"If I don't take good care of my health, there is no basis for what I want to do, and this applies whether people are athletes or not. We need to think this way so that we feel good. My friend often talks about 'being in shape for life,'" says outdoor and accomplished woman Vilborg Arna Gissurardóttir.
Vilborg Arna is nationally known for her achievements in outdoor activities, she has climbed the world's highest peaks and, among other things, stood on top of Everest, the world's highest mountain. She was the first Icelandic woman to walk alone to the South Pole and has crossed both the Greenland Glacier and the Vatnajökull to name just a few. She does mountain biking, mountain climbing and skiing and there is hardly any sport she has not touched. "I'm not good at anything, but I'm good at a lot of things," she says sarcastically.
"I wasn't raised in the outdoors, but I've always been a child of nature. I am from the west and was there in the summer and also have a strong connection to Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The passion for the outdoors really comes in my twenties and I knew right away that this was something I wanted to do. I chose an education around adventure-related tourism and the projects I take on have a connection to the outdoors in one way or another," says Vilborg. She often trains fourteen to twenty hours a week before trips and is aware of the importance of preparation for challenging expeditions. She is used to working under pressure and says it can be mental as well as physical.
"For example, there is a big difference between being alone on a trip or in a group where teammates can support you. It actually took me a while to become receptive to it, I'm so stubborn, but when I was starting alone on expeditions, I created a system that is known as coaching and I went out of my way to visualize how I was going to react when I wanted to give up," explains Vilborg.
"Polar expeditions are physically demanding day in and day out, and you have to maintain an enormous focus all the time. In high mountain expeditions, the risk of avalanches and collapses and the risk of mountain sickness are major sources of stress. At the same time, one is "outside the service area" and therefore free from these daily stimuli that hit us. There may be rest in it but I get physically tired. As I get older, I also find recovery harder. Ten years ago I could jump off without thinking, but today I have the help of a trainer and take good care of my sleep, stretching and flexibility and go to steam to keep my muscles soft. I feel a huge difference if I slouch in my diet or don't take good care of myself."
Three years ago, Vilborg tore the cruciate ligament in his knee and as a result started looking at supplements to speed up his recovery.
"It's not good to tear a cruciate ligament when your legs are a professional tool. I had to have two operations and the recovery was slow at first. I started taking Joint Rewind collagen from Feel Iceland to strengthen and build myself up.
As a result, I was able to go to the Greenland glacier and on an expedition to Pakistan and have used their collagen throughout the reconstruction process. I also started using the classic collagen powder from Feel Iceland, one scoop contains 10 grams of protein and for those who exercise a lot, it's good to be able to add an extra 30 grams to the diet. "There was an extremely pleasant side effect that my skin is much better after I started using their products," says Vilborg, since spending time outdoors puts a lot of stress on the skin, the body's largest organ.
"I put the powder in my coffee or just for breakfast. I eat oatmeal and muesli for breakfast, and if I've had a long workout in the second half, I put the collagen in a post-workout drink. The preparation period is fun, it's fun to build up to something specific and fiddle with supplements, what works and what doesn't, and it results in you getting to know your body well."
Do you never relax?
"Of course, sometimes I lie on the couch," says Vilborg with a laugh. "There's also a lot of time spent in the office during the expeditions, people don't realize how much time I spend in front of the computer when I'm preparing for a trip. I need good organization and if I don't have a checklist of everything that needs to be done during the day, everything goes haywire. I also often have to remind myself why I'm doing things so I don't just go for the chocolate chip cookies, I'm both impatient and impulsive and often feel that things are going way too slowly," says Vilborg. She thrives when there is a lot to do.
"We are a very sporty family, my husband is a climber and also on expeditions. We both work in tourism-related events, and there is also a lot of organization around a combined family like ours, but it's nice to have a lot to do when the pressure is positive. However, if it crosses the line, it's not as fun. Everyone experiences stress at some point in life," says Vilborg. It is important not to let the stress get to you.
"It can be hard to admit if the stress has become overwhelming, but if it does, I try to identify where the stress is coming from." If it's personal, I talk to a psychologist, if it's work-related, I try to mirror myself in someone I trust at work. Sometimes it is necessary to spread the load.
I still need to have challenges in life and that they change. Mountaineering is a big part of my life and the core of me, any other project that comes to my table, it's best to have it all in the mix," says Vilborg.
Lately, for example, she has led cross-country skiing courses together with Hólmfríði Väla Svavarsdóttir, and there are more exciting joint projects between the two of them ahead.
"Vala brings her expertise as a ski instructor and I contribute expertise in the areas where we ski. Vala and I will have more projects, including two 7-day trips around Slovenia this fall. On the one hand, a mountain bike trip that crosses the country and on the other hand, a trip that is a mix of mountains, bikes, via ferrata and other activities. This is a trip for anyone who is interested in getting active. These kinds of trips are about being outside playing, eating good food together, going for a steam bath and enjoying fun company. You will be physically tired but mentally refreshed," says Vilborg Arna.
