How Training and Preparing for the Colorado Trail Has Improved My Life in Many Ways

When I told my friend’s mom, who had walked the Camino de Santiago many times before, that I was going to do it last year, she said: “The way starts at the moment you decide to do it.” That stuck with me, and I think it applies to thru-hiking and other kinds of long-distance or endurance projects and journeys as well. Our thru-hikes begin way before we reach the trailhead. And this process can end up being a whole experience in itself, with its own life-changing aspects.

Learning from failure

Before I trekked to Everest Base Camp in 2024, I trained, researched, and prepared. But that was my first 14-day trek at high altitude, and I had never hiked for more than five days in a row. So, yes, I was prepared, but honestly, I wasn’t completely in my best shape. (Are we ever?) So when altitude sickness caught me at over 16,000 feet, I had to make one of the hardest decisions of my life: quit part of my original plan and not go to Gokyo Lakes and climb Gokyo Ri. I decided to start descending instead because I was feeling too weak and miserable and was no longer enjoying myself. I know we can’t totally control the effects of altitude, but something inside me still thinks that maybe if I had been even just a little bit in better shape, I could’ve pulled through. Well, I guess we’ll never know. But after that, I promised myself I would always, given the possibilities, of course, do my best to prepare physically and mentally for my next big hike.

And so I did.

I was really struggling getting closer to the highest mountain in the world

We have no agency over nature and the universe. Anything can happen, anything can go wrong. And that’s part of life. But nonetheless, I can do my part: study, learn, organize, research, prepare, and train. Really train. I know some people prefer to just wing it, and that’s totally fine. But that’s not at all the way I roll. I do believe in leaving space for the unexpected, for adjustments, and for letting things flow. But I also believe in the power of knowledge and information. It can save you from a lot of struggling.

The addictive feeling of possibility

In 2025, when I climbed Mount Roraima (Google it or read my previous text in case you haven’t heard about it), carrying a really heavy pack on my back, crossed under a waterfall while climbing the mountain’s wall, and went up and down for eight days with basically zero aches and pains, I knew I was getting addicted to the feeling of possibility. Of being able to do great things with my body, even though I grew up hating PE classes and any kind of sport, for that matter.

Feeling great on the top of Mount Roraima

I’m not an athlete, never have been. I grew up close to the outdoors but always lying down with a book. Not a lot of running, not a lot of risk-taking. I was deep into the adventures in my books, daydreaming. I was a curious kid, though. So I read about explorers, adventurers, sailors, and mountain climbers, longing, but never believing I could actually achieve anything remotely like that.

All that work actually pays off

But still, by deciding to tackle a big project like the Colorado Trail, the 560 miles of the Camino Francés, or the Everest Base Camp Trek, I didn’t just read about it. My planning and prepping ended up leaking into my personal life, actually even becoming my personal life in a way:

• I need money, so I need to keep doing a good job at work;

• I need to sleep well in order to feel good the next morning for long training sessions, so I go to bed earlier;

• I stop drinking so I don’t have hangovers;

• I start seeing a nutritionist so I understand how to get the right fuel for walking long distances;

• I wake up early so I can train;

And so on…

Because of that, I start seeing some pretty cool consequences: I start losing some weight (or gaining some muscle) and feeling better about my body, I start saving money because I’m cooking my own food and not going out too much, and I’m not spending money on alcohol either. I feel more energetic and healthier. I get this great feeling of always learning something new because of all the books, articles, videos, and podcasts. I’m busier, so I mindfully choose how and with whom to spend my time. I end up becoming a more intentional friend. I totally relish the feeling of being organized and working toward reaching a big goal and dream.

Lazy? Don’t think so! (Anymore…)

Over the past few years, I realized that I’m not as lazy as I always thought I was. I guess I just didn’t know that I could, maybe, if I tried, have what it takes to, I don’t know, say… cross the whole state of Colorado (remember, I’m all the way down in Brazil) over the Rocky Mountains for almost 500 miles carrying everything I need to survive out there! Unfortunately, I didn’t grow up with a lot of athletic encouragement. But at least now I’ve been discovering all the amazing things my body can do and the beautiful places it can take me if we both work hard enough.

Plain curiosity has made a lot possible for me. And by adding just a bit of focus, discipline, the will to keep going, and drive, a whole new world has opened up. Of course, sometimes we won’t feel like training, sometimes we won’t feel like doing anything anymore. And that’s OK. Need to take a day off? No problem! It’s essential to slow down and rest. But keep going. The journey is full of ups and downs, but we just have to keep going.

Doing our own thing

I’m sure many of you can relate to what I’m talking about. Most of you maybe have walked many more miles and accomplished much more. I guess my point here is that we don’t need to be big athletes or some kind of special person to be able to achieve great things. What do you consider a great thing, anyway? I don’t want to be fast, much less the fastest. I don’t want to break a record. I just want to go on and live a great journey, reach my limits, maybe surpass them, challenge my body, and achieve fantastic things, in my own simple personal opinion.

I remember the moment I decided I was going to walk the Colorado Trail. It was November last year. Since then, in a way, I’ve already started my journey. So much learning and growing, so many feelings, so many beautiful connections. I feel so much lighter in my soul and so much stronger both physically and emotionally because of this whole process of managing a project that is actually just me trying to make another dream come true.

Right now, while I write this text, a little more than a month before I officially start the trail, I deeply believe I will make it and become a thru-hiker, making the 12-year-old version of myself feel really shocked and proud. I’m doing my part, and I feel awesome about it. However, I’m also aware deep in my heart that even if things don’t go as planned, even if I can’t finish it for some reason, it will all have been completely worth it. The journey before the journey has already improved me in countless ways and taught me not to give up and to keep living a life that leads me toward my dreams. One step at a time.