The Morning Climb

This week I climbed Rib Mountain twice before sunrise, and somewhere during that second climb I realized something.

I’ve spent most of my life trying not to sit still.

That may sound strange coming from a guy who spent 40 years driving truck.

For the last 15 years of my trucking career, I hauled cars while building my business at the same time. Most people picture truck drivers sitting behind the wheel all day, but I was always looking for ways to move. I carried weights in the truck. At one point I even carried a bicycle with me. When I delivered cars, I often walked massive lots that seemed to stretch forever.

Looking back, I think I understood something before I had the words for it.

The body wants movement.

This week, standing at the base of Rib Mountain at 4:00 in the morning, I wasn’t thinking about longevity. I was mostly thinking about how steep that hill looked in the dark.

The first climb was hard. The second climb wasn’t easy, but it was noticeably better. I wasn’t breathing quite as hard, and the top seemed to arrive sooner than it had a few days before.

That’s when it hit me.

Progress usually doesn’t announce itself.

Most of the time, it shows up quietly. The hill feels a little shorter. Your recovery is a little faster. You have a little more energy.

You just keep showing up and one day realize you’re stronger than you were last week.

This is now part of my routine.

Three mornings each week, I’ll climb Rib Mountain before work. On the days in between, I’m weight training. Then I take one day completely off.

This week’s climb looked like this:

Distance: 4.5 miles

Elevation Gain: 690 feet

Time: 1 hour 22 minutes

Heart Rate at Summit: 118 bpm

What surprised me most wasn’t the climb up.

It was the climb down.

Going uphill challenged my lungs. Going downhill challenged my knees, balance, and muscles in ways I didn’t expect. The front of my legs let me know exactly what they thought about the descent.

The other thing I noticed was the silence.

At 4:00 in the morning, there are no emails, no phone calls, and no distractions. Just birds waking up, a few deer, and your own thoughts.

At one point I walked within a few feet of a deer that barely seemed to care I was there.

After years of business, deadlines, and responsibilities, that kind of quiet feels rare.

I have a feeling this mountain is going to teach me more than I expected.

One thing I’ve been thinking about this week is how different my life is now compared to when I was younger.

Back then, success meant building a business, making a sale, or hitting a goal.

Today, success looks a little different.

It’s waking up with energy.

It’s having healthy blood pressure.

It’s being able to climb a mountain at 64.

It’s having the strength to walk a golf course, carry groceries, and enjoy life.

The longer I study longevity, the more I believe most of the answers aren’t complicated.

Move more.

Sleep better.

Lift weights.

Spend time outside.

Eat real food.

Manage stress.

Stay connected to people.

None of those things are exciting enough to sell a miracle supplement, but they seem to show up over and over again in the lives of healthy older people.

I’m going to be honest about something.

This week I woke up with morning wood.

That might not sound like newsletter material, but I think it is.

As men get older, we tend to notice the things that stop working. We expect less energy. Less strength. Less vitality.

What got my attention wasn’t just the physical response.

It was what it represented.

For the last six weeks I’ve been almost completely carnivore. The only exception was one night when I ate an entire 18-inch pizza and had a couple of drinks. Other than that, I’ve stuck to meat, eggs, and foods that seem to work best for me.

At the same time, I’ve started climbing Rib Mountain three days a week and lifting weights on the days in between.

This week I noticed something that honestly hasn’t happened in a long time.

I woke up with morning wood.

Most men don’t talk about things like that, but I think we should.

Morning erections are often a sign that blood flow, hormones, sleep quality, recovery, and overall health are moving in the right direction.

Can I tell you whether it was the carnivore diet, the mountain climbing, the weight training, better sleep, or all of them working together?

No.

But I can tell you something feels different.

And that’s encouraging.

108/65

That’s my blood pressure this week.

Twenty years ago I would have been more excited about a business deal.

Today I’m excited about blood pressure.

Funny how life changes.

Blood pressure is one of the simplest measurements you can track, yet most men rarely pay attention to it.

Mine came in at 108/65 this week, which is excellent.

I suspect the regular walking, weight training, climbing, and cleaner eating are helping.

If you don’t know your blood pressure, take five minutes this week and check it.

You might learn something important.

Take a 10-minute walk after dinner every night this week.

That’s it.

No gym membership.

No special equipment.

No complicated plan.

Just walk.

It’s one of the easiest things you can do to improve blood sugar, digestion, circulation, recovery, and sleep.

Simple often works.

The Morning Climb.

That’s the experiment.

Three climbs every week.

Weight training on the days in between.

A mostly carnivore diet.

Better sleep.

And paying attention to the signals my body is giving me.

I’m tracking:

• Blood pressure
• Recovery
• Resting heart rate
• Energy
• Sleep
• Weight
• Mood

A few years ago my testosterone measured 942.

My most recent result was 689.

My goal isn’t to chase a number.

My goal is to become the healthiest version of myself and see what happens.

I’ll keep sharing the results as I go.

Years ago, I watched my mother struggle with dementia.

That experience changed me.

It made me realize that getting older is unavoidable, but how we age is influenced by the choices we make every day.

This week I climbed a mountain before sunrise.

Next week I’ll do it again.

Not because I enjoy suffering.

Not because I’m trying to prove anything.

But because I want to keep becoming the kind of man who can still do hard things.

The hill doesn’t get easier.

You get stronger.

Stay strong,

Gene

Men’s Longevity Insider

Gene is not a doctor. Always consult your healthcare provider before making significant changes to your health, exercise, or nutrition routine.