View Full Version : How in shape were you when you started??
I_think_I_can
08-06-2004, 14:32
I want to be able to hike at least twenty miles a day within a week or two of heading out. How did you all prepare for that? Are there certian excersizes that would help? And how far before hand should you start working out for it? I want to be able to hike with the bf without slowing him down and having him worry the whole time.
Erin:-?
smokymtnsteve
08-06-2004, 14:38
you hike...I wouldn't try to bring my speed up to fast...
I want to be able to hike at least twenty miles a day within a week or two of heading out. How did you all prepare for that? Are there certian excersizes that would help? And how far before hand should you start working out for it? I want to be able to hike with the bf without slowing him down and having him worry the whole time.
Erin:-?
Just start out slow. Hike with a light pack and add some weight to it. I hike with a 20 lbs about 3 to 4 times a week. Than add about five to six ibs a week till you get to what your carring on the AT.
You can try mountain biking and running.:cool:
SalParadise
08-06-2004, 15:00
within a week? wow. you'll blow by everyone, but all the best if you can actually do that, the Georgia hills are rough. be especially cautious that you don't develop stress fractures or other injuries from doing that much so soon. I met a few people this year who had that same problem and had to get off the Trail.
Rain Man
08-06-2004, 15:17
I want to be able to hike at least twenty miles a day within a week or two of heading out. ... I want to be able to hike with the bf without slowing him down and having him worry the whole time.
My advice, based on what I've seen and read about other hikers?
FORGET IT. Oh, you may be one of the few who can do it. But there are so many who push for big miles early on and wind up at home or in a doctor's office.
I'm "only" a section hiker, but based on my knowledge, the odds are that early big miles might truly separate you from your boyfriend.
What kind of shape are you in? You run marathons? Backpack for weeks at a time? What?
Rain Man
smokymtnsteve
08-06-2004, 15:37
I "rescued" chicken this spring she is a marathon runner and in good shape..she had a lightweight pack, good gear selection..so good that her cardio vascular system carried her faster than the ligments is her leg could handle.
start out slow and work up at your own pace if your BF runs off and leaves you just call me or rainman...you could probably keep up with eithier of us ole men easily... just remember I cook better then him :D
About 9 months before my thru-hike I began making a concerted effort to get into better shape (I was already fairly healthy). I mainly jogged and hiked to prepare. However, I also did stretching and weight training to help trouble areas (my knees and ankles). I slowly increased my jogging distance, but was careful to stay between 3 to 6 miles per day due to the jarring that jogging gives to the knees. About three months prior to my hike, I did a lot of day hiking with a full backpack (I would carry 5 to 7 days worth of food), and I would try to find challenging hikes with lots of steep hills. Fortunately for me, I live in the mountains. If you don't, you might want to take a loaded pack and hike up flights of stairs.
I too was heading out with my boyfriend (now my husband). For many this adds a huge challenge! For me, it was an incredible plus! He had thru-hiked NOBO twice before; so as we planned our hike we discussed all sorts of issues that might come up...like what kind of pace we were comfortable with, what would we do if one of us needed to get off the trail, etc. We were really honest with each other about our expectations, needs, and personal goals, and I believe that made the trip much more fulfilling and helped us become stronger when any conflict arose.
As far as the high mileage early on...it's important that you not make yourself miserable by covering too much too soon (or ever). It can increase your chance of injury, and it might lead you to just stop enjoying the trip. If you want to cover ground that fast simply because that's your boyfriend's pace, I'd recommend you two having a "heart-to-heart" about it.
That said, that kind of mileage is quite do-able if you're in really good shape, and it's something that YOU enjoy doing. Before my hike, my job involved backpacking extensively; so I had a good idea of my personal hiking preferences...I like to cover ground. On my southbound hike, my 4th day was 18.5 miles and my 5th day was 19.5 miles. I had several high mileage days early on, BUT I forced myself to sprinkle in low mileage days to help me not overextend (I'm not recommending hiking like this; I'm simply letting you know that it worked for me because it's the way I liked to travel). I also made sure to stretch before and after hiking each day, which I found to be very helpful. I had a wonderful trip, and it's a powerful bond that my husband and I share.
