Endurance, defined, is the ability to endure mentally or physically, something that takes place over a long period of time. This is my all-encompassing definition. It was easy to come up with because I’ve thought about it a lot. It came to the forefront of my thinking yesterday, as I was cross country skiing.

The mental part – it was a bit of a slog, mentally and physically, skiing on a trail that was much the same the entire way. The trail had been pummeled by snowmachines, bicycles, and skis. It had the consistency of cake dough. I found myself thinking, when will this be over? The monotony was broken up by incredible views of the Chugach and Talkeetna Ranges, and some downhill sections.

I knew what to expect because I’d both bicycled and skied on the white highway quite often in the past. I also had experience in doing moderate and long treks.

There was no physical pain because I was on skis in which I had stability.

Alys in the Yukon

I did not get winded, nor did I get overly tired. Today my legs may have felt heavy. I didn’t pay any attention to them.

I am not in great physical shape right now; in fact, I’d say that I’m in terrible physical shape, the worst I’ve ever been. I have not had the time to work out. Nevertheless, yesterday I had plenty of endurance.

The reason was that I had neurological memory of having done this activity multiple times before, and having this memory enabled other parts of my brain to know what to expect. For instance, I ran multiple marathons, and after doing a few knew how I’d feel at the 18 mile point, which was like crap. I put my mind to getting from Point A to Point B and did not waver attention-wise. I am fortunate in that I have an excellent attention span. This too is a definitional aspect of the term that’s been previously ignored.

I’d say the same of my very good friend Becky. She was right behind me the entire way, and also pacing herself. Becky is a lifelong hiker and bicyclist. She and I went and hiked in the Yukon this past summer. I was then right behind her. My problem wasn’t that I lacked endurance, but rather the proper outdoor gear. This didn’t slow me down physically, but rather mentally. I did fret some about the holes in my hiking boots, and my water containment system. Becky had good boots and a Camelback, so over the long haul, she would have easily outdistanced me.

I do not know how long either Becky or I will have as much endurance as we do now. There is not a whole lot written about this because the concept of endurance is so nebulous.

It’s also said that women have more endurance than men. This is spoken of as being related to childbirth. I think that it should be considered in relation to the nine-month pregnancy. Giving birth rivals running a marathon.

Next: 1/3/23: So far, so Good