Climb Your Mountain

Are you working out, hiking your ass off, doing all the fitness things ... but still not seeing the results you want? If that's the case, it may be time to look at your diet.  Too many mountaineers treat our sport as an excuse to eat whatever the hell we want. (I know, because I was one of them.) But the truth is, our bodies burn fuel just like cars. And if you put crappy, watered-down gasoli...

Heart rates are kinda like boobs. No one's ever happy with theirs!  I get A LOT of questions from people who see their friend Suzy's heart rate stats on Instagram Stories and are freaking out because theirs is different. They seriously wonder if they've screwed up their fitness or they have a heart defect. And honestly, after 12 solid months of heart rate training, I do the same thi...

It's one of the saddest things that can happen to a mountaineer. You spend months training, buy $700 boots, travel around the world ... and then you don't summit. Suddenly you're overwhelmed by disappointment, second guessing yourself, and feeling like a total failure.  But believe it or not, missing a summit here and there can make you a better mountaineer and a happier, more resil...

Do you feel like dog poop after a long hike or workout? 🐕💩  Have you ever been so tired and sore after a day outside that you can't even get your ass in the shower afterward — and just go to bed dirty?  If that sounds like you, I'm here to take away the shame, because I've been there too! And I know it can be fixed.  So in today's episode, we'll look at the science behin...

Could hiking or running an ultramarathon help you feel more fit and confident for your mountaineering adventures? If you're drawn to the idea of traveling SICKENING distances in a single day, this episode is for you! When I shared pics of my last ultramarathon hike on Instagram, the questions poured in. What do you eat? What shoes do you wear? How do you train for an ultramarathon? Where to y...

Would you rather eat broken glass than work out in hot, humid weather? Is your training suffering because it's getting too hot to exercise outside? This summer especially, with so many gyms closed or off limits, a lot of us rely on outdoor exercise for our mountaineering training. So today, I'm going to share some tips to make running in the heat and humidity slightly less agonizing than...

So many people come into mountaineering training as a way to get healthy and lose weight. If that's you, first off, I want to congratulate you! Committing to a big, long-term goal like a mountain climbing trip is going to teach you so much about your mind and body. However, this can also be a tricky place to be. Because do you know what you have to do to succeed in endurance training? You hav...

"I'm not ready, and I'm going to die." Before a big mountaineering trip, it's normal to feel like you're not prepared and worry that you're going to drop dead — or get left behind, or mess up the trip for everyone else, etc. The good news is that you're not alone if you feel this way, because almost everyone goes through a version of this. The even better ne...

If you're ready to level up from hiking to technical and high-altitude mountaineering, this episode is for you! I dive into three ways to learn essential mountaineering skills: apprenticeship, regional mountain clubs, and professional mountaineering schools. We'll discuss the pros and cons of each, including cost, time commitment, quality of instruction, and quality of teaching and emoti...

If the thought of hiking and mountaineering at high altitude makes you anxious enough to pee your pants, I'm here to assure you that you are not alone! My mountaineering Facebook group is filled with questions about altitude. People wonder: How will I feel up there? Will I get sick? Can I train for high altitude? Should I take altitude sickness medications like Diamox? We'll answer all o...

Think 40, 50, 60, 70, or 80 is too old to climb a mountain? Think again! In this post, we'll talk about why so many people start mountaineering around midlife, the benefits of endurance training after 40, and how to adapt your mountaineering training to prevent injury and allow for more recovery time. At the end of this post, you still might have some doubts and challenges around climbing you...

As mountaineers and endurance athletes, we might think we're the healthiest people alive. But the truth is, so many of us focus on fitness at the expense of our health. You probably know athletes who are stressed, bloated, hating their bodies, sleep deprived, addicted to their diet trackers ... and just not loving the whole mountaineering training journey! Or maybe that person is you. Well, o...

Think mountaineers don't need strength training? Think again! People tend to either skip this important aspect of fitness — or overdo it. In this podcast, we'll talk about how to strike the right balance that will boost performance on summit day. We'll also cover the importance of proper form, periodization, and what to do about gym-timidation. My goal is to show you that strength t...

Here's one mountaineering training tip will save you a ton of time, confusion, and aggravation. It's super simple and intuitive, yet even many personal trainers get it wrong! This simple principle will guide 80% of your mountaineering workouts to help build epic endurance for summit day. Hint: having great squat form won't help you hike uphill for 6–15 hours on summit day! Find out...