Mt. Kilimanjaro – Week 28: Injuries, Flag, and Fundraising

Some of the team on a group training hike!

Time is flying by! Summer is over, fall is here and we fly out to Tanzania in 15 days!!!

The last couple of weeks have been a blur. As we inch closer to our departure date, my life has been in the fast lane. I realized I haven’t blogged in a few weeks and I apologize to my readers. From the wedding engagement and wedding planning, to purchasing a new home, to starting a new role at CIBC, and all of the Kilimanjaro training, I’ve found it difficult to take some time to get to the blog. But here we are…let’s get down to business! 🙂

Injuries

About 3 weeks ago after a nice long 7hr hike, I was thinking to myself, “Good work Jeff. This is the first time in two years since you’ve gone without some sort of injury during training!” I may have spoken too soon. A day or two afterwards, I noticed a sharp pain in my left knee, similar to it wanting to give out. I though perhaps I had pushed myself too hard in the training so I took a week off of leg exercises to give my knee some time to recover. It didn’t work, so I headed to my physiotherapist (Kyle) to see if he could help.

After a 30 minute examination, Kyle mentioned the pain was caused due to some muscle imbalances and weakness in my hip and glutes (I cannot recall the technical term for his prognosis…but can get it for those who are curious). He immediately started a high powered ultrasound session to help speed the healing process, and requested I complete 2 at-home muscle strengthening exercises for my hips and glutes, as well as a few stretches. He believes the issues would correct themselves in about 3-4 weeks, just in time for the climb!

Two days later, during the second session, he wanted to try “Dry Needling” on my glute and hip. Not sure what dry needling is? Neither was I…and I wish I never did afterwards – lol. Think of acupuncture, but with a longer needle, and having the therapist manipulate the needle while it’s deeply inserted into your muscles. What is it supposed to do? It helps draw red blood cells to the trigger point, and helps your body release toxins in the area causing the issue.

Curious? Here is a youtube video. Warning…if you don’t like needles, you may want to skip this video. (note – this is not my video and I am not the patient although my needles were inserted in my glute and left hip).

Immediately after the dry needling, I felt a noticeable difference in my mobility and flexibility…however the pain in my glute and hip lasted about 6 hours. During my 3rd session he informed me my muscles are so tight, that I bent one of his needles and I should also get some massage therapy on the areas of concern to help loosen them up. Kyle and I are still working together (I see him 2-3 times a week) and I should be all set for the climb. Onward and upwards! 🙂

The Flag

Some of our team with the flag

Our team will be carrying a large flag to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The flag proudly showcases our team climb logo, featuring the support for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Two weeks ago we brought the flag to the CIBC Run for the Cure kickoff event (our first public team event) where we had members of the public write heartfelt messages of hope, inspiration, and encouragement not only for the climbers, but for those who are affected by breast cancer in some way, shape, or form.

If you’d like to sign the flag and have your message be proudly displayed on the tallest free-standing mountain in the world, let me know and I can schedule some time to have you come down to the office and sign it.

Fundraising

Our team goal is to raise at least $100,000 for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation before we leave for the climb. As of this evening, our team has raised an amazing $97,373 !!!! We’re less than $2,700 away from hitting our goal!!! With that said, I have some exciting news!

If you haven’t had a chance to donate to the foundation in support of our climb, now is the best time. Donate by October 5th, and you’ll have a chance to win a short-haul flight with Air Canada! Every $50 donation will receive 1 ballot. Want more chances? Every $50 increment will give you another ballot (i.e. $100 donation = 2 ballots!).

All the funds you donate will go directly to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation which in turn support cancer research, education and awareness initiatives across the country.

Please help us hit our goal…as it will make that much more impactful for the foundation and the moment we reach the top of Kilimanjaro, knowing we have you behind us every step of the way.

 

Some of our team during our last group training hike Saturday September 19th, 2015

 

 

Donate Now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Training

As we gear up for the climb in two weeks, we’ve started to taper our training. We need to ensure our immune system is top notch, not stressed or fatigued, and our bodies recover from any injuries. So the last week has been light in the training aspect…and the upcoming two weeks will be even lighter. I’ll continue to watch what I eat to ensure I’m detoxing my system before the climb. I can proudly say I have not had a cup of coffee or an alcoholic beverage since July. I’m really looking forward to an ice cold beer after the climb! 🙂

This week I completed the following:

September 20-27
Monday: Glute & hip strengthening exercises & stretches
Tuesday: Glute & hip strengthening exercises & stretches
Wednesday: Glute & hip strengthening exercises & stretches
Thursday: Stretches / Rest
Friday: Glute & hip strengthening exercises & stretches
Saturday: 6hr hike + Glute & hip strengthening exercises & stretches
Sunday: 5hr hike + stretches

The upcoming week I will hit the gym for some light cardio and weight training as I continue to monitor my knee pain, in addition to relaxing at home after work.

Thanks for your continued support and interest everyone!
Jeff

Mt. Kilimanjaro – Week 23: Training Mask & Team Hiking

Training Mask

As you read this blog post, how is your posture? Are you sitting on a chair or couch? Standing on the subway? Are you hunched forward or is your back straight and your sitting/standing at attention? Did you just adjust your posture? Haha! What about your breathing? Are you breathing fast or slow? Deep or shallow?

You really don’t need to think about breathing as you go through your regular day to day activities. It happens without you having to remember to do so. Isn’t your body amazing?

