[pct-l] PCT Training

[Steel-Eye]

Good morning, Gary,

First, congratulations on having the good sense to: 1) keep in good enough
condition to run 40-50 miles/week, and, 2) aspire to the lofty challenge of
PCT hiking.

You should be well positioned to start a hike, however I advise you bias the
training to more walking and less running, particularly if you can arrange
to hike on hills with a pack, and on something other than pavement.

You don't need to start out prepared to book big miles.  If you were to
depart from Campo after the Kick-Off, and if you subscribed to the "nominal"
Sierra entry date of 15 June, you would have 49 days to cover 700 miles.
Knock of a few of those for pure "zero-mile" days and you could average
15-16 miles per day.  You could start with 10-12 miles per day and over a
month work up to 18-20 miles per day by Kennedy Meadows.  That's not exactly
a daunting scheduled for persons who are reasonably well prepared.

The pack-carrying structures -- the back and shoulders -- will quickly adapt
if you listen to the well-reasoned advise to get your base load down to a
10-lbs. or 15-lbs, maximum.

Steel-Eye
http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Gary_Peterson at URSCorp.com>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 8:30 AM
Subject: [pct-l] PCT Training


>
>
> Good morning all -
>
> After a long hiatus from backpacking due to careers, kids, mortgage
> payments, etc.,  my wife and I are getting excited about hiking again.
> We,
> however, are no longer 25 and are a little apprehensive regarding the
> demands on long days, weeks, and hopefully months.  My question is, while
> I
> have been running about 40-50 miles/week I have not had a backpack on my
> back for 15 years.  Has anyone else made the jump from
> non-hiker-but-runner
> to PCT through hiker and if so, what can I do to make that transition a
> little easier.  My concerns are mostly about my feet and back.
>
>
> Gary
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