Who else is...

[25contender]

I am a flat lander as well and 2015 will be my 23rd elk season. A few things that will help you out. Running is great cardio and good for the lungs. This time of year I run on the days I don't go to the gym. I only run between 2-4 miles in the mornings before work but it truly makes a huge difference. I like to do trail runs as they also help promote balance and cardio. The trail runs are far more interesting to do than street runs.I also like rowing and I do a 2000 meter row on a C2 rowing machine twice a week at the gym. Do lunges lots of them. I do 3 sets of 40 lunges with 45lbs of weight three days a week. I alternate the lunges with 1 minute burst of jump roping. Don't take jump rope for granted it is a very good work out especially combined with another exercise. I also like core exercises as your core, legs and lungs are your friends in the high country. Along with the above I do free and machine weights at the gym. Last but not least and the funnest is take a 4-5 mile full pack weight hike once a week. [
One more thing if you think you have trained enough you haven't and nothing can prepare you for the altitude but being at high altitude.
QUOTE=siwulat;132847]As a flat lander preparing for western hunting, what kind of cardio would you recommend? I'm currently alternating between spinning, stair master, and incline treadmill jog/walk.[/QUOTE]

 

[Bonecollector]

3 mile jog up 12% Incline on Tread-wheel of Death. Avg speed 5 mph. This was a real challenge.
Can't wait to get back outside. It's been too cold and icy.

 

[siwulat]

Here's another dumb question. What do you load your pack with for hiking? I would rather not load it with Dumbbells...

 

[ScottR]

Here's another dumb question. What do you load your pack with for hiking? I would rather not load it with Dumbbells...

Plates or sandbags are what I prefer.

 

[Bonecollector]

50lb bag of corn as I usually have it around for the animals.

Here's another dumb question. What do you load your pack with for hiking? I would rather not load it with Dumbbells...

 

[wileywapiti]

Here's another dumb question. What do you load your pack with for hiking? I would rather not load it with Dumbbells...

I load my pack up with a 50# bag of deer/elk, or horse feed. it can be purchased down at the local tack shop.

Also I do crossfit all year round, my only days off are the days I'm huntin. Im 42 y.o. and the backcountry only gets harder each year. We do a 12 day, 5 mile backcountry backpack elk hunt every year (4 guys/ 4 elk). This past year the GPS told me that we walked a total 40 miles just packing camp in/out and packing elk out and walking back in. I wish I could figure out how to get my feet used to that. I wear my boots all year round, but nothing can duplicate that many miles in that short of a time with that kind of weight.

 

[25contender]

I load a old pillow case with 65 lbs of pea gravel. Flatten it compress it down in the pack an go!!

 

[siwulat]

I have read that folks will put gallon jugs of water into their packs to add weight. Any advice on that? Another thing I just thought about is dog food (I have no reason to buy corn/feed...can't bait here and no stock to feed). Any advice on weight distribution? Forgive the dumb questions...newbie here!

 

[RUTTIN]

I like water in jugs if I am planing a steep hike(workout) then when you get to the top and head back down you can dump out the water and save your knees on the hike down.


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[d.kerri]

I've been doing the T25 workout, which is mostly cardio, and it's great. It's about 80% leg work. I'll alternate between that and loaded pack walks once the temp allows.

 

[Bonecollector]

7 miles @ 64:43 minutes on the treadwheel of death this morning. It was 7 degrees outside....

 

[ScottR]

Did a 5 set workout tonight. Push-ups, curls, 20 overhead swings with the sledgehammer in the tire, medicine ball throws, and a lap around the block.


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[coastalarms]

Had an AWESOME day! Got out and hiked up Mt. Pisgah here just out of town. 1.4 miles up and about 1100' of elevation gain. Then we came down the long way (2.3 miles). One year ago I couldn't make it up due to knee pain . I started getting "rooster booster" shots in my knee and its been like a fricken miracle.

 

[npaden]

I'm working up for a 50K trail run in April. Also really wanting to set a big PR for a half marathon this year.

