Thru-hike conditioning

imported
#1

I am planning my 04 thru-hike and am curious as to the training all of you had done prior to your hikes. Like how marathoners want to be able to do 18 miles before the race…do you all have any advice on how to gauge training?

grapejelly

#2

I didn’t do any particular conditioning before I started out from Amicalola with a 40-lb pack. I wasn’t in terrible shape, although I had weight to lose (and did). There were people who started out faster than I was able to go (or wanted to), but I never thought to myself, geez, I wish I’d conditioned. Made it to Katahdin, in the best shape of my life.

Of course, conditioning is never a bad thing! No way. But I’d think the best type of conditioning to do before a backpacking trip … would be backpacking. So if you can get out for day hikes with a full pack maybeeee, I don’t know, a couple of times a week for a couple of months before you start your thru, I’d say that’d be helpful. At least, it’ll help break in new boots, if you need to.

ramkitten

#3

Here’s my pet theory: at a minimum, you should be sufficiently conditioned so that you don’t injure yourself in the first couple weeks on the trail.

After the first few weeks, the conditioning you get ON the trail will dwarf any preparation you can reasonably do beforehand. So beyond a moderate fitness level, the return on pre-hike conditioning diminishes pretty fast. Six weeks out, I doubt you could distinguish hikers who rigorously trained from those who were lazy slobs beforehand.

To accompany that theory, here are the frequencies of early-hike injuries on the AT:

blisters      51%
knees         35%
ankles        20%
hips          17%
back          10%

These numbers are from “Long-Distance Hiking” by Roland Muesser.

In light of this, you might consider doing some ascent/descent stuff for your knees, walking on uneven terrain for your ankles, and wearing your trail footwear throughout to strengthen the skin on your feet.

Eric

#4

My first trial hike on the AT was 30 miles between Woody Gap and Unicoi Gap (3 days). After the first day, my legs were very sore. By the second day I was limping due to sore legs and the last day my right knee blew out with about 6 miles to go. It was hell to say the least… Five months later (March 30th this spring) I was able to start a 100 mile section hike starting on Springer. I had used a Stair Stepper for 2 weeks and did leg curls and extensions to try to strengthen my knees. This time out I had virtually no leg pain thoughout the entire hike. I think that using the stair stepper got my legs used to the extra strain of hiking so the first few days weren’t such a big shock to them. As far as my knee goes, I slowed WAY down on the downhills and had lightened my pack 5 lbs which seemed to do the trick. I saw a LOT of people leaving the trail at Neels Gap due to blown knees. I can’t stress how important it is to go slow on the downhills even if others are passing you (It isn’t a race). Listen to your body and take a break or slow down especially for the first few weeks until you get your trail legs. Hopefully someday I will be able to attempt a thru hike. I know I’m physically ready for it, but I think the real challenge will be the mental one. Good luck on your upcoming hike!

Nooga

#5

Be prepared to hurt going up and be prepared to hurt going down. Learn to like the rain,wind and heat. Love dirt and bugs. And if all else fails,drink beer!!

Virginian

#6

Thank you for the advice…I will use all of it. I am in decent shape…I do a lot of 6-8 hour hikes up and over the Presidentials…what I lack is the experience in the day after day wear and tear. Sounds like I should try to get my knees stronger. I don’t mind dirt, Virginian, but the constant bugs I’ll have to learn to love! Thanks again!

grapejelly

#7

I also was a regular hiker in the Whites before my AT thru hike (I’d never hiked anywhere else) and I’d say being used to N.E. rocks and roots made the south’s predominantly “softer” treadways easier even when the trail was steep like a climb in the Prezies. I remember finally seeing a very rocky area somewhere near Blue Mtn. in Georgia and thinking, “so there are talus slopes down here”. They certainly were much less common then NH and I got in shape on the trail by keeping my daily mileage between 8 and 15 for the better part of three weeks.

Celt

#8

Keep the miles low in the beginning, consider trekking poles to ease the burden on the knees, lower the pack weight, and for me what also worked was taking Glucosamine supplements 3x a day. It’s supposed to help build up soft tissue like tendons, ligaments, etc. I developed tendonitis in the knees in VA and started taking them and had little problems afterwards (except for shin splints in Mass. but that was from trying to follow a particularly fast fellow hiker’s pace for a coupla days). It’s not a miracle cure for everything, espcially the chronic hiker shuffle, but it worked for me.

