PDA

View Full Version : How quickly do you lose your hiking legs?



soumodeler
11-09-2014, 16:28
Odd question I'm sure, but how quickly do you lose your hiking legs?

I will have to take 3-7 days off the trail next year to come home for my sister's college graduation on May 9th. I will have been hiking for 30 days at that point, and I plan on gradually building up mileage. After up to a week off the trail, should I again work up to higher mileage, but maybe starting at 75% of what I was doing before I got off the trail? Or would a few days not matter?

Pedaling Fool
11-09-2014, 16:59
Taking off a week after hiking straight for a month is no big deal, generally speaking, even if you don't have any prior hiking experience. And if you do have any prior hiking experience than it's a total non-issue, but again, even if you have no prior experience -- 7 days off after a month of hiking is nothing to worry about WRT hiking legs.

However, that's not to say you won't feel like crap on your first day back on the trail; it's common knowledge amoung Tour de France riders that you do NOT take a day off of cycling during the two rest days during the TdF, which is a 3-week long race. That's becasue pushing your body hard every day, then all of a sudden taking a day off does weird things to the body and your performance can suffer, but they are pros trying to win a race, so while you may experience something similar during your week off, it in no way is a loss of what you've gained during the last month. Just take it easy on the first day back.

Dogwood
11-09-2014, 18:38
Odd question I'm sure, but how quickly do you lose your hiking legs?

I will have to take 3-7 days off the trail next year to come home for my sister's college graduation on May 9th. I will have been hiking for 30 days at that point, and I plan on gradually building up mileage. After up to a week off the trail, should I again work up to higher mileage, but maybe starting at 75% of what I was doing before I got off the trail? Or would a few days not matter?

If you're referring to a thru-hike of the AT, for me it depends how far along on the thru I am and what shape I started in. I took off 8-9 days on an AT NOBO thru at Hanover NH for my bro's wedding in southern NJ. I had two slightly slower days coming back but I over ate, drank, and was largely a bump on a log not running/working out/hitting the tread mill on those 8 days. Obviously, if I had sustained a higher activity level on those 8 days I would have been better off. I do things differently now keeping up my activity level on such multi day breaks while engaged in long distance hikes much in the same way Pedaling Fool mentioned TdF cyclist's strategy OR I know I'll pay for it in performance coming back to the thru-hike.

One word here - be careful of your food consumption on your break. Almost for sure you're likely no longer be needing 6000 cal/day on the break and with some thru-hikers dirty trail diets(high sugar/bad fats content) and trail appetite one can start bonking and packing on body wt quickly although it will be a while before your metabolism fully readjusts itself.

Malto
11-09-2014, 18:41
Zero chance of losing your hiking legs in that short of time.

10-K
11-09-2014, 18:42
One word here - be careful of your food consumption on your break. Almost for sure you're likely no longer be needing 6000 cal/day on the break and with some thru-hikers dirty trail diets(high sugar/bad fats content) and trail appetite one can start bonking and packing on body wt quickly although it will be a while before your metabolism fully readjusts itself.

Yep, I'm close to 10 lbs over the weight I was when I left for my PCT thru.

No worries though - it's just the ebb and flow of the body. I'm headed back out on the trail for a week or so first thing in the morning. :)

Praha4
11-09-2014, 21:30
after a month on the trail, a few days to a week off will not hurt you, it will more likely help you. For me, usually it's about 3-4 weeks off the trail before I start feeling like a slug.

garlic08
11-09-2014, 23:53
Consider it a rest and use it wisely. Gain a little weight, let your feel heal a little. Listen to your body when you get back on the trail.

Dogwood
11-10-2014, 00:22
Do Coloradans ever really fully lose their trail legs? :) You yodeling alpine types never lose your trail legs.:) Same with those Scottish kilt wearing Braveheart type highlanders.:)

garlic08
11-10-2014, 08:50
Do Coloradans ever really fully lose their trail legs? :) You yodeling alpine types never lose your trail legs.:) Same with those Scottish kilt wearing Braveheart type highlanders.:)

If we do, we use our arms--arrrgh.

I met Swami the other night. Those Aussies put us to shame.

CoconutTree
01-23-2015, 02:28
I think a week of rest will only help you. I had 3 seperate breaks of 1 week during my hike and returned with more energy each time. The first 30 days will be the toughest 30 days since you are still adapting, so it is a good time to get some rest. It is also a good time to make gear adjustments based your on-the-trail experience.

After 6 months on the trail, and one month rest, I was at my best shape ever.

gbolt
01-23-2015, 08:54
Physically able to return to the trail is not the same as mentally being able to return to the trail (after a one week lay-off). Yet, the two will play off of each other. While physically the body will not significantly decrease in work capacity after a brief layoff and can actually benefit from a rest period - mentally returning will be a challange as well.

I think a person is smart to plan a gradual return to the trail after any break longer than 5 day's. 75% is not a bad guideline for the 1st day - give or take 10%. Then day two could be increased by 10%. Day three is the day of concern for fatique and soreness and to really listen to the physical "callings" of he body.

It is alway's good advice to "ease" back into physical activity no matter what the level of previous exertion was.