[pct-l] Fitness

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

On Dec 21, 2010, at 12:50 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
> It is true that "specificity of exercise" exists regarding  
> performance in a
> sport.  To train for your sport you need to do your sport.   
> However, hiking
> long distances for long hours of the day is impractical for most  
> people who
> have jobs and responsibilities.

Not necessarily true if you think outside the box.

You can add walking with weight to your regular life easily. One way  
to do it is to set off on foot out your door with your pack on. Put  
your gear in it or put jugs of water or books or bricks. It helps if  
you have a goal to achieve, a place to go, so set one.

Put your pack on empty and go to the grocery store. Bring home turkey  
and melons along with your other groceries. This is good practice if  
you plan to resupply on the trail. You'll be doing this in trail  
towns. Or put your dirty laundry in your pack and go to the nearest  
laundromat. Wear your rain gear for full effect -- just kidding.

On weekends hike in your nearest park or wild area. Take a walk in  
the city that involves going over overpasses if you have no hills  
where you live. See if you can rearrange your schedule to take the  
bus to work. Often you have to walk a considerable distance to and  
from a bus stop, which is good. You've now added an extra bit of  
walking to your day. You could do this once a week. You don't have to  
do it every day.

I call all this stuff "urban hiking" to make it seem more  
adventurous. It may not be the same as a thru-hike in the mountains,  
but it will help.