14,505 feet...

This July I will be climbing to the top of Mt Whitney in the John Muir National Forrest. At 14,505 feet above sea level, Mt Whitney is the tallest peak in the lower 48 states. I will be camping at about 8,000 feet and hiking from there to the top and back down again in one shot. The climb covers about 6,000 feet in 11 miles. I'll be waking at 2am and hiking 11 miles to the top, taking a few pictures, and then hiking 11 miles back down to the campsite. Dear Lord, help my knees.

For those of you as geeky as I am, the GPS coordinates are 36.5783°N, 118.2919°W (NAD27). For a gander in Google Earth, try this link here. Here's a picture of the mountain:



My training schedule is a mix of running and mountain biking in the hills near our house (at about 1800 feet elevation). I'm focusing on working out at about 80% of my max heart rate to increase my VO2 (a measure of the body's ability to absorb O2). This means my average heart rate right now is about 165 beats per minute (ouch!). I currently weigh 202lbs and plan to weigh in at 185lbs or less by mid-July.

I'll be posting regular updates as I train for the climb. Of course, I'll post a gazillion pictures when I finish. If you wish to donate to the train-my-fat-arse fund, please go to PayPal.com and send money to danielnorwood@gmail.com. :-)

-- your favorite "peak-bagger"