View Full Version : re: thru hiking and physical conditioning
Hi Folks,
I have a question about physical conditioning for AT north bound AT thru hike I plan to start mid march at Sprnger Mountain.
I am a bit confused fromwhat I have read. On the one had.. I read that the trail itself will condition me..and as long as I start with relatively low milage (10 per day or less) I will gradually get into shape. I also understand that being in condition at the start helps..and may even help in the mental aspect which from what I have read is key to a successful thru hike.
Currently..my health is good, I am 42 years old, and my physical condition is ok but not great. I have done a lot of hiking in the past (all white mountain 4000 footers, Completed the vermont Long Trail in two trips --18 days 1st 200 miles, 8 days last 70) and hiked portions of the Alps. I am generally NOT a fast hiker. I like to enjoy the trip and don't care for the speed hiking philosophy. I have not done much if any hiking this past winter and spring. And with winter one tends, or at least I tend, to eat more and exercise less. so I am now in less than optimal condition physically.. I have weight to lose which is easier said than done as I love to eat! For the time being..I am able to genenerally just do day hikes or weekend trips due to time limitations.
So.. how critical is ones pre hike physical condtion to a successful and enjoyable thru hike? Is it mostly mental challenge and proper gear? is it mostly being fit at start? Is it a combination and if so which is most important? I guess to put this more clearly....in my preparations for my AT hike spring of 2006, what should get most priority? physical conditioning? gear selection? logistical planning?
Thanks in advance for advice!
NHhiker
Alot depends on you. I don't like experiencing a lot of physical pain and discomfort, so I get in shape before hand. Read some of the early entries from www.trailjournals.com to see how good of an idea it is to let the trail break you in. You might start with Bloody Cactus' 2004 hike. He posts here occasionally.
Short answer: In the long run, it won't matter. But, you might get bounced off the trail because of it (read, injury). It seems a lot of people get broken down physically in the first 2-300 miles and this depresses them, as Katahdin is a long ways away. So, by Gatlinburg they are fed up with the blisters, aches, and suffering and so go home. If you don't have to face the blisters, aches, and suffering, your mental state will be better.
If you are reasonably fit when you start, things will be easier. I go on vacation to have easy times, but others might be looking for something else.
In terms of what to do, I would suggest running. This builds leg stength, endurance, and toughens the body. If you don't want to run, consider finding an inclined tread mill. Otherwise, just try to hike as many hills as you can. Remember that you don't have to train hard. 10 minute miles are fine, as this is at least twice as fast as you'll be hiking.
Footslogger
05-27-2005, 11:03
I was 53 when I started my northbound thru in March 2003. My state of physical conditioning was above average but by no means excellent. I started slowly (8 or so miles a day) and added mileage based on terrain and how I felt each day. By the time I was into North Carolina I could definitely feel the added stamina and endurance/capacity in my legs and lungs.
So ...if my experience is typical (and I'm pretty sure it is) I would say that if you are in moderately good condition and start out gradually you can use the trail to do the rest.
That said, anything you can do prior to your hike that will strengthen your legs and add cardiovascular capacity (and recovery) is a definite plus. As is often said ...the best exercise to prepare yourself for hiking is hiking.
'Slogger
AT 2003
Pencil Pusher
05-27-2005, 11:09
A low/zero impact alternative is bicycling. Lap swimming is good too. For both, you get out of it what you put into it.
BookBurner
05-27-2005, 16:10
Careful gear selection can shave 10 pounds from your load. A year of physical activity and proper diet can easily drop 20 pounds from that same load (as well as increase lung capacity, bolster immune system, etc.). It doesn't matter where your weight lies (in your pack or hanging over your belt), it all has to get to the top of the mountain. So start the AT in the best shape possible (and carry light gear) and you exponentially increase your odds of having a successful and enjoyable trip!
-- BookBurner
www.enlightenedthruhiker.com
minnesotasmith
05-27-2005, 16:30
I had done considerable distance walking with a 40-pound training backpack on mountain dirt roads before my recent section hike, and still found substantial deficiencies in my preparation. Distance walking is good; stairs are good; and, carrying a pack is good, but those needed more.
I would add these:
1) Extended walking up steep ramps. Stairs don't fully substitute for this BC your feet are held much flatter on stairs. Gently sloping ramps don't challenge your Achilles tendon nearly as many of the hills on the AT did me.
