Reflection on the Internal Switch

After the 2000 Eco Challenge in Borneo, Malaysia I landed in the hospital for a week with leptospirosis and a fever of 105. Despite my delirium and inability to venture past my hospital room for 4 days, when my teammate David called to find out if I’d be able to do a scheduled race in a couple weeks, I said casually, “Yeah I’ll be fine, I'm in.”

In a sport like adventure racing we have to train our minds to step up when we are physically beaten down and 6 days sleep deprived. Sometimes the only way to accomplish this is to numb out the pain and switch on autopilot. My initial life as an individual hard core endurance athlete taught me to turn on this switch as needed and adventure racing just expanded the number of switches I had available at any given time. Lepto turned off a few of my bodily switches. My mind said – turn them back on and keep going. It all seems quite natural when it happens.

This is either a valuable warrior-like trait to be nurtured in ones endurance life or, its really stupid. In the case with Lepto taking over, the switching on attempt was futile as the infection left my body weak and depleted – no races for me for a couple months. Thank Buddha that even stupidity gets a solid reality check now and then.

As I get a bit wiser as I gain years I realize that the switch turning can be a chosen reflection of a situation rather than instinct (or stupidity), and that has proven to be the case these last couple of weeks. I didn’t just turn the switch of training back on after dealing with this heart issue, I’ve been easing it back up slowly – kinda like those wall switches that allow you moderate the brightness of the light in the room. I’m paying attention, checking in every day and noticing what types of behavior or foods cause reactions. Thus far with positive results.

But this past week when my training switch got close to the brightest option I figured it was time for some drastic action (stupidity or just continuing to suck the blood out of life?). I guess you can’t keep a switch turner down for too long. So I’m going to Ecuador for a bit of adventure.

this map (of South America) is for those of you who used to cut geography class

After a couple days of birthday running in the Yosemite high country, I’ll head to Quito, Ecuador in July to climb a few volcanoes over 8 days. Elevations on these mountains range from about 14,000 feet up to 20,701 feet on the highest – Chimborazo. We’ll then travel from Quito deep into the Amazon jungle near the border of Ecuador and Peru and the Kapawi Eco-lodge and Reserve.

The lodge is owned and operated by the Achuar people who live in one of the most remote and well protected parts of the Ecuadorian Amazon. We’re please to give them our business as we explore this fascinating part of our planet.

Kapawi lodge

My main switch is apparently back on. Planning for a trip like this is hugely life giving to me as I thrive in planning the intricate details of such a venture. I’ll be back at you with more details of these exciting adventures as they get closer…
Terri