"TRAINING"

why a picture of a cat, you ask?

Training. 

You may be wondering: what are you doing to train for a trip of this magnitude?

Well... apparently: not much. We didn't mean for this to happen, but time got away from us and our grand plans to train intensely, every day, for 6 months... fell through the cracks. Looking back, I had meticulously planned a work out regimen that was a little I-N-T-E-N-S-E. 

My plan was to engage in some serious cardio activity (basically everyday) and hike multiple times a week. I was imagining myself going into this insanely fit. This was a little far-fetched, considering I was still working full-time and planning for the trip took up much more time than expected. Also, it started seeming less and less realistic. So I settled on running a few times a week, doing stairs (with and without my pack on) and just walking more overall. 

So that is what I've been doing to train. 

I love running (even though I am not a runner by nature) but it isn't a very good use of my time. The problem is that when I go on a run, I can't seem to avoid petting every (and I mean every) single cat I come across. 

my training.

I can't help myself.

Besides the cat runs, Ben, Angela & I have gone hiking every weekend and worn our packs, and packed & unpacked our bags, and walked the dog. So we have spent a lot of time with our packs and gear. 

Barlow Road, Mt. Hood

A lot of gorge hikes and loops

Nick Eaton Ridge

We will never grow tired of the gorge...

There are a few differing views on training for a thru-hike. There are those who are concerned with being in good shape when they begin their hike and stick to a conditioning routine and those that do... minimal to no training at all. We fall in the latter category and have been told that this is the approach a lot of aspiring thru-hikers take. 

A few comforting reasons why intense training is not necessary: 

There is no way to REALLY train for walking 20+ miles a day, every day. Except to just do it.

This is disheartening news when you first think about it, but then it quickly becomes invigorating because it is not even possible to get in shape enough to make walking 20 miles the first day "enjoyable" so why even try? What training does do for a hiker is make their first 100 miles a lot less painful and they can go at a quicker pace. So if we had been concerned with hiking at a quick-ish pace from the beginning, or thought that we could not mentally or physically handle the sore bodies, we probably would have trained much more. We all handle backpacking pain exceptionally well...

The best form of exercise to train for a thru-hike is to HIKE. A LOT.

And unless you do not work full-time, it is near impossible to hike that amount of miles in your spare time (on top of planning/living/eating/sleeping). All 3 of us worked full-time up until the last minute, so all of our free evenings were spent prepping/packing/planning and of course - watching Netflix to counteract the PCT homework.

Angela worked until the day before her flight. Note: ANGELA IS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA!!!!!!! 

Starting off in so-so shape is okay because: you WILL get in shape, FAST. 

It will just be uncomfortable and/or painful for the first few weeks. The idea is to take it easy in the beginning and just know that in a month you will be a hiking machine.

You may be slower in the beginning than you would like...

...but your pace will quicken, your muscles will grow stronger, and you will soon be hardened. This is why we decided to start "early"... we knew we'd be rusty and need the extra time it will take to get in shape. 

So this is the view I've adopted in order to ease my mind. Although the first few days (or weeks) will be brutally painful for me, I will grow stronger with each step. I can do it.

Cheers to Angela arriving safely in L.A. wearin' her Brooks, beginning this life chapter!