Lexie Klein

My Everest

By 29029 Everesting

September 25^th, 2020

My Everest

After reading an article online about 29029, I stopped what I was doing and immediately called my husband and told him I wanted to do this event. Mount Everest has always been a source of wonder for me. I've been fortunate enough to have trekked in Nepal and Tibet, but I knew I was never going to actually climb Everest at my age. Many capable "older" people do it, but I knew I wasn't at a point in my life where that was something I could seriously contemplate doing. What I could wrap my head around was walking up a mountain 13 times over 36 hours. While it wasn't the real thing, I was drawn to this event, which, in a way, would be my own Everest.

Despite living a life where I was always physically active, I realized that I had gotten soft in recent years. 29029 Utah was the perfect opportunity for me to prove to myself that I could still do challenging things and a chance to be surrounded and supported by a whole community that would be pushing themselves mentally and physically.

This was a perfect way to take on My Everest.

My Own Pace

My husband was the only person I told that I would do this event. I decided I didn't need any negativity or self-doubt to creep in, so I didn't tell anyone else, not even my closest friends or my children, about the journey I was about to embark on.

In preparation for going up 29029 vertical feet, I had to get my body ready. I am a hiker, but it's always been the inclines that are a real challenge for me, so I had to really work on the hill sprints, walking on incline treadmills, and hiking on the Stairmaster. I knew it was essential to focus on getting as much elevation as possible. I also had to learn to run for long periods of time. There were many times during training that I wanted to give up and quit, but I’d put my iPod on, and tell myself that I could go as slow as I wanted, that I just had to get it done. I didn't have to keep up with anyone else.

I printed out my weekly workouts and kept track of my daily progress. Seeing that little piece of paper with check marks on my counter every day was a massive part of my accountability. In the end, I wasn't racing anybody - I was just trying to finish. Giving myself permission to go at my own pace ended up helping me to be faster and to stay healthy.

"Be Where Your Feet Are"

The night before the event, there was a small get-together with all the athletes. Many other participants were talking and sharing advice. When Jesse Itzler stood in front of the audience and said, "Be where your feet are" it stuck with me, and I kept reciting what would become my personal mantra throughout the weekend (and beyond, really).

It was so simple, and so impactful. Words are very powerful for me, and these words ultimately got me up and down the mountain so many times. In my training, I was addicted to my watch and my music to help distract me from the physical pain. After hearing this mantra, I realized I didn't want to rely on anything external. I was in tune with my body and knew that my feet would carry me all the way to the finish line. That conscious decision was a massive part of my success. It didn't matter what my heart rate was or how fast I was going. I had a singular focus, to be exactly and only where my feet were.

Finish What I Started

It wasn't until I was at the base of the mountain, before the first climb at 6 am, that I sent out an email to my children explaining what I'd been training for. I told them I'd spent four months preparing to summit the equivalent of Everest over the next 36 hours. I noted that I would be turning off my cell phone, but I would let them know if and when I finished. And with that, I unplugged and directed my attention to the mountain ahead of me.

Unbeknownst to me, my daughter discovered that she could track my progress online. My kids immediately started discussing amongst themselves my progress. They were impressed that I was keeping up with the 'fast group.'

Like an ever-beating drum, my steady pace kept me on track and on target. I might be a wimp in other parts of my life, but somehow I could dig down and push through 36 hours of grueling physical endurance. When it came to the sixth lap, though, my legs felt shredded, and I started to feel physically ill — I knew I had hit a wall. One of the 29029 staff came over and reassured me that many endurance athletes go through a similar experience and promised me that I would be okay.

And I was. I chugged through another few ascents that night, went to bed feeling awful, cold, and uncomfortable, and woke up feeling the same. But throughout those hours, I knew I would finish what I started.

My Personal Journey

Before we started, I was talking with some of the other participants, and everyone shared their targets. When it was my turn to say my goal out loud, I was modest and conservative with my response because that's what I honestly thought was feasible for my body. When I crossed paths with some of those really fit, young athletes during the weekend, they asked, "what lap are you on?" When I replied, their reactions to my progress said it all — it was the reassurance that I needed to know that I was capable of doing this.

I wasn’t the biggest chatterbox on the mountain, but I took great encouragement from my co-participants who were struggling alongside me. In small ways along the paths or in the aid stations, we picked each other up and pushed each other to keep going and endure. While I didn't engage in deep conversations like some others, I welcomed and valued the human interaction and the comfort of knowing that like-minded athletes were all working towards the same goal.

Everest

When I got in the gondola to go down after the final ascent, I turned on my cell phone and took a selfie where I look like I'm about to die, and I sent it to my kids and my husband with the caption: Everest!!! They all wrote back immediately and were shocked to hear that I was one of the people who finished as they had decided to stop following my progress online when I went to sleep Friday night. It was one of the best moments of my life, knowing how proud they were of me.

I hope people read this and realize that you can start wherever you are. I couldn’t even run a mile when I started training for this. You don't have to be a mega-athlete or in your prime; all you need is self-will, and you can literally conquer mountains.

The Sequel

When the Utah event was finished, I found I wanted a new goal. I signed up for a few 10K and half-marathon running races, but when the Idaho event was announced, I knew I wanted one more chance to be with my new tribe. Halfway through the training, the event was postponed, and I had to use the mental muscles I had gained along this journey to get over that disappointment and keep plugging away. In June, I completed the virtual Idaho event on the streets of Houston, Texas, walking 70.1 miles in brutal heat, humidity, and rain, losing a toenail, and ravaging my feet and legs. It was both easier and harder than being on the mountain, and now I really can’t wait to be on the mountain again next summer.