[pct-l] Training for a thru hike

[Jonathan Blees]

Hi Amanda, and HNY back atcha.

These "words of wisdom" (ahem!) come from a section-hiker.  I don't have thru-hiking experience, but on the other hand I have to be in good hiking shape from Day 1 on my trips, because I don't have a week or two to ease into shape.

As many people have noted, the best training for walking long distances with a pack is to walk long distances with a pack.  If you can do it on dirt or rocks rather than asphalt or concrete, so much the better, ditto hills versus flatland.  Living in Sacramento, I don't have access to hills, so I train by climbing up and down the stairs  of a 17-story building while carrying a fully-loaded pack.

I also recommend that you get regular aerobic exercise that will get your heartrate up.  It's hard for me to do this walking on flat ground, so I run or bike in addition to my stair-climbing..

Strength training for the whole body.  The legs are probably the most important, but your glutes will do a lot of work, and your abs, back, and shoulders will need to be strong to carry a pack, even a truly lightweight one. 

Stretching.  I'm old, so this is de rigueur, but I imagine young 'uns would benefit also.  Btw, I find that stretching often while hiking, especially the calves, is very important.  (Good Tip # 174 from Ray Jardine.)

Best wishes,

Wildheart 

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Date: Thu, 1 Jan 2009 22:01:03 -0500
From: "Amanda Gardynik" <aggardynik at gmail.com>

Can anyone offer some REAL words of wisdom for how to train for a thru hike?   :)

Thanks and Happy New Year!

*Amanda*
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