Working Out vs Training: What Changed When I Aimed at Everest Base Camp

Years ago, I began to feel the effects of aging, although at the time I didn't understand what was happening or have any warning that I would suddenly begin to feel different. It started with joint pain and stiffness, then the worst case of frozen shoulder my physical therapist had ever seen. It was 2020, and because it took months before I could be treated in person, the shoulder had plenty of time to do its thing.

I began working out partly because I had a theory: if I was going to feel pain and stiffness anyway, I wanted a reason for it. Why not DOMS? After a few months of lifting weights, I realized that much of my pain had really disappeared. Over time, consistent exercise became a big part of who I was. It just felt good. I added Orangetheory and Pilates.

At some point, my mindset changed. I wanted to “do” something with all this training and put it towards a goal. In November 2022, I set my sights on Everest Base Camp. It's a physically demanding multi-day trek, which is very on brand for me. I had 11 months to prepare!

I continued working one-on-one with a personal trainer to build strength and added more focused cardiovascular and endurance work. My weekends often included Orangetheory, Pilates, and another two hours of outdoor training on both days. The goal changed the way I approached fitness, there's a difference between working out and training.

Working out can improve your health, relieve stress, and help you move better. Training demands disciplined effort around a future commitment.

That required getting up on mornings when I didn't feel motivated and accepting that progress wasn't going to be linear. There were days when the work felt harder than it should have and I wanted to quit. But over time, I learned that discomfort passes and that I could remain composed inside it. I also learned what it felt like to keep a promise to myself long before I knew whether I would succeed, especially after talking this up to my friends and co-workers for so long.

Working out helped me feel like myself again, but training for Everest Base Camp showed me that I was capable of becoming stronger than I ever expected, and not just physically.