As I watched the Marine Corps Marathon this weekend, I was thinking about the perseverance, endurance and training required to perform such an event. While it’s not quite the same as a marathon, I was reflecting on my first attempt to climb Mt. Fuji in Japan. I use the word “attempt” as that’s truly what it was. For some context, Mt. Fuji is more than 12,000 ft. high, and is only open for a few months a year, as a result of snow and it being too dangerous to climb out of season. I remember being asked by a friend and his sister if I’d like to climb and I thought what a great way to spend the weekend. My mind was full of imagining the stories I’d be able to share once I received the inevitable Monday morning question of “What did you do this weekend”?

I decided to go and after climbing for 5 hours in the middle of the night (as the plan was to watch the sunrise), I found myself in a situation which wasn’t quite what I was expecting. My friend’s sister was carrying my backpack, and I was moving at a snail’s pace and watched with defeat as countless people 2 or 3 generations older than me swiftly passed with ease. Before making it to the 6th hour, the decision was made to descend, as I could barely walk, and the only other way down would have been a helicopter evacuation. I learned quite the lesson that day, and watching someone else carry her own backpack as well as mine, was certainly an unforgettable experience.

About a year after that event, my younger brother gave me a call and let me know that he had scheduled a trip to visit and shared that as a part of his visit he’d like to climb Mt. Fuji. As you can imagine, that was not a pleasant conversation, as I had no interest in round 2, I had learned my lesson. However, my brother was persistent and shared that he would probably never make it back to Japan and that it was a lifelong dream of his to make the climb. While I was not excited or looking forward to any aspect of the experience, I decided that I would help him fulfill his dream and agreed to climb…given enough time to prepare. After that call, I did quite a bit of research and created a 4 month training plan. While I’ll spare the details of the plan, I will say that every day after work I spent 1.5 hours in the gym, doing strength, cardio and regular stair climbing exercises.

When the time arrived for the climb, I was nervous, not only for the climb, but for fear of having to turn back. As most can surely guess, the climb was successful and in 4.5 hours, we made it to the summit and I was able to watch one of the most beautiful sunrises I’ve ever seen.

Of course the lesson was an easy one…prepare before you attempt something very challenging. While the work we do here perhaps isn’t as physically demanding, it requires endurance, perseverance and training to consistently deliver the services we continue to deliver on a daily basis. Maintaining our skills is absolutely critical to our success, and I’d like each of you to think as the rating cycle begins how we can ensure we’re maintaining our preparedness. I look forward to hearing suggestions on how we can ensure we’re trained and have the appropriate knowledge, skills and abilities to overcome whatever challenges come our way.