I hope your trip is a great adventure! Good luck with it! :clap
I_think_I_can
08-06-2004, 16:44
start out slow and work up at your own pace if your BF runs off and leaves you just call me or rainman...you could probably keep up with eithier of us ole men easily... just remember I cook better then him :D
Thanks, I'll keep that in mind, and the cooking skills are VERY important.;)
Erin
Footslogger
08-06-2004, 17:03
Only YOU know if you can do it ...but I'd caution you about setting your sights on 20 miles/day in the very beginning. Guess it's possible but your body, especially your feet, will take quite a beating at that pace. Even if you're in excellent shape and have the stamina to hold that pace I doubt if your feet will toughen up fast enough.
A lot of hikers who tried to do big mileage in the beginning in 2003 ended up with horendous foot problems and shin splints by Irwin and had to take time off the trail to mend. So ...it's likely that the mileage gains in the beginning could be offset by the need for rest and recovery stops after a few weeks or a month.
Just my .02 Like I said ...only YOU know if you can do it. Hike your own hike and enjoy.
'Slogger
AT 2003
eyahiker
08-06-2004, 17:05
Start out and see how it goes, this sort of applies to everything in life worth doing.......
:)
You'll have a great time
Kerosene
08-06-2004, 18:22
At the risk of repeating the above advice, the issue with doing that type of mileage so soon isn't your level of fitness as much as it is the risk of overuse injuries such as Achilles tendonitis (my favorite), shin splints, knee pain, back pain, hip flexor pain (another favorite), and even neck pain. Even folks who are in good shape and start slow can be forced off the trail for a day, week or more by these types of injuries. I believe that the vast majority of us can only build up to this type of mileage, done day after day, by actually hiking. As a soccer player, I'm in very good shape relative to the rest of the population and my legs and lungs can hike all day. However, being in shape doesn't necessarily translate to strong ligaments. In my section hikes of 7-10 days I have learned to start out relatively slow (10-14 miles for 3 days), after which I can ramp up above 15, but it took me many hikes (and some injuries) to figure out what worked for me, and even then the plan works best if I can get a sub-10 day sprinkled into that first week. Of course, pack weight, shoe weight, and nutrition play a big factor. People tend to hurt themselves as they get tired when they're pushing for more miles and under-nourished.
Stretching and cross-training certainly help. You might also consider core strengthening exercises and balancing exercises to strengthen those small muscles. See post #6 in this thread (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=75) for some ankle strengthening exercises that work.
I found this "fitness" webpage this week: http://onestep4me.tripod.com/fitness.htm
I am no good at treadmills, and I have never been good at making it all so organized as this, however, maybe you like "conditioning".
I think this person is a thru-hiker.
Here are some other webpages I found:
http://www.walkingtheworld.com/html/walking_the_world___walk500_re.html
The website is Walking the World.
They have a 500 mile in 365 days challenge, selling a book for journal keeping, and specifics. This website is aimed at 50+ age, however anyone in a sedentary job, or otherwise, in "couch potato" physical condition could start here.
sign up for the newsletter, you can always unsubscribe, or not
http://www.walkingtheworld.com/html/walking_the_world__newsletter_.html
and look at the journals of new walkers (and hikers)
http://www.walkingtheworld.com/html/walking_the_world__form_succes.html
and then,
http://www.walkingtheworld.com/Newsletter/Newsletter-Feb2004.html
there are three links on that page to three other issues, and always scroll down for the journals.
I have no financial interest in this walking tour business. However, I am fascinated by the transformation from job, home, and car to walking and hiking!
These people are walking 500 miles, in 365 days, to condition for some of the more strenuous tour packages offered.
I love it!
