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Atraain
02-07-2015, 22:50
How's the training going? What's everyone doing? I've been walking three hours take some food n water then another three hours. Monday I will add the final three hour set which is the plan for the hike. 3h hike half hour rest 3 times a day for 10 hour days. This isn't written in stone and if it goes like this I'd be shocked but it is a rough plan

walkinslow
02-07-2015, 23:00
Walking 6-10 miles a day with a full pack. Gonna try and step it up this week. When are you leaving?

mattjv89
02-07-2015, 23:11
Doing quite a bit of snowshoeing now that there is plenty on the ground here. It seems to be good training since it basically amounts to resistance walking, I feel all the key hiking muscles working as well as lots of ankle exercise from the shoes flexing to the terrain. Also much of my day job involves trudging through a foot of snow in steel toed insulated boots carrying a chainsaw which doesn't hurt either. It's been a little while since I've had a loaded pack on and I'm sure the start is going to hurt as every trip seems to but I feel fine overall about my conditioning.

Atraain
02-07-2015, 23:17
I will be at ATKO and plan to step off 9 mar.

Frye
02-07-2015, 23:37
If I get a chance I'll probably do the roller coaster a few times before I start my thru, other then that I won't be doing anything more then my normal gym routine.
(It's actually a pretty easy section of trail, but the constant ups and downs are good for conditioning.)

I did switch to Bud Light Platinum. Budweiser just wasn't cutting it.

Being a regular backpacker I'm never that worried about getting in shape, I tend to keep my trail legs. At best it'll take me a few days to get into the swing of things.

MrGonzalo
02-08-2015, 02:49
Bulking on those burgers and IPAs!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

hikehunter
02-08-2015, 03:16
Started in Sept using an old school backpack of my son's filled with 1 gal. water and 5 bricks. 26.7lbs. jogging 1.8 miles every morning in old school leather hiking boots(combat style).
Can you say, "mud ruck training". then teaching karate 3 nights a week.

Papa Al
02-08-2015, 08:05
Snowshoeing with a 30# pack 5 to 6 miles four days a week, but my favorite days are when I carry my 2 1/2 year old granddaughter who as hiked many miles on my back comes to about 32# with carrier. Also do some xcountry skiing.

peakbagger
02-08-2015, 10:44
Hard to beat snowshoeing in powder. For the folks without that option, walking with a backpack with bags of sand tends to be the best option.

Slo-go'en
02-08-2015, 12:02
Or just do a lot of walking. I'm not sure adding a backpack gains you all that much.

bemental
02-08-2015, 13:56
Or just do a lot of walking. I'm not sure adding a backpack gains you all that much.

Other then getting used to your gear.

bemental
02-08-2015, 14:26
Other then getting used to your gear.

Other *than getting used to your gear.

Astro
02-08-2015, 15:56
Or just do a lot of walking. I'm not sure adding a backpack gains you all that much.

I have always felt walking with a backpack with similar to the weight you will carrying on the trail helps get you ready. It also may encourage you to make some weight reductions.

Del Q
02-08-2015, 19:19
My experience is that going up and down hills helps me the most. Luckily, that is right outside of my house. 12 full laps from the top of our property across the street, down to the small creek and back is about 700 yards, best I can figure.

I have had serious back issues and am just starting to recover from surgery. (October after last section hike)

NO PACK works for me, if I am in good shape and my core (Pilates) and legs are solid, I am good to go.

Most of this is mental, we have ALL DAY to hike.........numbers are easy to toss around but for me, at my age, averaging over 12 MPD on 2 weeks hikes is good.

I consistently go from my office chair to the AT with little to no pack work, and have completed 1700 miles. Planning on finishing this Fall.

Putting a pack during "training" on adds a LOT of stress and strain to my body.

smoothsailin
02-08-2015, 21:53
With enough hiking, you'll no longer need to train as all of these will become second nature....

Eating food off the ground
Eating dry raman noodles for breakfast
Sleeping in pubic bath rooms
Not talking to anyone for 12-24 hrs at a time.
Watching lots of really old movies on VHS
Wearing same socks for 4 days in a row
Pretending to be interested when someone want's to talk
Using only 4 squares of toilet paper
Sleeping on floor
Not showing
Not wearing deodorant
Standing on deserted road with thumb out
Demanding special treatment at stores, hotels, etc
Repeating out loud while shaking head side to side - I told everyone..I told everyone...I told everyone.

For more training http://omails.blogspot.com/2015/01/appalachian-trail-thru-hike-situational.html

Speakeasy TN
02-12-2015, 13:07
I've been walking a 3 mile loop close to daily that is AT comparable with 90% of my AT load. Yesterday the weather was just perfect so I bumped up to 5 miles. Seriously up and down and rocky and I covered it in 3 hrs. I feel really good about my plan to start with 8-10 mile days. I'm going to push the mileage to 5-6 a day to build muscle and cardio. FWIW I feel like the pack weight helps with both.

jred321
02-12-2015, 13:23
I've been doing ~3 mile runs every day with my dog (added resistance, he likes to pull) followed by the Body Beast (http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/body-beast-workout.do) program. The leg days in that program are brutal. I went skiing for two days in a row this week where there were no lines and kept going top to bottom, one of the days being a powder day, and my legs weren't sore at all after. I also do the P90X ab workout every other day prior to running. I should be in good all around shape when starting but adapting to hiking might take a few days.

q-tip
02-13-2015, 12:41
I have used Clyde Soles mountaineering training program for years (book on amazon) . Three months intensive gym/hill training. Also use a heart-rate monitor. Best training tool since the stop watch.

colorado_rob
02-13-2015, 13:16
We have a little "after work walking club" thing going on, been doing the same thing every late-winter/early spring for 13 years running, getting our feet/lower legs toughened up for the main hiking season. Last night we walked 17 miles around Denver parks, finishing at a cool little downtown bar. Doing this 5-6 times really toughens up our feet and legs and takes 90% of long distance hiking discomfort away, I've found.

