Training for a Thru Hike: Increasing Base Mileage
A.T. Mile 321.6…on the way to Big Bald.
“The only way to find your true self is by recklessness and freedom.”
Train like a marathoner
By the time I hit the trail on May 11, I want to be able to hike twenty miles and still be able to get up off the ground the next morning. And then keep doing it. For days.
My plan is to train like a marathoner. That is, over the course of a week, several short hikes and one long hike, gradually increasing the mileage of that long hike. And sometime in April, I’ll do a shakedown hike where I’ll get to do several back-to-back, long mileage days.
Your base mileage is how many miles you can hike comfortably in a full day of hiking. Or, if you’re like me, how many you can hike without tweaking something vital, like a knee.
I started with ten miles with a full pack and flared up an IT band injury (TWEAK!), so I backed right off and worked my way back up to eight by the time I started this program.
Old school with the notebook and the check marks.
Gradually increase that base mileage
Not that I’ve ever shuffled through a marathon, but the general approach to training for one seems sustainable, builds in rest time and leaves time for other activities that support the endurance training. Ahem…strength training and mobility training.
That is, take one long hike a week starting with your base mileage. Then gradually build up to your target mileage (20 for me).
Also, take three shorter hikes during the week.
I hike with a full pack, so my body—muscles, tendons, ligaments, all the things—gets used to the stress of carrying fifteen or so extra pounds (or more if I anticipate long water carries, which is real on the PCT and other trails like the AZT and the CDT).
I also seek out climbs and descents, which can also be a rude awakening to an unprepared body.
I think even if you did nothing else, or wasn’t dealing with several potentially hike-ending issues like I am, this alone could get a person to a good place physically for starting the trail, especially if they have time to start their hike slowly and build up.
Here’s a twelve-week hiking schedule that might get you there without the shin splints.
Four hikes per week, gradually increasing the mileage of the one long hike.
But wait, there’s more!
This hiking schedule is the endurance portion of your thru-hike training.
You know how health and fitness gurus are always nagging you about strength training and stretching? Turns out, they’re onto something.
I hate strength training as much as the next person. So boring. But I know when I put in the time, do the squats, push through the dead lifts and pushups and split squats, my hiking is better. Climbs are easier. My pack magically weighs less (seems to, anyway). Stumble:thirty arrives later in the afternoon. It’s worth the effort.
So next time I’ll share a few exercises and an approach that makes completing a workout a little faster and slightly less boring.
Stay tuned!
Meanwhile, here’s a green magpie for you…I’ve been obsessed with drawing birds lately.
So how do you train before a long distance hike? Or do you wing it and trust that hiking is the best preparation for a thru hike?
