Where is your next EPIC adventure? Even more important, how do you prepare physically and mentally? Tap into your competitive edge with Melanie Webb’s outdoor fitness adventure coaching. Now preparing clients for Mt. Kilimanjaro, The Playa, and NYC (New York City!?)

How often have you met someone who signed up for an incredible outdoor adventure trip thinking they would have plenty of time to train and prepare? Before they know it, the trip is 4 weeks away, life has gotten busy, and they aren’t ready. There are two choices at this point – 1. Go anyway and hope for the best; or 2. Blitzkrieg the sport-specific training and find an expert to coach you along the way.

This is the kind of fitness training that gets the outdoor adventure guide/personal trainer/gear head in me so excited that my energy overflows as I coach my clients toward their fitness goals. To summit a mountain, spend a week in the desert, or be on your game in the Big Apple requires much more than simply ’showing up.’ As your fitness adventure coach, I will help you develop a strategic plan, research the physical demands of the destination, select the right outdoor equipment, and prepare you mentally and physically for the challenges ahead. Preparation becomes part of the experience, the trip itself is the climax, one which will exceed your expectations because you invested the time and energy to achieve it.

So plan that adventure trip! Live the life. Tap into your fullest potential. Accomplish your fitness goals with Melanie Webb of Sol Fitness Adventures.

Because fitness is more than a gym workout – it’s a way of life!

Santa Barbara Hiking

Lately I’ve been getting a lot of questions about ways to improve training methods for outdoor athletic performance. First, thank you, friends, for picking my brain; and second, I’m getting some great feedback to share.

My passion is training the body in a way that fosters the connection to the body and improves performance in outdoor sports. Wherever possible, an outdoor exercise bout can bring it all together in a meaningful way that keeps the heart pounding and enlivens the spirit.

I trained Sara last week not knowing until the very end that she was on her way out for a hike right after the workout. The workout focused on initiating at the hip during leg exercises to improve the overall movement of the legs and hips. You can put this plan into action by moving from the hip first during any lower body exercise: lunges, squats, leg presses, even leg curls and extensions.

From the sounds of Sara’s note I’d say my brilliant little plan worked!

Hi Melanie,

Thanks for the great session!  Hiking up the trail, I realized  the difference between pushing from my feet, knees,  Or,  using my ‘Hips” while hiking.  This shift in awareness , in application, is sure to save my knees and i hope, totally change the derriere !

xxx
sara

P.S. I don’t have a picture of Sara, so you get, sigh, another one of me, this time on the beautiful Santa Barbara California hiking trails!

I’ve been having so much fun road-tripping around the world that I haven’t sat still long enough to blog about it! It looks like I’m back in the real world though. Time to try my hand in the blogosphere again.

I just returned from my Machu Picchu backpacking trip in the Peruvian Andes. I have to give the trail props, it was almost as difficult as it was breathtakingly beautiful. The trail had two 14,000 passes that turned my sea level lungs anaerobic in no time. I found the challenge exhilarating, the clean air refreshing, and my peers supportive, like teammates.

Sol Fitness Adventures Inca Trail Trek: Machu Picchu, Peru was a trip that tested everyone in different ways. Altitude proved to be the outward catalyst that released inward true colors. Some individuals caved to the mental psyche-out and never ventured to accomplish what they’d come to do. Others broke through mental barriers and fears, persevered in spite of splitting headaches and gut-wrenching nausea, or overcame real physical obstacles such as macular degeneration without uttering a complaint.

The true test of the trip for me didn’t seem to be as much physical as it was mental. Weeks before the trip I left my home of 6.5 years and quit my job at the fitness studio to start over in the west. Exactly where in the west I do not know. Anywhere the sun shines, I can work hard, and play even harder.

I arrived in Cusco with a lot on my mind. But I didn’t want to waste my thoughts projecting into the future. I determined to start each day with a healing visualization and set an intention with the help of Chaitanya, my yoga shaman, that I remain open to the goodness that Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) and Peru had to offer. The combination worked (being an eternal optimist helps). My mind was open and I found myself utterly present, not only during those 14,000 foot passes, but for the entirety of the trip. Thank you Pacha Mama!

Click for pictures of Sol’s 2009 Machu Picchu backpacking trip.

Day 1 of Sol Fitness Adventures Inca Trail Trek: Machu Picchu, Peru was a humbling experience, and not for the reasons you’d expect. Sure, starting a hike at 9,300 ft is a little challenging – the air is thin up here. But I had prepared diligently for the hike, so today’s four hours of hiking wasn’t that hard.

