T Minus 8 days until I leave for Campo and the start of this exciting next adventure. I thought I would share what I have been doing to physically prepare for walking 20 miles a day. I hesitate to use the word training, that seems more ambitious than what I have actually done but here is a summary of my extra effort:
For PCT thru hikers there seem to be two prevailing philosophies regarding physical preparation for the trail. The first group believe in training "on the trail", that is no specific physical preparation prior to starting the hike. The second group believe in preparing ahead of time by exercising before getting on the trail.
I belong to the second group, at least in theory and I believe that training and preparation are an important part of any long hike. I also plan to start out hiking 18 to 20 miles a day and I wanted to prepare for this as best I can. The problem is, I have never been a gym nut and I would not consider myself very self disciplined when it comes to an exercise routine. I do like to live an active life and I am more motivated to exercise when I have a goal in mind but other things have been taking priority (like preparing and dehydrating 3 months of food). As a baseline, I have been averaging around 12 backpacking trips a year for the last 5 years and I have a job that keeps me somewhat active.
I tried a 12 week series of exercises in the late summer and fall of last year. It is based around a program developed by Ali Alami at FitClimb (link to 12 week intermediate training). I found it to be challenging and I definitely noticed improved cardiovascular performance as well as feeling stronger all around. I was thinking about doing it again 3 months prior to beginning the PCT but I have decided against it. While I think that it is a good program, I want to focus on hiking as my main form of training. When I hiked the Tahoe Rim Trail in 2010, I found that my biggest challenge was not strength or cardio but pain management in my feet. I was hiking about 22 miles a day and after the first 10 miles my feet would start to hurt quite a bit. I would take some ibuprofen and keep going but I don't like to do this if I don't have to. I trained in the gym for that hike, mostly cardio and weights but didn't do as much daily hiking and walking. So, my feet were not well conditioned to the stress of the trail resulting in pain. The prevailing wisdom is that the best training for any activity is to do that activity. So, more walking.
With that being said, here is a log of my "training". I intended to do more but this is what I did, I am sort of confident it is enough although the first couple of weeks on trail will probably be painful.
Jan 2 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Jan 4 - 6 mile walk around Lucas Valley Open Space
Jan 5 - 5 mile walk around Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve with 25lb backpack
Jan 7 - 4 mile run (I can't run very far due to bad shin splints)
Jan 9 - 3 mile walk
Jan 10 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Jan 11 - 7 mile walk around Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve (both loops)
Jan 12 - Yoga
Jan 13 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Jan 15 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Jan 18 - 16 mile walk with 25lb backpack at Henry Coe State Park
Jan 19 - 12 mile walk with 22lb backpack at Henry Coe State Park
Jan 20 - 3 mile walk
Jan 22 - 3 mile walk
Jan 23 - 3.5 mile walk
Jan 24 - 5 mile walk with 10lb backpack at Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve
Jan 25 - 2 mile walk with 25 lb backpack + Yoga
Jan 26 - Yoga
Jan 28 - 4 mile walk with 10lb backpack
Jan 29 - 3 mile walk with 10lb backpack
Jan 31 - 4 mile walk
Feb 1 - 2 mile walk
Feb 2 - 2 mile walk
Feb 4 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Feb 5 - 3 mile walk
Feb 8 - 4 mile walk
Feb 10 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Feb 12 - 4 mile walk
Feb 13 - 2 mile walk
Feb 14 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Feb 16 - Yoga
Feb 17 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Feb 18 - 2 mile walk
Feb 19 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Feb 20 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Feb 22 - 13 miles with 30lb backpack at Henry Coe S.P.
Feb 23 - 13 miles with 25lb backpack at Henry Coe S.P.
Feb 25 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Feb 28 - 8 mile walk (in the field for work but I'll still count it)
Mar 1 - 5 mile walk (Joshua Tree National Park: JTNP)
Mar 2 - 6 mile walk and bouldering extravaganza with 25 lb pack (JTNP)
Mar 3 - 14 mile walk and bouldering with 20lb pack (JTNP)
Mar 6 - 2 mile walk
Mar 7 - 2 mile walk
Mar 8 - 14 mile walk with 25lb backpack at Henry Coe S.P.
Mar 9 - 13 mile walk with 20lb backpack at Henry Coe S.P. (probably last backpacking trip until the PCT start)
Mar 10 - 4 mile run/walk
Mar 13 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 15 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 16 - 4 mile run, 2 mile walk + yoga
Mar 20 - 5 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 21 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 22 - 3 mile walk
Mar 23 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 24 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 25- 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 26 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 27 - 5 mile walk
Mar 28 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 30 - Yoga
April 2 - 4 mile walk
April 5 - 6 mile walk
After April 1, I am finding myself ridiculously busy and I really have not had time to do anything. I will continue not to have time to do anything other than maybe a few brief hikes in the next week, so fingers crossed, I hope this is good enough!
