I am less than two months away from starting the CDT in June and my training is in full swing. Wow, it sounds serious when I say it like that. This is the first time I’ve really been strategic in my pre-trail training and I’m optimistic it will pay off.
For the previous long hikes, I prepared by hiking and running when I could. It’s not that I didn’t train at all, but I had some faith in the commonly shared wisdom that you can go from the couch to the trail and get fitter as you go. This is true to a point, but I think I’ve gotten away with it without serious injury. I don’t want to just hope for the best when there are steps I can take to control my results.
Wearing compression sleeves for leg cramps on the PCT. I barely made it into Big Bear.
I don’t want to start the path with pain. I want to feel strong. So this time I have a plan.
Lifting weight (for me)
Strength training has to be the most underrated and neglected way to train for a long walk. Hikers tend to gravitate toward activities like trail running and, well, hiking. Of course, hikers want to get outdoors and it makes sense to train for something by practicing that. Good?
Hitting the gym and lifting heavy objects is not in most hikers’ wheelhouse. Until a year ago, I never lifted weights regularly, despite knowing it would make me more resistant to injury. It involved learning a new skill in a strange environment full of gym mates and I felt intimidated. I’m so glad I started anyway.
The benefits of weight lifting have exceeded my expectations. Running is easier. Walking is easier. I feel more power behind every step. My knees hurt less. Gaining muscle has made such a drastic change in my performance that it has become my number one priority.
I love the squat rack at my climbing gym. I never have to wait for it to be free!
It’s also been surprisingly fun and addictive. As a novice lifter, I have been able to improve at an amazing rate. I’ve always been lanky and thought it was just my genetics, but it turns out I’m not immune to proper nutrition and training. I have been applying the principle of “progressive overload” to my workouts, always keeping the workout difficult by adding reps or weight when I can. I get as close to failure as possible by maintaining good form. It involves listening to my body on a level I’ve never had to engage with before.
My philosophy in the gym has changed since I started. I started mainly with isolation exercises, focusing on individual muscles because I was afraid of hurting myself or looking stupid trying to do barbell exercises.. Now, compound movements like the bench press, deadlift, and barbell squat are regular parts of my routine and some of my favorites.
Preparing to bench press on a Smith machine, since Planet Fitness does not have free bars. Making it work!
Now that I’m in the home stretch approaching my walk, I’m putting special emphasis on strengthening my lower body. For me, I have found that one hard leg day a week is what I can handle while recovering properly. Since I also include running and hiking in my training, if I do more, I risk irritating my tendons.
On a lower body day I try to work every major muscle group: glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. A typical leg day for me would include deadlifts, squats or leg presses, leg curls, leg extensions, and calf extensions. I also include an unusual exercise: tibialis raises. The tibialis anterior is the muscle that runs over the shinbone. It is used when lifting the foot, a fairly ubiquitous movement during walking. My goal is a complete routine that gives me functional strength.
Hit calf extensions on the leg press machine.
Rock climbing
I must highlight climbing as part of my strength routine. I’ve been a member of my local climbing gym lately and it’s a fun way to mix it up. I certainly use my legs and core while climbing, but I usually end up feeling it more in my upper body. I think upper body training has some merit to backpacking. Having stronger shoulders, chest, and back should be helpful for carrying a fully loaded backpack out of town. It’s not at the top of my priority list, but it doesn’t hurt.
One of my first climbs almost 3 years ago.
I’m not big on bouldering, so I’m happy to have access to a gym with auto belay and top rope routes. I feel like my risk of injury is much higher in bouldering and it’s just not worth it for me. I like being able to try a difficult move and not worry about hitting the platform at a weird angle.
I find climbing beneficial for hiking in a much more important way than physical training: It’s exposure therapy for my fear of heights. I didn’t fully realize the extent of my fear until I climbed the PCT. The log crossings and steep traverses scared me so much that it was a problem. The following year I was lucky enough to live in the PCT town of Lone Pine, CA. I had easy access to the Alabama Hills, a world-class location for sport climbing, and I met some great climbers who were happy to teach. I thought I would try it just once to challenge my fear and in the end I loved it.
Winter climbing at the “Candy Store” in the Alabama Hills. I miss having a team like that!
