6 Poems / Pieces of Literature to Review Before Reading Epic Solitude

Before diving into the Epic Solitude, there are six pieces below that will help to set the stage for what it is like living in the Far North.  I also wanted to share some of my favorite poems, songs, and book excerpts that have inspired me and helped to shape my perspective. I hope you will take the time to read and savor these beautiful/interesting works.

There are strange things done in the midnight sun

      By the men who moil for gold;

The Arctic trails have their secret tales

      That would make your blood run cold;

The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,

      But the queerest they ever did see

Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge

      I cremated Sam McGee.

Now Sam McGee was from Tennessee, where the cotton blooms and blows.

Why he left his home in the South to roam ’round the Pole, God only knows.

He was always cold, but the land of gold seemed to hold him like a spell;

Though he’d often say in his homely way that “he’d sooner live in hell.”

Click to read the full poem!

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

Click to read the full poem!

  • Excerpt from Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Nature 

Chapter  I. NATURE

. . . Crossing a bare common, in snow puddles, at twilight, under a clouded sky, without having in my thoughts any occurrence of special good fortune, I have enjoyed a perfect exhilaration. I am glad to the brink of fear. In the woods too, a man casts off his years, as the snake his slough, and at what period soever of life, is always a child. In the woods, is perpetual youth. Within these plantations of God, a decorum and sanctity reign, a perennial festival is dressed, and the guest sees not how he should tire of them in a thousand years. In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life, — no disgrace, no calamity, (leaving me my eyes,) which nature cannot repair. Standing on the bare ground, — my head bathed by the blithe air, and uplifted into infinite space, — all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eye-ball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God. . . .

To learn more please visit KatherineKeith.us

What Does It take to Train for the Seven Summits?

If you are training for the Seven Summits, you are preparing yourself to climb the tallest mountain of each of the seven continents. 

These mountains, from the highest summit down, include: 

  • Mt. Everest, Asia (29,029 feet)
  • Aconcagua, South America (22,841 feet)
  • Denali, North America (20,308 feet)
  • Mt. Kilimanjaro, Africa (19,341 feet)
  • Mt. Elbrus, Europe (18,510 feet)
  • Vinson Massif, Antarctica (16,050 feet)
  • Carstensz Pyramid/Puncak Jaya, Indonesia (16,024 feet) OR Mt. Kosciuszko, Australia (7,310 feet)

This task is among the most demanding physical challenges a person can undertake, even for fit individuals. Training for the Seven Summits takes planning and diligence with a focus on sport specific cardio and strength conditioning.  

A Clear Plan, Consistency, and Time

A challenge this demanding requires a clear training plan. Competitive athletes use periodization training to exact control over their fitness progression. A full training cycle comprises micro training periods including recovery, transition, base, specific, and taper. Each of the cycle varies in time depending on training goals and current fitness levels.

Mapping out a training plan details out the cycles starting from where you are now to your climb. While that may sound overwhelming, you can take your time adding details such as the number of days, the length of training sessions, and the method of training.  As you might expect, you can’t train for the Seven Summits in a few months. It is a rule of thumb you want to increase your training by only 10% per week to avoid injury. Building up the required volume may take most people over six months. 

Your life depends on having a solid plan, both on and off the mountain. 

Try to work one out for yourself but remember, there are phenomenal experienced coaches who can offer you a realistic idea of what you’ll experience on your climbs and develop suitable plans to get you physically and mentally prepared. I have used Steve House and staff at Uphill Athlete. His book, Training for the New Alpinism, is a book of art in science, training content, photos, and climbing stories.  

Cardiovascular Training 

Cardiovascular conditioning is a crucial aspect of training. While considering cardio exercises for the Seven Summits, make sure you’re including climbing specific exercises such as walking or running on an incline treadmill, box steps, or stair master. Switch your routine up regularly so that your body doesn’t adapt. Four to six sessions a week is a good goal with the distance and intensity increasing over time based on fitness level.

Strength Conditioning

Tackling the Seven Summits calls for serious strength conditioning. You can train at a gym using machines or at home using your body weight or dumbbells. You should aim for overall strength conditioning, but it’s important to work your legs, core, back, and shoulders. Throughout all phases of training, plan to average at least two 45 minute sessions per week.

In the transition period, to start with, complete two general strength workouts per week to create a solid foundation. If you are new to strength training, your focus will be on learning the moves and using proper form. 

Once you’ve mastered the movements, during the base period, then you can complete a high number of repetitions to increase volume. Later, the focus will switch to building muscular endurance.

