How many training miles?

[Storm]

I was just wondering how many training miles the folks that are planning thru hikes are doing. I've kept a jounal and have logged over 1000 miles this year. Sometimes I feel like it isn't near enough and other times I feel like I'm just burning myself out. I still have over a year to get ready since I'm planning on 2012. Was just curious if anyone else is keeping track and what the average was.

[slugger]

I'm jealous. I have gotten about 125 miles in this year to train.

[Del Q]

I am trying to get back out in 2 weeks, recovering from knee surgery, 50/50 at this point. Assuming that you have your gear dialed in (NOT too heavy!) and are in generally good shape, I would focus on going up & down steep hills with a 40+ lbs pack.

[Luddite]

With over a thousand miles hiked in a year you're going to be more prepared than a lot of people, including myself.

[Megapixel]

we are training almost every day, but some of it is weight training, walks without packs, and biking long distances. When we do backpack, we go full tilt on the pack weight (30lbs) although we will never carry more than 25, and we do overnights at about 6-8 in and about 8-20 miles out the next day. probably 1 to 2 x per week. It's Florida though, so its not major elevation change.

[BrianLe]

My suggestions:

(1) Do a relatively long shakedown hike, I suggest 50 miles or more. I think this could be qualitatively different than even a long series of short trips in terms of finding out things about gear, hiking style (with that gear), physical issues that arise, whatever. And bring a notebook and take notes right away as things occur to you so you can remember to make adjustments when you get back home.
If you find a lot of issues and/or pretty significant issues, then if possible do a follow-on shakedown hike to show that you've really resolved things, and perhaps to push out the next tier of problems (!).

(2) For the AT in particular I do suggest that your training be closer to what one would normally do for a mountain climb. Or at least I recall in GA and TN/NC thinking about the walking/hiking I had done to train and wishing I had done more on the stairmaster. I think the best answer is some of both --- train to walk by walking, but include more elevation training that you might otherwise do.

[Tilly]

I did absolutely no training or working out before my '09 hike and I did fine. Actually the 2 weeks before I left I drank more beer and ate dessert after every meal.

I live in Indiana, I'm a flatlander, and I didn't have any troubles at all. But if you enjoy all the prep more than 1 year in advance, by all means, do what you want, it certainly won't hurt.

[RichardD]

Typically I walk about 25 to 30 miles per week at a brisk pace around and around and around a local park. Elevation gain about 6 inches (I live in West Texas). It has always worked to have me in reasonable shape for my Summer of backpacking. It takes me about two weeks of backpacking to be in what I consider to be good backpacking shape.
This year will be different, I am now retired and will spend the entire Winter downhill skiing, I expect to ski about 100 days. It will be interesting to see if this has me in good shape when I start my AT thru attempt in March. (I rather suspect it will).
!000 miles in a year is similar to what I walk for maintenance exercise and it has kept me in decent shape.

[Del Q]

Its the hills that get me, agree 100% on the stair master, level is easy.

[Pedaling Fool]

I was just wondering how many training miles the folks that are planning thru hikes are doing. I've kept a jounal and have logged over 1000 miles this year. Sometimes I feel like it isn't near enough and other times I feel like I'm just burning myself out. I still have over a year to get ready since I'm planning on 2012. Was just curious if anyone else is keeping track and what the average was.

1,000 mile per year is good, but curious what kind of miles are they? And do they include a pack?

[TheChop]

I considered less miles than over all nights spent out. I've gotten about 400 miles of backpacking in the Smokies and North Georgia over the past year. The last was a 16 day hike. I viewed it more as having the experience necessary than physical shape. Hiking two straight days in the rain, hiking around thunderstorms, hiking in the cold, hiking in heat, staying in a shelter, encountering a bear etc. I didn't really commit to a thru-hike until I'd done the 16 day hike. 16 days is a long time to be out walking and I knew if I liked the 16 days I was going to like a thru-hike. There's a whole lot different psychology involved in a week hike versus a 3 days hike. In mid-January I'm doing the foothills trail for six days as a shakedown hike as I'll be replacing most of my gear.

Physically I have my own home gym and elliptical and get on it pretty regularly. I really need to buckle down and workout these next three months.

[Blissful]

Some training does help cardiovascularly, but there is nothing like getting out there and just doing your hike when the time comes. In a few weeks you'll be in top shape.

[johnnybgood]

What % of thru hikers do little to no training before hitting the trail for 6 months ?

I walk briskly 20-30 minutes almost every day , nothing else better for endurance and stamina needed, IMO.

[10-K]

Do something that combines mental preparation with physical preparation because it is equally, if not more important. Anybody can get trail legs. But a trail head is something else.

For example - make yourself go for a 2 hour walk when the last thing you want to do is go for any kind of walk.

Or, on the weekend when you have time go for more than 1 long walk... Push yourself - make yourself walk an hour longerr than you want to.

Walk in exactly the same place every day no matter how bored you get with it.

Anything you can do that pushes you mentally and conditions you physically is ideal.

[Storm]

Wow, lots of great suggestions here.

To answer a few questions. Most of the miles were flat miles but almost all were with a back pack. I did make four trips to the Laurel Highland hiking trail and was able to complete it. Did several sections twice because I went by myself and did an out and back.

I have all of my gear and with 3 days of food and 2 liters of water weighed in at 28 lbs. So at my age I'm not going to do any hills with a 40 lb. plus pack, even for training. This was a summer pack weight so I might have to add a couple pounds for winter.

Haven't had any bear encounters yet. Did meet one very aggressive rattle snake, I gave him a wide berth and we parted company as friends.

I can see where the metal aspect might me something hard to train for. My only comment is that I enjoy the solitude and like Lone Wolf always says "It's only walking." I'm not sure if anything could prepare a person for 5 or 6 months of it though.

[TheChop]

To answer a few questions. Most of the miles were flat miles but almost all were with a back pack.

Grade and elevation gain is the hardest part by far. One suggestion I've heard is to hike up a structure with water in your pack. Pour the water out. Hike back down so your knees don't get messed up.

[garlic08]

I don't really try to get in shape for a long trail other than just basically staying in shape all year. So I guess I could say I'm always training for the long trails. I'll walk or bicycle to work and shopping, go on fun day hikes as often as possible, go on shakedown cruises when I get new gear, etc. In month before the big hike, I'll take a few 15 to 20 mile hikes to make sure the shoes and feet feel OK, and address minor problems with blistering, pack fit, clothing, chaffing, etc. It's all good advice above, too.

[Mags]

Stay in shape year round. With the amount of people who drop out of a long trail, why stack the odds against you even more than by the 'drink beer, eat hamburgers and watch bad TV' American lifestyle.

This article may help
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...425#post184425

Besides, if you are in shape, you can do more than just a hike once every two years and enjoy the outdoors now, on your hike and 20 yrs from now.

I love the outdoors too much to not be physically active when not on a long hike.

[Chance09]

I bartend on my time off between hikes. I think that being on my feet for an 8 hour shift versus sitting behind a desk 9-5 5 days a week makes all the difference. I even use my green superfeet in my work shoes.

Other than that I didn't really do any training before starting the AT last year. Just made sure not to overdue it the first month out.

People say the only way to train for hiking 8 hours a day carrying 30 pounds a day is to hike 8 hours a day carrying 30 lbs.

The only training I think that I would do for another AT thru hike is 1,000s of calf raises and calf stretching. That was the only muscle in my body that really hurt sometimes.

[10-K]

I love the outdoors too much to not be physically active when not on a long hike.

Me too...

Long hikes make up a very small percentage of the time I spend outdoors.