In less than a year, I’m going to be trekking up to the summit of Springer Mountain and hiking north through the Appalachian mountain range for over 2,000 miles. If that sounds like a big undertaking, it’s because it is! Many people have different ways of training to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail—and some don’t train at all. However, I know that for my success, I want to be as prepared as I can be.
Working a full-time job plus a side-gig or two doesn’t leave a lot of time left over for training. But with some research and creativity, I’ve created a system that’s building my muscles for the AT without taking too much time.
Hiking
What better way to train for backpacking than by getting on my feet and walking? Hiking nearby parks allows me to build stamina, strengthen the muscles I’ll be using while I’m backpacking, and mentally prepare for days spent walking.
I have a schedule: Tuesday and Thursday I do a short hike (4.5 miles round trip) at the park near my house, and Saturday or Sunday I do a long hike (8+ miles).
These hikes are not gentle meanders through the woods: instead, I use each hike as an opportunity to push myself harder and harder. If I haven’t lost my breath or come back without any tired muscles, it’s defeating the purpose. I use my short hikes as an opportunity to walk fast and hard. Each morning, I try to come back with a quicker speed. For my longer hikes, I focus on endurance and adding more distance to my hikes. I know on the AT, I’ll want to be traveling around 12-15 miles a day, and so I’m building towards being comfortable hiking that mileage.
With these hikes is also the opportunity to carry pack weight. I started hiking without any pack weight, but since then, as I get up-to-speed or comfortable with a certain pack weight, it gets bumped up by five pounds. This helps my body build the muscles it needs to carry a pack, but also allows my body to get used to carrying a pack and the associated weight. By the time I get to the AT, I want my pack to feel like an extension of myself, that I’m so comfortable with I can take anywhere!
Krav Maga
Krav Maga is a self-defense fighting system that comes from Israel. Translated as “contact combat,” it is about being fierce, strong, and in control. Not only do I recommend some form of self-defense for any woman, it’s a great way to get moving and strength your body. At the school where I’m take it twice a week, we start off with strength training and aerobic exercise before we get into the specific Krav Maga techniques of our belts. After working on perfecting the techniques, we put them to use at the end of each session in a highly active, sometimes chaotic way.
Backpacking trips
While I can’t go on many long backpacking trips, taking a couple weekends (like when I tested the UL Granite 2P) to go to hiking are perfect ways to test out my gear, build some tougher trail legs, and get comfortable with my set up for the AT. Plus, it gives me additional experience with backpacking, which in turn only makes me better prepared for my hike.
These small backpacking trips are perfect opportunities to “shakedown” gear and make sure that what I’m taking on my thru-hike is actually gear that works well for my hiking style and needs. By the time I get to the Appalachian Trail, my pack should already have gone through a couple of “shedding pounds” stages, making it as light as it can be while thru-hiking.
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Zero days and resting
This is not often talked about. After hard exercise, your body needs a chance to rest and recuperate. It’s during your sleep and your downtime that your body rebuilds muscles, replenishes, and protects against injury. Experts suggest a rest day every 7-10 days. To keep it easy for myself, I take one day a week as a “zero day.” Use this day to spend time with friends or family, read a book, catch up on a TV show, or do something else to relax both your mind and your body.
Other ideas for training to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail
- Stairs
- Kickboxing
- Running (or trail running)
- Strength training at a gym
- Biking or stationary biking
- Swimming
How are you training for your long hikes?