[jakedev]

jakedev on July 27, 2021 at 11:27 am · in reply to: How do you deal with depression and stress from injury #55993

I’ve been where you are several times for various reasons. Tore a finger pulley tendon at the beginning of the summer then reinjured it by coming back too fast. I herniated a disc just before ice season and refused to not climb after the training I did. I took a good friend and chiropractor to smack some sense into me. It’s scary when you are 36 years old and can barely walk across your own house.

I too used to get really down and downright depressed about it. I spent all my time thinking about what I’m missing out on and not what could be gained. Things changed for me when I started to refocus what I wanted. I learned the banjo, picked up swimming (great for recovery), read some great books, went to school for computer coding, doing some challenging puzzles. At first those activities seemed lame but even recovered I still do them to balance out my training and I actually look forward to picking the banjo as much as climbing now.

I think it’s great to be motivated about activities and for some of these lofty goals you need to be. However there is a real problem when you assign your sense of self worth to your ability to climb a mountain. There is so much more to being a man or woman than that. The mountains will still be there next year and the year after that, etc. Analyze your training that lead up to the injury and learn from it.

Hope my ranting helps. Just to summarize I’ve been there multiple times and it will pass and you’ll be a better person and athlete cause of it.

Jake.

[jakedev]

jakedev on July 22, 2021 at 10:17 am · in reply to: Thoughts on power hiking workout/sessions #55914

Hi Mirko,

Looks like an awesome local hike you got. I also like to combine hiking and running. I guess there are a few ways to process.

My goal was initially to just increase my pack weight to mimic my activity. The goal is 35 pounds. Over the last year I increased my weight to where I am doing Z1-2 hikes with 30 pounds. Now I am just working on slowing increasing my pace with that weight and staying < AeT.

Lately though I’ve started to switch it up by adding Pickups and short Z3 intervals. Eventually do Z4 intervals as I get closer to my season.

Maybe switch it up. Some days Z1 and some days do pickups then progress to Z3. I imagine your at bodyweight (due to injury).

Not sure if that rambling helps. Hope you recover well.

Jake

[jakedev]

jakedev on July 9, 2021 at 12:06 pm · in reply to: Declining pace at AeT #55601

Hi,

So the way I understand Lactate testing when it hits 2.0 the corresponding HR is your AeT.

Applying that to your results it looks like HR 139 corresponds with a lactate of 2.0 which would make that your AeT. Subsequently 139 – 10% (139 x 0.9) would give you a Zone 1 ceiling of 125. So maybe use those numbers as benchmarks. (Unless I am missing something)

Other factors:
– Summer is here. Has it gotten hotter where you live. That will ramp up your HR regardless. Track temps on the runs too.

– How much volume are you doing? Any other physically demanding work in the week (landscaping, chopping firewood, etc).
-IE After collecting firewood all day I tried a Zone 1 run and while I felt ok I had to walk to stay < Z1

– Maybe try to change it up and add some pickups (see uphill athlete book) or do some light hiking with a small pack.

Hope something here is useful for you. Let me know if I’m missing something with the Lactate number on your test.

Jake.

[jakedev]

jakedev on June 3, 2021 at 12:37 pm · in reply to: Regarding the article: When and How to Add High-Intensity Training #54593

From what I understand I think the Z4 intervals come just after the ME phase to get the most benefit. Probably want to do some Z3 intervals during your ME phase, within reason. Will look in the book later to confirm.

Jake

[jakedev]

jakedev on May 26, 2021 at 1:56 pm · in reply to: Hiking Hill Sprints? #54358

Scott: So I have been putting together my own programs from reading both the books, phone consult guidance, and got the marathon plan awhile ago.

Lindsay: I have gone through several General, MAX, and ME periods. My Max Strength training involved doing a Max Strength Circuit (Hangs, Stepups, Locks offs, Calf Raises) 1x a week and a Max (running) Hill Sprint 1x a week. I am putting together my program for the fall that begins in early August. Was just thinking to optimize it more for heavy pack hiking in winter to ice climbs.

Dada: I guess I got the idea from the recent speed podcast. They talk alot about “event specific”, for me that is hiking fast, rucking, etc and was curious how far that should go. Sounds like Hill Sprints should stay with the running for the fast turnover.

Switching gears here – –
I will say doing Z4 intervals running vs doing Z4 intervals hiking (fast uphill 15-20% grade) with a moderately heavy pack works my legs in different ways. I’m sure they compliment each other but I noticed a deficit in one over the other

I do maintenance ME Leg Circuit until I start the ME period again. Does anyone do maintenance Z4 intervals (say through the Max period). Or is ME specific maintenance work enough?

Thanks for the responses and the enlightening discussion.

Jake.

[jakedev]

jakedev on May 25, 2021 at 6:22 am · in reply to: Hiking Hill Sprints? #54283

Box step ups are given as an example in New Alpinism to add to a Max Strength Circuit. In the interest of specificity it would make sense these are better going up a steep hill. Long strides and doing enough weight to where you can barely last 10 seconds. Maybe I’m off base here. Oh well.

