big Wade's XL Adventure
Let's do some fun stuff and invite people along.
Targets
Here are my XL-sized goals. Each goal includes a timeline for the work, how it will be tracked/shared and how people can join up if they're interested.
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PS: XL is the roman numeral for 40, conveniently.
Hike 40,000 feet of elevation gain in 40 days
April 1 - May 10
Tracked via the Events page
This goal is a big-time homage to a bunch of past goals that helped me a lot.
A climbing we shall go. A fun way to train for the Colorado Trail will be to climb a bunch of elevation in a semi-short amount of time. On evenings and weekends, I will be finding places to hike a lot of elevation gain across the Front Range. On bad weather days I'll grind it out on a stairmaster at the gym. If you want to find out more and maybe hike with me, you can let me know on the Join the Party page or on the Events page.
Provide 40 small kindnesses to friends and strangers
All Year
Showcased via photos and stories
It's always good to get out of your own headspace by trying to energize other people when you can. Proven fact.
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I'm going to find 40 randos to do something nice for. I'm seeking partners to deliver these little sprinkles of goodness. If you're interested in throwing cash, high-fives, cheese, etc. at strangers and friends, let me know. We will conspire and make plans to brighten someone else's day a little bit.
Climb 40 pitches, mostly awkwardly
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All Year
Tracked via an awkward photo series
This is the goal that makes me the most nervous, so that means it must be worthwhile.
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There's a funny story about how I fell into climbing. I think it's hard and a little scary, which means this is a worthwhile goal. I'm very much in the neophyte category of climbers, so this will be a fun way to push towards gaining gains. I'm going to climb outdoors and it's going to be fun. Let me know if you want to climb with me on the Join the Party page or the Events page.
Take the Blue Zones Challenge over 4 weeks
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February 18 - March 16
Tracked via photos
It never hurts to refresh your menus and practices, and to simplify.
Blue Zones are places on the Earth where people have practices that extend their lifetimes. There is a challenge over 4 weeks where you can adopt the ways of living, diet and customs into your daily. They are pretty simple and straight-forward. It sounds like a cult maybe, but it's not I swear. Just some folks who live to be over 100 who know better about some things. I'm hoping some of the practices stick after 4 weeks, too.
Complete 40 hours of
acupuncture and therapy
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All Year
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A lot of wise people over the years have shared lessons with me about the importance of things like sleep, wellness, mind/body stuff, massage, stretching, therapy and acupuncture. I've got to take care of my mind and body this year, too - so this goal is how I want to acknowledge that this type of work will be happening all year.
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Hike 400 miles of the
Colorado Trail
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July - August - September
Tracked via Strava
Yippy kay yay! Here's the big target. Gulp.
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I want to take on 400 miles of the Colorado Trail by section hiking it. It's going to take some time and coordination. I'm going to crack at it on long weekends and over several different weeks in July, August and September. We are going to hike swiftly and ultralite(ish). A lot more to come on this goal, but let me know if you're interested in learning more info.
Raise $40,000 for the
Adaptive Climbers Festival
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All Year
Tracked via website thermometer
Let's raise some money for a great cause during the XL adventure.
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I was invited to the Adaptive Climbers Festival for the first time in October of 2022. It's a climbing festival for folks with disabilities, and an amazing community of people who love to grind at challenges and find new edges. I am seeking support to help the festival reach even more people, for travel scholarships and for adaptive equipment for our climbers. I'll be hosting events, fundraisers and pledge drives a few times this year - and asking everyone I know, including you, to consider supporting the event. You can give to the campaign here!
Involve 40+ friends in the shenanigans
All Year
Tracked via lots of pics and stories
It's been a pretty wild road to get to here. A zillion super kind people have helped me along the way. That's not just platitudes, it's truth. I am nothing without my friends and family. F'real and forevah.
I think it would be really fun to invite everyone along for whatever part of this XL adventure sounds fun. I hope you'll consider. Learn more on Join the Party.