2) Practice hiking a lot with picking your feet up higher than necessary (like at least 12" higher). This simulates the "more-often-than-not" hiking pattern I have personally had to engage in on the AT while dealing with stepping over rocks, roots, small blowdowns, water bars, puddles, etc.
3) Bring your hiking stick (or hiking poles, together with the free issue of "Hiking For Dweebs" Magazine those come with) ;) when you do your training walks, and make sure you do lots of slope work while leaning on them. Yes, hiking is much more work for your body below the waist than it is for your arms, but I found that over a number of consecutive days hiking I could feel my arms get quite the workout from my using a hiking staff extensively on downhills and stepping over the larger rocks. This adds up when you hike for multiple days in a row, and you want to train whatever parts of your body you will use to hike with.
4) For preparing your Achilles tendon to hike, do lots of a particular stretch I learned on the track team in high school. Specifically, stand several feet away from a wall or tree with your feet flat on the ground in normal orientation and your legs straight (not bent). Without changing that, lean forward until much of your weight is taken by your hands on the wall, and stay like this for minutes at a time.
5) Lastly, the steeper sections of the AT involve large amounts of altitude gain with each step. Ordinary stairs do not involve nearly so much stepping-up distance with a single step as is common on the AT's uphills. Try to find steep (much more vertical than horizontal) and/or large stairs like stadium stairs if you can't find steep slopes to train on. Alternatively, but not as good, try taking more than one stair at a time when training on ordinary stairs.
I just read Bloody cactus's journal of his 2004 at hike. WOW. He started March 1 when he should have EXPECTED it to be cold. Looks like he stopped his hike somewheres in Virginia if I read it right. He obivously didnt know how nice the New Engalnd section is or he might have kept going. And he decided to go up to Maine to do the 100 mile wilderness in JUNE. Isn't bug season up in the north woods world famous?? I guess the news didnt make it to England!!
Anyway... reading his journal suggests to me that physical conditioning while important is not AS important as a rugged mental state, proper gear, and general preparedness.
3) Bring your hiking stick (or hiking poles, together with the free issue of "Hiking For Dweebs" Magazine those come with) ;) when you do your training walks, and make sure you do lots of slope work while leaning on them. Yes, hiking is much more work for your body below the waist than it is for your arms, but I found that over a number of consecutive days hiking I could feel my arms get quite the workout from my using a hiking staff extensively on downhills and stepping over the larger rocks. This adds up when you hike for multiple days in a row, and you want to train whatever parts of your body you will use to hike with.This may only be necessary if you use tree branches, etc. Toss away those 5 pound logs, and get yourself a pair of aluminum or carbon fiber hiking poles. You won't need to pre-strengthen your arms beforehand.
And if someone thinks you are a dweeb for utilizing technology to your advantage, check to see if he is wearing hob-nailed boots, and has a canvas tent and cast iron cookpot.
minnesotasmith
05-27-2005, 18:55
Frosty, people are constantly complaining about their expensive (staves are free) hiking poles breaking (that they have to go to a town to replace, unlike staves) while in use, while I have never broken a hiking pole in my life. Too, poles have poor utility in fending off loose dogs over 5 pounds and other varmints, relative to staves. Then, there's the constant "CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK" poles make (compared to the near-inaudibility of a stave), IMO removing part of the psychic reward for being on the Trail in the first place. Oh, and staves need not weigh a lot; I doubt mine weighs a pound and a half, and its weight rests on the ground most of the time.
I can afford poles 50x over; I just think they are less desirable for that use than are hiking staves.
stickman
05-27-2005, 20:53
As to poles, try bamboo. Its very light and strong, and of course free. They do tend to splinter on the bottom after a few hundred miles, but you can either ignore that or whittle down the pole to suit your mood. Carrying a pair of these is how I got my trail name.
Stickman
There exist plastic tips for hiking poles that get rid of the click-clicking. The tips are cheap and endure well. They also prevent the tips from breaking off like the standard ones do. But then, the metal tips are nice sometimes.
In terms of priorities, I would put physical conditioning ahead of gear selection and logistics. The reason is that you'll enjoy the hike much more right from the start. That's important, because it greatly increases your chances of staying on the Trail.
How many people quit early on because they're not enjoying the trip? I don't know, but I would wager that most of the dropouts fall into that category.
Look, if you're overweight and out of shape, and it's raining (it rains a lot in Northern Georgia, check the trees, they're covered with moss and lichen), sleeting, or snowing, and you're short of breath, laboring heavily up every slope (trust me, there's very little level ground in northern Georgia), there are going to be some moments - some very long moments - where you're not having fun.