Now when I’m in a situation where I’m scared of height, I ask myself, «could I do this if I were on the top rope?» The answer is usually that it would be ridiculously easy with a rope. So I know I can do it. I’m still very risk averse and avoid legitimately dangerous situations, but it’s been a change in perspective. I can now do things that would have paralyzed me in the past.
Running (of course)
Many hikers seem to run to get fit, but I definitely don’t think it’s a requirement. I believe there are many benefits to be gained from any form of cardiovascular exercise, including a lot of walking. That said, running places more impact and stress on the tendons, which should lead to adaptations that will help during long days on the track. I already enjoy running, so it has its place in my training routine!
I went for a run on my neighborhood trail in Olympia, WA.
In fact, I’ve stopped running quite a bit since my previous training strategy. It’s hard to balance running, weight lifting, and recovery with only 7 days a week. Lately, I’ve only been doing 1 or 2 runs a week since I’ve gotten busier with work. They are usually easy paced and sometimes I do tempo or stride runs. My preference is to run on trails if possible, simply because I enjoy it more.
If I don’t feel like running on a given day, I’ll swap it for a walk or some type of cross training like the stationary bike or stair climber. As I try to improve my fitness, the most important thing is to allow myself to recover properly and not end up injured before even starting the hike.
Test backpack trips
Spring has finally arrived! Now that the weather is getting better and the snow is melting, I’m looking forward to going on a backpacking trip. It’s nice to get some day hikes in, but I know it’s really long days backpacking that I really need to prepare. Not only will I be letting my body adjust to the load of a backpack, but I’ll also be testing out the new gear I’m using at the CDT this year. I’m still undecided about whether I want to bring an umbrella for the first time, and I think a few test hikes will help me decide.
I’m originally from Pasadena, CA, and will be spending some time at home before hitting the track. I’m planning to finally walk the Gabrielino National Recreation Trail (28 miles) and the Silver Loafers Trail (53 miles). The SMT shares miles with the PCT, so I’ll be revisiting some familiar spots.
Mount Baden-Powell, the highest point on the Silver Moccasin Trail and a popular side quest on the PCT.
The Gabrielino Trail was closed in 2009 by the Station Fire and didn’t reopen until 2018, and was lucky to avoid burning again in the Eaton Fire last year. Both trails share a terminus at Chantry Flat, which recently reopened after the Bobcat Fire burned down in 2020. These trails have only been passable for 4 of the last 17 years. Sometimes I hear the feeling that there is no rush to get out, that “the trail will always be there.” At least here on the west coast, that’s not really true. I love the San Gabriel Mountains and it’s about time I took these hikes while I can.
Bonus: staying active at work
I have a big built-in advantage for staying fit: I walk a lot for my job. I’m an archaeologist and my work lately has been a combination of pedestrian reconnaissance and shovel test pits. Basically, walking and digging.
When I go out to inspect sites, it usually involves walking through some fairly rugged off-trail terrain in heavy boots and a field backpack. By comparison, this makes walking an established trail runner trail easy on my body. I also think it helps me mentally, as I’m using my brain in a way more similar to route finding and coding. I’m interested in doing more off-trail riding and it’s good to have a base of comfort in reading a topographic map to get around.
Trampling a pedestrian survey in Trinity County, CA.
For a shovel test pit (STP) study, we carried our screens, shovels, and tarps to the excavation site, effectively doing farmer’s hauling as we walked. We dug in a grate with each hole up to 1 meter deep. A day in an STP survey makes me feel like a character in holes. I can find it quite mentally challenging, especially when it’s cold and rainy and I’m completely covered in mud. But mental preparation is another form of training and I always have to look for the positive side.
«I’m tired of this, Grandpa!» «That’s a shame! Keep digging!»
Beyond my work, I’m making a conscious effort to walk as much as possible. This might involve walking a mile to the grocery store instead of driving, or adding evening walks listening to audiobooks to my routine. It all adds up and I want to be as comfortable as possible with my time on my feet.
Will all this bear fruit? There’s only one way to find out!
I officially have my flight booked and my Glacier National Park permits purchased for my SOBO start in mid-June. I even have other CDT hikers joining me on my glacier permit for the first week. That gives me just under two more months to prepare. At this point, I feel pretty prepared. Most of my fitness will come from my consistency over the past year and not what I can squeeze into two months. I’m going to work to maintain what I have and not try too hard. The days count quickly and it starts to seem real!
