Fitness 2015

[Eddie Teach]

Forgot to mention she also measured that and wondered aloud "Is this a human or an elephant?"

So wrinkly?

She really said gorilla.

[mongers]

This is somewhat depressing, took my folding bike out for the first time in six months, did one of my little routes, did it in a time somewhat better than I've done recently on my other bikes. 

I think this is because it's quite a light bike and as I've got older, especially recently one loses strength, it begins to tell on your speeds as it becomes harder to accelerate the heavier bikes, whereas in past this didn't matter.

I think you can keep you aerobic fitness level longer than your muscle mass/strength.

Conclusion, maybe I need to invest in a reasonably decent light bike?   

Say spend 1000+ Euros.       

[alfred russel]

Mongers, how old are you?

I've been told that for amateurs it isn't hard to build muscle mass until ~45. But even then you can stay fit. There is a dude I work with that was very casual about his fitness until ~40. He is 49 now, and running 40 minute 10ks.

[mongers]

Mongers, how old are you?

I've been told that for amateurs it isn't hard to build muscle mass until ~45. But even then you can stay fit. There is a dude I work with that was very casual about his fitness until ~40. He is 49 now, and running 40 minute 10ks.

Just a bit older than that dude.   

[Liep]

Conclusion, maybe I need to invest in a reasonably decent light bike?   

Say spend 1000+ Euros.       

On what surface do you bike?

[Barrister]

Okay, so I agreed to go on this 5 day back-country hike this summer.  But I need to build up some endurance prior to doing so.  So I figure I should start running again as soon as the weather allows (probably another couple of weeks).

Can anyone suggest a running program or system that I should be following?

[mongers]

Conclusion, maybe I need to invest in a reasonably decent light bike?   

Say spend 1000+ Euros.       

On what surface do you bike?

That's the problem, it's invariable a mix, I live down a often muddy gravel lane and often my trips by road include shortcuts or necessary bits of off-road tracks.  So a road bike is no use.

I need to re-evaluate if I'd be happy to use drops as they'd help with speed and endurance. As it stand all the places I go within 30 miles of here are familiar now and I know all the off-road bits like the back of my hand, so I can get away with using a non-mountain bike for these places.

I'm thinking of a somewhat compact frame, no-suspension, few gears - 5 would do me, so maybe a hub and ideally 32mm ish tyres, though currently I use a roadish/hybrid with 28mm all-weather tyres, but that's not ideal.

[crazy canuck]

Okay, so I agreed to go on this 5 day back-country hike this summer.  But I need to build up some endurance prior to doing so.  So I figure I should start running again as soon as the weather allows (probably another couple of weeks).

Can anyone suggest a running program or system that I should be following?

We have been over this ground before but happy to do it again    Running isn't the best for building up the kind of endurance you need.  Better to do a mix of lifting - ideally squats and cardio in between your lifting sets.

[Barrister]

Okay, so I agreed to go on this 5 day back-country hike this summer.  But I need to build up some endurance prior to doing so.  So I figure I should start running again as soon as the weather allows (probably another couple of weeks).

Can anyone suggest a running program or system that I should be following?

We have been over this ground before but happy to do it again    Running isn't the best for building up the kind of endurance you need.  Better to do a mix of lifting - ideally squats and cardio in between your lifting sets.

The advantage of running is all I need are running shoes.

Walk me through what you're suggesting though.  I'm not saying no.

[Maladict]

Spent my entire day off arguing with bureaucratic morons over taxes and insurance stuff.
I was so annoyed I got fairly close to my personal best on the rowing machine, dating from 2001. 

[crazy canuck]

Okay, so I agreed to go on this 5 day back-country hike this summer.  But I need to build up some endurance prior to doing so.  So I figure I should start running again as soon as the weather allows (probably another couple of weeks).

Can anyone suggest a running program or system that I should be following?

We have been over this ground before but happy to do it again    Running isn't the best for building up the kind of endurance you need.  Better to do a mix of lifting - ideally squats and cardio in between your lifting sets.

The advantage of running is all I need are running shoes.

Walk me through what you're suggesting though.  I'm not saying no.

Otto set out a good program a number of pages ago iirc.

Basically the theory is that the resistance training acts a multiplier to the cardio training.  Even if you don't have access to weights, even if you did squats with your own bodyweight you will still get some benefit.  If all you do is cardio then your muscles are not being worked and the conditioning benefit only lasts for as long as you are running.  When you work in resistance training you keep accruing benefits for a long time after you stop exercising.