To learn more please visit KatherineKeith.net

What Are the Quantitative Health Benefits of Spending Time in Nature?

Spending time in nature is scientifically proven to improve human health. To quantify the health benefits, researchers commonly evaluate cortisol, pulse, blood pressure, sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve activity, among countless other markers.

How much time does it take to reap the benefits?

Researchers, spanning three decades and over 140 studies, have concluded that spending direct time in nature has definite quantitative health benefits. A June 2019 study suggests, based on a study sample of 20,264 participants, that individuals who spend greater than 120 minutes in an immersive recreational nature experience each week will consistently report higher levels of well-being and overall health. The greatest quantitative health benefits were found in participants who spent 200-300 minutes per week in nature.

To elucidate, jogging down a paved running path behind the local school, as healthy as that is for you, does not offer the same benefits. Spending any time outdoors is rewarding, but to reap the benefits found in this study, you must immerse yourself in nature. Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is one way that people immerse themselves in the natural world. Shinrin-yoku takes in the forest atmosphere either in a passive or active manner. Originating in Japan, this practice improves the health of people when they sit or walk in a forest and bathe themselves with the mysterious healing abilities nature.

Phytoncides – Can Tree Hugging Help Prevent Cancer?

Phytoncides within the forest environment may partially contribute to increased human natural killer (NK) cell activity, the number of NK cells, and intracellular anti-cancer proteins in lymphocytes. NK cells provide rapid response to tumor formation and support cancer prevention. The immunological benefits from a single trip to the forest last over seven days. Many trees and plants give off phytoncides such as cedar, pine, oak, and many others. Dr. Qing Li continues to study phytoncides and pursue his work in forest medicine research.

How Can I Get Phytoncides?

To enjoy the benefits of phytoncides, immerse yourself in nature at least two hours each week. Since phytoncides are emitted by trees and plants, forests are the ideal environment to spend your time. If a forest isn’t available for you to consider, another natural setting such as a waterbody, wetland area, or alpine meadow can offer many of the same benefits.

Does Where You Live Matter?

Yes. Even indirect exposure to nature, such as living in a green urban area, is associated with a lower probability of cardiovascular disease, anxiety, depression, type II diabetes, obesity, asthma hospitalization in adults. In children, living near nature may lead to a lower chance of obesity and myopia. Higher volumes of nature in a neighborhood is associated with improved birth outcomes, cognitive development, self-reported health, and subjective well-being. 

To learn more KatherineKeith.co

How Nature Develops Grit and Why It Matters

Why is Grit Important?

Merriam-Webster defines grit as “firmness of mind or spirit; unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger.” Developing grit is a critical part of becoming the greatest version of yourself and living your best life. 

Grit requires fortitude, tenacity, courage, and heart. All too often, people develop a victim mentality that causes them to blame their failures on external problems. Developing grit, however, gives you a spirit of perseverance that allows you to succeed, despite any challenge life throws at you. 

Grit is important because it allows you to face life head on and overcome fear, adversity, and opposition. The more grit you develop, the less you will be bothered by problems and petty annoyances. You will start to see yourself as a strong, capable person. Furthermore, you will be able to enjoy life to the fullest because you will no longer be distracted by details. Instead, you will learn to focus on the inherent beauty that surrounds you every day. 

How Nature Develops Grit

One of the finest ways to develop grit is through adventures in nature. Nature cultivates grit in us by teaching us to be strong, forcing us to confront our fears, and encouraging us to look beyond ourselves and have compassion for the world. Experiences in the outdoors will also build your resilience and give you a will to never give up. 

Strength

Setting a goal of spending time in nature will help you develop strength if you allow it to propel you forward and give you external motivation. For example, you could aim to complete a long hike, climb a mountain, camp out for the weekend, climb Devil’s Tower, or mountain bike in Mount Zion. Setting goals and focusing on those targets will allow you to keep going despite insurmountable odds. 

Compassion

Compassion may seem unrelated to grit, but it is actually a necessary element. Compassion fosters a connection between you and nature. It encourages you to think outside of yourself. The more compassionate you become, the stronger you become and the more likely you will be to act when called upon.

As you regularly engage with the natural world, your compassion will grow.  Time outdoors helps you realize humans are not the center of the universe. As you notice the beauty of the outdoors and witness animals in their natural habitat, the desire to cherish and protect them will grow. Empathy encourages an increased sense of global responsibility.

To learn more please visit KatherineKeith.co

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started