So, really, just walk, walk, WALK! (but getting used to your gear, as said below, is a good thing too).

Ruffdude
02-13-2015, 15:54
After reading this thread ...Not enough!

dangerdave
02-13-2015, 20:33
Yea, the slugs are not piping in here! I fall down somewhere in the middle.

It's pretty hard to get much hiking/camping in with temps in single digits. When it's this cold, I go snowboarding, which uses the wrong muscle set for hiking. I'm currently on the treadmill every other day on it's highest incline, at 3 mph, for one hour, with squats and upper body work thrown in. In March (May 1st start), I'll start carrying my pack (25 lbs with food/water), and get back out for a few four day hikes and over-nighters. I did my shake down hikes last fall, so now all need is practice with my gear.

I'll be starting out slow on the trail. And I'm in no hurry, and for once in my life, my goals will be different. I understand the attraction of bragging rights for pack weight and miles/day. I used to be very goal oriented. This hike, my goal is to take my time and more fully appreciate the journey. And that's no criticism of anyone else's hike.

As I have been out hiking more and more, I find the mindset come about naturally.

dudeijuststarted
02-22-2015, 22:46
A few private lessons with a yoga instructor can protect your long range goal, especially if you've been sitting at a desk job or have had a lower body injury. Getting your hip->knee->ankle aligned and strengthened in place can reduce your risk of hike-stopping pain or injury. Sometimes chronic issues in one part of the body can be caused by misalignment or weakness in another part of the body, and show up weeks vs. days into your hike.

Not at all mandatory, just another suggestion.

Jake2c
02-23-2015, 00:55
Yea, the slugs are not piping in here! I fall down somewhere in the middle.

It's pretty hard to get much hiking/camping in with temps in single digits. When it's this cold, I go snowboarding, which uses the wrong muscle set for hiking. I'm currently on the treadmill every other day on it's highest incline, at 3 mph, for one hour, with squats and upper body work thrown in. In March (May 1st start), I'll start carrying my pack (25 lbs with food/water), and get back out for a few four day hikes and over-nighters. I did my shake down hikes last fall, so now all need is practice with my gear.

I'll be starting out slow on the trail. And I'm in no hurry, and for once in my life, my goals will be different. I understand the attraction of bragging rights for pack weight and miles/day. I used to be very goal oriented. This hike, my goal is to take my time and more fully appreciate the journey. And that's no criticism of anyone else's hike.

As I have been out hiking more and more, I find the mindset come about naturally.

I'm with you on this one. Part of the reason I am hiking the AT is to stop the daily goal thing. The overall goal is to finish but if I end up worrying about how far I went today or was it more than yesterday, I might as well not go at all. I will hike enough to make sure my gear is right.

Pedaling Fool
02-23-2015, 09:37
How's the training going? What's everyone doing? I've been walking three hours take some food n water then another three hours. Monday I will add the final three hour set which is the plan for the hike. 3h hike half hour rest 3 times a day for 10 hour days. This isn't written in stone and if it goes like this I'd be shocked but it is a rough plan
Walking on flat ground is nothing like walking in the mountains, but I guess it's better than nothing. Your time would be better spent running and working out with weights. Don't worry about cardio fitness, that's easy to build -- it's the frame that needs to be conditioned, especially the connective tissues and bones.

Christoph
02-23-2015, 13:04
Unfortunately, where I live it's very flat. So I'm stuck to treadmills and step up's/burpies and stuff like that. Basically I'm just trying to loose some fat here and there (ok... mostly my beer belly) so I've been running and a little core work quite a bit. On top of that, 6 days a week I'm putting the treadmill all the way up and walking fast.

comanche8f
02-23-2015, 19:54
How's the training going? What's everyone doing? I've been walking three hours take some food n water then another three hours. Monday I will add the final three hour set which is the plan for the hike. 3h hike half hour rest 3 times a day for 10 hour days. This isn't written in stone and if it goes like this I'd be shocked but it is a rough plan


I'm looking at pictures of hills, and then looking at my pack. I hope it's working

Boo8meR
02-24-2015, 00:11
Been drinking a lot of beer and making sure the smoker stayed full of some kind of pork, usually ribs or a shoulder. Trying not to do too awful much and hoping it'll get me to Maine. Of course, I just decided to do it today and will probably be leaving within 3 weeks, so...

Laurappalachia
03-17-2015, 14:13
Agreed Ruffdude I need to read less

tim.hiker
03-17-2015, 16:12
Taking the stairs at work all the time, going to the gym and working out.... always have issues with ankles getting sore tho...