Mountain Dew
08-07-2004, 05:04
You wanted to know what exercises you could do to help you prepare for your hike. As an ex-personal trainer I'd recommend squats, the stair master, and actually going out and hiking the toughest hills you can find with your pack on. Make sure you have somebody to spot you while doing squats and that you are using proper form.
"Twenty miles a day after a week on the trail...?" Thats a gift not something you can work up to.....j/k :banana
Erin,
Have you hiked with your BF before? If not, you might want to consider a few 4 to 7 day backpacking trips together before your thru-hike. This way you can get some practical knowlege of how you hike together, and you might get a glimpse at some of the issues that may arise for you both on your upcoming thru.
:) NotYet
P.S. If bad weather happens upon your "practice hikes", all the better for getting a feel for what your thru-hike will entail and how you both respond to these challenges!
Spirit Walker
08-07-2004, 20:29
Is your boyfriend a former thruhiker? Is that why you are determined to 'keep up' at that kind of pace? If not, you both may be in trouble.
On the AT it rarely is necessary to start with 20 miles a day. Are you students with a limited schedule, trying to do a three month hike? Then it makes some sense to go that fast. Or are you planning a supported hike, like Warren's expedition? If you don't absolutely have to, then it is usually a lot better to break in more gradually. As others have said, by Hot Springs a lot of hikers get off the trail because of shin splints, tendonitis and stress fractures. We joked about the town being the 'AT ambulatory ward' there were so many people limping around - and several of them got off the trail there. Before my hike I was in good shape, because I was walking to and from work every day (3 -4 miles) plus weekend hiking. I started out doing 15 mile days, and they weren't that difficult. Even so, I had some tendonitis for the first 500 miles. Walking steep mountains is different from flatlands walking.
Best advice if you are determined to do the big miles is to get in shape by hiking as much as possible and/or running, then go try doing some big miles. I remember hearing that Warren's groups do a lot of long weekend trips in the two years before they start the AT. It weeds out a lot of prospective hikers. Go out on long weekends, and try to do 60 miles over the weekend. Do shorter ones, with 40 or more miles planned. You will have a chance to see what it is like to do the big miles, whether or not it is the kind of hiking you enjoy, and your body will have a chance to recover afterwards (which it doesn't on the trail).
While I can do big miles, I really don't enjoy it. On the AT I started with 15 mile days and was doing 20's in Virginia, and continued into Massachusetts. However my average for the trail was only about 12 mpd, because of a lot of zero days and a lot of short days into or out of town. On the PCT 20 mile days were the norm (we averaged 19 mpd, including days off), but the trail has much easier grades than the AT. But for me to do long miles day after day just isn't something I really like to do. My feet ache for hours after I stop hiking and I sometimes get bad leg cramps, and generally, for me, a lot of the enjoyment in hiking is lost if I have to push really hard day after day. It starts feeling like a forced march, rather than a journey into nature. I enjoy being able to stop and look around and absorb the place I'm in. More than 25 miles a day and I really stop having fun because I hurt too much. But I know folks who are quite happy pushing the miles. They stay cheerful, regardless of how long a day it is. I will do big miles if I have to, but I prefer not having to, and it shows. If you have good reason to do big miles, and if you enjoy it, then go for it. If you don't enjoy it, then find another way. There's no point in doing the hike if it isn't fun for you.
quote: Mountain Dew "As an ex-personal trainer... Make sure you have somebody to spot you while doing squats and that you are using proper form."
While I was initially conditioning for Mountain Rescue rope leader, now decades ago, we did shallow knee bends, now called "squats" first with no pack, then lightweight pack, then adding weight until "full pack". After that, more reps until we felt fit.
Is this the same conditioning for the AT thru-hike?
steve hiker
08-07-2004, 21:38
Has anyone mentioned glucosamine? I used to always have knee trouble when hiking, but last year I started taking glucosamine/condroiten (1500/1200 mg per day) before a hiking trip to Colorado and it made a big difference. I had absolutely no knee trouble, despite hiking to 12,500 feet. Same with section hiking last winter, even with post-holing, big improvement in the knees.
