How I trained for my trek to Everest Base Camp.
A lot can happen in a year. Michelle Stammers joined SE Fitness in May 2011 as a beginner runner. In May 2012 she trekked to Everest Base camp!
In the last 12 months and since going on to become a leader for SE Fitness, how my life as changed! Through my job as a Personal Travel Advisor, I was selected to take part in this amazing trip, something I would have never have attempted before. I had 3 months to get ready for my 17 day trek and was very grateful that I had the expert advice from the Olympian Sally Ellis to help me. My trip was described as tough to extreme, so I knew I had a lot of hard work ahead of me to get to the peak of the physical fitness needed to be able to do it. So my plan was 3 easy runs a week coaching my runners for SE Fitness, plus 1 hard run, 1 swimming session and a visit the the Alter G machine at Aspire Little Aston. The Alter G was my saviour for hill training. It’s an anti-gravity treadmill – you are zipped into a pod from the waist down and you don’t feel any stress on your joints when training. So, I trained for 6 days a week for 3 months. Soon, my trip was upon me and I waved goodbye to all my friends and loved ones to go off on my adventure. It was very tough. Sometimes trekking for 9 hours a day on very difficult terrain. Not being able to shower, dirty conditions, altitude sickness, bed bugs – all these things challenged me beyond anything I had ever imagined. The one thing that got me through it was that I was fittest that I had ever been throughout my whole life. My body did everything I asked it to do. So, the times that I felt like crying and the times that I really missed home, were made a bit better by the fact that I was strong and coped with the physical side of things. My fitness got me through. Thanks to all the runners at SE Fitness for supporting me and encouraging me to rise to the challenge of my trip – an unforgettable experience.