35 years of Expeditions today.
On this date in the year of 1986 I started cycling from Isla de Chiloe, heading for Alaska. I made it to Fairbanks about 1½ year later. I spent two years of training hard before that journey. Lot´s of cycling of course, but most of the time at the gym. Even back then, I was following a kind of a nutritional regime. A lot of protein! Through food, bulk powder and liver pills!
35 years on I am still training and preparing for upcoming Expeditions. Two of the most demanding one´s. The Greenland Icecap and the North Pole. I am training 6-7 days out of 9 week schedule. And I am following an Expedition diet.
BUT, in the middle I didn´t prepare at all. I am thinking the Siberian journey, which is the hardest Expedition I have done so far. I was at my prime as an explorer. Around 40 years of age. As physically strong as experienced. Now, it is a lot of experience and less strength. Before that, it was all strength! Before the Siberian, from where most of these photos come from, I hunted and fished. pretended to drag tires, but I think it didn´t happen more than 25 times or so. But I added on 18 kg:s of weight. That was the idea back then. For all Arctic Expeditions, put on fat!
Fat is still needed for Polar expeditions, but a different kind and ways to add it to your body. In defence of the 18 kg add on, after a month of paddling down the Kolyma, it was gone! That hard work!
Three things have changed in the way of preparing for Expeditions compared to 35 years ago. Which I realized the other day when I again ran the 23-25 km Häckeberga Circle.
See this clip to get the insight!
