<p>You can practice the rest step walking up stairs. In fact, that’s when I use it the most hiking – when I’m walking up a rocky trail that is like going up steps. Just a short pause with every step up keeps the legs from burning.</p>
<p>If you have a regular width foot (i.e. don’t need a WIDE or NARROW version), you quite likely can find a closeout on a decent pair of trail shoes at a place like Marshalls or TJ Maxx. I found some nice North Face trail shoes at Marshalls. These will basically be heavy duty running shoes – a little more robust soles, more protection around the toe, etc. These are excellent for dirt trails and make a good around-town shoe as well (depending on how garish the colors!)</p>
<p>The most important thing is to make sure they fit with a pair of substantial merino wool/synthetic blend hiking socks. SmartWool is a popular brand. The Medium weight LLBEAN Cresta Hiking socks are also really good. They have them in crew length and quarter length:</p>
<p>REI will have an equivalent version. And, you can probably find the Timberland version at Marshalls. Get a pair of socks, then go shoe shopping.</p>
<p>So, I went to Plan B with my 7k. Woke up to 19 degrees, 20 mph wind, wind chill 3, light snow showers and ice everywhere because of course the last 2 days were warmer! And that was at my house. The race was to be at a park along the lake. I was SO disappointed but new the best decision was not to go. This is suppose to be fun, not torture- right?! Also I had been told that part of the race would be on paved roads and part on a “campground trail”- paved or not I didn’t know so that sounded like even more of an ice trap.</p>
<p>So…plan B! I had already picked up my bib and tech shirt. Can’t wear the shirt without the effort- that’s my motto. So headed to the gym and did a pretty much straight 4.3 there only walking for a transition from the track to the treadmill to split it up ( 55 times around the track WOULD. be torture!). </p>
<p>So be it - earned the right to wear the dang shirt now!!! :)</p>
<p>Thank you, idad. I’ll look around in Marshalls and the like. Hopefully, I’ll find a pair for not too bad of a price! Moments like these are when I wish they had a website with their inventory…</p>
<p>Color is not a factor! I’ll be wearing the simplest of simple during my trip. </p>
<p>PG, good job on the 5k!! 5k’s will really probably be my race of choice - 3miles just “fits”. Hopefullyus Midwesterners and east coasters will start getting some better weather to get out in! </p>
<p>Awesome workout in the basement. Second time around with this one. My usual warmup followed by:</p>
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</p>
<p>Biggest improvement was the [single</a> leg deadlifts](<a href=“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnrRKga6rZc]single”>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnrRKga6rZc) with a 60 lb DB. I managed to do three halfway decent sets. This is world’s best exercise for “toning the butt”. The hip of the standing leg has to work really hard to stabilize and keep from falling over and to lift the weight. It loads the “glutes” on that side like crazy when you start going heavy. If I can do good sets of these with 60lbs, it will be terrific.</p>
<p>TRX pushups were good, too. This is another one where the muscles have to work really hard to stabilize along with moving the weight.</p>
<p>DB front squat (2 x 30lb DBs) and 3-pt row (60 lb DB) were good. I might have to kick the weight up on the front squats.</p>
<p>17 miles… Ate a small piece of banana at mile 15 since I forgot to pack any gels. Doh! No bonking - me likes that. ;)</p>
<p>Niquii - when you go backpack shopping, make sure to get fitted for it by one of REI specialists. I’m not kidding - hiking packs come in different sizes, and proper fit is important. A good backpack will set you back $100 or more, but you can use it as luggage, too. If your hike is in a forested area, hiking shoes will save you a lot of trouble. Check 6pm - they usually have good discounts, and REI runs an online “outlet”. </p>
<p>[Renegade</a> rows](<a href=“Renegade Row - YouTube”>Renegade Row - YouTube)
I’m doing a set of these with 20lb DBs. Really tough trying to stay stable without cheating (twisting the hips). I’m not crazy about the kettlebell version shown at the end of this video. Too easy to have the KBs flip over and break a wrist…</p>
<p>Reviewed over the weekend some interesting literature from the American Council on Exercise about the use of heart rate in cardio training. The upshot was that using % max hr is inadvisable unless a person has access to measured actual max hr and simultaneous blood testing for lactate build up. The basis for the recommendation is 1) the various formulas to calculate max hr were derived using age skewed populations and do not take into account individual variances and 2) heart rate by itself is not a good marker of the level of work being performed that is necessary to achieve the physiological and metabolic adaptations that are the benefits of cardio training. Instead, ACE recommends using measured heart rate at ventilary thresholds with VT1 being the point at which conversation in sentences becomes uncomfortable to difficult to maintain and VT2 being the point at which conversation in sentences is not possible. Measured hr rate at each VT threshold is then used to structure cardio workouts into 3 zones: Zone 1 below VT1, Zone 2 between VT1 and VT2 and Zone 3 from VT2 and up. The VT thresholds are the points at which the cardio workloads trigger the physiological and metabolic shifts associated with cardio training. VT1 is the point at which the production of lactate outpaces the body’s ability to buffer it (LT threshold) and VT2 is the point at which the body is relying entirely on anaerobic processes that can not be sustained for protracted periods of time. The use of VT to structure cardio workouts is recommended because VT is based on actual individual work thresholds and is easy to determine in workout settings needing only a heart rate monitor and a partner to engage you in conversation and record the heart rates at each stage. Interesting and thought provoking stuff.</p>
<p>But idad, its so easy this way to estimate the “bent-over-panting-like-a-dog” rate :)</p>
<p>I am actually still sore and as unbelievable as it seems, I don’t think its from the monorail fall but feels like its actually from substituting the stupid dreadmill…is it possible I’ve forgotten how to walk WITHOUT snowshoes? Good grief!</p>
<p>I do know my max HR (tested and confirmed in races), but haven’t had blood work done along with it.</p>
<p>3 miles in the basement on the Landice this am. I may have to drive to Indy today on business, but I’m hoping not. Needed to get the run out of the way just in case.</p>
<p>MOWC, what the articles were advocating were 2 things. First, the use of formulas to calculate max hr is inadvisable because the formulas were derived from testing on fit college age students in sports research at universities and also don’t take into account individual variances. For those like yourself and me, who have actual measured max’s based on their sport, that’s not an issue. Second, however, and this is where I thought it got real interesting, is that even with an actual measured max, the use of a % of max hr, even if factoring in resting hr and using heart rate reserve, is very often off the mark because there is no measure of the actual work being done or energy systems being used by the individual at any point. That’s something that can only be determined with more sophisticated and often costly performance lab testing. The point of the article, which is what I found to make it worthwhile, is that all of this hyper technical stuff can be bypassed by using the ventilary thresholds I described. Very simple protocols that can be implemented in any gym setting without additional cost or sophisticated equipment and provides individualized training zones based on actual work being performed. Something that everyday casual/fitness cardio exercisers can do to maximize the effectiveness of their workouts.</p>
<p>For me, I base my cardio workouts on intervals derived from both CO2 and blood lactate testing and also based on wattage testing. Most people aren’t interested in going to those extremes. For the vast majority of cardio exercisers, using ventilary thresholds is an easy way to effectively individualize their work outs to maximize the benefits in a very user friendly and convenient manner. That was the point of my earlier post, given the past discussions of hr, max hr and hr % training.</p>
She had to pass it up once before, so this is her year!</p>