Stay on Offense Climb Mountains

Attacking Adversity

Keep Moving Forward

Go Hiking And Get Interested In Exercise And Health

Go Hiking, Keep Moving Forward

When a person puts as much effort into a pastime as I do with hiking or someone else might do with Spartan Racing, for example, they become very interested in how they can keep the body going, avoid injury, recover from injury, etc.

In the corresponding Bookinsh Weapon post number nineteen, I dive into some of the things I have learned from listening to the Ben Greenfield podcast. However, there is so much information that I thought I would continue up this trail. Joe Rogan’s interview recently with David Sinclair covered anti-aging. So a lot to discuss. Let’s get going.

Hardware

I thought it would be fun to discuss some of the hardware that is available to improve everything from sleep to performance, to eliminating pain.

The new NuCalm device that sells for a little less than $5,000 does a lot. The company spent twenty years researching to develop this product. It can give you two hours of deep sleep in twenty minutes or improve you regular night time deep sleep and much more. Greenfield has tested it and it does work

The Circadia device sells for less than $1000 and helps you fall asleep. This is Greenfield’s suggestion for folks on a “budget.”

The Grounding Mat (you sleep on it) brought to you by Ben’s guest Clint Ober, is supposed to eliminate pain. Twin size is only $129.

The Chilly Pad gets high praise from a wide range of sleep experts. It allows you to keep your mattress cool while you sleep which helps you sleep better. It sells for about $600.

So I guess you would put the grounding mat on top of the Chili Pad or…

The Halo Sport helps you learn any motor skill quicker. It could be guitar playing or lifting weights.

The Joove Light – Red light that is good for you. Benefits: muscle recovery, joint pain, sleep optimization, testosterone, inflammation, bone health and skin health. I want one! Maybe more than one since they have a portable device as well.

More About Supplements

In the Bookish Weapon post I listed some anti-aging supplements, but here are a few that didn’t necessarily fall into that category, but as you will see, I think they are great!

Atantril – If you have gas, this one is great.
Restore – Protects against Glycosides. I’s great!
Lean – Helps you avoid glucose spikes (from Ben Greenfield’s company Kion). It is great!

Fixing What’s Broken

In Joe Rogan’s podcast with David Sinclair they discuss the progress being made in the field of genetics when it comes to fixing the body. For example, they shot a virus carrying a reprogramming genetic code into the eyes of old mice who had eye problems. All the mouse eyes were reprogramed to have brand new eyes. So within the next year they will begin human trials on people that have Macular Degeneration and Glaucoma.

It will get even better. Later they are planning to use the same technology to heal spine injuries and other serious problems. This is so exciting! In the next ten years health care as we know it will be changing dramatically.

Go Hiking and Lose Weight

Go Hiking, Keep Moving Forward

Now why hadn’t I thought of that before this? Sure, if you climb up a mountain and maybe run down the same mountain, you might burn a few calories. Quit a few. So it can’t hurt with the weight battle. But wait! There is much more to this story.

The subject of weight loss is like water or air these days. It is everywhere. So I thought I would weigh-in on the subject. After all everybody has an opinion.

Mountain or Kitchen?

On the mountain I might be climbing and running for five, six or seven hours. That melts the blubber, right? Climbing, sweating, jogging, running. It burns those calories so I can eat anything I want. That is why I climb mountains.

I have a question for you. If you climb a mountain every single day, not just once a week, but every, single day, day after day after day, can you still get fat? Yes!! You can always out eat your exercise. Exercise certainly helps you maintain your weight, but only if you have a tight control of everything in your kitchen. So the kitchen wins, not the mountain.

Weight or Fat?

As long as we are on the subject of weight loss, let’s discuss fat loss for a moment. It is not the weight you should be concerned about, it is the fat. Don’t watch your weight. Watch your fat! If you lose 5 pounds of muscle it does you no good at all, but if it is fat, that’s good.

I recommend hydrostatic weighing. First they weigh you on a scale. Then they put you under water and weigh you there. It gives a very accurate body fat percentage. If you have a scale that measures body fat that’s good. They are not that accurate, but if you know the percentage difference between what the scale says and what the hydrostatic test says, you can determine the correct number every time you use your scale.

Diets

No comment! Well, maybe a very short comment. If there is one subject area that contains more confusion than any other it is diet. The trend is towards more personalized diets based on your genetics and where your ancestors lived. Once the “experts” get that dialed in we will all be better off.

Go Hiking If You Want To Feel Young Again

Go Hiking, Keep Moving Forward

Climbing a mountain every week is certainly not a comfortable way to spend one of your two weekend days. It would be much more comfortable to take in a movie or go to the beach. Mountains are steep. The uneven terrain challenges your muscles.

The Season

My hiking season begins the first of March and ends either at the end of August or September. The reason it might end in August varies. By the end of the summer it has taken its toll on my body. Every weekend no matter the weather or how tired I might be the night before, I head up the trail. It isn’t easy doing it every week.

One Sunday morning I sat in the car listening to the rain pelt the hood and really not wanting to get out of that nice warm space. But then I remind myself of one of the reasons I do it. To feel younger!