During my Week 15 blog post, I outlined a few exercises to help prepare for the higher altitudes we’ll experience on Mt. Kilimanjaro. For those who are not aware, Mt. Kilimanjaro stands at 19,341 feet tall (5,895 meter). At that height, the effectiveness of oxygen at that level is only about 9.9% (sea level the effectiveness of oxygen is approximately 21%…and on the other side of the spectrum, Mt. Everest falls at 6.9% effective). Due to the lack of oxygen at higher levels, the body increases production of the red blood cell to help carry more oxygen to muscles in order to complete your daily activities.

One way to train for the higher altitude (besides the breathing exercises outlined during the Week 15 post) is to use an altitude training mask. The mask restricts airflow, simulating higher altitude (up to 18,000 ft). I’ve been using it while writing this blog and to forces me to think about my breathing (very controlled, slow, deep breaths). While the other exercises are great for the moment you’re completing the task, it’s hard to run with a bag of potatoes on your stomach (haha!) so having the mask on while running will really force you to concentrate on your breathing. It’s a great tool to strap on when climbing stairs, weight training, running, and relaxing on the couch. Plus…it’s hard to eat cookies while wearing the mask….so it helps in more ways than you think 😉

Would I recommend the mask to other potential climbers? Yes. But don’t fool yourself in just using the mask. You need to train properly for several months before embarking on the Kilimanjaro journey.

 

Team Training

Another great weekend with some of my Kilimanjaro team members! Yesterday, nine of us completed a 7hr training hike at Rattlesnake Point and Crawford Lake. The weather was fantastic, everyone’s spirits were high, and the terrain was fairly close to what we’ll be experiencing on Mt. Kilimanjaro.

While our hiking speed may have been slightly faster than what we’ll complete on Kili, I think everyone did a great job. Everyone on the team seems stronger and ready for the challenge ahead! With only seven weeks to go, you can feel anticipation growing on the team. I love it!

Later this week the team will meet to review our packing and equipment requirements. We all need to ensure we have the proper gear for a successful and somewhat comfortable climb. Next weeks blog I’ll share some photos and the list for any future climbers 🙂

Save The Date

For those in the Toronto area, please save the date!

Date: Tuesday September 15th
Time: Lunch Hour (12-1pm)
Location: 199 Bay Street – CIBC Commerce Court – Outdoor Courtyard
What: Celebration of ‘Think Pink’ week in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and a chance to meet the climbing team plus a few other awesome surprises…. more details to come!

 

Training

In addition to the my average daily walks of about 7K, this week I completed the below.

August 17-23
Monday: 4K run + Chest & Arm strengthening exercises (1hr 45 mins)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: 6K run
Thursday: Back & Arm strengthening exercises (1hr 15 mins)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 7hr hike
Sunday: 3hr hike

Fundraising

Don’t forget – all the funds I raise are donated directly to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. I will be paying my way for the entire trip out of my own pocket (flights, climb costs, equipment, vaccines, etc.). The funds you donate are used by the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation for breast cancer research and education/awareness programs. If you have’t made a donation yet, there is still time! Help us hit our goal of $100,000 – we’re almost there!!

Help us reach $100,000!!!

Mt. Kilimanjaro – Week 19: Columbia Sportswear & St. Lawrence Market

Corporate Sponsors

As I’ve mentioned in a few blog posts, all of us participating in this years climb are responsible for covering our own costs for the climb (airfare, equipment, vaccines, climbing costs, etc.) which quickly add up. On average, we’re each spending about $4,000 – $5,000 out of pocket to complete the climb. Some corporations have been very kind to us and have offered generous discounts (such as IceBreaker) to help reduce our costs.

This past week, the climb team met up for our monthly team meeting and we had a surprise visit from our friend Jennifer at the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. When she entered the meeting room, she had 3 large boxes with her, and an even larger smile on her face! She had some great news to share with us all.

Columbia Sportswear offered to help our team by providing a summit jacket to everyone for help our trek to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro! The temperature at the top of the mountain drops to a bone chilling -25C. Being able to stay warm on the exhausting last day to the top, is extremely important. Instead of wasting energy on shivering from the extreme cold temperatures, we can focus our energy on climbing to the top. Not having to worry to purchase more equipment helps strike one more item off my things to do list. In a few weeks I’ll provide some more details around the Columbia Sportswear brand and some facts about the jacket they’ve provided.

 

St. Lawrence Market

Yesterday, I spent a little over an hour standing outside the Toronto St. Lawrence Market handing out pink ribbons and a small leaflet to help spread awareness about the climb, and of course, breast cancer in general.

A lot of people stopped to talk to me about their family members who won the battle, or sadly lost the battle against breast cancer. I also had the pleasure of speaking to some breast cancer survivors who were extremely appreciative of what I was doing for the cause.

If those passing by wanted to make a small contribution to the cause, I had a small pink CBCF box available for spare change. In total I raised about $25. However, the leaflet contained a donation website link if people felt compelled to donate online. Within a few hours I received 2 extremely generous donations from members of the community I met at the St. Lawrence Market. (Thank you both for your contributions and support!).

Raising funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation (CBCF) is very important. The funds are used to support groundbreaking breast cancer research, educational and awareness campaigns across Canada, and provide assistance to families.

Our goal (as a team) is to raise at least $100,000 for the foundation before we start our climb this October. As of today, we have collectively raised $77,183 for CBCF! If you haven’t donated yet, there is still time! Please click here to make a donation online and help us hit our $100K goal!

Training

Today I completed a 6.5 hour training hike with a 15lb pack. The hike wasn’t too bad, although by the end of the day, my feet were extremely tired and sore. It didn’t help that it was so hot outside (36C). Earlier in the week was able to complete 2 different runs and a weight training session.

This coming week I’ll be focusing on running (to keep up the cardio), some weight training, and another long hike on Sunday.

Thank you all for your continued support!