It's recommended you start taking glucosamine at least 3 weeks prior to hiking, to give it time to take effect.
Also I agree about being careful with squats. The squats I've done are going from a standing position to full sitting position, thighs parallel with the floor, then back up. They've worked well, but once while training with squats I strained a muscle in the knee area, and it had a noticeable effect while hiking. Not a full-blown injury, but aggrevating and it could have been worse. So now when doing squats I start out slow, not going immediately to a full sitting position, and gradually increase to a full squat. (If those are real squats, I'm no exercise guru.)
Jersey Bob
08-07-2004, 22:10
at least 10 characters
Mountain Dew
08-08-2004, 03:49
Connie.... I suppose that would work fine with the proper form. hhmmmm :-?
steve hiker
08-08-2004, 04:59
................ :rolleyes:
Erin,
NotYet has some good advice. I agree with her. You might want to do a short
overnight or weeks worth of backpacking first with your boyfriend. This way both of you will find out how the other one does as far as being a partner. My wife and I are section hikers, weekend warriors, etc... it took us a few outings to get in sync not only for hiking pace but also for who pitched the tent, who cooks, who carries what gear. This trial hike will help because team work is alot of fun ! ;)
I_think_I_can
08-10-2004, 17:16
Is your boyfriend a former thruhiker? Are you students with a limited schedule, trying to do a three month hike?
Spirit Walker, no, he hasn't thru-kiked before, but he's been a cross country runner and did a marathon last year, whereas I'm in reasonably good shape, but not quite on the same level. He's afraid that he'll spend the whole hike worrying about me. I JUST WANT TO HIKE! ::deep breaths:: We're going to do the pct first and then the at so we'll be gone a year, and there is no time pressure. Thanks everyone for your replies.
Erin
I want to be able to hike at least twenty miles a day within a week or two of heading out. How did you all prepare for that?.Erin:-?
Are you nuts? 20 milers within the first couple o' weeks? most folks get to a 20-mile day after being on the trail for 5 or 6 weeks....
start out slow....10 mile day...maybe even an 8 or 9 @ first....work up to the average..12 miles per day for a week or so...then work in a 15 a couple days...then the next week....work in a couple of 17 milers....then the following week..you can take in a few 20 mile days.
The hikers i see that are "out of the gate" doing 20 mile days....usually are dropping out by Damascus because of knee and/or shin problems because of those "high mileage days"....take it easy, start slow...enjoy the journey!
Good Luck!
p.s.: i was 220 when i first started section-hiking(2000)....i lost 20 lbs last year(2004) & made all the difference in the world...& in 2005...hope to be down to 180.
Spirit Walker
08-10-2004, 22:22
We're going to do the pct first and then the at so we'll be gone a year, and there is no time pressure.
Erin
Do you mean you're going to start with the PCT and then follow up during the same calendar year with the AT? That is ambitious. It's been done a couple of times, but it makes for a hard schedule. You can't start the PCT too soon because of snow in the Sierras (and probably elsewhere, next year is supposed to be an El Nino year). That means starting in April, finishing the PCT in August, then starting (southbound) on the AT with a couple of months of winter hiking.
It is quite easy to do 20's on the PCT - the trail is wide and graded, especially in southern California. We called it "wheel chair trail". By the time you get to the AT you'll be used to doing 25 mpd or more. You don't have to start with 20's though - even on the PCT. I sprained my ankle on the first day out of Campo so we limited ourselves to about 15 mpd for the first week or so. Then Jim broke his toe so we were slowed down again. We still managed to average 19mpd for the whole trail and we aren't superhikers, by any means.
One thought - are you hiking this hike for you or for him? If you 'just want to hike' then he needs to be willing to make compromises too. That doesn't mean that he carries you, but if you aren't enjoying the hike because you are pushing with all you have to keep up with him, then what's the point? He'd be impatient and you'd be stressed. You really need to work out a pace that is comfortable for both of you before you go or decide to hike separately. (On the AT that is easy, on the Pct it is only a problem in the snow.)
