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How to hike faster....?
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desertgirl





Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 3350
Location: Chandler, AZ

PostPosted: 11/16/2007, 11:25 am    Post subject: Re: hiking speed Reply to topic Reply with quote

sidhayes wrote:
To train for speed: on treadmills or out of doors-20 seconds as fast as you can walk, perferably on a mild incline( 3-6%), and 20 seconds very slow. Repeat this 10 times and 2-3 times a week. The 20/20 plan is the very best to increase ones speed FAST.


Thanks Sid -- Very Happy
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wanderingsoul





Joined: 19 Jul 2004
Posts: 2285
Location: Gilbert AZ

PostPosted: 11/16/2007, 9:00 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Ambika...Longer Legs??? There's always the Rack Shocked
But I think that would hurt and I don't think it works anyway Wink
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k9hiker





Joined: 09 Jan 2003
Posts: 390
Location: NW Phoenix

PostPosted: 11/22/2007, 12:47 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Interesting thought. Good luck with it.

When I was training for the 7 summit challenge I worked out the numbers and I had a pace in mind that I felt I needed to keep in order to finish by a certain time. This made me push myself a little faster than normal on the easy sections so I would have a little bit of cushion on the tough sections.

Anyway, what I'm driving at is that, for me, increasing pace was a matter of conditioning so when I was able to go faster I could. I also limited my stops as much as possible.

I was also almost exclusively hiking trails with a good deal of elevation gain, you know, preparing for the 7 summits. Anyway, this gave me more strength and greater lung capacity so the flat sections were cake and the up hill went faster too. Now, I have bad knees so the down hills were more of my worry for speed issues but I found if I really pushed it on the flats and the hills I could take it easy on the downhills, giving my knees a break as much as possible and my pace was still good.

Hope that helps.
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Al_HikesAZ





Joined: 21 Jun 2005
Posts: 263
Location: Scottsdale, AZ

PostPosted: 11/22/2007, 12:09 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Two Things:
1) Sid's recommendation is excellent. I use a variation. On a stationary bike I pedal as fast as possible for one minute, recover for a minute, and repeat 3 times. This shows gives me some readings of my conditioning by looking at my speeds and degradation. Then I'll do weights for 10 minutes, repeat the biking, repeat weights etc.

2) Wandering Soul's joking actually hides a kernel of truth. If you work on stretching and flexibility you will stride a little farther. Work with a trainer to find out which stretches you need. If I can keep my hamstrings and back loose, I can go farther, faster. I do hurdler's stretches and some martial arts stretches for training, before hikes and on breaks during hikes.
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desertgirl





Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 3350
Location: Chandler, AZ

PostPosted: 11/22/2007, 12:20 pm    Post subject: Makes it more fun Reply to topic Reply with quote

I tried what Sid recommended on my elliptical & it definitely makes it more fun. Decided an active Thanksgiving day parade watching was in order. Very Happy
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azbackpackr
Hi Tech Wizardess




Joined: 31 Dec 2005
Posts: 3639
Location: Needles CA

PostPosted: 6/1/2008, 5:10 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

OK, I've been thinking about this thread for awhile, and wanted to respond, but first I had to lose some of my body weight to test a friend's theory. Yes, my body weight. I was not very fat, mind you. In fact, most people would say that for my age, I was skinny. But in fact, I had gained about 25 lbs. over a period of 10 years or so. I have now lost 10 of those lbs. (110 up to 135 and back down to 125.)

I had been told by a very skinny hiking friend of mine, you may know him as "Cameron," that if he himself gained only 5 lbs. of body weight it slowed him down a lot. 9 years ago when I first started hiking with him he was pretty fast, and at the time he was about 64 years old. He said then if he lost that 5 lbs. his hiking speed would naturally pick up right away.

Well, for a long time I didn't have the gumption to go on a diet and lose that weight. I tried exercising a lot, but that didn't help much for the weight problem. Exercise alone doesn't lose weight for me, I just eat more to compensate! So I have to watch my eating habits. More salads for both lunch and dinner, no chips and dips, etc., etc. You know the drill.

