In a previous post, “A Hiker is Born,” I outline my experience as a new hiker. I will always remember those beginning days as they are what keep me humble. For me to meet new hikers where they are at, I must have a vivid understanding of what they are experiencing, and I do that by remembering from where I came.
It is important to remember that Social Media gives us a remarkably skewed version of reality. People have a tendency to show the polished version of events, without really showing the grind behind it all or the colossal fails. If new to following me, it may be far too easy to judge yourself against the hikes I am currently doing, without realizing I too started out just like you. While applauding the endeavors of others is noble, please never compare yourselves to them as they started out doing far less than those grandiose adventures you are currently witnessing. We all have to start somewhere, and that somewhere is with a single step.
It is common knowledge that we, as a Society, don’t move nearly enough. Each of us, as a daily habit, could benefit from 10,000 steps per day. I am asked frequently by those interested in hiking…….. “How can I prepare?” I am not surprised by this question as I recall asking it myself. For me, I was absolutely convinced I could not be a hiker because my first hike was excruciatingly hard both physically and mentally. I thought I was going to die and was humiliated beyond belief. When I told a trusted friend I “could not hike,” it was suggested to me that perhaps I just needed to practice. What?!
As it turns out, the best way to prepare for hiking is to hike. Go figure. Hiking/walking are interchangeable so what you do to start depends on where you are starting. What is most important is time on your feet. What you do, also depends on what you have access to. We all have a neighborhood…… Start there. Walk around your block, or even to the end of the street if that is all you can do. Then work on increasing your distance and/or time. Each time you go out, go a little farther or faster. Both milestones are important. If you have access to a park, graduate to trails there. Flat is ok, if that is what you can do at first. If you have a hill nearby, add that. If you can’t go to the top, go as far as you can. Go a little farther each time. Just keep walking. Join groups, motivation from others helps.
I will always recommend walking outdoors as the first line of strategy, as nature has many healing properties for both physical and mental health. That being said, gym equipment counts as well. While treadmills give you the ability to train on both incline and speed, Stair Masters equate better to hills in the wild. If you have access to one, I highly recommend you work that into your routine. Be warned though…… Stair Masters are hard. FOR EVERYONE. Those who are on them for long periods, at fast paces, DID NOT start out that way. Start with a few minutes and finish the session on the treadmill until you work up to a full session on the Stair Master. No stair master or treadmill? Find some stairs. The mechanism you are on really makes no matter. Again, what is important, is TIME ON YOUR FEET.
The goal is to increase both our leg strength and our cardiovascular health. The hills will test both, every single time. While cross training is good, it is important to remember each type of exercise utilizes different muscles so the best way to train for hiking is to hike. I’ve seen many muscled out gym rats, fail on some pretty minor hills……. True story.
When I first started, I did the same 1.5 mile hill every day. Each time, I went a little farther. When I finally made it to the top, my goal was to make it to the top a little faster, with fewer stops. From there, I increased my distance. Starting out, 3 miles was a lot. Within 6 months, the hike wasn’t “worth it” if it was less than 6 miles. Before long, 9 miles was my bench mark and today it is not unusual for me to hike 14-18 miles at a time.
Be patient……. The “good stuff” lies in the effort made before seeing the improvement.
Some important things to remember. Proper nutrition and hydration are important when training and executing a hike. Even seasoned hikers have bad days on the trails and for me, I can usually link these “bad days” to one of three things if not a combination of all three….. Poor eating days prior to the hike, lack of proper hydration days prior to the hike, and little rest. As for hydration, here’s some helpful tips. Yellow urine is an indication of a lack of proper hydration. We should be peeing clear liquid at least three days prior to the hike and need to consume more water than we think; especially while hiking. Your body can absorb no more than a liter of water per hour, but you can sweat out up to 4 liters per hour. Do the math! By the time you are thirsty, it is too late. Chugging water is not effective and may very well make you sick.
As a newbie, there was some terminology to which I gave little thought and in the end this lack of understanding made some of my initial hikes a little miserable. Some key terms in the hiking arena are:
ELEVATION: When you see “Elevation”, that is generally referring to the highest elevation on the hike. As you get into the 6000+ feet hikes, the higher elevation may make things more difficult. The air is thinner, the higher you go, and altitude sickness symptoms can start as low as 6000 feet. Most start feeling it around 8000 feet if they are going to and it is not an all or nothing. Just because you don’t feel it on one hike, does not mean you won’t feel it on the next one. At the higher elevations, you may find it more difficult to slow your heart rate or catch your breath. A headache is often among the first symptoms, with nausea a close second. Hydration is so very important. Be mindful in these situations as if things get too bad, descending is the only cure. Just know, as you start out, that hikes in the mountains could prove to be much more challenging the similar hikes at lower elevations.
ELEVATION GAIN: This refers to the overall elevation (amount of up hill) over the course of the hike. It is generally stated in accumulative feet. This, though, has a lot of nuances that go with it and without prior knowledge can be quite misleading. If a hike has an accumulative elevation gain of 1000 feet and is an out and back to the top of a single mountain you know this 1000 feet is in one climb. If it is 1000 feet and the hike takes you over the mountain and back, then you know you will climb 500 feet to the top, descend 500 feet, and then climb the same 500 feet on the return. If it is 1000 feet and the route crosses several hills, then you know that elevation gain is broken up amongst the climbs. Here is the catch….. 1000 feet elevation gain over 5 miles is on the easy side. 1000 feet over one mile is steeper than what a graded road can be and is STEEP. If looking at the overall gain in percentages, a 30% incline is STEEP. You can do the math in either direction from there. I figure a pace of maybe 1 mph if the incline is 1000 feet over a mile. If a hike is 14 miles with an accumulative elevation gain of 4000 feet, I know I am in for a challenging day. What you look for are amounts of flat or downhill, throughout the course of the hike, as it is during those times that you will “rest”.
This is a lot of information and is not meant to be overwhelming or confusing. Just keep it in mind as you start planning your treks. Quick synopsis……Flat is easiest, elevation gain (up hill) is harder (on both your muscles and your heart) and elevation loss (down hill) is somewhere in between depending on your knees (still easier on the heart than up hill). 3 mph is fast, 2 mph is average, 1 mph is slow.
If you take away nothing else from this, remember these things:
- You are stronger than you think
- We all start somewhere
- Nothing good happens without effort
- It all begins with a single step
- I believe in you……. Embrace your badassery and get to it!