Be Bold – Begin It

Goethe said, “Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius and magic in it.”

Once my feet are on the ground and I am heading up the trail I feel like a twenty year old. Someone said my breathing resembles a stove pipe. Maybe it is because of Asthma I suffered as a child. Every once in a while I will wheeze if I push myself particularly hard, but the noise makes me feel like I am a train chugging along. Maybe it is an old smoke belching train, but still powerful. It might even keep the bugs away.

Of course when the hike is finished I feel that surge of youth again. Like “magic.” I did it one more time. I am still vital and strong. It combats those thoughts that older people have telling them that they should act their age or that they shouldn’t be doing such and such at their age.

Yes, hiking makes me feel younger, but it also keeps me physically younger as well. So all you chronologically “older” people get out in nature while you still can and go hiking!

Go Hiking And Your Legs Might Get Sore

Go Hiking, Keep Moving Forward

Soreness is guaranteed if you are my age, but I have heard younger folks complain about sore legs too. Of course we all get sore and for some the soreness will last several days. So what can you do about it besides stoically accept it as part of the territory. After all, some of us search out the “burners” just so our legs will hurt.

Stretch

Well, you don’t have to be so defenseless, go on offense. Do some stretching. I highly recommend the Kelly Starret’s “Couch Stretch.” It opens up the hip flexors and does a nice job on the quads as well.

If you cannot do it correctly use a big Swiss Ball to lean on. This works for me.

Roll

Those foam rollers work. After climbing a mountain and driving back home, when I get out of the car I can barley walk. Foam rolling along with the stretching really helps.

When you use the foam roller, be sure that after you have rolled back and forth, you stop and put pressure on those muscles. Tense them and then release. Put pressure on the areas that hurt, which is usually pretty much everywhere. Once you finish this couch stretch and rolling you will be able to walk again.

Cramps

Sometimes when I hike over six hours I get cramps. If you are older you will most likely have more problems with this than younger people. The is because your are old!

There are many things that help. Putting something bitter in your mouth for example. Salt pills can help a lot, especially those with potassium in them. However, I have found that magnesium malate helps the most. It has eliminated night cramps for me.

Go Hiking And You Might Encounter A Sasquatch

Go Hiking, Keep Moving Forward

“Ok, now you are getting stupid,” you say! Well, maybe, but hear me out. This happened about a year ago when I was climbing Mt Dickerman in the North Cascades. Dickerman is a tough hike gaining about 3800 feet in 4.5 miles. It also has some of the best scenery anywhere (See Picture).

This particular hike was no different than others I have taken. I parked my car, put my forest pass in the window, packed my bag, and headed up the trail.

Dark

One think you need to know is that I hike in the dark. I of course use a headlamp. Typically I am in the dark for an hour and a half to two hours before sunrise.

When you are in the dark your hearing improves. At least that is my experience. However, I can still see with the lamp so it is not like I am blind. In any event I do have a tendency to listen more intently.

Typical Sounds In the Forest

Have you heard a pheasant? It is one thing to see one fly out of its hiding place and you shot it for dinner, but have you ever heard the sound it makes. It is very eery. Kind of a moan.

Then there is the chattering Squirrels. They make a lot of noise when they want to. It is all expected in the woods.

The Unexpected

Because I do a lot of hiking I have heard lots of sounds. On this particular morning I heard the most blood curdling scream, but it wasn’t like someone screaming. It was more like a screeching sound combned with a snarl. I stopped when I heard it. Stopped dead in my tracks. I had never heard anything like it. It didn’t do it just once. It made the sound several times before going quiet. So what was it. A Sasquatch? Maybe. Who knows.

The rest of that hike I was on edge. You might just hear something like that yourself someday, but don’t let it stop you. Go hiking!

Go Hiking and Climb Kendall Katwalk

Go Hiking, Keep Moving Forward

Depending on where you look Kendall Katwalk is between 10 and 12 miles round trip. I believe it is 12. It is an easy hike in terms of the elevation gain of only 2,600 feet, but it is a long hike, especially if you extend it. You can hike as far as you like on the Pacific Crest Trail and it is tempting.

So Easy

The trail begins flat and continues that way for a while. Then there is a gradual increase in gradient, never really getting “steep.” If you go early enough so you are hiking at sunrise you will see light shine off peaks in ways the take your breath away.

It is almost like strolling through a park until you get past the avalanche shoot. Then it gets a little steeper.

Rocks

Yes there are rocks, but not like Mt. Pilchuck. Still you really need some good hiking boots for these things. You will probably hear or see Marmots.

The rocks and the distance do wear on your feet, so even though it is not steep, it is challenging.

From Civilization To Wilderness

For most of the hike you can hear or see the Freeway. There are great views of peaks and even Mount Rainier. You can look down on the Snoqualmie Ski slopes. However, I never really feel like I am in the mountains until I get to Kendal Katwalk. Once you cross over to the other side it is a whole new experience and as I mentioned, you can continue the hike for miles. I have gone as far as Joe Lake, which makes the trip about 20 miles round trip. Extending it just a couple miles will bring you to a couple of beautiful lakes that make it worth it.