Fitness Training Regime

[wayno]

MASTER CLASS: THE GYM FREE FITNESS PLAN

Use this no-cost, do-anywhere training program to enhance hiking strength and speed this spring.

www.backpacker.com/master-class-gym-fre ... ills/17225

[bluewombat]

Another option is to start out with short flat walks and then gradually increase the duration and difficulty of your walks, eat when you are hungry, drink when you are thirsty, sleep when you are tired. If you are planning a long hard walk do some short hard walks before hand and so on. I am a great believer in task specific training

[GPSGuided]

True or false... "If one can run the distance, then one can walk the distance with ease".

[wayno]

True or false... "If one can run the distance, then one can walk the distance with ease".

possibly true on your average american track outside of winter...
not so true on some of the steep or rougher tracks i've done, to get the fitness needed for the track , running up steep hills or walking up with a weight on your back, would prepare you a lot better.
few things get you fitter than post holing through deep snow with a heavy pack on...

[forest]

Not a bad article, but probably more than the regular joe blog wants to do per week.

While running will increase your cadio fitness it is a different thing to walking.
Saying you can run well means nothing towards how well you can walk, especially with a pack on or up a mountain.

If you want walk fitness/strength/conditioning go out and train with a pack on walking.

All the elite ultramarathon trail runners are not elite because they are solely fantastic runners, they are fantastic walkers too. (In a long hilly ultra there is a lot of walking happening)
Only way to become that is to train "walking" as it uses your leg muscles differently that running.

Many a runner comes unstuck in an event as they are forced to walk and just haven't trained "walking"

Look at what Turfa did at TNF100 last month. He entered as a straight out walker. And put in a better time than many a "runner".

[GPSGuided]

Look at what Turfa did at TNF100 last month. He entered as a straight out walker. And put in a better time than many a "runner".

At 100km, I'd say it's an endurance issue. As per earlier, a walker who can handle X km of track running would surely be significantly stronger than someone who can only walk on the same track. Of course, pack weight carriage is a separate matter that needs to be equilibrated.

Going back to the OT. I think most in community would make significant bushwalk performance improvements with any kind of regular cardio exercises. Once beyond the initial plateau, then the more specific training are required. Expect 50% at least of not reaching this level.

[radson]

I think running, especially trail running is the ultimate form of training for long walks and especially for plugging holes in snow as per Wayno..But hey thats just me. For people who want to train with big packs on, more fun for them

[Moondog55]

I'm thinking back to when I was in Englands Lake District where hill running is the local marathon sport. There is a HUGE difference between track running and hill running; the distinct lack of marked and graded tracks being only one of them, water crossing on greasy moss covered rocks is common as is scrambling up scree slopes and boulder hopping not to mention terrain recognition.

One of the hill runners I met there used to train with a sheep held across his back { one of his own BTW] just to add a little interest.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joss_Naylor

So I wouldn't put running at the the top of my list if it was confined to tracks and paths

[madmacca]

Not a bad article, but probably more than the regular joe blog wants to do per week.

While running will increase your cadio fitness it is a different thing to walking.
Saying you can run well means nothing towards how well you can walk, especially with a pack on or up a mountain.

If you want walk fitness/strength/conditioning go out and train with a pack on walking.

All the elite ultramarathon trail runners are not elite because they are solely fantastic runners, they are fantastic walkers too. (In a long hilly ultra there is a lot of walking happening)
Only way to become that is to train "walking" as it uses your leg muscles differently that running.

Many a runner comes unstuck in an event as they are forced to walk and just haven't trained "walking"

Look at what Turfa did at TNF100 last month. He entered as a straight out walker. And put in a better time than many a "runner".

Running is a good way to get high intensity training in a way that is similar to walking. A realistic training plan might be 3 x 5K runs during the week (30-40 mins), plus a 2-3 hour walk with a pack on the weekend. Plus of course some strength training as well. While activity-specific training can't be beaten in an absolute sense, the time-efficiency of running makes it an attractive PART of a training plan.