Just like what I did to running, I went from 4 miles to approaching 25 miles in hiking
when i was running, i remember saying i'd never want to do a marathon
and i did a marathon or three
when i started hiking in Feb this year, it never occured to me that i'd be doing high mileage day hikes
and now i will be doing my 3rd one, cactus to clouds (Mt. Langely was the first and then Grand Canyon Rim to Rim)
It takes time to build hiking muscle to cover mileage
can't be done over night, just like marathon training
also, there are tips that'd help.
high mileage means less weight
one has to cut the weight down as much as possible
if there's a water source, carry enough to get to the water source to refill
food has to be calorie dense but not weighty; carbo will be better than protein because of faster digestion
footwear should be light and agile; no heavy backpacking boots (train with trail running to strengthen ankles)
socks should be thin and light and double-layered
hiking poles are a must; they let upper body share some of the work
light backpack, light clothing, nothing that is absolutely necessary should be included
most importantly, you have to believe that you can do it
Over the months I had made quite a lot of mistakes to make some hikes uncomfortable or more difficult
For cactus to clouds i am going to apply all the above tips to see if they'd help me
BTW, I finally became a reservoir user
Had always been drinking from water bottles
in order to carry enough water for the desert trail and not stopping to drink, i bought a Platypus Big Zip 1.8 litters (60oz)
it's the equivalent of 2 Nalgene bottles and is top loading; no need to empty the backpack to add water
tested it yesterday and liked it; seemed to work well with my backpack
Other than my new reservoir, I'm having one Nalgene bottle (32oz), one 33oz disposible water bottle filled with coconut water (great source of potassium, essential mineral for hot weather), and a 16oz bottle of Monster energy drink full of caffeine (when I need a jolt to keep going)
Total of 4 1/2 litters of liquid to carry
I think my backpack, after being fully loaded, weights about 13, 14lb.
heavy but manageable
will be wearing my trail running shoes with gaitors and SuperFeet inserts
hopefully this will make the hike easier, wearing more flexible shoes
also, i am trying out fueling with power bars
bought 5 different bars from different makers at Trader Joe's for a total about 1,000 calories
if i eat one every hour, i should have a contineous source of energy so that my body won't crash and burn
so there, i am doing 3 new things for this hike
knowing they are the right things to do for high mileage hikes, i feel better about my success rate
you see, not only i want to finish the hike, i want to finish it feeling real good about it, not half dead and full of hate
exercise should be enjoyable, not to kill
i want to continue to enjoy hiking, never to a point of not wanting to do it
there are gazillion miles of hiking trails around the world
i want to use my legs to see beautiful spots until i can't anymore
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