Redemption hikeToday’s email is coming to you a little late as I was out the door this morning at 4:15a.
Why it matters: I want to share one of the keys in my journey back to fitness after being in the worst shape of my life in 2020.
- I do have a related tip for Smart Homeowners if you want to skip the story and scroll to the end.
This is me at 7:46a this morning at The Devil’s Playground on Pike’s Peak.
- My son and I made it there in 2 hours. We made the summit in under 4 hours.
- In 2020, it took our group 6 hours to get to that spot — because of me.
That was also the end of the line for me.
- While the rest of the group made it to the summit, I made my pitiful decent to the tree line to try to keep from passing out.
Zoom in: Here’s one of my key practices that prepared me for today’s “redemption hike.”
- Loaded carries —> A loaded carry is simply walking with weight.
Two variations:
Farmer carries/single arm carries —> Pick up something heavy in one or both hands and walk with it.
Rucking —> Load weight in a backpack and go on a walk or hike.
The big picture: Carrying any weight for any amount of time will help you build your work capacity.
- The higher our work capacity, the more we will be able to do for ourselves as we age.
- The more we can do for ourselves, the longer we can live and thrive in our homes.
For your Smart Homeowner list
- Do short loaded carries at home or the gym. Just pick up something heavy that you can carry for 1 minute.
- Do longer loaded carries by putting weight in a backpack and going on a walk 3 times a week.
Best,
Travis
P.S. Watch this short clip of Dr. Peter Attia talking about Farmer Carries. And this clip on rucking.