[pct-l] Preparation -- Physical Training

[Scott Williams]

Great topic and close to my heart.  I changed a lot of gear over my hike in
2010 and used several different maps, but for me the most important thing I
did at 57 was to train like hell before hitting trail and then to back off
the distances at Campo and start slowly.   I'm lucky to have a 4,000 foot
mountain almost in my backyard and climbed that 2 to 3 times per week and
never found anything on the PCT to match the steepness of those trails.
But it put me in the position of not having to deal with sore feet and
muscles early in the hike.  Your feet really toughen up when you use them
hard, and pain in the most important part of your body for a hiker through
blisters or joint issues, can be a hike killer early.

I began with a top of 12 miles per day the first week, 15 to 18 the second
and only broke 20 during the 3rd week.  By Oregon I was hitting 30 to 35 on
a daily basis, so the speed will come, but I was able to complete the trail
with only some plantars faciitis, no blisters or broken bones!

 Some folks do not need this regimen, but if you haven't tried yourself on
a long hike before, training and toughening your feet ahead of time may be
the most important thing you do during the next few months.  The greatest
attrition we saw in 2010 was during the first few weeks due to incredible
blisters, ankle and knee issues and just plain "It's too hard!"  I started
with 5 people at the border who had met on this forum.  One was out after
her first day under too big a load and blisters.  Another lasted 2 days for
the same reasons and a 3rd made it for about 2 weeks but we used to hear
her crying to her boyfriend in Portland by phone at night.  It was just too
hard.  She had trained by hiking 3 miles per day in Portland but that
wasn't even close to what she found on trail.  The 4th person made in over
a 1,000 miles, but the snow killed her off later.  She had trained hard and
did well on trail, but the no melt off we had that year was just too much
for her eventually.

One person who did well training in a city was Little Engine who lived in
Brooklyn and walked to work in Manhattan for 6 months, the only hill being
the Brooklyn Bridge.  She got in 12 miles a day and did the trail well.

Others I met didn't train and did well, but some of them spent weeks off
trail healing overuse injuries sometime during the desert section.  Others
had never hiked or camped before and crossed into Canada with me.

Plenty of folks are strong and young enough to just go out there and make
it without much training.  My hat's off to ya, but for me in my geezerhood,
keeping up on the muscles and foot toughness is the most important thing I
did in those several months before Campo.

Good luck to all you class of 2012!

Shroomer