Carrying the pack...

Monday, May 20, 2013
I’d decided over the weekend that it was time to add in some hiking with my backpack and had put a 50-pound bag of salt and a sleeping bag in it and thrown it in the car.  All told, it went around 60 pounds, which was about 20 more than I’d carry on a backpacking trip and maybe 35 pounds lighter than I’d bring on Tour Ohio when while hiking the Ohio-Erie Canal Trail.  I like the extra weight because it intensifies the training hike, which will always be of much shorter duration than when I’m actually hiking.  I also like it for step-ups, which help to strengthen the legs, hips and core.

I arrived at the park about 40 minutes before Savannah was due for our Survival Workout, so I loaded the pack on my back and headed up the trail.  I immediately felt a pain in my left hip joint; a recurring pain that is starting to give me concern.  As I hiked up the first steep hill, the pain began to subside and then went away entirely.  I completed 35 minutes of hiking with a rolling sweat and 40 step-ups on a boulder next to the car.  When Savannah arrived, I was already well on my way to being whipped.

I managed 21 different upper body stations during the workout, electing to skip the lower body stuff since I’d done the hiking.  My legs were fatigued from that and the 60-mile ride I’d done the day before.  I didn’t need more.  I did manage to climb the swing set three times without severe elbow pain and I’m starting to believe I’ll be able to work through that finally.  I still have a dull ache/tennis elbow situation, but so what?  I’m used to things hurting all the time and I really don’t mind as long as they’re not keeping me from doing things I like to do.

We returned to the car and I collapsed in the front seat.  It was a good double and though I’m concerned about the hip, I know I can hike with less weight and likely not have a problem. 

Survival Workout:  60 minutes.  Hike duration:  35 minutes.

Training Heart Rate:  100-150 bpm for SW and 90 bpm on the hike.
Calories burned during workout:  600 for SW and 250 on the hike.