Pink Hair Stare

On my way to Portland with my climbing buddy Theresa and as we sit here in the Atlanta airport waiting to board our plane for our climb, I can take a moment to post today's blog.

I got my hair colored pink yesterday (just for the climb) and I gotta say that the stares have been amusing. I intentionally wore my "Imagine" t-shirt today so that when I would get a glance, the shirt helps gawkers put two and two together...

A part of me enjoys watching people try to be sneaky and catch a glance. My cousin wants me to take photos of the stares... I guess I'm not that bold (yeah, I am bold enough to color my hair pink but not bold enough to snap a photo of a stranger who is blatantly staring at me - go figure).

Meeting up with Theresa and having a travel buddy this year has made my trip a lot less stressful. And talking with her about training, preparedness and the climb itself has been comforting.

I am looking forward to the climb even more than my first. I am excited about my accomplishments to date and after Sunday will be proud to have reached the summit of Mt. St. Helens. Hope you come along for the trek!

Lunch with my Official/Unofficial Sponsors

Before heading out to the Pacific Northwest I met up with my friends Kira and Rusty who have been so supportive and generous about my climb (their agency made a pretty significant contribution to my fundraising goal).

We talked about a way that I could really say thank you and express my gratitude for all they have done and so they suggested I take a sign up to the summit and have a photo taken that could be shared from the climb. Brilliant idea! And wait til you see the sign... LOVE IT! (I should have known they would come up with something awesome).

So I don't want to give it away before the big day, but here's a sneak peek at what you'll see come Sunday from the Summit of Mt. St. Helens...

Yep, it's pretty bright and also pretty cool! :-)

Cramming in a week's worth of work

Today was my only day in the office so needless to say I had a lot to do before I'm off the rest of the week for my Climb. A bit scatter brained at times, I tried to check things off my list so I didn't leave a bunch of things behind to be picked up in my absence.

The support I have gotten from my teammates has been so nice. It means a lot that the people I work with Monday - Friday would not only tolerate my always talking about my upcoming climb, but support me in my training, diet and some, even fundraising. [Tolerating the fact that I was constantly talking about my training and complaining about the fact i can't have pizza until i come down from the mountaintop is already more than enough ;-) ]

Zipping up my backpack tonight I took a minute to really appreciate my circumstances knowing that my co-workers will be supporting me both in and out of the office. That's pretty great and I thank them!

One Last Workout with Raymond

Today I got one last workout in with Raymond before heading to Oregon/Washington later this week for my climb.

He didn't push me but worked my leg strength one last time to help me along. Everything from forward and backward lunges (with kettlebells) to some crunches and leg raises.

He assured me that I'm ready for this climb and I know I am my own worst enemy so I just need to stop doubting my ability and chill out. It means a lot that my trainer has the belief he does in me.

I'm looking forward to a few days of R&R before boarding the plane Thursday and I'll do some 'visualization' type stuff too just so I'm not on total 'vacation'.

It should be a fun, low key week. I'm counting down the days and look forward to sharing it with you...

Happy Memorial Day!

The Importance of Cardio

As I enter the home stretch before my Climb, I think the only thing that I'm most concerned about is whether or not I have prepared myself from a cardio perspective. During my Climb of Mt. Hood, the altitude slaughtered me. Literally gasping for breath with each step was a challenge. Coming back and training for Mt. St. Helens I knew the strength would come, but the cardio needed serious work. Raymond has upped the ante and has pushed me both from a core and strength building perspective as well as a cardio preparedness. On Sunday, June 3 the training will pay off and I will summit Mt. St. Helens! I have strength not only from myself and my training but also from all my friends and family who have been with me every step of this journey. When I reach the top, we all reach the top! Get ready for the trek!

One Week and Counting

Next week this time, I'll be at Mt. St. Helens participating in my second Climb to Fight Breast Cancer. It's something that I never thought I would see myself doing if you asked me a few years ago. For those of you who follow my progress on my Mountain Moose Shutterfly Blog, this is where I will be doing my 'on the scene reporting' so don't miss out on photos, videos, and updates live from the volcano.

Considering that I had a cell signal while climbing Mt. Hood, I am anticipating I will have a signal once again on Mt. St. Helens. I appreciate everyone's support through my adventure and I hope you'll stay tuned and follow along with me as I strap on my boots and pack and climb to the top of my second mountain all to help raise awareness and funding for cancer research.

Thank you and hope you enjoy the trip!

Mt. St. Helens