Drewsmith - Pacific Crest Trail Journal - 2016

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Out for a hike near home

Last training hike

Last training hike - 9 miles, 1600 ft EG carrying a 25 lb pack.

The amount of time available to train is inversely proportional to time left before a big hike - taking even a few hours gets harder and harder as more stuff has to get done.

Fortunately I live near mountains where I can get out for a hike with just a few minutes driving.

My training goal is not primarily aerobic fitness. After all, if I get winded I can just stop and catch my breath. Taking an extra hour to make my miles for the day is no big deal. Rather, I am trying to strengthen my joints - feet, knees and hips. If they start hurting, hiking gets pretty brutal pretty quickly, and the only remedy is to get off the trail entirely. Definitely a hazard for old guys.

With luck, my training and a slow initial pace of 15 miles per day should help me avoid that disaster.

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