‘’The most dangerous thing you can do in life is play it safe.’’
- Casey Neistat
I'll be spending the majority of my time in Asia above 5,000 feet. In fact, the altitude during my second riding day will be above 17,000 feet and will go up an down as I traverse various mountain ranges. I've snow skied at 12,000 feet and didn't realize any diminished capabilities, but the whole result of skiing is that the skier drops back into thicker air quickly. Besides, that was more than fifteen years ago and I was twenty years younger. But I digress. According to the chart above, I'll be hanging out in the "Extreme Altitude" zone which sounds ominous, but at least it's not the "Death Zone", so I have that going for me.
They key to my stamina success on the
Alaskapade and my Outback ride was preparation in terms of proper equipment and more importantly, with physical conditioning. I lost a few pounds before Alaska and a lot of pounds during the trip, but for Australia, I was jacked when I landed in country; having dropped sixty pounds. Of course, I had sixty pounds to lose because I had let myself drift into a horrible physical condition wherein my weight ballooned to 240 pounds. Realizing I would fail miserably if I attempted the Outback crossing at that weight, I plunged into a disciplined eating and workout regimen that catapulted me into shape. Ten years later, I'm not as fat as I was then, but it's not an overstatement to say I gained most of it back. So here I go again. I have all the exercise gear I need in my home and I have the healthiest food I could hope for at my fingertips. I just need to leverage both. I'm on my way and I am convinced that I'll be ready...at least from a weight perspective.
While Alaska and Australia presented physical stamina challenges, these trips did not include the altitude riding I'll face in Tibet. Always one to be prepared, I started looking into various means of altitude conditioning and found that there is an entire industry built around it. The foundation of preparedness is being physically fit and I'm on my way there. But, no amount of exercise and healthy eating will prepare my body for the physiological effects associated with increased altitude. There are numerous options available in the marketplace that cost a fortune. One such machine chemically alters the atmospheric composition to reduce oxygen content to specified altitudes, and costs about $5,000. Not gonna happen. Another alternative would be to have pints of my own blood drawn at my home altitude and then transfused back into me like pro athletes and climbers do, when I'm at altitude in Tibet. I have plenty of blood. I just need thousands of dollars and a professional medical staff. Once again, not gonna happen. It's no secret that I'm too big of a wuss to even get a tattoo, much less voluntarily endure 18-gauge needles repeatedly to exchange my own blood. I found a less expensive and slightly less painful alternative.
A company called
Viking Strength manufactures a mask that limits oxygen intake and simulates altitudes from 2,000 to 18,000 feet. It doesn't alter the chemical composition of the atmosphere like the $5,000 device, but it will make me work harder to take in the air around me. I picked up one of the masks back in 2020 and trained with it on my elliptical, on my rower, and on my hikes. I typically rowed three miles and climbed three miles five to six times a week. I also put in a few walking miles in my pastures and the woods near my property a few days a week. The training regimen became increasingly addictive as the results became more apparent. The pounds melted away and my stamina was over the top.
With the Viking Strength mask, I can selectively dial-in a gradual increase in the resistance in airflow through the mask as I continue to train over the next few months.
Some told me this mask and others like it were all hype, but my experience five years ago disputed that and while at 62 years old the improvements are taking longer to realize, I see no reason why it won't help me now. The key is moderation and starting slow. It's worth a shot even if its only effect is making me look as ripped and badass as the model in the picture above <grin>. I'm aware that I look like a heavy metal idiot headbanging to loud, fast music while I train. Now I can look like an even bigger dork while I train wearing my motorcycle riding boots and a "Bane" mask.
I'm hoping the mask and my training regimen will facilitate me meeting my physiological expectations, but as an added insurance policy, I'll be seeing a doctor and getting a prescription for Diamox. Climbers take it to prevent and reduce the symptoms of altitude
sickness. Headaches, fatigue, nausea,
dizziness, and shortness of breath are common when reaching altitudes above 10,000 feet. I'll also be taking a portable pulse oxymeter with me to keep tabs on the oxygen saturation level in my blood. This simple, $10 device, powered by two AAA batteries could be a real life saver. If nothing else, it could validate my excuses for throwing up my toenails if my training is insufficient and/or the Diamox doesn't work.
