TRAINING: Leave your summits at the door & step into the ring

One of the most common questions I'm asked (especially here in Toronto) is, “How do you train to climb a mountain like Denali?” 

Well, Torontonians are very astute. There clearly aren’t any mountains on my doorstep and apart from 12 flights of stairs when the elevator breaks down, vertical movement doesn't often feature in my routine. 

But, the long and short answer is, “Boxing”. 

Before you think I’m a bit of a brute, let me give you some context and background…

I discovered boxing in the most unlikely of places – on the slopes of the Eiger, a notoriously dangerous 4,000metre mountain in Switzerland. I was on an expedition with a friend who was using the climb as part of his training for a white-collar boxing match. He was incredibly fit and basically ‘ran’ up the mountain and despite a swanky gym-membership, I huffed-and-puffed my way behind him. When I questioned what his secret was he answered ‘boxing’.  The rest you could say is history… 

Power of Boxing

Back in London, my friend invited me to join a “Power of Boxing” boxing session at the iconic Fitzroy Lodge Amateur Boxing Club (ABC). I admit, I did think ‘Me? Boxing?’I was slightly daunted (*understatement*) by the prospect of super-fit muscle-men throwing punches at me. Walking into the Lodge, my eyes were drawn to the weathered black and white photographs depicting of some of the greatest boxers who had set foot in the ring (e.g. Cornelius "Boza" Edwards, Neville Cole and David Haye). The place oozed soul, grit, and history. I was self-conscious and wondered if I was ‘tough’ enough. I began to worry whether the MAC concealer in my handbag was heavy enough to hide a black eye…

I had nothing to worry about! I soon realised that I’d found one of the most rewarding, all-round workouts that I’d ever experienced. From a physical perspective, it was tough and challenging. From a mental perspective, I was given heaps of positive encouragement by other boxers and by the trainers themselves. I pushed myself through the rotations - learning how to spar, getting on the running machines to test my limits on cardio, rounds of skipping and push ups and finishing with three rounds on the bags. By the end of the hour I was sweaty, exhausted BUT exhilarated and instantly hooked.  

But was I sore? I’m not going to lie. Hell yeah. I was sore. Fantastically sore. But I had the satisfaction of having earned it and needless to say, I was back two days later and haven’t looked back since..! 

9-Round

When I moved to Toronto, joining a boxing club was one of the first things on my to-do list. I’m terrible at motivating myself and can usually find about 10 different things on my never-ending-list as an excuse to avoid going to the gym – washing the dishes, doing laundry, ironing suddenly seem so much more appealing..! I came across 9Round, a gym offering 30-minute drop-in boxing classes few blocks from my flat. The format and schedule of 9-Round suited me perfectly and I signed up immediately.

As is pretty evident from this blog, one of my passions is mountain climbing and, unfortunately, I do need to be fit both mentally and physically travel to and survive in these environments. Boxing has been a fantastic ‘fitness vehicle’ for me to prepare to head into the mountains. Training sessions provide a group-environment that is individually oriented, intense, and affordable, and under the guidance of great instructors and surrounded by a fantastic network of support.

And the best part about boxing is that you’re not “fighting” anyone but yourself. Unless you’re sparring with one of the trainers, most of it is you and the bag, or the circuits and you’re in control of how fast or slow you go. Boxing (like climbing) is much more mental than people might realise. It's about endurance and growth. Perfecting your form, learning new combinations and trying every class to get a little farther, push yourself a little more. 

The only person you're trying to beat up is you. 

Keeping motivated...

There are days when I arrive at a boxing session after a long day and think, ‘Ugh. Am I really up for this. There's a margarita in the pub around the corner calling my name...’ No sooner does the session begin then endorphins kick in and all the days stresses and worries are forgotten.  When you walk through the door you leave your work behind. Everyone is an equal, everyone is authentic. There are no games, no prejudices, no preconceptions, no judgements. It’s a place where ‘you can be you’. If you’re having a bad day, you’ll be guaranteed to walk out of the session with a smile on your face – the result of the feel-good work-out endorphins, some healthy banter and the sense of satisfaction that you’re healthier and fitter than when you walked through the door thirty-minutes earlier. 

And if you're still "on the ropes" wondering if this is a sport you might want to try, here are a few more reasons to check it out...

Whether you're pounding a punch bag or skipping your heart out, boxing is something I can’t recommend enough. On top of toning your muscles, it offers heaps of benefits that make it a brilliant all round exercise choice…

Earn that extra chocolate! Boxing burns calories. For me, a 30 minute class can burn about 400 calories (based on my weight and intensity) but it can be up to around 500 calories or more.  And the benefits don’t just stop there - you also lose visceral fat (the fat around the stomach). Visceral fat is a key player in a variety of health concerns, so focusing on getting rid of it is important. 

You’re in control.What you put into it is what you get out of it. 
If you want to see results, you need to keep at it. At first you'll gain muscle weight. Put in a few more sessions and you'll see your endurance grow. 

Push yourself. Boxing makes you strong.
To build up speed, endurance and keep your body in optimum health, it needs to be strong. Boxing is the perfect exercise for achieving absolutely all of those things and I can’t think of a more satisfying way to get the job done!

Had a hard day? Boxing is a brilliant stress reliever.
You might think that pounding away on a punching bag will send your aggression into overdrive but it’s actually incredibly therapeutic. Boxing helps relieve physical and mental stress and tension with every punch. Boxing decreases stress hormones like cortisol and increase endorphins (aka - your body's ‘feel-good’ chemicals), giving your mood a natural boost.

On a budget? Boxing is inexpensive and easily accessible.
Different to high altitude mountaineering, boxing requires very little investment – just bring yourself, boxing gloves, hand wraps, a skipping rope, a pair of trainers and away you go..! 

“Don’t count the days, make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali

So what's next?

In 5 days I depart for Alaska to brave severe conditions to climb the tallest mountain in North America – Denali via its notoriously challenging west buttress route. Located 130 miles north of Anchorage, Alaska, Denali rises an icy 6,190m (20,310 feet) out of a sea of glaciers and other peaks that comprise the Alaska Range. 

High altitude, sub-Arctic conditions, fickle weather, unpredictable storms, steep slopes, and deep crevasses combine to make Denali one of the most difficult and severe mountains in the world. The climb will involve relaying loads of equipment over 66 kilometers (41 miles) in 22 days, establishing camps and climbing slowly enough for proper acclimatization. In addition, I'll be carrying a 60 pound pack and pull a 40 pound sled, loaded with gear to establish camps on the mountain as I prepare to get into position to summit in late June. 

I'm taking on this challenge to raise funds and awareness for two incredible charities My goal is to raise $2,000 for Women's College Hospital (Canada) and 2,000 GBP for Wellbeing of Women (UK) to help fund critical and lifesaving research into cancers impacting the health and wellbeing of women and their families. Links are included below and all donations - no matter how big or small - are tremendously appreciated. 

So, if you've read all the way down of this article - brilliant and thank you (!) - I hope that you'll consider taking a quick minute to make a small donation to support lifesaving research.

Wellbeing of Women (UK): https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/WellbeingofWomenDenali

Women's College Hospital (Canada): http://wchf.convio.net/site/TR?fr_id=1160&pg=entry

THANK YOU so much!