Training Goals: 4 Weeks Out

Earlier this week my entry to Canada permit was approved, my Ravpower 10000mAh rechargeable battery came in the mail, and I realized that all that is left to do between now and April 12 is to strengthen my feet and legs as much as possible.

Fortunately, with my job I am constantly walking, lifting, and squatting on concrete floors. Not the most ideal way to train for a thru-hike, but it’s something.

My Training Routine

I find it very motivating to keep a record of your training; that way you can set goals for yourself and track your progress as you go. Half of my intentions with creating this blog post was to make myself accountable if I underachieve the goals I’ve made.

My go-to day hiking park has an approximately 10-kilometer loop with uneven terrain, steep ascends, steep descends, and what I have been calling The Stairway to Heaven… or on some days, the stairway to hell. It’s almost like my own PCT prep playground. My goal moving forward is to hike the loop with a fully weighted pack.

Cycling

Over the past couple years I have fallen in love with cycling as an activity. Cycling can be a fun and convenient alternative to hiking to strengthen your lower body. You don’t need to pack your bag or drive out to a trail. You just need to hop on and go.

I have been tracking my rides for the past couple of years using the popular app. Strava and here is a log of my annual progress since 2016.

| Year |	Kilometers
| 2016 |	273.6
| 2017 |	1351.7
| 2018 |	145.6

My goal is to bike  229.1 kilometers more, or a total of 374.7 kilometers, before I start the PCT. That way I have an even 2,000 total tracked kilometers on my single-speed bike.

 

 

 

How have you been physically preparing for your thru-hike, and what goals do you have before setting off?