Long hike training advice

KelliViajando
KelliViajando Posts: 4 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys! I am wanting to trek concepcion in Nicaragua in a little over a month but struggling to figure out the best ways to prepare (I've heard it is about an 8 hour steep incline hike). I do a lot of Hiit and hikes a few times a week but would love to know if anyone has specific advice for training/succeeding on a hike of this magnitude! Cheers!

Replies

  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    1 long hike a week, 1 "short" (60-90) min hike a week, a few shorter but intense workouts & some basic strength training, (being sure to hit your core & legs). Lunges, step ups, weighted carries are all staples.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    Stop doing HIIT and invest your time in longer hikes.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    Just put one foot in front of the other.

    Here's a little secret: people who hike high miles per day don't hike faster, they hike longer. Fewer stops, eat on the move, start early, go late. Most I've done is 30 mpd in the sierras. I averaged about 3mph, so 10 hours of hiking. I also prefer to solo.
    "Training" was about 15 mpw running. The real training is all in your head.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    Find a hill to climb!
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    I have a good friend who hiked 400 miles of Pacific Coast Trail to celebrate her 50th birthday. She'd scoff at the idea of "training" for a hike. She just hiked a lot leading up to it. With her pack.

    @scorpio516 is right. It's not about hiking faster, it's about more time on the trail.

    Anish says the key is just enjoying yourself:
    For Anish, that “keep pushing” meant averaging an amazing 44.5 miles per day for 60 straight days. I asked her how she got into such epic hiking.

    “I didn’t actually do anything in the great outdoors until I was 20 years old. I did some day hikes at the Grand Canyon and I gradually worked my way up to doing a few overnight trips there. They were very hard and very hot and I made lots of mistakes because I didn’t really know what I was doing. I hadn’t really hiked or backpacked before. But I just loved it so much that when I went back to school that fall I told my family and friends that I was going to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail when I graduated from college. And they were like ‘sure you are!’

    ...

    “When I first did the Appalachian Trail there were no other thru-hikers around because I had such a late start. I didn’t have a lot of information about the trail or about thru-hiking beforehand, so I had no concept of what an average hiking day was. To me, in my head, I thought, ‘I guess somewhere between 20 and 30 miles a day sounds reasonable.’ So I’m doing 20-30 miles a day and I’m blowing past everyone and they’re saying ‘What are you doing? Nobody does that! We all do about 15-20!’ So I responded, ‘Why do you guys only do that much?’ I didn’t have this artificial limitation on myself.”
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Stop doing HIIT and invest your time in longer hikes.

    I wouldn't completely stop. A lot depends on the format of the HIIT being done. Interval training can help tremendously on a long hike if there are steep climbs involved. It can allow a person to recover more quickly and keep going.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Stop doing HIIT and invest your time in longer hikes.

    2nd this...ditch the trendy...
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    rybo wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Stop doing HIIT and invest your time in longer hikes.

    I wouldn't completely stop. A lot depends on the format of the HIIT being done. Interval training can help tremendously on a long hike if there are steep climbs involved. It can allow a person to recover more quickly and keep going.

    So there's no right or wrong answer, this is all a matter of opinion, it comes from personal experience, and people are different (one man's trash is another man's treasure).

    But I'd suggest doing the hike at a moderate pace such that you don't ever need to recover. When it gets steep, slow down a little bit. I've noticed that burning matches has a lasting effect on my performance.

    But if other people want to approach things differently, that's ok too. :smile:
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    rybo wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Stop doing HIIT and invest your time in longer hikes.

    I wouldn't completely stop. A lot depends on the format of the HIIT being done. Interval training can help tremendously on a long hike if there are steep climbs involved. It can allow a person to recover more quickly and keep going.

    So there's no right or wrong answer, this is all a matter of opinion, it comes from personal experience, and people are different (one man's trash is another man's treasure).

    But I'd suggest doing the hike at a moderate pace such that you don't ever need to recover. When it gets steep, slow down a little bit. I've noticed that burning matches has a lasting effect on my performance.

    But if other people want to approach things differently, that's ok too. :smile:

    My approach too is from personal experience and being able to climb hard while not slowing down much at all, gains me tons of time compared to others that struggle up hills, or where the climbs eventually wear them down. I credit hard intervals with allowing me to do this.

    I agree that everyone should find their own strategy.
  • ronocnikral
    ronocnikral Posts: 176 Member
    long duration, low intensity. I don't do "HIIT". I also do a lot of stairs, long duration, low intensity. I'll go out on a limb here, but HIIT is not what you want to do. Some people may make it work. And it can work, but when you start stringing multiple days together the "HIIT" really starts to take it's toll. If it's just a day or two, it may work....or in the words of a guy I was skiing a peak with earlier this season, "I'm totally wrecked all week." I ran 35 miles that week, and had another 35 mile week the following week.
  • KelliViajando
    KelliViajando Posts: 4 Member
    Thank you for all of the input! I guess to add to it I should say that because I travel constantly for work, it doesn't allow me to choose when I can hike/train hike. I am lucky that some of my training will involve climbing over pyramids, I could up my runs (though I thought running might be counterproductive?), and Hiit because often I am busy all day with work so can only workout in hotel rooms.

    Again thanks for all of the advice!
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,676 Member
    Will you be carrying a pack? If so, practice as much as you can walking with weight. You use different muscles balancing weight on your back. Try to wear the clothes you'll be wearing on your trek, especially the shoes. Before my first thruhike of the AT, I did a walk every day of 3-4 miles with a daypack full of either books or water. A lot of thruhikers practice with a full pack. On weekends I did longer hikes, mostly in the mountains. Try to get some hills while carrying weight. If you have to use a TM at a hotel, use the incline, 5-10%. Keep the pace slow and easy. Otherwise, do some walking before and after work.
  • Rabbitsocksgardener
    Rabbitsocksgardener Posts: 74 Member
    Hey! Not sure if it's been said but make sure if you're going to be carrying a pack to TRAIN WITH THAT WEIGHT on you! Or else you'll still be struggling!
  • cheriej2042
    cheriej2042 Posts: 241 Member
    I haven't hiked there but I've hiked steep Mt Agung in Bali which is 10000 ft (Concepcion is just over 5000). I don't think doing long slow flat hikes is good training for you. I would keep doing HIIT because it gives you good aerobic conditioning. If you don't have hills near you to hike on you need to build up your quad strength so even those stair machines at the gym will help you. Wear the pack you will be carrying on the stair machine or hiking so you are used to it. I like doing 5-6 mile hikes 2x/week on hills so you get steep up and down. If you can do a longer hike once a weekend that will also help but I would do that on hills too. Take snacks/food so you can see how your body does with different foods and hydration. Find out what the terrain/trail is like on the mountain because poor trails can really slow you down. I don't know if that is a high humidity area but you may need something to add to your water like a Gatorade (I use accelerade but there a lot of different ones). Sounds like it will be a great trip! Have a great time!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,831 Member
    KelliViajando wrote: »
    Thank you for all of the input! I guess to add to it I should say that because I travel constantly for work, it doesn't allow me to choose when I can hike/train hike. I am lucky that some of my training will involve climbing over pyramids, I could up my runs (though I thought running might be counterproductive?), and Hiit because often I am busy all day with work so can only workout in hotel rooms.

    Again thanks for all of the advice!

    Try to walk longer and longer distances at least one day each week ... gradually build up the distance. And carry a pack if you can.

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