I was humbled by the Quechuan porters, the lifeblood of every tourist on Inca Trail guided tours. Jaws dropped and cameras flashed as we caught our first glimpse of the troupes of porters at the bottom of the trail. The porters climbed at a bustling pace, sprinting past us on even the steepest uphill sections. Their precariously balanced loads bore closer resemblance to the overloaded truck on The Beverly Hillbilly’s than our modern day backpacks. Black rubber open-toed sandals revealed bruised toes bandaged with plastic wrap while we enjoyed the comfort of our technical hiking shoes and $16 sweat-wicking socks.

In an effort to provide jobs and stimulate economic development, the Peruvian government requires anyone hiking the Inca Trail to hire a Peruvian guide and porter. The porters belong to a union that assures that they receive fair wages and are not abused on the trail. Porters place their heavy loads on a scale and are not allowed to carry an ounce over 40 kilos. Local farmers who guide to earn additional wages to support their family, these porters spared us ‘gringos’ the agony of carrying all of our own gear for four days.

I was pleasantly surprised to receive my own personal basin of warm water hand-delivered to my tent each morning and evening, complimented by a hot coca tea or a cold chichi moran punch. All this with welcoming smiles and a genuine graciousness I’ve rarely encountered.

So while I could spend this first blog talking about the spectacular scenery of the Andes Mountains, the site of my first Inca ruin, or how my training regimen prepared me for the hike, it is the porters who deserve my first and highest acknowledgement and praise. I thank them for taking such good care of us.

Click to view more pictures of Sol Fitness Adventures Inca Trail guided tours.

Click to view Anthony Bourdain’s visit to Cuzco and Machu Picchu, Peru.

One of my favorite things about Sol’s Inca Trail guided tours is visiting the city of Cuzco. At 11,000 feet in elevation, the old city of Cuzco is a delightfully vibrant hub of activity and culture. Cuzco, ancient Royal City of the Inca, was captured by a small army of Spanish invaders who destroyed the native people, their indigenous culture, and their temples of gold. Evidence of the Spanish victory is the enormous Catholic Cathedral was erected virtually on top of one of the holiest sites of the Inca.

Aside from the learning the history of Cuzco, my favorite Cuzco past time by far is seeking out the delicious Peruvian cuisine. I need to fuel-up for the challenging Inca Trail guided tours, after all, and what better way to acclimate than eat and rest?

Tucked away among the narrow cobblestone streets are hidden eateries, food stands, and markets offering everything from papas fries to creamy vegetable soups. My first visit to Cuzco required a visit to the eatery of Central Market. My friend Ami and I ate 30 cent tamales at the same stand where TV food critic Anthony Bourdain sat during his 2006 visit. I watched the market happenings with amusement as we devoured several tamales and made small talk with the vendors. There was a poor beggar kneeling in the entrance, babies sleeping on the mothers backs at the spice sacks, toddlers running around in spider man costumes. The most shocking sight was this dog who decided to take a leak between the food stalls! What stunned me more was the fact that nobody seemed to mind! It was evidence of what Maribel, our local Cuzco guide, told us, that “these are happy dogs, because they are free!”

Perhaps the most memorable Cuzco eating event happened the next day at lunch. Amie and I once again set out to find a tucked-away restaurant serving a local specialty: guinea pig. WAIT – did I say, guinea pig, as in the popular American pet, guinea pig? Yes, that’s right, cobayo. And yes, it’s a popular childhood pet here in Peru, too, but that doesn’t stop them from enjoying a good meal. As we waited with great anticipation for our delicacy of a lunch, the sound of a screeching rooster being strangled and beheaded echoed off the outdoor canopy covering of the restaurant. We were happy that we didn’t order the chicken. Our guinea pig feast arrived on a platter of roasted vegetables, head, whiskers, organs, and all. There wasn’t a lot of meat on the little guy, but there was was delicious!

There is so much wonderful Peruvian food that I could go on and on for days. But what would a food-lovers blog be without mention of the enticingly pink indigenous beverage chich de moran? Perhaps the oldest home brew, chich originates in Chincheron, site of an ancient brewery dating back to 1,000 years ago. Locals of all ages imbibed in tall glasses of the frothy flavor, its pink color perfectly suited to the colorful traditional costumes worn by co-op vendors.

If you enjoyed this post of a food-loving, hiking, camping traveler, join Sol Fitness Adventures on one of our Inca Trail guided tours. Our 8 Day/9 Night excursions include a visit to Cuzco as well as a 4 day Machu Picchu backpacking trip on the Inca Trail. Click here for all the juicy details. Click to view Sol’s Inca Trail Trek photo gallery.

Looking for a Machu Picchu backpacking trip? Welcome to Sol’s Inca Trail Trek: Machu Picchu, Peru. Sol Adventurers aren’t content to merely take the train. We’ll reach the ancient city the way the natives did, walking the Inca Trail in the High Andes with our Quechuan porters, exploring ancient ruins, eating Peruvian cuisine, and sleeping under the starry skies.

