[#19]

There is no doubt that nothing will get you in shape for gaining elevation, better than - gaining elevation. But it's hard to consistantly get enough of that ( for me) to gain enough benefit from it. Even if you get out once a week, I think normal people's muscles forget by the next time. I've always did as much training in the form of running, running hills, and walking stairs with a pack to do what I could. Sometimes I've over-trained, but recovery from a hard trip to the mountains comes quicker (for me) when in top shape. Plus I maintain my girlish figure. Do you train for the physical demanding requirements of walking up hill? If so, what has been effective for you? (or am I as sick as my wife thinks)

[Dslayer]

Usually I'm lifting weights in the winter--but I tore my machine apart when I moved and haven't put it back together yet-or more rightly paid the guys I bought it from to put it back together. So to maintain fitness this winter, I've been running up and Dslayer mountain--aka my driveway--it's a pretty good hump-I try to go up pretty hard and it's turning out to be a good workout-plus running downhill approximates walking downhill which is good exercise... I've actually lost a lb or two when I usually just trying not to balloon up this time of year.

[catwoman]

I frequent the stairclimbers and treadmills (steepening the incline) at the gym. However, it's still not the same as actually DOING, because yesterday may have been a good example (it had been a month since I'd last been out, which may or may not have had anything to do with it). Rubberlegs and I went snowshoeing to Talapus and Olallie and we took lots of shortcuts to avoid as much of the long roadway to the trailhead. Not long after setting up the steep hill did I stop and felt really sick and dizzy all of a sudden. I thought I may have had food poisoning or something. But after a few minutes resting break, I started to feel ok again. I felt absolutely fine on the more gradual inclines, or perhaps climbing more slowly on the steeper inclines. Very wierd. I've never encountered this at all in my hiking experiences. Not sure what to think about it.

[Sore Feet]

*SMACK* BAD GRAVITY! I find that even walking to catch my bus to my classes every day keeps my legs relatively loose. You really don't have to do some uber-workout to keep from keep from getting tired when hiking, just stay relatively active pretty constantly...park further from the entrance to work, so you have to walk further, take the bus, or if you've got a two story house, just walk up and down the stairs a whole lot instead of shelling out $50 bucks for a Gym membership where you'll go use the stair machine...

[Tom]

Hey catwoman, I'd think snowshoeing with rubberlegs would bring any mere mortal to their knees . I know I only have to snowshoe with "lead ice axe" beave and "bum foot" randy to be quickly realize my winter conditioning program is far from adequate. P.S. beave, just kidding!!! go heavy, that's my only chance to keep you within eyesight!

[Randy]

On a typical, non-injury year I keep in shape by running lots of stairs and laps around Green Lake during the winter. If you live in Seattle I can point you in the direction of some good outside staircases and some of the better high-rises to run up. As Tom pointed out I've got a bit of a bum foot, but it's getting a lot better. Now I'm having issues with my knee (MCL), so I'm doing very little of anything these days besides sitting around the house and getting fat. Funny this age thing, as soon as I hit 27 everything goes all to hell.

[reststep]

I ride my bicycle year around which is good cardio vascular excercise and then before hiking season and sometimes in the winter, I load up my pack with weights and go to Illahee State Park and walk the trails there. Some of the trails are fairly steep and simulate mountain trails. I try and walk the trails there twice a week for an hour each time. It seems to work well for getting me in shape or lets me know how out of shape I am. Some days it is a struggle getting through the hour and some times the hour flys by. I start with about 40 pounds early in the year and then increase the weight to about 55 pounds. My wife thinks I am crazy.

[Allison]

Get used to it, Grasshopper. Why do you think all us "old people" (in our 30s) are all into this lightweight thing? Damn near soon as you're full-grown, your body starts to disintegrate!!

[Dante]

For most of human history most people didn't see their 40s--historically we thirty-somethings really are old. I try to fight it by walking, running and/or getting out as much as I can, but I always pack on a few extra pounds in the winter. Working overtime at a sedentary desk job from September through january doesn't help any either. If I gain weight in the winter and lose it in the spring, can I argue it's "training weight"

[Beave]

I think being regular about excercising is more important than the intensity.... I do a phsyical job, which gets my blood pumping and keeps me pretty loose during the week... Sometimes I ride to work also.... About two weeks ago, my truck was in the shop during the week, so I rode to work the entire week... That weekend while snowshoeing (with Randy and Tom) I felt a WORLD of differnence in my warm-up time and also my overall energy level.... I try to get my cardio on the bike, since it's soooo much easier on the body.... Also strenthens some hiking muscles.... I never run (unless trying to catch Randy on a downhill!!) Also, trying to save the knees for years of hiking to come.... Weekends, no matter what season, are almost always filled with some kinda activities... If looking to push limits and gain stamina/endurance, it's always more interesting to go somewhere, with someone who is faster than you; A little extra motivation to slog up that mountain!! I imagine Rubberlegs could show us all a thing or two about endurance!! I know TV has alot to do with the majority of Americans fitness levels... That's why I gave mine away a couple years ago... There is ALWAYS something better to do than veg in front of the tube... Life is short, go do something!! Of course I'm only 22 so I guess I'm still in "the zone"...

[Damian]

Throw a 5 gal container of H20 in your pack, stomp to the top of Cougar, drain the water and moon walk on down. 4 mile loop, takes about an hour. Excellent low impact hiking exercise. Do this every other day. Works great. Allison- I don't get it. What is this lightweight thing people in their 30's discover?

[polarbear]

I hate to say it but I don't exercise alot. Don't polarbears hibernate in the winter? I've got some snowshoes now, so there is less excuse. As far as I know they do not need to hibernate. I know a guy who is climbing stairs during lunch to train for a himalayas climb, but am not sure I want to do stairs as a constant exercise. I think even if you exercise just 2-3 times a week in the winter it helps alot. Right now I am exerci-s-i-n-g m-y f-i-n-g-e-r-s.

[Newt]

20's, 30's, the zone? Sheeeet man. Wait till you're 50 something. It has all done caught up. You notice these things in the morning. I'm unfit in more ways than one. I hike with an extemely in shape 40 yo. A hiker/biker/climber/xc skier/runner who has more miles on her bike than I have on my car. When Hiking I do my best to not slow her down which pushs me to my limits and gives me incentive to get into better shape. It's good for me. I know she could be there, get back and have a shower before I reached the goal. I don't ever expect to keep up BUT I will still keep trying. It does pay to trash the tube. I stopped watching 2 yr ago and haven't missed it yet. Well, maybe OLN. NN:)

[polarbear]

Damian, you should be doing something with that water besides just draining it. Maybe fill a hottub at the top, or water a cactus. Or bring rocks instead and build a giant cairn.

[Damian]

Polarbear- Believe it or not I have designed a backcountry hot tub using light weight equipment that one could pack in to any location in about two trips! It seemed far fetched at first but upon careful consideration of relevent thermodynamics, it is acually quite feasible using commonly availiable materials and a fairly unsophisticated, but efficient heating system. Have been meaning to construct a prototype one of these days. Wouldn't that be a hoot?