I_think_I_can
08-27-2004, 20:47
One thought - are you hiking this hike for you or for him? If you 'just want to hike' then he needs to be willing to make compromises too. That doesn't mean that he carries you, but if you aren't enjoying the hike because you are pushing with all you have to keep up with him, then what's the point? He'd be impatient and you'd be stressed. You really need to work out a pace that is comfortable for both of you before you go or decide to hike separately.
Sorry, I misspoke. I meant the FLorida Trail, not the PCT. And yes, I want to hike this for myself. I'd want to go even if he wasn't. We've been talking about the average mileage, and I'm going to be taking some fitness classes to prepare myself for the physical exhertion. It will help us both if I can be in good shape when we start out, and he knows he's going to have to make mileage adjustments for me starting out. I think we'll be ok. He's incredible patient, which can be frustrating at times, but will work out well for this. :clap
Erin
Snake eyes
12-12-2004, 09:17
A good topic for me to read. I'll be 60 when I step off Springer on March 3rd and my type A personality hasn't diminished much with age, so reading this thread will help me chill a little...the trail will likely settle me down a little too. I started getting ready for this about a year ago with extensive X-country skiing (what else could I do in NW Wisconsin winters?), weight work, aerobics, pilates, yoga and a cardio/light weight class. During the summer I thru hiked the 205 mile Superior Hiking Trail and continued dayhikes and weekend section hikes on the SHT as various hunting seasons safely permitted. Lately I've been doing the treadmill and stairmaster with pack and also climbing up and down the bleacher steps at the local hockey arena, also with pack. Weekends I try to get in at least one dayhike of 12-15 miles. That may seem like quite a lot (or not, it's all relative), but this aging body requires more to get in shape and entropy sets in quite quickly.:confused: :confused: With all of this I know that the trail will be what eventually shapes me up for hiking the trail. I think what I am doing is some for ego and some for safety. I'm hoping that once I get started a little reality will set in (likely in the form of younger, more resilient hikers blazing by) and I'll have enough sense to enjoy the ride. :jump
Everyone else has said this already, but there's no need to do 20-mile days right away, for anyone. I'm a fast hiker, and easily hiked 20+ miles a day on the John Muir Trail for a week and a half, but I also hurt myself doing it, even with the graded trails there. On the AT I did my first 20-mile day just before Erwin, and I was pretty worn out and took a short day as a rest.
Look at it this way: even to hike the AT in five months, which is a little on the fast side, you only need to average 14 miles a day. If you're going 20 miles a day, every day, you're going to miss a lot of what the Trail has to offer. Sure, you'll get to a point where you can do 20s easily. Northern VA, MD, southern PA - those are all places you'll cruise through the Trail, doing 20-30 easily. It was a revelation when I realised I could sleep until 10, hike a bit, take a few hours break, hike a bit, take a few hours break, hike a bit, and relax for dinner, and still get in 15-20 for the day - but this was after three months of hiking, and in the summer when the days were longer.
Like someone else also said, don't feel like you need to "keep up" with your boyfriend. He also needs to be able to "keep up" with you if you're not doing 20s all the time. Teach him how to relax, and it'll help him not get hurt. By the time you get to Vermont your knees are going to kill you anyway, so take it easy at the beginning and don't blow out your knees by Maryland.
Haiku.
rocket04
12-13-2004, 12:46
By the time you get to Vermont your knees are going to kill you anyway, so take it easy at the beginning and don't blow out your knees by Maryland.
Sounds like a pretty broad generalization. My knees didn't kill me at any point, the worse I felt was a little bit of soreness when I would get up in the morning past the Whites, but while walking no pain. And I hiked without poles. Not really a big deal, but just saying so that people don't get unnecessarily worried about something that may or may not happen.