Besides when you are hiking you are going to be carrying a lot more weight then when you are just running.  If you haven't developed the muscle strength and endurance to deal with that then the straight cardio training isn't going to help much.

[Barrister]

Okay, so I agreed to go on this 5 day back-country hike this summer.  But I need to build up some endurance prior to doing so.  So I figure I should start running again as soon as the weather allows (probably another couple of weeks).

Can anyone suggest a running program or system that I should be following?

We have been over this ground before but happy to do it again    Running isn't the best for building up the kind of endurance you need.  Better to do a mix of lifting - ideally squats and cardio in between your lifting sets.

The advantage of running is all I need are running shoes.

Walk me through what you're suggesting though.  I'm not saying no.

Otto set out a good program a number of pages ago iirc.

Basically the theory is that the resistance training acts a multiplier to the cardio training.  Even if you don't have access to weights, even if you did squats with your own bodyweight you will still get some benefit.  If all you do is cardio then your muscles are not being worked and the conditioning benefit only lasts for as long as you are running.  When you work in resistance training you keep accruing benefits for a long time after you stop exercising.

Besides when you are hiking you are going to be carrying a lot more weight then when you are just running.  If you haven't developed the muscle strength and endurance to deal with that then the straight cardio training isn't going to help much.

This is true - the hiking isn't very hard, but it is done with a 50lb backpack.

[mongers]

Okay, so I agreed to go on this 5 day back-country hike this summer.  But I need to build up some endurance prior to doing so.  So I figure I should start running again as soon as the weather allows (probably another couple of weeks).

Can anyone suggest a running program or system that I should be following?

We have been over this ground before but happy to do it again    Running isn't the best for building up the kind of endurance you need.  Better to do a mix of lifting - ideally squats and cardio in between your lifting sets.

The advantage of running is all I need are running shoes.

Walk me through what you're suggesting though.  I'm not saying no.

Otto set out a good program a number of pages ago iirc.

Basically the theory is that the resistance training acts a multiplier to the cardio training.  Even if you don't have access to weights, even if you did squats with your own bodyweight you will still get some benefit.  If all you do is cardio then your muscles are not being worked and the conditioning benefit only lasts for as long as you are running.  When you work in resistance training you keep accruing benefits for a long time after you stop exercising.

Besides when you are hiking you are going to be carrying a lot more weight then when you are just running.  If you haven't developed the muscle strength and endurance to deal with that then the straight cardio training isn't going to help much.

This is true - the hiking isn't very hard, but it is done with a 50lb backpack.

That's a lot.

I'm thinking of doing some hiking this year and rather than build up to it, the plan is this, as soon as the days are long enough, take a bergen of kit and walk the 15 miles to a nearby campsite one late afternoon, then come back the morning/afternoon the next day, that way I could do 30 miles in a 24 hour period and get a good idea how unready for hiking I am. That assumes I don't expire on the way or coming back. 

[Barrister]

Okay, so I agreed to go on this 5 day back-country hike this summer.  But I need to build up some endurance prior to doing so.  So I figure I should start running again as soon as the weather allows (probably another couple of weeks).

Can anyone suggest a running program or system that I should be following?

We have been over this ground before but happy to do it again    Running isn't the best for building up the kind of endurance you need.  Better to do a mix of lifting - ideally squats and cardio in between your lifting sets.

The advantage of running is all I need are running shoes.

Walk me through what you're suggesting though.  I'm not saying no.

Otto set out a good program a number of pages ago iirc.

Basically the theory is that the resistance training acts a multiplier to the cardio training.  Even if you don't have access to weights, even if you did squats with your own bodyweight you will still get some benefit.  If all you do is cardio then your muscles are not being worked and the conditioning benefit only lasts for as long as you are running.  When you work in resistance training you keep accruing benefits for a long time after you stop exercising.

Besides when you are hiking you are going to be carrying a lot more weight then when you are just running.  If you haven't developed the muscle strength and endurance to deal with that then the straight cardio training isn't going to help much.

I went back and found it.  Otto didn't set out a program - he just suggested I should be doing some squats.

Any suggestions on where I should go or what I should do?

[alfred russel]

This is true - the hiking isn't very hard, but it is done with a 50lb backpack.

There was discussion of this in this thread back in early january, but you were insisting the backpack would be light. 50 pounds is not light!

There definitely needs to be a combination of strength and cardio. A 50 pound backpack is going to make any hiking tough. Not discounting the need for strength, especially core, but a dude I know when with a group on a hike in Nepal (with 50-60 pound backpacks). A body builder also signed up, and ended up being helicoptered out just a couple days in. Cardio is important.