Keith and the Wonderland Trail~
Keith has been a long time member at Platinum Fitness Center for several years. He trains religiously by walking to and from the facility with his a backpack filled up to 55 pounds RAIN or SHINE! You may have seen this local legend on foot, passing him on back roads or in person at the gym. Here is his story about training and his experience hiking the Wonderland Trail in Mt. Rainier National Park.
In mid-September of this year, I had the good fortune to complete a 10-day circuit hike of the Wonderland Trail in Mt. Rainier National Park. I did the hike with my daughter, a good friend and his son. We could not have had a better experience - the WT unfolded in novel and astonishingly beautiful ways every single day. Mt. Rainier NP is SO much more than the mountain (although that is awesome!). We were exceptionally lucky with the weather, experiencing significant rain only on the last day. The Wonderland Trail is 93 miles; we took some side hikes which made our trip 101 miles with about 25,000'; of ascending. It was a workout, the best possible kind.
A lot of planning and preparation went into the trek. My daughter traveled from her home in Australia to do the hike, arriving just 2 days before we started. I had my fingers crossed that she would be happy with the food I assembled. Fortunately she was.
My physical preparation was centered on one key concept: consistency. Platinum Fitness Center played a big role and its 24/7 availability was a key part of that. Schedules are great, but things come up requiring adjustments. Having a club with 24/7 access gives me the flexibility to fit my workouts in whenever when my schedule allows. The facilities at the club fit the bill perfectly as well - Platinum Fitness has everything one could need or want to work on the upper-body, lower-body, core and cardio. I also like to exercise outside, so I hiked to/from the club with a 55 pound backpack. My backpack for the Wonderland Trail weighed about 30 pounds, so it felt great by comparison.
Even though my Wonderland Trail adventure is over, I am continuing my exercise regime, still focusing on consistency. I have new adventures planned for the coming year and I know I will enjoy them more if I am prepared.
Thanks to the team at Platinum Fitness Center for being so supporting and maintaining such a great facility (and a friendly atmosphere!).
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