"How do you do so many freaking push-ups?"

Monday, August 13, 2012
“I’m almost 20 years younger than you, I work out with a personal trainer religiously doing plenty of upper body work…and I struggle with 4 sets of 35 push-ups.  How the hell do you do so many?” Eric asked.

Eric Harsh, former high school state champ in the 1600 meters and an extremely competitive athlete and person was bothered by the fact that I’d done 81 reverse plank push-ups earlier that day…my new pr.
“Push-ups are all about muscular endurance…not strength.  If you do them and make doing more a goal, you or anyone could accomplish what I’ve done.  It just takes time.  It’s taken me three months to hit 81 and since I’ve been going through a series of injuries and missed a lot of training time, I’ve progressed very slowly,” I said to try and comfort him.

I was pleased with the new pr though, and the fact that I’d done 22 sets of various exercises during the Survival Workout that day.  With the Adirondacks looming and an aggressive climbing schedule, I want to be in peak form…no pun intended.  The Adirondacks are more about endurance…cardio and muscular…than strength or technical skills.  When I go with Jack and the girls in two weeks, we’ll climb Giant, which is a long, tough hike that gains over 3,000 feet of elevation in a couple of miles.  If I did it alone, I’d be in my aerobic training zone for two hours while climbing, which is a lot like running a marathon.  We could peel off near the top and drop down a 800 feet into a col and then climbing out steeply to Rocky Peak Ridge, then down and back again.  I don’t think the girls will want to do that, but if they do, I’ll be ready.  Then, two three weeks later, John and I will return and hopefully hit a trail up Gothics, climbing two other smaller peaks on the way.  It’s considered one of the tougher hikes in the Adirondacks and covers 15 miles and probably 5,000 feet of elevation change.  Again, conditioning is the key…especially if you want to get up the next day and do a couple more…and I do.

Anyway, that’s why the 22 sets, which included heart-busting squat thrusts with push-ups and bear crawls, two steep hill climbs and extra core work.  I’ve got plans to strap the pack on soon to help strengthen the legs and to get the shoulders ready for the carry in.  I’m planning both trips to have a minimum of backpack hiking since the girls aren’t particularly fond of that part and John and I are both on the mend from surgeries that don’t necessarily care for heavy backpacks.  I suppose I could back off a little because I really only have to make sure I’m not the slowest person up the mountain since we stay together and I’m sure my conditioning is a little better than at least one of the pups I’m taking along, but then that’s really not my nature…is it?

Survival Workout: 60 minutes.
Training Heart Rate: 100-150.
Calories burned:  600.