For PCT thru hikers there seem to be two prevailing philosophies regarding physical preparation for the trail. The first group believe in training "on the trail", that is no specific physical preparation prior to starting the hike. The second group believe in preparing ahead of time by exercising before getting on the trail.
I belong to the second group, at least in theory and I believe that training and preparation are an important part of any long hike. I also plan to start out hiking 18 to 20 miles a day and I wanted to prepare for this as best I can. The problem is, I have never been a gym nut and I would not consider myself very self disciplined when it comes to an exercise routine. I do like to live an active life and I am more motivated to exercise when I have a goal in mind but other things have been taking priority (like preparing and dehydrating 3 months of food). As a baseline, I have been averaging around 12 backpacking trips a year for the last 5 years and I have a job that keeps me somewhat active.
I tried a 12 week series of exercises in the late summer and fall of last year. It is based around a program developed by Ali Alami at FitClimb (link to 12 week intermediate training). I found it to be challenging and I definitely noticed improved cardiovascular performance as well as feeling stronger all around. I was thinking about doing it again 3 months prior to beginning the PCT but I have decided against it. While I think that it is a good program, I want to focus on hiking as my main form of training. When I hiked the Tahoe Rim Trail in 2010, I found that my biggest challenge was not strength or cardio but pain management in my feet. I was hiking about 22 miles a day and after the first 10 miles my feet would start to hurt quite a bit. I would take some ibuprofen and keep going but I don't like to do this if I don't have to. I trained in the gym for that hike, mostly cardio and weights but didn't do as much daily hiking and walking. So, my feet were not well conditioned to the stress of the trail resulting in pain. The prevailing wisdom is that the best training for any activity is to do that activity. So, more walking.
With that being said, here is a log of my "training". I intended to do more but this is what I did, I am sort of confident it is enough although the first couple of weeks on trail will probably be painful.
Jan 2 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Jan 4 - 6 mile walk around Lucas Valley Open Space
Jan 5 - 5 mile walk around Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve with 25lb backpack
Jan 7 - 4 mile run (I can't run very far due to bad shin splints)
Jan 9 - 3 mile walk
Jan 10 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Jan 11 - 7 mile walk around Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve (both loops)
Jan 12 - Yoga
Jan 13 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Jan 15 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Jan 18 - 16 mile walk with 25lb backpack at Henry Coe State Park
Jan 19 - 12 mile walk with 22lb backpack at Henry Coe State Park
Jan 20 - 3 mile walk
Jan 22 - 3 mile walk
Jan 23 - 3.5 mile walk
Jan 24 - 5 mile walk with 10lb backpack at Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve
Jan 25 - 2 mile walk with 25 lb backpack + Yoga
Jan 26 - Yoga
Jan 28 - 4 mile walk with 10lb backpack
Jan 29 - 3 mile walk with 10lb backpack
Jan 31 - 4 mile walk
Feb 1 - 2 mile walk
Feb 2 - 2 mile walk
Feb 4 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Feb 5 - 3 mile walk
Feb 8 - 4 mile walk
Feb 10 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Feb 12 - 4 mile walk
Feb 13 - 2 mile walk
Feb 14 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Feb 16 - Yoga
Feb 17 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Feb 18 - 2 mile walk
Feb 19 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Feb 20 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Feb 22 - 13 miles with 30lb backpack at Henry Coe S.P.
Feb 23 - 13 miles with 25lb backpack at Henry Coe S.P.
Feb 25 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Feb 28 - 8 mile walk (in the field for work but I'll still count it)
Mar 1 - 5 mile walk (Joshua Tree National Park: JTNP)
Mar 2 - 6 mile walk and bouldering extravaganza with 25 lb pack (JTNP)
Mar 3 - 14 mile walk and bouldering with 20lb pack (JTNP)
Mar 6 - 2 mile walk
Mar 7 - 2 mile walk
Mar 8 - 14 mile walk with 25lb backpack at Henry Coe S.P.
Mar 9 - 13 mile walk with 20lb backpack at Henry Coe S.P. (probably last backpacking trip until the PCT start)
Mar 10 - 4 mile run/walk
Mar 13 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 15 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 16 - 4 mile run, 2 mile walk + yoga
Mar 20 - 5 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 21 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 22 - 3 mile walk
Mar 23 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 24 - 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 25- 4 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 26 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 27 - 5 mile walk
Mar 28 - 3 mile walk with 25lb backpack
Mar 30 - Yoga
April 2 - 4 mile walk
April 5 - 6 mile walk
After April 1, I am finding myself ridiculously busy and I really have not had time to do anything. I will continue not to have time to do anything other than maybe a few brief hikes in the next week, so fingers crossed, I hope this is good enough!
