Go Long!

AMC Outdoors, July/August 2006

Build endurance for a full day or more on the trail

So you just signed up for your first Presidential traverse, or maybe you’ve decided this is the summer you’re finally going to tackle Katahdin. But now you’re wondering if your ambition exceeds your fitness level. What you need now is a training plan. “The number one reason to put together a training plan is that it makes achieving your goal manageable,” says Patrick McCrann, head coach and founder of Performance Training Systems. He says the key to a good training plan is having it reflect what you’re training for. “You should research the terrain, know the elevation, and plan out what you’ll be carrying with you,” McCrann says. “There is no magical fix for getting fit. You need a plan that you follow day after day to build up fitness. That way you don’t end up feeling overwhelmed.”

McCrann recommends keeping your plan fun and interesting, because you won’t stick with it if you’re bored. Choose a variety of scenic routes and pick one or more cross-training activities that you enjoy. There are four components to a solid training plan:

ENDURANCE  Good aerobic endurance is the difference between finishing a long-distance hike feeling strong versus barely crawling to the car. Gradually increasing the length of your workouts will help you build endurance. Be sure to hike with a backpack, eventually adding as much weight as you expect to carry during your goal hike.

INTERVALS  Intervals are designed to get the heart rate up, which over time allows your heart muscle to adapt to strenuous exercise. One of the best ways to get in shape for a steep climb is to choose a moderately steep hill close to home and climb it repeatedly. Other options include increasing the incline angle on the treadmill or elliptical, or finding a rolling hills route to walk. Be sure to include a recovery period between intervals, whether walking down the hill or dropping the incline down on the treadmill.

STRENGTH TRAINING  You don’t need to belong to a gym to do strength training. Exercises you can do at home include lunges, squats, calf raises, abdominal exercises, military push-ups, pull-ups, deadlifts, farmer’s walk, and side leg raises.

CROSS TRAINING  Cross training allows you to continue building endurance and aerobic capacity while giving you a fun alternative to all that hiking. Choose an activity you enjoy such as cycling, running, inline skating, or the elliptical machine.

- Jen Kula