Logged 226.5 miles in January and started out February with a 16.45 mile run yesterday at an average pace of 8:22 per mile. Felt pretty good and actually dropped it down under 8:00 pace for the last mile or so coming in.

Probably going to sign up for a half marathon on March 1st and really would like to run under 1:38:15 which would be a 7:29 per mile average pace. Lots of other races on my tentative schedule including a trail marathon in mid March, they help keep me focused and help me to make sure I keep my workout schedule going.

 

[Bonecollector]

npaden, if you don't mind me asking, how tall are you and what is your weight? You've got some serious cardio going on!
Good luck with your races this year!

I'm working up for a 50K trail run in April. Also really wanting to set a big PR for a half marathon this year.

Logged 226.5 miles in January and started out February with a 16.45 mile run yesterday at an average pace of 8:22 per mile. Felt pretty good and actually dropped it down under 8:00 pace for the last mile or so coming in.

Probably going to sign up for a half marathon on March 1st and really would like to run under 1:38:15 which would be a 7:29 per mile average pace. Lots of other races on my tentative schedule including a trail marathon in mid March, they help keep me focused and help me to make sure I keep my workout schedule going.

 

[npaden]

npaden, if you don't mind me asking, how tall are you and what is your weight? You've got some serious cardio going on!
Good luck with your races this year!

Thanks. I'm 6'3" and weighed 204 lbs as of this morning. I got down to 197 lbs in November which is the lightest I've weighed since my freshman year of college back in 1986/87. I turn 47 in April so my my beginner improvement curve (I started running in 2011) is being offset somewhat by getting older. I still think I have a couple more years of improvement ahead of me if I keep working at it.

When I started running in 2011 I was super proud of finishing the year with 262 miles, I increased that to 1,357 miles in 2012 and then ran my first marathon in 2013 and logged my highest mileage year so far with 2,016.6 miles. Last year I broke my collarbone so missed a few weeks of running for that and had my once in a lifetime mountain goat hunt and a wilderness elk hunt where I went 3 weeks without running for those so I ended up only logging 1,851 miles last year. I'm averaging 7.4 miles a day so far in 2015, but I generally slack off some in the summer and for sure the fall during hunting season, but planning on another 2,000+ mile year this year if things go according to plan.

It is amazing once you get your body in shape how much easier it is to keep it that way. I would have never imagined being able to knock out a 16 mile long run at a 8:22 pace and barely notice it. My schedule has 8 easy miles for today and an interval workout tomorrow. I don't schedule any rest days but generally have something pop up every few weeks that interrupts my schedule and creates an unscheduled rest day. My longest running streak was back in 2013, I ran 123 days in a row and averaged 7.9 miles per day over that stretch.

All that isn't really intended to brag on me at all, it is intended to point out that if you put your mind to it and keep at it you will be able to get better and better. I wasn't very fast starting out and I still am not very fast compared to a lot of runners, but I'm doing my best and that's all you can do.

LOL, sorry for the pep talk. Nathan

 

[npaden]

I was thinking about this on my run this evening. Another way to phrase my comments above would be that if just about anyone ran the miles that I have over the last few years they would probably be a lot faster than I am now.

To me the key to logging that kind of miles is to run most of them easy. I ran my run this evening almost a minute per mile slower than I ran my long run yesterday. One way to verify that you are running easy is that you should be able to carry on a regular conversation while you are running. Another way is using a heart rate monitor. I try to keep my easy runs at 70% of my maximum heart rate.

My number one recommendation to beginning runners is to learn to run easy. The key is logging the miles, your body will automatically adapt and get faster if you log the miles.

 

[siwulat]

30 min on the stair master. Bench press, rows, and core work tonight.

 

[25contender]

Upper body at the gym today. Hitting the trail for a run in the morning going to be COOooold!!

 

[ScottR]

Did some back and bicep work this morning. This was my week to include deadlift so I expect to be a bit sore tomorrow.