Cap’n

#9

I would recommend some training in advance. Particularly if
you can hike with a pack, on hilly ground.

I started a month ahead, thanks to a mild '01-'02 winter, with
a 1/2 pack for a week, 3/4 pack for a week, and full pack for
the last two weeks. I went to the local state park 3Xs per
week and gradually increased mileage up to 7 or 8 miles.
Unfortunately there are no hills to climb here, and that
would have definitely helped.

After a couple weeks on the trail, you’ll know how much work
it is, but if you enjoy the experience the work won’t make a
difference. If you hike the approach trail to Springer, it
gives you a good idea of what’s to come. Some days will be
harder, some easier, but the approach trail is about avg.

I never had problems with my knees. Usually I had more
trouble with my wind on the ups, than with my knees on the downs.
The descent into NOC gave me a couple ‘hot-feet’, but they
were already calloused so there weren’t blisters.

Start out slow, and work your way into the experience. Keep
your expectations low and your enthusiasm high, so you enjoy
the trip. Be flexible, too. Adjust your schedule for the
terrain and weather.

I never used poles, but I’ll take a stick next time out.

Scamp

Scamp

#10

whether you can do the miles or not-start slow. its the best advice i can give. I took it relatively easy from Springer to Damascus. I think it was key for me in the long run, enjoying the Trail and physically. Way too many people i saw getting burned out mentally and physically. Its too pretty also at the start-soak it all in.
i saw lots of people who started in georgia doing 15 every day change their philosiphy and mentalitly after awhile. Those people ended up finishing when i did or later, realizing there is no point. If you keep doing big days over and over eventually you hit the breaking point. I saw it happen to almost everyone.
A-Train

A-Train

#11

I’m prepping to do the trail in '04. Aside from being a pretty avid runner I have been lifting weights at high reps lower weight. Legpress, calfpress, 3x20 @ 150 lbs. Hamstring curl and quad extensions 3x20 @ 70 lbs. Then 3x30 lunges with two 25 lbs dumbells. I have found that this routine has been very benefically for hiking and running. I am progressively increasing weight too, and am stretching a lot.

I have also planned very conservative mileages up to Damascus to allow for that period of “trail hardening.”

Andy

#12

I have section hiked from Springer to Standing Indian Mountain in N.C. and have developed a pre-hike routine. Many hikers have told me that section hikers have it harder because just when you get into “hiking” shape, you head home. My routine is to do relatively light, high rep weight lifting for primarily legs, abs, and shoulders. I also work my way up over 6-8 weeks of doing 30 minutes of running on treadmill followed by 30 minutes on stairmaster 5-6 times a week. I have used this routine twice and have never had an injury or even sore muscles. I am 45 years old and have hiked up to 11-12 miles over Georgia’s hills on my trips. It works for me.

Zydecajun

#13

Simply doing some walking, especially with a pack on could help a lot. But I agree with those who said you will get in shape as you hike. Just go slow and don’t be afraid to take zero days to recover. Rest days are an important part of marathon training. Younger guys can get away with fewer rest days since their bodies recover faster.

That said, last year I met a hiker who was in his 60s and he flew down hill using no poles. I had an easier time on the uphills than him but I think that was due to I was an avid runner for years before I started my hike so I had a lot of endurance. He would get winded much easier. The downhills were killing my knees so I had to ask him how he could fly down the hill. He said he spent 2 years lifting weights to build up his leg muscles. I plan to make another attempt soon and plan to do a lot of weight training before I go. Anything you do to build up the muscles that support your knees better would be time well spent. You see lots of hikers in the early mile with wearing knee braces due to injuries and I would guess injured knees is one of the biggest reasons people are forced off the trail.

Radar

#14

Sorry Radar. I saw your name earlier is a post and I when I went to post earlier I was typed your name by mistake. I shouldn’t post when I am tired…

Radar didn’t make the earlier post. Rerun

Rerun