It's been about 3 months since my last post. Summer 2011 was crazy busy!!!!
My husband and I had the trip of a lifetime when we hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Pichu in Peru in early June. There are no real words to describe that experience. It was physically, mentally and spiritually rewarding. I credit Crossfit and a Paleo lifestyle 100% with helping me prepare for 5 days of strenuous hiking a total of 30 miles on undulating hills at elevations of 11,000 to 14,000 feet. Not only was I well prepared for the hike after 6 months of Crossfit workouts and a new approach to my diet but I was minimally affected by the altitude. I only suffered from a few headaches and that's nothing a few cocoa teas couldn't fix. Our tour company,
Andean Treks was amazing. They were well prepared for anything, highly professional, and a pleasure to be with. Our guides Disnarda and Wilson were amazing! For anyone considering this or any adventure I recommend that you check them out.
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| Km 82, the start of the trail |
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| 14,000 ft Summit, Day 2 |
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| Yeah, I did it! (With a little help from Lady Gaga on my iPod...) |
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| Our amazing staff and trek group |
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| Arriving at Machu Pichu, Day 4. Truly AMAZING! |
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| Our awesome group of trekkers at Machu Pichu. Morning, Day 5 |
The rest of the summer was filled with a short trip to Guatemala (amazing country, like going back in time in Chichicastenango and the ruins of Tikal were very impressive!), beach vacations and lots of time at Crossfit. For the first time I was actually looking forward to be in a bathing suit this year. I never thought that would ever happen! I've been keeping with a Paleo style diet and while I do "cheat" a little more now than I did in the beginning, I'm down about 12+ lbs and have continued to see positive results at the gym as well (at the end of July I was able to deadlift my body weight of 135 lbs which is a Crossfit benchmark!).
While Summer 2011 was a busy one, it was great and while I'm sad to see it go, looking ahead to this fall, I'm excited to get back into the game starting with a 45 day Paleo Challenge where I hope to continue to shed body fat and increase my workout performance. I have to set a performance goal going into the challenge so I'm currently trying to think about some good ones. Maybe a better Fran time? Maybe unassisted pull-ups? More to come there...
I'm planning on posting more regularly during the Paleo Challenge because I'll be cooking more frequently. Keep checking back and let me know what you think!
And since it's September 11th...We can never forget the horrific events that happened 10 years ago today. We all lost a bit of our heart that day and I will personally never forget all the lives lost and the change in our country's history forever. Always remember and never forget, for that is how we learn and grow....
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| Remembering... |
