The Grand Canyon and Goals

In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt visited the Grand Canyon. Roosevlt proclaimed “The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. It is beyond comparison—beyond description; absolutely unparalleled throughout the wide world…” 

The Grand Canyon fills me with awe.

A feeling hard to describe. Not a feeling you get from viewing images or watching videos of the canyon. Roosevelt articulated how I and many others get – it’s a sensation that “fills me”. Not just a stunning visual experience but a sensation of complete “awe”.

In July of 2015, my family first became aware of the awesomeness of the Grand Canyon.  A few months before we were in attendance at a basketball game when I got the call from my mother. Dad had lymphoma again. He was ready to call it a good life – no more treatments. I am not sure why I felt compelled to take my dad to the Grand Canyon but by the end of that basketball game I had corresponded with my siblings and was well into making a plan to make it happen.

A photo I took with my cell phone in 2015

The Grand Canyon was incredible. My father at that point was mostly in a wheelchair. He loved just sitting at the edge; looking out and appreciating the majesty of it all.

Photo of My dad and his grandson 2015

One of the days we were at the Grand Canyon, four of us took a hike into the canyon. My son, wife, brother-in-law and myself took an impromptu hike into the canyon. My brother-in-law and I hiked down to a common turnaround point; the Three-Mile Resthouse.

Sign at the Three Mile Restouse

On the way back up the steep trail we stopped at another rest house that is about a mile and a half from the rim of the canyon.

We encountered in the rest house a group of teens and a dad. They were on the last leg of their 24 mile rim to rim trek. They were smelly and covered with dust. They complained of running out of food, the weather and general fatigue. One of the kids showed me the blisters he had on his feet.

As we watched and interacted with them it became overwhelmingly clear to me that they were having the time of their lives. I knew right there and then that we had to come back to the Grand Canyon and hike from one rim to the other.

I am sharing with you to help explain how I got to where I am today in my deep interest in fitness and nutrition. As a medical primary care provider, fitness and nutrition has always been a professional concern throughout my career. However, having a goal of hiking the Grand Canyon from one rim to the other has helped motivate me and shape my fitness and nutritional efforts.

Since that time I have trained for and completed several hikes including a 24 mile backpacking experience from the North Rim to the South Rim. At the age of 56; I climbed to the top of a mountain for the very first time – the tallest mountain in Colorado. This summer my 18 year old son and I will return to the Grand Canyon. We will hike from one rim to the other and back again. I will give you some examples of how what I have been learning about fitness has helped shape my training program.

As I have been training for these hikes and other adventures, I have become more and more aware of the impact of nutrition. I invite you to join me in learning.

While my goal this summer is to hike rim to rim to rim of the Grand Canyon, I am also thinking about how I train today for the last decades of my life. When I am 85, I don’t necessarily expect to be hiking through the Grand Canyon. I do want to be able to pick a baby up out of a crib. I want to be able to play with a toddler on the floor and get back up without help. I expect to be able to walk to the mailbox and back without getting out of breath.

I hope you also have expectations  – I want to help you

My next article will start to delve into the huge subject of protein. Click here if you are ready to read that article. I will also in a few days be posting this article on Facebook and sending it out to subscribers. Interested more about the Grand Canyon – check out my page on this incredible place. As Roosevelt proclaimed: the Grand Canyon is “the one great sight which every American should see.” Interested more in hiking experiences check out “A Few of My Favorite Hikes”.

Thank you for allowing me to share this with you.

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Russ

I must acknowledge Peter Attia, MD for his podcast “Training for The Centenarian Decathlon …” . This podcast was an inspiration for part of this article. I would also like to make note that when I refer to sources such as Dr Attia; it is not my intention to promote any product they may be advertising within their podcast.