn't wait to get back on the trail first.
I kept this up for 2 days! By the end of the second day my legs, including my knees felt horrible! I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. Everything that I teach my clients and write in my books about my "D-BEST model" weren't working.
I was Drinking plenty of water
I was Breathing properly
I was Eating plenty of fresh, natural foods prepared from the local gardens daily
I was Stretching properly in the evenings and when we took breaks throughout the day and...
I was Training my tendons and ligaments with all of the hiking
I was stumped and confused as to what to do...
Then my wife made the comment, "The mountain isn't in a hurry."
...and things started clicking into place for me.
I began to pay attention to our trekking guide. Her pace, the way she walked, her attitude. I realized I was doing it all wrong!
My pace was too fast! The way I was walking was "too straight up the hill" and my attitude was "too aggressive and hurried."
I needed to slow my body and my mind down while at the same time use "body's structure" to hike. The old story of the "Tortoise & The Hare" came to mind. "Slow & Steady Wins The Race."
So I got up on the morning of the fourth day and decided to keep a slow pace and just focus on proper breathing the entire day. And you know what? I wasn't as tired at the end of the fourth day and as an extra added bonus my legs didn't hurt so bad either. As a matter of fact they even improved while walking all the rugged terrain the Himalayas of Nepal had to offer over the next 16 days of the Annapurna Circuit Trek.
Who would have thought with everything else being equal that "consistent exercise" would actually make my knee pain go away not to mention my honeymoon more enjoyable!
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