From Inspiration to Achievement: My Grand Canyon Rim to Rim Adventure

Finding My Motivation

The seed for my Grand Canyon adventure was planted when I watched my trainer friend Lindsay (@lifewithcoach_lo) tackle the Rim to Rim hike through her social media stories in 2024. What struck me most was her determination – despite severely spraining her ankle at the start of what was meant to be a Rim to Rim to Rim journey, she adapted and still completed the single crossing.

This stood in stark contrast to an impression I’d formed years earlier when another friend – a male trainer who I can only describe as a “total stud” – had completed the same hike. His experience had left me believing this challenge was reserved for elite athletes, something beyond my capabilities. The way he described it made the Grand Canyon crossing seem impossibly extreme.

But watching Lindsay’s journey changed everything. If she could adapt to an injury and still conquer this iconic trail, perhaps it wasn’t as unattainable as I’d imagined. Her experience sparked something in me – a determination to set this as my goal, even though I was still recovering from back surgery in May 2024.

Making the Commitment

In January 2025, I reached out to Lindsay to see if she was doing the hike again and possibly hosting a group. She connected me with Dave, who hosts Grand Canyon hiking groups, and suddenly what had been a distant dream became very real – I had a spot with 9 others to join a larger group of 30 people from Boston, Seattle, Phoenix, and Minneapolis.

Although the standard route is South Kaibab Trail to North Kaibab Trail, we learned of a trail closure that changed our plans. We would instead start on the North Rim and finish on the South Rim, which meant more careful planning for water, sun exposure, and elevation changes.

Training with Purpose

Even though I’ve been a professional trainer and coach for over 25 years, I decided to hire an endurance coach. I firmly believe that even coaches need coaching, and I’m so glad I hired Mike Thomson (@fastandfitmike). He helped me increase my 5K pace by OVER 1 minute per mile! More importantly, he pushed me out of my comfort zone by focusing on:

• Increasing time on my legs
• Training on uneven surfaces
• Using my local ski hill for elevation training

Living in Minnesota meant January through April training happened mostly indoors. Treadmill incline work, stepmill sessions, and weight training became my staples.

I trained specifically for 8 weeks, building on my existing fitness base. My goal wasn’t just finishing – I wanted to FEEL good throughout the experience, enjoy it without excessive soreness, and maintain a reasonable pace on the trail.

Gear and Nutrition Strategy

I trained with the same equipment I’d use on the hike – a 3L capacity Osprey backpack that held:

• Waterproof windbreaker
• First aid supplies (bandages, Tylenol, Advil)
• White cap for sun protection
• Trekking poles (which I initially doubted but became essential!)
• Headlamp (used only briefly but worth carrying)

For footwear, I chose Topo brand trail running shoes, which I liked for the extra width in the toe box. However, this proved to be a lesson learned – I rolled my ankle multiple times on the downhill sections. In the future, I’ll definitely use hiking boots that provide ankle support and protection. This is especially important for the technical downhill sections where ankle stability becomes crucial.

My nutrition plan included:

• Trail mix with dried apricots and pecans
• Cliff bars and an Aloha bar
• Watermelon sour gummies for quick energy (and a great excuse to treat myself!)
• Isagenix “Hydrate” salt packs for electrolytes
• Applesauce packs (I got these from Lindsay because she had extra. While I didn’t eat these this time, I would use these in the future for quick energy).
• GU carb gels (I didn’t use these – just never really felt like I wanted them. They are so sweet and a quick carb source but, they never sounded good).
• A Chomp meat stick (which I didn’t end up eating – I mean, a meat stick when you are tired, hot, and sweaty just doesn’t sound appealing)

I saved a strategic 100-calorie (25g carb) plus 100mg caffeine gel for the last 6 miles up the South Rim, which gave me a perfect energy surge exactly when I needed it.

Packing clothing required thinking about multiple climate zones – cold evenings, extreme daytime heat, and everything in between. In retrospect, I wish I’d packed an extra change of clothes for the evening after the hike! The clothing I wore on the hike included running shorts, sports bra, tank top, and windbreaker (waterproof) jacket. I am glad that I was cold at the beginning knowing that things would heat up pretty quickly.

---

Getting There: The Journey Begins

My adventure started with challenges before I even reached the Canyon. My flight was delayed by 3 hours, then we sat on the plane for another 2 hours before takeoff. Instead of arriving at noon to help with food preparation, I reached our meeting point at 6PM. I resolved to be extra helpful throughout the weekend to make up for missing this task.

