SkiAdcock

Will be in Austria next month & 1 weekend will be climbing the "Rax". The rest of the 16 days will be a LOT of walking in other European cities.

I'm thinking a lot of regular treadmill work - but also put treadmill on an incline in order to simulate Rax?

My problem is that traditionally I do both & then end up w/ shinsplits - or just do too much of one of the other or end up w/ shinsplits.

I leave June 9th, so have between now & then to figure it all out/do it.

So from the serious runners/walkers/climbers in FT, any input?

Cheers.

kokonutz

The keys to avoiding shin splints are:

• proper shoes (and replacing them every 300-400 miles)
• don't go too intense too fast (increase distance/duration/incline by at most 10% a week)
• take rest days

I know those last 2 don't fit well with your timeline, but better to get some training in properly than to limp around Europe on shin splints! ^

SkiAdcock

The shoes I've got & do replace. The 2nd I usually blow. The 3rd is forced when I blow # 2. I'm thinking if I do longer distance first on treadmill & add incline maybe the last week when I'm used to longer distance.

Cheers.

chollie

I don't suppose you have 'stair mills' at your gym? Not 'stairclimbers', these actually look like mini-escalators with 4-5 steps. I do a lot of hiking and backpacking and I find the stairs are a more suitable workout. There are a variety of programs (speed, intervals, etc).

I don't know why, but I often get 'tight' spots on my ankles (not shin splints, but something similar) until I'm warmed up when I'm walking/jogging/running - on the treadmill or outside. It's a real drag because it takes me 50-55 minutes to hit my stride and really be warmed up. Doesn't matter what the terrain is - flat, rolling hills, etc. Anyway, for some reason I never have problems on the 'stair mill'.

You might also try intervals on the treadmill - flat/hill, or mixing up the treadmill with an elliptical. Figure out roughly how long it takes for the shin splints to set in, then shift machines before that.

Climbing in Austria! I envy you!

uElliots

Are you in good shape

Katja

Balance work: stepping up and down on a platform with a weight in one hand (weighted backpack optional).

SkiAdcock

I'll check for a stair mill. Although I've always hated stair work.

My figuring out the when the mix of incline/intervals is wrong is when I end up w/ shin splints LOL. But I'll add a small amount at the beginning & then add more before I leave. But we're talking only a 3-week 'training' period.

Of course worse case I could wimp out & take the cable car .

Cheers.

aztimm

How long of a climb are you thinking? 2 hours, 2 days?

I've done a couple of climbs...both shorter here in the Phoenix area (Camelback Mountain, some down/up the Grand Canyon) as well as a little longer (something like 6-8 hours up Fuji). I did absolutely no training for any of them.

I think the more critical thing is recovery after. Take some pain killers, have some Biofreeze handy, take some KT Tape with you, stretch, ice (an ice bath would probably be great), and if you can take it easy the day after. Maybe some light walking, but nothing overly strenuous.

The day after I did Fuji (did it as a Sat-Sun overnight), I went to Tokyo Disneyland

chollie

Oh, Camelback, one of my absolute favorite places! I did it 3 times in a row once!

Sharon, I don't do this as a rule, but you might consider taking a couple ibuprofens before hiking. I don't know how your knee is doing now, but taking an IB or 2 before hiking helps prevent the inflammation that might develop (instead of trying to get rid of it afterwards).

Hope you're going to do a trip report or at least post some photos!

SkiAdcock

Info re: Rex with a couple of photos:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rax

The email I received regarding this part of my trip says we leave Sat am & return Sunday aft. So from that, and going from memory when I did this during college, it's several hours each day. I do remember that when we did it during college days it snowed - in June I've not done any altitude climbing in years, although obviously skiing I get some altitude exercise.

I don't have the full schedule for the Monday, so no idea on activities then.

I'll stock up on ibuprophen, biofreeze, etc.

Cheers.

It'sHip2B^2

That looks stunning. May I go, too, Sharon????

annerj

AHHHH the stairmill. I HATE that thing

I used it a few years ago to train for a hike also. I went to the gym in my hiking shoes with a pack (Yeah I'm that guy) and hit the stairmill. Worked like a champ.

chollie

Yeah, it's definitely a hate-love relationship for me too.

I hate it when I'm on it.

I love what I get out of it.

Glad I'm not the only one who shows up with pack/boots to get on the stairmill!

BadTime

I'm training for Mount Rainier and am always amazed how little some exercises prepare you for others. Ex. I use cycles in the gym and they just don't prepare me enough for trail riding. If the stair master/stair mill doesn't prepare me for the mountain I'm screwed. I live in Florida and there just isn't any climbing to speak of

chollie

The stair climber is actually very good training for Rainier, IMHO. I'm not talking about a little stairstepper - here's what I'm referring to:

http://www.squidoo.com/stairmaster-s...gn=framebuster

I agree, gym machines never really prepare you for the variety you encounter outdoors, but they can still provide a great base. And sometimes you have no alternative anyway. The stair machine is actually much closer to what you'll be doing on Rainier than the cycles are to trail riding. For hours, you really are just putting one foot in front of the other and going up. On the steeper bits, it can be exactly like a staircase because folks actually start kind of kicking steps into the hillside.

It's much closer to what you'll do on Rainier than an incline treadmill, IMHO.

I don't know what prompted you to decide to go up Rainier, but I hope you post a trip report afterwards. It is a truly lovely lovely mountain and an unforgettable experience. Just curious - do you know if you're going during a full moon?

Wow. Just thinking about it makes me want to go back and do it again!

And a really magic part is if you fly over it when you go home (I assume you're flying to SEA). To look down on that beautiful mountain, especially if there's a cloud layer and it is poking up through, is amazing. I flew over it 24 hours after I summited. I remember my first thought looking out the plane window was 'No way. It's some kind of scam, there's no way that's where I was!'