The fitness I never had

For most people, what I did for training is excessive. Lihat juga hgtgdfgdtr18. It is not necessary to have 6,000 miles with 500,000 feet of elevation gain in a year. However, my goal was not to train my fitness level; My goal was to train my mental level, my body durability and, more technically, my heart rate volume. Using proper strategy and a love of endurance, I was able to train at pretty extreme levels in 2025. Following a five-to-one mileage ratio with cross training, for every mile I ran or walked, I pedaled five. Basically, my 6,000 miles a year were 5,000 miles of biking and 1,000 miles of running/walking. By following this golden ratio for injury prevention, I built an incredible physical foundation and durability. By using more strategic days to suffer and suck, I developed mental toughness.

the adventures

Every New Year, I come up with a list of things I want to do. I did it the year I did the Long Trail and 2025 was no different. And so, my list of adventures I wanted to accomplish was pretty crazy:

• End Non AT North East 115.
• Be the first to bike the Adirondack Blue Line.
• Bike around Lake Champlain.
• Bike to Maine and climb the Non AT 4000 feet.
• Backpack by Katahdin.
• Cycle 100 miles without stopping.
• Immerse yourself in randonneuring, the act of cycling 150 miles or more without maps or a destination in mind.
• Do a single year ADK 46.
• Get two FKTs and do the Taconic Ridge Traverse.

As you can clearly see on this map my year was wild. This is the foundation of the resistance I needed to work towards. How the hell do you train for something like that?

The training

Using the five to one ratio you can develop incredible stamina. My typical week involved biking 100 miles and running or walking 20 miles. When considering my heart rate, I stayed at 60-20-10. 60% zone 2, 20% zone 3, and 10% zone 4. And since I’m not training for any races, I didn’t need to meet my threshold, and zone one (hot shot) does absolutely nothing to build fitness. Cross training is absolutely key here. Because if you do this with only one sport you are begging for an injury. My two sports are cycling and hiking/running. Cycling is a good cross-training sport because it eliminates the impact that occurs when you hit the ground. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t downright bad sometimes.

Why, Mr. Peaks, did you mention your adventures? Simple. Mental toughness. Willpower is a muscle and, in my very biased opinion, it is the most difficult to train. That’s because it’s the reason that people resign. Their willpower gives way and then they fail to achieve their goal. Doing so is like grinding your nails on a chalkboard, forcing yourself to smile while blood drips from your ears. In reality, going out and having adventures forces you to test that willpower in real situations. Go out and adventure when it’s cold, wet and miserable, away from all comforts except what you’re wearing. Give up substances like marijuana and alcohol. Love uncomfortable situations, then your willpower will start to show and grow and suddenly you will start smiling when you really shouldn’t.

In my previous blog post I went into more depth about the gear I bring. What’s really fucking important is that you bond with your team. And you have to love it and train with it, and if you don’t love something… change it.

Recovery

Don’t underestimate recovery. Because recovery and durability go hand in hand. Having high durability means that it takes less time to recover to 100%. So if you ‘max out’, you should only lower your durability meter slowly because you regain it with proper rest and mental preparation. Nutrition, mental relaxation, and adequate sleep allow you to achieve some pretty incredible recoveries. Therefore, figuring out what allows you to recover the most each night is a key element to going the distance and preventing any injuries along the way.

So after a hard week of training, grab that ice cream, take that extra long hot shower, and play the game you’d really like to play. Rest for several weeks or reserve an off-season when you don’t push your body to the limit. Let yourself heal. Love the body you have.

This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!

For more information, visit the About page of this site.