training

everyday · Post by **everyday** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 6:50 am

Hey! I was wondering what type of endurance training hikers do?
Im asking because I saw on the R2R2R event on facebook, its was said only 8 days ago to "let the training begin.." or something similar, Oh! the hike is to be October 8th...anywho...for a 40+ mile run on october 8th i woulda started working on endurance training runs back in early august, then finall toned em down to only 6 miles every other day until last week (wen they said to START! training.?) then these next few days ide chill, maybe do some easy 10 mile walks with slow jogging til 3 days b4, then off, except for weights, then do the 40....my question is, for hikers, you guys normally start training only 2 weeks befor hand? is that the norm? just curious cause its so different...if I only did a couple long runs only 2 weeks b4 a 40miler, i dont know what would happen! probly nothing good! lol:) (and im not askin to be a smartass or condescending, or watever! it seems a lot of people take my questions/attitude that way. But im not! i really do just wanna know

and how much do you normally hike? when not trainin for sumpthing? like just for fun?
I usually do 26 to 32miles of trail-running a week (4 days of 6 miles...sometimes 8, i work full time now, so thats all i can fit in) and then about 1 hr a week of kettlebell workout, just to stay fit n happy) do u guys do other crosstraing aside from hikin?

TracieB · Post by **TracieB** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 12:38 pm

The peeps going on that are all animals!! They're always doing Skyline and many other crazy things that keep them in shape. I had to back out because I know I can't keep up w/them.

Wish I could go but I will go with Norma when we can spend the night on the other side and take 2 days or so to do it.

atomicoyote · Post by **atomicoyote** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 5:38 pm

General-average-nothing special-weekly workout pattern is three days of bicycling and two of stairwalking. Bicycling for aerobic fitness, stairs for fitness and to get my legs used to the 'pounding' of hiking up and down hills.

If I have something special planned I'll generally up the bicycling mileage, and try to do a few 2-per-day workouts during the week (bicycling in the AM with stairs in the PM followed by a rest day). This will be three months before the trip, and scale back a week before leaving.

Bicycling - I'm no slave to current fashions - no pricey carbon fiber bikes, no specialized spandex/lycra clothing or specialty shoes. I have some decent mid-level geared bicycles that are easy to repair myself. Rides can be anywhere from 15-20 mile rides midweek to 40 mile rides on weekends. I throw in some hill climbs on occasion, too.

Stairwalking - I don't run them (or run in general) due to aching (and aging) joints. This is mostly walking up and skipping a step or two (depending on the particular stairs), then a quick walk back down - repeat until exhausted. It can be incredibly boring, but is also incredibly effective.

My 'gym' is the great outdoors; can't stand indoor gyms. Jogging, bicycling, stairs - mix 'em up of do whatever you enjoy so you'll keep doing it on a regular basis. Start at whatever you percieve to be a comfortable level and increase from there; occasionally push yourself beyond your comfort level to improve conditioning. Yep, I workout in the rain; as long as I'm not chilly, I'm OK. If you want to go ahead and have a beer when you're done.

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 7:11 pm

Tracie is right - those people are "special". Michael Phelps, Lance Armstrong special.

As for me, ....

cougarmagic · Post by **cougarmagic** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:06 pm

Seriously though, in summer when I am not working much, I will do two ~8 mile hikes during the week, a couple of 2-3 mile dog walks, and a 10+ mile hike on the weekend. 15 miles is about my limit of comfort for one day. (I'm also usually carrying 20+ pounds of various gear and camera crap)

I have always been a "sprinter" not a marathon-er.

I might do yoga sometimes. Also ride the bike occasionally. I'm sure with an actual fitness plan and time to do it, great things could be done. But my goal is getting outside and feeling good, not breaking records. Right now, I have no interest in testing my limits either - but this comes and goes.

I admire those of you who push your boundaries.

everyday · Post by **everyday** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 6:03 am

@Tracie n CM-yeah, i see there TR's. I know theyre "special"/do a lot ona regular basis, but I do a lot too, I run over 30+miles per week at 7000ft elev. and can get to the bottom of the grand canyon n back up every 3 weeks in well under 4 hours.....but, I would still train for a 40 mile run. So, wat u guyz r saying is hiking IS different, just doing it keeps you ready for any distance apparently. Where as with trailrunning, ide prefer to KNOW I can run 40 In a mid-pack or faster time. Maybe in hiking they arnt going for time, so just doing there regulare hikes and knowing they can finish is enough??...or maybe we're just different personality types?

In my running, if im not always getting a PR or close, like withing 10 seconds, I get upset and wonder whats wrong with me. In hiking it seems the fun is just in doing, not in feeling faster?
So, hiking is like when I go canyoneering with Ryan then? Its just about doing it and hanging out with and doing something with friends, no matter how long it takes/how slow you go? The goal is just in acomplishing it?

@ atomicoyote--yeah, i hate gyms too. I never go. I just run outside and have kettlebells at home n workout there

..and you have aging joints? how old r u? my dad has started to slow down on his trail-running cause of a sore knee and a heel issue, hes almost 76, so he's starting to slow down some, he used to do 100mile trailruns, now he only does bout 4 miles a day n some yoga n biking. I learned from him to only run on dirt if u wanna be fairly joint pain free, i tried running on concrete/pavement once or 2x and i dont see how joggers do it! its so hard/jarring! In 1 miles on pavement i felt more beat-up that if ide run 10 miles on a dirt trail! Ill never do that to my joints ever again! lol.

everyday · Post by **everyday** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 5:27 am

Soooo, an acquaintance of mine, Lisa, who does alotta backpacking/hiking, as well as is a past distance runner, ...says I cant compare it to trail-running, says its like apples n oranges. She said the two groups are totally different so, never mind. (and all the hikers, tina n all them, will be here in 4 days anyways, so maybe i can bug them with my questions! LOL)

atomicoyote · Post by **atomicoyote** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 6:00 pm

everyday wrote: @

@ atomicoyote--yeah, i hate gyms too. I never go. I just run outside and have kettlebells at home n workout there ..and you have aging joints? how old r u? my dad has started to slow down on his trail-running cause of a sore knee and a heel issue, hes almost 76, so he's starting to slow down some, he used to do 100mile trailruns, now he only does bout 4 miles a day n some yoga n biking. I learned from him to only run on dirt if u wanna be fairly joint pain free, i tried running on concrete/pavement once or 2x and i dont see how joggers do it! its so hard/jarring! In 1 miles on pavement i felt more beat-up that if ide run 10 miles on a dirt trail! Ill never do that to my joints ever again! lol.

53. Used to run track and cross country in HS & 2 years in college. Didn't put in high mileage weeks, but it still takes a toll when a lot of the miles are on pavement. I also rode bicycles a lot to get around, and used to go on multi-day bicycle tours, so that's always seemed a normal thing; just stepped it up to use as aerobic conditioning when I felt the joints were getting more than just sore. Only problem with cycling is it doesn't use quite the same muscles as running/hiking, so you have to do something (like stairs) to condition them to the pounding they'll get on a trail. Getting older really sucks!