The South Rim Lesson: Why I am Training for the Peaks of 2026

Two years ago, almost to the day, I stood at the trailhead of the South Rim Trail in Big Bend National Park. It was a clear day in the Chisos Mountains, the kind of day that feels full of promise and adventure, at least until the vertical gain starts to kick in. 

At the time, the stats on AllTrails felt like a challenge I was ready for: 13.1 miles and nearly 2,500 feet of elevation. It remains the hardest hike I have tackled to date. It was the day I realized that being “in shape” isn’t the same as being prepared! 

As we gear up for an ambitious 2026 “Summer of Summits,” I find myself constantly looking back at that trail to the South Rim overlook. I am no longer just “going for a hike”; I’m putting miles in my shoes now, so that when I hit the trails later this year, my physical preparation matches my mental drive.

 

1. The Mental Battle: Facing the Imposter at Mile Nine

The physical climb of the South Rim trail is grueling, but the mental climb was harder. I didn’t start the day with fear loops running in my head. Did I think I’d be hiking a trail this challenging a few weeks prior, no. But was I ready and excited to see what I could do, yes! But as the hours wore on and the trail seemed to loop endlessly, the imposter thoughts started to creep in.

Am I actually going to finish this? 

What if my body just stops?

Am I a real hiker?

Fear is a relentless enemy when you are tired (and your feet hurt). I had to work overtime to keep myself in positive mental loops, repeating my affirmations just to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Even as the trail turned toward the descent, the challenge remained relentless. My husband was there and together grounded each other, but the raw truth was, I was fighting a lack of belief in my own ability. 

The Lesson: Conquering a hike is 20% legs and 80% mindset. If you haven’t trained your mind to handle the ups and downs, the summit will always feel out of reach. I’ve come to realize that hiking is the ultimate analogy for life; you have to mange your mind to reach your “peaks.”

 

2. The Summit Crash and the Reality of Fueling

We reached the peak, well technically the South Rim Overlook. There is something so surreal about looking over the canyon into Mexico that is difficult to put into words. The land stretched on for as far as eye can see. We took the iconic photos looking out over the desert floor. And for twenty minutes we felt invincible as we ate our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and snacks. 

As we started the descent toward the parking lot after that view and lunch it was a different trail. It was a different feeling. There was a sense of accomplishment. We did it!  I did it! And while we had about seven miles left, we were just thrilled we’d made it to the overlook. We told ourselves, it was “all down hill from here.” 

But then, the crash hit! 

As the adrenaline of the summit/overlook wore off, a shaky feeling set in. We had water, but started to conserve it, reserving our sips and feeling irritable and depleted. Our energy was tanking. We had eaten most of our snacks, so we were passing a bag of dried mango between the two of us, hoping for a spark of energy that never quite came. The trail seemed to stretch into eternity. We had the drive to get to the parking lot, but we didn’t have the sustain; the stamina and resources within us were completely depleted.  And it wasn’t just me, my husband felt it too.

Looking back, I realize we were coming off a sugar rush and hitting a wall. We finished that hike – which is a true accomplishment.  And we celebrated and enjoyed the journey. But we finished on empty. Our spirits dampened, our feet sore, and our energy tanked because we hadn’t fueled for the long haul. 

3. The 2026 Training Ground: “Miles in Shoes”

Today, my training looks very different. Since our current “base camp” is in flat South Florida, we can’t simulate the upcoming summit climbs with elevation over 2,500 ft. Instead, we are focusing on “miles in shoes.”

At Big Bend, the soles of our feet were our weakest physical point. By the end, every step was an exercise in pain management. Now we are logging 3 to 4 miles (almost) every single day, increasing our speed and toughening our feet to avoid the blisters and aches that slowed us down, and eroded our mental strength in Texas.

We are building resilient feet and the calloused mind required for the hikes  (just to name a few) we have coming up this year. 

• The Journey North: Providence Canyon, Red River Gorge, and Letchworth Gorge
• The Vermont Highs: Mount Mansfield, Camel’s Hump, and Mount Pisgah
• The New Hampshire Whites: Mount Lafayette and the Franconia Ridge
• The Fall Adventures: Delaware Water Gap and Old Rag

4. The Starch-Powered Engine

The biggest shift from 2024 to 2026 is what is on my plate. I no longer “wing it” when it comes to energy for these hikes. I know that to conquer a peak, you have to fuel the engine long before you hit the trailhead. 

We use the Starch Solution to essentially “carb-load” with intention. Our dinners are 50-70% starch – massive bowls of rice, pasta, or potatoes. We’ve traded the “shaky” irritability for steady, long burning fuel of starch based meals. 

When I finish my 4-mile training walks now, I don’t feel depleted. I feel like I could go four more. This is the power of personal responsibility and intention; taking charge of my body so I can show up for my goals. 

The Starch-Based Taco Bowl

This is my easy go-to taco bowl dinner. It’s simple, oil-free, and packed with complex carbohydrates needed to fuel my training walks and hikes. And, you can find all the ingredients at a normal grocery store (which is perk when traveling.) 

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked rice (white or brown)
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed, seasoned with 1 tsp oil-free taco seasoning
• 2 cups shredded romaine or mixed greens
• 1/2 cup pico de gallo (fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and lime juice
• 2-4 tablespoons Cashew Sour Cream (I highly recommend this recipe from Kathy’s Vegan Kitchen)
• 1/4 sliced avocado (optional)

Instructions

1. Start with your rice
2. Layer on your greens
3. Top with your beans (you can heat your beans in a small saucepan with the seasoning and a splash of water if you’d like)
4. Load on the Pico de Gallo 
5. Drizzle on your Cashew Sour Cream and top with your avocado. 
6. enjoy!  Mix it all together for a satisfying and starch power meal that leaves you feeling full and energized! 

5. Finding the Goal

As a woman in my 40s, these hikes have become a homecoming. In my 20s and 30s, I was too focused on the social scene (and my body paid the price); now I am focused on the connection. I want to reconnect with nature, with my husband, and with the version of myself that stands strong on a summit. 

Conquering your “hardest hike” requires a clear goal. Napoleon Hill calls it a Definite Chief Aim. You have to know what you want AND why you want it. 

• Who do you want to become  in the process?
• What version of yourself are you building with each mile (or stepping stone)?
  

  I belong here! South Rim Trail

I am becoming the hiker who knows she is far more capable than her fears suggest. I’m putting the “miles in the shoes” now, so that when I stand on Mount Mansfield this summer, I’m not just a visitor. I am a woman who belongs there! 

 

Join the Conversation

I am so much more than a collection of recipes, and so are you! I want to help you take back personal responsibility for your own health so you can live your most inspired life, whatever your personal “peaks” may be.

Let’s chat: Come find me on Instagram, @veginspired . I’ll be sharing more behind-the-scenes of my training and alignment work in my stories. 

Until next time, stay aligned & VegInspired!

A glimpse of what I wrote on Instagram a couple weeks after our hike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Kathy | Plant-Based & Vibrant Living (@veginspired)