And, if you're not having fun, you're more likely to quit. If you're miserable for many days on end, well, the next road crossing is beckoning.
Why would gear come second? Because you can very quickly get rid of all the ridiculous things you decided to bring along. Conditioning, on the other hand, takes time, a lot of time. You can be suffering physically for 2-3 months before your body becomes trail hardened. Why would you want to do that?
Logistics, which seem like a big deal before you start, turn out to be pretty unimportant on the trail. You can resupply at grocery stores and the Trail grapevine will tell you everything you need to know about shelters, campsites, water sources, and everything else. You literally do not have to carry maps and guidebooks, and forget about making a pretrip schedule. A.T. schedules tend to go by the boards in short order. Overplanning is a waste of time.
IMO, your priorities should be: 1) Physical conditioning 2) Mental conditioning 3) Gear (ruthlessly minimize pack weight) 4) Logistics
You have a long time to slowly ramp up your conditioning before you start in 2006. Instead of wasting the next year worrying about logistics, I would suggest that you start your prehike conditioning now, and religiously continue it through the summer, fall, and winter. If you do that, I don't have any doubt that you'll be thanking yourself as you're climbing and descending the many, many mountains between Amicalola Falls and Damascus.
I liked your question and, since I am planning a thru next year, I have been pondering it. My answers are, of course, personal and, to a certain extent, based on ignorance since I have minimal first-hand experience with the AT, and every trail/adventure has its unique aspects. But I thought I’d share my thoughts, if only to get feedback from others.
Logistics is at the bottom of my list of concerns. I would prefer not to use maildrops and it seems there are adequate options for resupply if one is flexible. Good nutrition is important to me but it appears I can maintain a decent (albiet sometimes boring) diet with the food I can buy along the way.
As far as the other three things you listed, I think which is most important depends upon the individual. The question that kept popping into my head is "Why do people who attempt thru-hikes not finish?"
The reasons I’ve seen vary. For example, some get lonely/homesick (mental). Some run out of money (logistics?). Some have to leave to deal with a problem at home/elsewhere. Some suffer incapacitating injuries (the cause might be physical, gear, mental, or some combination). Some don’t find the experience as enjoyable as they imagined or find the physical demands and discomfort intolerable (mental state but physical condition and gear problems can contribute to it).
Looking at it from the other side of the coin "What do successful thru-hikers have in common?" People have completed thrus with a wide variety of gear and weight. Top notch, lightweight gear may increase enjoyment and decrease physical demands and discomfort, but does not guarantee success. The same seems true about physical condition. Some have started out overweight and out of condition and finished while some who started out in peak physical condition did not. Does that leave some mental element as the decisive factor? And if it is, how can one develop the necessary mindset?
A person can work out using a variety of techniques to improve physical condition. Likewise, there are a number of ways to improve knowledge and skills. Gear can be researched, bought or made, and field tested before the hike and adjustments can be made along the way. But how does one learn to enjoy the moment, endure discomfort, meet the challenges, and otherwise handle the mental demands of the hike?
The answer I arrived at was gaining experience in baby steps. Take too big a leap, push the limits of one’s physical condition, skill level, and comfort zone too far, and negative experiences, instead of being a passing annoyance or "downer", become a deal breaker. Progressing in baby steps allows one to learn without being overwhelmed, to modify and adapt, to acquire more realistic expectations, and to discover that most obstacles are temporary and can be dealt with.
That said, I am mindful of the mental aspects of a thru-hike, but not overly concerned about them. I have never hiked 2000 miles before but I have done a lot of extended solo adventuring. Yet I realize that a person never knows how s/he will react in a given situation until s/he is in it so I am not taking it for granted.
That leaves physical conditioning and gear selection as my top priorities. I figure those are the two things that are most likely to enhance my enjoyment and minimize discomfort and the chance of injury.
peter2003
06-03-2005, 23:00
Before my retirement hike in 2003 I lifted weights and walked 1 hour 4-5 times a week. I also did a little X/C skiing and hiking in the winter. This program allowed me to start off at about 10 miles a day and build up to around 15 farther down the trail but I didn't consider myself a fast hiker.
However the mental aspect of the hike is by far the most important factor. To keep hiking 12-16 miles day in and day out in all kinds of weather requires a lot of dedication and work. For me it was like the continuation of a work mixed in with a lot of good memories from being part the trail community.