So I lost 10 lbs. and have kept it off for 3 months. I haven't been hiking as frequently as I normally do, because I am not only working overtime, I am working Saturdays right now. AND I am doing online school as well. So I have not been exercising every day. In fact, often the only exercise I get other than a hike on Sunday is riding my bike 4 blocks to work and back. I ride it fast to get out of breath, but that's not really much exercise.

ANYWAY, I have now been able to test Cameron's advice. And I can tell you that losing only 10 lbs. has made a HUGE difference in my hiking. I no longer feel that logy, sluggish, slow feeling. I no longer feel my body is weighting me down. I feel very light on my feet like I used to. I no longer have to stop to catch my breath very often. I am much fleeter of foot, like I was 10 years ago when I was hiking a lot and weighed less. And yet everything tells me I should be way out of shape right now due to all the overtime and school, but I'm not!

Some of you are probably not overweight at all and the other people's suggestions will probably help. But for me, I know I am naturally a pretty fast hiker, and I wasn't sure why that ability had gone away. Now I know--I was too fat! Now I want to lose another 10 or 15 lbs. and see what that will do for me!

All that being said, there is no real reason to rush on every hike you do. I just like to be ABLE to hike fast and far if I want to. I agree with Abe and others who said it's nice to stop and smell the flowers, enjoy the view, watch for wildlife, etc. However, often I am training for an upcoming backpacking trip. I want to push myself to see what I can do. I also enjoy that euphoric feeling I get when I'm fit and fast and pushing it. I think it is the same as that phenomenon called "runner's high." And on the drive home it stays with me, I feel really relaxed and still have that euphoria.

No Hooli, I'm not smoking any of the funny tobacco. At least, not recently! Wink
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evenstar





Joined: 03 Jan 2003
Posts: 5548
Location: SCW by way of CA

PostPosted: 6/1/2008, 5:34 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Hey, back in the day when I was doing half a dozen 10K's a year and the SF Marathon in 1984 I weighed 155 pounds. I could do 10k's in under 46 minutes and did the marathon in 3:37:08. Now 20 pounds heavier and would be lucky to do a one hour 10K! And i don't smoke that funny tobacco either......makes me cough to much! Mr. Green
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ck1





Joined: 04 Jan 2003
Posts: 1331
Location: Mesa

PostPosted: 6/1/2008, 9:11 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Sid is dead on accurate.

I'd say the best way to increase speed is to hike more often. Your speed will increase over time.

Here's some interesting reads...

http://www.outdoors.org/publications/outdoors/2006/go-long.cfm

http://www.bodyresults.com/E2hikingspeed.asp

http://exercise.about.com/library/blhikingtreadmill.htm
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oliverr99





Joined: 04 Jul 2006
Posts: 632
Location: Glendale

PostPosted: 6/1/2008, 9:40 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Thanks for those reads! I need to build endurance. Rolling Eyes
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azbackpackr
Hi Tech Wizardess




Joined: 31 Dec 2005
Posts: 3639
Location: Needles CA

PostPosted: 6/1/2008, 12:25 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

All that is great, but if you are lugging around 20 or more extra pounds, what I'm saying is, all things being equal, if you lose the weight you will speed up, whether you do the gym exercises or not.

I hiked and biked way more miles per month last year, and never felt very fit because of the extra pounds. I was always getting out of breath, and I actually FELT heavy, as if I were lugging this weight around with me. Pain in the butt, literally. I stand by what I said.
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RC





Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 109
Location: Irwin, PA

PostPosted: 6/1/2008, 8:45 pm    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

azbackpackr wrote:
All that is great, but if you are lugging around 20 or more extra pounds, what I'm saying is, all things being equal, if you lose the weight you will speed up, whether you do the gym exercises or not.


I agree 100% - I lost over 20 lbs last year and have been able to keep it off. The result on my last 'big' hike was amazing. I trained less, but felt better. I was worried b/c of the lack of training, but pleasantly surprised. Even the typical muscle soreness was way less than before. If you feel a little out of shape or heavy, trim some wt, do everything else the same & there will be a difference.

If you do that + increase training, I think the results would be even better.
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azbackpackr
Hi Tech Wizardess




Joined: 31 Dec 2005
Posts: 3639
Location: Needles CA

PostPosted: 6/2/2008, 3:45 am    Post subject: Reply to topic Reply with quote

Yeah, if I had the time! Crying or Very sad
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