Just wanted to say thank you for writing TFTNA and for establishing such a great community here. Last weekend, I successfully summited Mount Elbrus via the South Route. Now, I know that’s quite a wimpy climb for a lot of folks here, but 6 months ago I could barely run two miles and it seemed like an insanely ambitious goal!
If I hadn’t purchased TFTNA six months ago, I honestly think I would have failed– my training at the time was all weightlifting and HIIT. Reading that book was a paradigm shift for me. I even bought the training log and started meticulously tracking each week. Although I faced IT Band injuries, Dengue Fever, and a shoulder subluxation along the way, the program was my North Star that kept me sane and on track.
I especially want to thank Scott and Steve for responding to a few of my questions along the way. I never would have expected that kind of care and attention and it really meant the world to me. Particularly helpful was the advice to include some muscular endurance workouts even though I only had a 9 week base period. Those workouts were the most realistic preparation for what to expect on the mountain and paid dividends although I only did a few.
To make this post more than just a thank you, here are some things I found helpful as an absolute beginner:
– Tracking macro’s with MyFitnessPal and linking it to heart rate monitor (at first I was not accurately accounting for calories burned while running and therefore eating too little)
– See a physiotherapist early and often for injuries, do rehab work religiously
– Foam rolling and yoga helped me lessen the impact of long runs
– I think I should have done more recovery rate hours. My weekly volume was around 4 hours but it was all running– I think a few hours of light hiking could have been added without overtraining (or could have replaced some running volume). I was hesitant to push running volume due to aforementioned injuries
– SLEEP. Best way to avoid sickness
Anyway, thanks so much! I’m properly hooked on the mountains now. I’ll be taking 1-2 weeks off for my body to recover then I think I’ll continue with base period training, rather than starting over with the transition (since I only had 9 weeks of base)– or should I start over? I’m hoping to get some time in the Alps later this summer/fall, as I’m based in London.
Thanks again!
