Did you just read something by Cameron Hanes? Ha!
Heck, even my German Wirehair needs days off here and there.
Tell your wife you don't want anything for dinner but Mountain House meals for a couple months.
Don't shower all summer.
Sleep on the floor from now until your hunt.
Go hunt deer.... where there are none. ha ha
Things like that.
Heck... once you hear a bugle or spot a big bull you'll be able to run up a hill with your partner on your back so no need to train for that right?
Oh no.....Does my wife count as a guide?....She is always trying to hold my hand and tell me what to do so she must be!
By season I was able to hunt 6-8 miles a day, day after day for 25 days, no problem. At 60 I see no reason to push it beyond that. I could do the 30 day challenge here where I live, but why?
Snap I'm already on day 3456
I hurt somewhere everyday. Been doing it for 20 plus years in awful rough terrain. Three acl's repairs, no cartilage in my left knee, chipped humorous bone in the left knee cap. I'm not doing that challenge. No one here could do that challenge and remain unhurt. Might the first time or two if you are in your early 20's or younger. But, it will catch you quickly if you try it.
Do you work? Have a family? Any real responsibilities? Who has this amount of free time to do this everyday for 30 days? It's one thing two or three times a week but, everyday? Good luck is all I'll say now.
God Bless your knees, feet, ankles, hips, and hip flexer's if you use a 40 pound pack to accomplish it.
When I first moved to the mountains, I did the same 8 mile, 2400 ft elevation gain/loss round trip trail 3 times a week for several months.
I still do the trail today occasionally and it's a gorgeous hike, but doing the same thing over and over is no fun.
I still do a lot of hiking, but the bulk of it is hunting or scouting in the off season. I cant imagine giving up any of that exercise to do the same trail everyday.
Getting and Staying in Sheep Shape does not require that type of workout in the off season.
December through February simply calls for 'maintenance' mode.
Just don't give your base away!
Bowhunter, you may need 'maintenance' mode or you may need to establish the base but even you did your 30 day challenge you would be wiser to do short hikes with longer hike on weekends.
Developing a habit is a great thing and mental toughness can be derived in lots of ways. Many people think that you have to be disciplined to workout but for true workout types it takes more discipline to not workout for recovery or even doing a light recovery workout.
Mental toughness is often girded with words to fall back on that support the action that you are doing. Some that I can think of are "the silent professionals", "Rangers lead the way", and I will never leave a fallen comrade. One that I use is you cannot kill them on the couch. Remember fatigue makes cowards all and being in shape allows to push your limits and mental toughness is developed outside the boundaries of our limits. Hmmm, "relentless in training unyielding in battle".
As Marcus Lutrell(Lone Survivor) stated he would extend his arms and draw a line and then drag himself to that line.
Sorry to sound like I am preaching but I get into this type of stuff.
At my age of 57 this challenge would be a damn good way to hurt something. If I put in miles like this it would be for the competition phase of training like an elk hunt or sheep hunt.
This may be good challenge closer to the season or maybe a 100 miles in 30 days where you can manage the miles to work for you.
Remember we do not get better from exercise. We get better from recovery from exercise.
Now that I'm older, winter and spring maintenance mode is critical for avoiding overuse injuries later (especially tendons) when we really get serious in the summer and ramp up to the seasons.
Maybe we need a thread about off-season maintenance routines?
I used to do the same thing. Thanksgiving through Valentire's Day was my time to gain about 10 or 15 pounds. I would hunt my way into shape.
Now, I like to think I'm a little smarter. I sure feel better!
Bowhunter,
I'm doing a set of P90X3, which has a workout every day. I'll go chukar or pheasant hunting a couple of days a week and run one day also. Does that meet your challenge?
IMO 4-5 miles, every other day is realistic, and plenty. Throw in some strength workouts on the in-between days, and you should be good to go. Just be disciplined enough to always keep that routine going, 12 months a year.
The bigger challenge, speaking for myself, is getting thru the long, cold winter months without piling on pounds from way too much holiday feasting.
I have a short walk from the house that I can do 4-5 times a week with my training pack (30-40#) but it is only 3.44 miles and 450' elevation gain. I do it in the evenings after dark with my dog.
Maybe December is a warm up month (or what remains). It can server as a warmup month that gets people moving and familiar with the routine then start January we can increase it a bit.
If we can leave running out of it I would be grateful. My Knees and shins don't like the pounding. I normally try to do a lot of bodyweight stuff (Squats, lunges, dips) then my walks/hikes or some mountain biking.
You can kick off the thread.
James
The last week of this past season I "packed in" a comfortable camp on my ATV. 9 miles in to the end of a spur at the end of a really rough spur. I hunted on foot from there and never started the ATV until time to go home. Had a great hunt, was into elk every day, didn't see another hunter the whole week, enjoyed a couple of cold beers every evening, chilled in the spring.
Never broke a sweat packing in or out.
Meanwhile, my "way back" minimalist buddies in the wilderness areas spent their time avoiding other hunters and bitching about the crowds where they never saw other hunters in the past.
James, maybe we should start a thread about shoulder, arm, wrist, and thumb workouts for ATV hunters! Sometimes that Japanese Pack Horse is a pretty good deal.