After a night in the hotel, we met at 5AM Friday morning for the drive to the North Rim Grand Canyon Lodge – a journey of about 7 hours with bathroom breaks, a scenic stop at Navajo Bridge, and “world famous cookies” at a rest stop for some pre-hike carb loading!

We arrived at the Grand Canyon Lodge around 2PM and enjoyed a group meal of pasta, bread, and salads around 3:30PM. Check-in was supposed to be at 4PM but stretched to 6PM due to short staffing and inefficient systems. It was the first open weekend of the season, and while I felt bad for the staff, I was eager to get into my room.

The accommodations were pretty rustic, and nobody in our group slept well. But as I reminded myself – control what you can control, like staying hydrated and enjoying the people you’re with.

Hike Day: Into the Canyon

A 3:50AM wake-up call had us meeting at the vans by 4:20AM. We drove to the trailhead, took a group photo, and hit the trail by 5AM, just before the 5:20AM sunrise. My headlamp was only necessary for about 10-20 minutes, but I was glad to have it.

My first view of the canyon brought me to happy tears – it was truly breathtaking. The trail was initially crowded but began to spread out between miles 1-3.

By mile 5, having completed the North Rim descent, my feet and ankles were really sore. I remember thinking, “How am I going to complete four times this distance?!” I had to dig deep into positive self-talk and focus on just taking one step at a time.

As I continued past the North Rim section, I found myself paying more attention to fueling, increasing my water intake, and taking in the incredible beauty all around me.

At Phantom Ranch, I witnessed something unexpected – a helicopter landing that I thought might be a medical emergency. It turned out they were just picking up waste from the porta-potties! While many hikers enjoy an iced coffee or lemonade here, or soak their feet in the Colorado River, I kept my stop brief – just a bathroom break and water refill. I didn’t want to get too comfortable and make it harder to start moving again.

The Climb: Finding My Strength

After Phantom Ranch came a 400-foot bridge over the Colorado River that was absolutely breathtaking. Then began the climb up the South Rim – the part I’d been preparing for.

This was when I took my carb and caffeine gel and mentally prepared to work. Surprisingly, I actually loved the uphill climb! Using my glutes and hamstrings felt much better than the stress on my ankles during the downhill sections.

I finished the entire Rim to Rim hike in 8 hours and 20 minutes. My Garmin Fenix watch recorded an incredible 54,300 steps by day’s end – the most I’ve ever logged in a single day. Throughout the journey, I consumed approximately 5L of plain water and 2L of electrolyte water, refilling my 3L pack multiple times.

Celebration and Reflection

After a shuttle ride to the visitor center and a ride to the hotel, I enjoyed what felt like the best shower of my life – one of those simple pleasures we often take for granted!

That evening, we celebrated with an incredible steak dinner around an open fire, sharing stories of our experiences with all 30 people who had completed the journey. Despite my exhaustion, I wanted to savor these moments with new friends.

Sunday morning began with a 6AM coffee meet-up for a proper latte that tasted amazing after the trail. We gathered for a final group meal of pancakes, French toast, eggs, and bacon before making the 3-hour drive back to Phoenix.

The goodbyes included hugs and story-sharing with our group of 30. We created a WhatsApp group and are already planning our next hiking adventure together.

Lessons from the Canyon

This journey taught me several valuable lessons:

1. Preparation matters but adaptability matters more. Despite changing routes and plans, thorough preparation gave me the confidence to adjust.
2. Find the right inspiration. Lindsay’s journey showed me a more accessible path – not by making it sound easy, but by demonstrating resilience and adaptation.
3. Even experts benefit from coaching. Hiring Mike pushed me beyond what I would have done on my own.
4. The body is capable of more than the mind believes. Those moments of doubt at mile 5 were overcome by focusing on one step at a time.
5. The joy is in the experience, not checking it off your list. The connections made, the beauty witnessed, and the personal growth achieved matter more than the accomplishment itself.

---

My advice for anyone considering a Grand Canyon Rim to Rim hike: take the time to prepare, train, and plan so that you’re fit enough to truly enjoy the experience. Be ready for logistical challenges with food, travel, and equipment. Most importantly, be willing to relax and go with the flow.

What started as watching someone else’s journey on social media became one of the most rewarding adventures of my life – proving that with the right preparation and mindset, what seems impossible can become not just achievable, but deeply enjoyable.