Climb Your Mountain

If you feel discouraged with your mountaineering training progress, I want you to imagine with me. Imagine yourself a year from now. What will you be able to climb? How different will your body feel? What will be easy for you? If you worry it might not actually be that different, consider this. Science suggests that most of us overestimate what we can accomplish in a month, but underestimate what...

I always tell my athletes to treat themselves like Olympic athletes. But what the French Toast does that actually mean? How do you act like an Olympian when you're a hobbyist athlete with no sponsors, a full-time job, and kids who are eating crayons behind your back? The truth is that you will probably never have the luxury of training 40 hours a week like Simon Biles of John John Florence. B...

Why do some people fail in endurance sports like mountaineering, backpacking, and ultrarunning? Here's a secret. It's usually not fitness. And no, it's not because they ate Cheetos during training. It's because they lack mental toughness. Does that sound harsh? Hear me out. By definition, endurance sports push you to your absolute limits. And often, your body can do the work be...

Are you busting your butt in training only to see diminishing returns? Are you pushing yourself harder, faster, and further every week even when it hurts? Friend, if this lands for you, you need to learn about training cycles. You see, in order to get stronger, our bodies need rest as well as exercise. And using endurance training cycles will ensure you get the right balance of pain and gain. And...

Are you frustrated with yourself in training? Do you put down your body, calling it fat, old, or slow? Or do you constantly compare yourself to others and feel like you never measure up? Friend, if this is landing for you, you might have a problem with what I call "dirty motivation." It's the idea that you can nag, whip, or hate your way to fitness, weight loss, and other health goa...

Are you in a love-hate relationship with your heart rate monitor? Do you get so obsessed with the heart rate number on the screen that you forget to tune into your own body? Or maybe you're a beginner who feels overwhelmed by all the science behind heart rate training. You're already on a steep learning curve, and it's just more stuff to pack into your poor, overloaded brain! Friend...

You've been busting ass to get ready for the big climb, and as the date gets near, you're feeling more and more discouraged. Despite all your work and effort, you're still slower than Suzy, who is five years older, 10 pounds heavier, and eats Cheetos on trail. It's just not fair! Friend, if you're worried that you're not making progress, know that you're not alon...

Summer is here, which means for many of us our goal trips and climbs are getting close. But for better or worse, summer also means family reunions, family vacations, and cross-country travel — all with the attendant stress and jet lag. So how the hell do you stay on track to climb Mount Rainier and still make it to Aunt Ethel's 97th birthday party in Bumpass, Iowa? In this week's podcast...

What’s the best part of mountaineering? Your teammates! Except for those moments when they’re talking too much, bossing you around, being lazy, and just doing life wrong. Now if you’re having mean thoughts about your teammates, know that this is normal. Mountaineering and training really challenge us as people, and sometimes when we’re freezing and exhausted, we’re not as patient as we’d like to b...

What should you be able to do fitnesswise before you attempt to climb a mountain? I get this question a lot. Everyone's looking for a test. Should you be able to run a 5K before you climb Pikes Peak? Should you be able to ascend 1,000 feet an hour before attempting Rainier? Friends, here's the truth. There's no fitness test you need to pass before you climb your mountain. You should...

Think you need to lose weight in order to climb your mountain? Here's a crazy thought. Weight loss can actually hurt your athletic performance more than it helps. You could lose muscle, make yourself more prone to injuries, and feel too tired to push yourself in training. So in this podcast episode, we're going to dive into who benefits from weight loss and how to do it the healthy way....

How fast should you hike up a mountain? Here's a secret. Almost everyone starts too fast. And then halfway up, they start to feel tired and panic. This is not a happy way to climb a mountain, and the sad thing is, it's so unnecessary! So in today's episode, I'm going to show you a super simple strategy to pace all your hikes. And I'll also share 5 pacing tips that have gre...