Rookie...(doesn't count if it's light)
I chose the outpatient surgery path, and will walk stairs the day of the surgery before I leave the surgical center.
First goal is to toss the walker aside to get to the cane.
If you are up for the challenge you set in the first post, go for it and let us know how you progress.
I'm all about mental toughness, but even more so about guarding myself against injuries. Anyone can train hard, it's more important to train smart.
The mental and physical challenges are different for everyone. Different for me at 49 than today, ten years later. My fitness routine is different now, as is my hunting style (I actually hunt more miles now than I did back then in my old area, and prep to get an elk out by myself since I've gone solo).
I have to work harder year round to keep in the same shape I could easily get into in a few months at your age. Harder, but smarter, to protect tendons and ligaments.
I admire you for throwing out the challenge, but for all but a rare few, it isn't realistic. Best of luck, though. If you pull it off, you'll either be a monster or broken-down.
Sounds like one heck of a challenge, but I don't have that sort of time. I usually try to do one stretch each winter for 35-40 days straight where I do a minimum of 4 miles running each day and will usually have a handful of days with two workouts. By the end of the stretch I am ready for a break so I take two days off and start my marathon training, which is 5 days/week and seems easy after that. (99% mental.)
"So, Amy, pictured here with me, from my work, is officially a little beast. She's been hammering hard in the gym for years, but had hit a plateau like everyone does. I told her that all she needed to do mix it up and challenge her body differently is hit the mountain. I said, "just give it 30 days...do Mount Pisgah 2x each day for 30 straight and I promise you'll see and feel a difference." Now this is easier said than done. Because that's 6 miles a day, with 2,200 feet of gain. Everyday. No breaks. Not easy, for anyone. In fact I don't know one person...man, woman or child who has done 2x Pisgah for an entire month without missing even one day. Except for me...my brother Taylor I bet has been close. It takes her about 1 hour and 25 minutes to complete and tonight marked her 30th straight day. 60 summits, 180 miles and while she got physically beat down, sacrificed (even did it on Thanksgiving Day), was freezing cold some days, soaking wet others, she did it. I am so impressed. Amy's dedication is very inspiring. And yes her body, did respond. She says her abs are better than they've ever been and her legs are stronger and more defined. But I'd bet the biggest benefit is mental. I told her at the end of it, if nothing else she'll be a lot tougher. Good job Amy now get back to the gym where it's warm and dry. You served your 30 day sentence on the mountain."
Got to admit...that's a pretty impressive young lady!
I have noticed a loss of strength in just 2 weeks after stopping the workouts. I walk a lot hunting in the fall and winter to maintain.
I carried 2 quarters from my bull this year and a partner the other 2. Mine weighed 72# and 82# it was 1.5 miles and the first half was over a bunch of blowdowns. Real rough going. It didn't seem too bad after I did it. but my big toes were numb the next day. One is mostly normal after 3 months the other still numb. Even though we work out walking roads or trails. The real deal busting the timber IS harder.
Most people on this site could carry an elk for a few miles off a mountain. The reason we exercise is to prevent getting seriously hurt doing it.
But rather than make well being (physical and mental) a 30 day challenge, I prefer to pursue it as a lifestyle, year around. A step in my day, much like brushing my teeth. A key is not necessarily what you do during that time, but setting time aside, period. On tough days, I might hop on the stationary bike for 30 minutes. Other days I push hard. I also have rest/recovery days. (On rest days, I might do some upper body/core and stay away from my legs).
For many folks, it took them a LONG time to fall out of shape. (Physically and mentally). Most cases it is years. Trying to rally around a 30 day challenge is similar to going on a diet on Jan 1. It takes a long time to change your habits and replace them with new habits. Similarly, going from couch to 30 days of hiking will be more than most sedentary folks (and even fit folks) can handle. I run a lot. But I would never run 30 days in a row. I listen to my body, not be a slave to a calendar.
Give yourself time to transform yourself. It didn't take 30 days to lose your physical and mental fitness. Very difficult to erase years of sins in 30 days.
Start with 3 days a week. Start by adopting a sustainable "habit". Whether that be riding a bike 30 mins 3 days a week, or hitting the local gym 3 days a week. Start small and increase your frequency and level of activity over months and YEARS. Not 30 days.
I hear where you are coming from. Like you, I am 49 years old. I had an epiphany in 2007. I recognized it was impossible for me to erase years of "sins" in 2-3 months to prepare to go on western hunts. I found maintaining a level of fitness year around and ramping up as needed was much more gratifying and productive, vs the peaks and valleys of well being. I am in better average shape than at any time in my life by far. I know for a fact
How do you eat an 800 pound elephant? One bite at a time. Good luck. No need to look at a calendar. Start now.
The gents talking about "maintenance training" are spot on. As we age, we have to come to grips with the fact that we ARE older and temper our fitness routines accordingly. We're hunters, not olympians. Put yourself in a program that will not cause injury, and let you retain healthy fitness.
WV - "chipped humorous bone in the left knee cap"
That sounds really painful. Was it your humorous or someone elses? 8^)
I remember reading about a 70+ year old a couple of years back. His training consisted of running for 3 hours a day on a 600m loop in the cemetery. Every day.
He ran a 2:54 as a 73 year old and 3:15 in his 80s.
Fuzzy, I'm working on that one, too!