Tune in during the next 2 months for training tips, cultural highlights, and more as we prepare for this EPIC trek. Beginning May 23, track us in live time with SPOT GPS technology and Google Maps.

I’m back! Morocco was truly amazing and inspiring. Waking each day to the 5:30 am call to prayer that rang out through Rabat, Fez, and Marrakesh had me feeling like I’d stepped into a time machine and traveled back 1,000 years. The haunting sound wasn’t limited to the cities, either; the call echoed off mountain walls into my ears in the High Atlas Mountains above 7,000 ft . I was inspired as my Berber hiking guide, Omar, took a timeout from our lunchtime feast to pray.

Journey Beyond Travel, who specializes in Moroccan travel, planned a thrill-ride of an itinerary for us that included charismatic local guides, authentic Riad lodging, exciting explorations of the old city medinas, and invigorating hiking from a Berber base camp village. As all great adventures do, my Morocco trip had me ready to pack my bags, hop on a plane, and go right back.

Omar and I are brainstorming a few itineraries….and next time I go to Morocco the Sahara is at the top of the list!

I did a little research on my Mt. Toubkal, Morocco hike this weekend. Four key words lept from the page: “ice axe, crampons, and fatalities.” It turns out that my little 14,000 footer is going to require some mountaineering skill too! I’m so scared! Ahem. I mean, I’m so excited! I never thought I’d be learning how to use an ice axe and crampons in the Atlas Mountains, of all places. If I’d really wanted to add these skills to my toolbox I could have could have done so in the comfort of my backyard in Utah.

It’s time to kick the training into high gear. I think I’d better get to the climbing gym, and tell my trainer, Shane, that it’s time for more of those killer pull-ups!

I leave for Morocco in 1 month, which means it’s time to amp up the cardio training to get ready to hike Mt. Toubkal. It’s fall and the leaves are beginning to change, so Jen and I hit the road early to beat the crowds to the Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah’s. Driving further into the country the sprinkling rain turned into more of a downpour, until by the time we pulled up into the parking lot the sky was dark and the rain was so heavy that we were shocked to see cars there at all. Who else could possibly be this crazy?

We heeded Park Ranger’s warnings and avoided the slippery and blustery Old Rag trail and struck for the forested shelter of the Fire and Berry Trails. There were a lot more streams than I remember seeing before, with parts of the trail completely under running water. We hiked eight miles in all, entirely in the rain. It gave us a good chance to test our gear for Toubkal, although I don’t think it rains much in the High Atlas.

Speaking of gear – my Hot Chili tights were soaked, but I stayed warm and dry, and my Mountain Hardware Gear rain jacket with the taped seems and pit zips kept the water beading on the outside and me dry and aerated on the inside.

I’ve been back in DC two weeks now, and I was in desperate need of my outdoor fix. I headed straight for the Billy Goat Trail, the best little outdoor challenge nearby. Hiking along the rocky outcroppings next to the Potomac River is one of my favorite ways to combine being outside with my balance and agility training.

About 1/4 of a mile up the C&O canal from Angler’s Inn my friend and I came to a section that was fenced off. Not a problem, we just dropped into the dry canal – we were in the outdoors, afterall. The breach was impressive, and it was clear that the combination of water and erosion had had their way with the poor historic trail. We walked the creek bed up and around the roped off area until we could scramble 4 feet back up to the trail.

We had a great time on the Billy Goat and made our way back toward the parking lot where we were abruptly confronted by a Park Ranger telling us that we had to backtrack 1/2 a mile to a bridge, cross over to the Berma Road, then walk the 1/2 mile – or risk being given a $500 citation. I did not receive this directive well, as you can imagine, and I suggested a few alternatives. Could I walk the dry creek bed? NO. Could I cross the creek bed and hike the hill up to the road on the other side? NO. Would she personally escort us through the dry creek bed to the other side? NO.

I could see that I would get nowhere with this line of questioning so I was forced to oblige, much to my great annoyance. This IS the outdoors, right? It’s a sad thing that the NPS so afraid of lawsuits that they can’t even allow me to have the right to scrape my knee or sprain an ankle while I’m outside of all places. This wasn’t the Lincoln Monument, or even the White House, yet I was being treated like a potential land terrorist.

Come on, NPS, in spite of our urban locale, let’s remember why we come to the outdoors in the first place! It’s a sense of adventure, of being alive that we want! I realize this wasn’t backcountry, but surely it is possible to keep us safe within Federal bounds without being so unreasonable. I wonder what my readers think.