As humans, we've been through a traumatic year with the pandemic. Who could blame us for pouring a glass of wine when we miss our friends and loved ones — and also would rather eat broken glass than tune into one more zoom meeting? However, some of us (waves hand) have probably started to overrely on alcohol as a way to cope. And that doesn't serve us when we're trying to transform...

Mountaineering training? Who's got time for that when the house is a mess, the kids are crying, the dog needs walked, and you spend 40 hours a week grinding away in a cubicle to pay for it all? If you feel overwhelmed by the time demands of training, this episode is for you. Today we're going to cut through all the crap and focus on the five areas that actually get you results in trainin...

Picture this. You’ve taken vacation days from work and flown across the country to climb a Colorado 14er. Let’s say it’s Longs Peak. As you’re climbing, you look into the distance and see dark clouds gathering. You wonder if you should call it a day and head down, but you don’t want to miss your only shot at Longs. Also, all the people around you — the tourists in flip flops and jean shorts — are...

Holy tits, it's episode 50 of the Climb Your Mountain podcast! Thanks so much for listening and helping to make my little pandemic project such a success. This week to celebrate, I'm going to share five ways mountaineering has changed my life (and will change yours too). If you're just starting this journey, you may be like, Sarah, WTF? You just work out, get in shape and climb the...

You've had it with mountaineering training, and you're ready to quit. You think you should be faster and stronger by now. You're convinced you're not ready. And at this point, you're so miserable, you can't remember why you wanted to climb that stupid mountain in the first place. Friends, if this sounds like you, know that I have been exactly where you are. And that I...

You've been training for your mountain for four months, and today is your last training hike. You're thinking of this as your last test before the main event. And suddenly it turns into a total shit show. Your butt is totally burning on the hills. Your pack is hurting your back. And a few hours in, you get terrible diarrhea and have to stop. Now you're convinced that all your traini...

If tomorrow a deadly pandemic swept around the earth and you had to spend a year at home, would you be satisfied with your life? Oh wait! That just happened. And if you felt restless and trapped all year — if you felt your life literally slipping away — maybe it's time to make some changes. In today's episode, we're talking all about inspired action. I'm going to do my damndest...

Would you like to be one of those badasses that's still climbing, running, skiing, and kicking ass into their 70s, 80s, and even 90s? Me too! But in order to have a chance of getting there, you really need to take care of your body and your joints. Our bodies are like cars – even the best ones experience wear and tear over time. The good news is that making little changes in your training and...

Planning a high-altitude trip like the Everest Base Camp Trek or the Inca Trail? 😃 If so, you've probably heard people talk about Diamox and other altitude sickness medications. 💊 Could this little pill be the magic bullet that will help get your ass over the high pass? 🤔 Well, yes and no. In today's podcast episode, we're talking all about medications for altitude sickness preve...

So friend, see if you can relate. You've mapped out the perfect training plan and put all the workouts on your calendar. So you should be a sexy fitness beast at this point. But here's the thing. You keep missing workouts. Workout time is always when the kids need homework help or the dog poops on the floor, or you get an urgent text from your boss Fred who needs you to drop everything a...

Are you following all the training rules, reading all the books, hanging on all the expert advice – and still not seeing the results you want? Friend, if you are tired of the conventional training wisdom, you are gonna love this episode. Because today I'm going to share some unconventional training methods I've been experimenting with. This process is called block periodization training,...

What if you're in the middle of training for a big mountaineering trip, and suddenly your life comes crashing down? Maybe you experience the death of a loved one or the breakup of a treasured relationship. So how do you get out there and train hard now that you're drowning in sorrow? And more importantly, should you even try? In today's episode, we're going to talk about traini...

Has the pandemic got you eating and drinking like a 22-year-old college student on a seven-month spring break? Maybe you're noticing a few pounds piling on, or tightness in your clothes, or a bit more gasping on those uphill hikes. Friend, if you've used food or alcohol to survive this insane year, I am so there with you. (And honestly, I really think so is anyone who isn't a space...