[jakedev]

jakedev on May 20, 2021 at 2:45 pm · in reply to: Transition period: balancing volume restraints with normal outdoor activities #54180

Hi Jesse

I had the same issue as you when I started. I did not “suck it up” and focus on training but instead did all my activities at a slower pace to stay in Z1-2. That was a mistake as I ended up doing too much volume out of the gate and was forced to dial it back sooner than I wanted to. Without any previous training to go on it’s hard to get a baseline of how many hours per week is right for you. Sounds like you get out alot outdoors so 3 hours MAY be too low, however it is better to undertrain than overtrain. Try it for a week and see how you feel. If you still feel great then add 30 minutes each week (or 10%). Or maybe start at 4 hours. The recurring theme on this forum is “figure out what works for you”.

The Scotts have said all those percentages of Z1 and Z2 are guidelines. There aren’t numbers to live and die by every week.

Hope my input helps.

Jake.

[jakedev]

jakedev on May 11, 2021 at 5:45 pm · in reply to: Chamonix Mountain Fit, how does it fit in? #53892

So I’m doing Z4 intervals once a week and 7 hours of foot borne volume. I think doing the Chamonix once a week may be good for me to maintain and see where I’m at. Once the transition for winter rolls around in the fall I’ll do 2x a week for 4 weeks.

I’ll just do a upper body workout on a different day. I like all the activation stuff so might look up some good exercises to do so for shoulders and arms before some upper body circuit work. Thanks for the thoughts and if anybody has anymore feedback love to hear it.

Jake.

[jakedev]

jakedev on May 8, 2021 at 11:16 pm · in reply to: Chamonix Mountain Fit, how does it fit in? #53807

I know this is an old thread but I am interested in a deeper conversation about this. Thought the ChamoFIT would be too easy but boy was I wrong. Identified alot of weaknesses I need to work on.

The Chamonix Fit seems to be very lower body focused (with some core and shoulder work). My initial thought would be to do a ChamoFIT session followed by a upper body session and with General Strength exercises from the tFtNA (Pullups, Hangs, T2B, etc). However that makes for quite along session. Especially if doing that twice a week.

I’m curious how people are balancing that out.
– Doing upper body in a separate session?
– Doing a whole other General Strength session (upper and lower body)?
– Are you just omitting certain parts of General Strength to focus on ChamoFIT?

[jakedev]

jakedev on May 3, 2021 at 12:01 am · in reply to: Mountaineering vs. Mountain Running #53625

Fabian,

I have been running alot and I would say that it indeed helps me move better hiking in the mountains. The marathon plan that UA has shows how the volumes progress through the weeks. I simply do half running and half hiking. It works for me cause hiking is easier on my knees (with a light pack anyway), and I like switching things up alittle.

I do 3 weeks of increasing volume then recovery on the 4th week.
IE Week 1: 8 hours, Week 2 8.5 hours, Week 3: 9 hours, Week 4: 4 hours. Then rpt with 15-30 min more volume.

Very slow progression I know but I don’t have a event or race and just want to get fitter. Once a week during the work weeks I will do a high intensity workout (ME, Z3-4) then take the recovery week off.

There are other things in here too. Mobility, MAX maintenance, ARCing, climbing but I figure your talking about foot borne volume to start.

It took me awhile but I think I found what works for me. Hope this helps alittle. Cheers.

[jakedev]

jakedev on February 21, 2021 at 11:11 pm · in reply to: Anti-inflammatories/Pain-relievers #51098

Hi there,

So from what I have learned through conversations is that there is some small amount of studies that may indicate that chronic use of ibuprofen (ingredient of Advil) may interfere with protein synthesis and subsequently can interfere with long term performance gains. I am unsure how much ibuprofen the participants were taking and I am unsure if the same holds for acetaminophen (generic name for Tylenol).

Everyone needs to figure out what works for them but I for one avoid taking any anti inflammatories. I already am not good at listening to my body and blunting the soreness or pain is a surefire way for me to overtrain and get hurt. I have supplemented soreness with ice cold showers, mobility, and foam rolling.

Idiotic as it sounds I never drank protein shakes at all until this year and that makes a big difference when done within an hour of finishing a major ME or MAX session. I know that’s common knowledge but I’m slow to the party I guess.

[jakedev]

jakedev on February 13, 2021 at 4:45 pm · in reply to: Uphill Water Carry #50816

Andrey,

I’d emphasize a 8 week Max Period before you dive into a a high volume ME period. Max Hill Sprints have been my go to. Just need a steep hill or stairs.

Endurance:

You don’t need a gym this workout. Just something to step up onto. You can find it under the resources tab at the top of this site. I’d browse through all those articles. Some really cool stuff there.

FREE At Home Muscular Endurance Workout with Progression

– You’ll notice the site says to start at 4 sets of each exercise.
– When I first started I started at 2 sets to make sure I didn’t over do it. Only when it is maybe 6/10 intensity did I increase my sets. I did this q 2 weeks during the MAX period to get the body used to it and then in the ME phase do it 2x a week and increase the sets. As they say on here alot “better to undertrain than to overtrain”.

[jakedev]

jakedev on February 12, 2021 at 3:07 pm · in reply to: Uphill Water Carry #50793

Andrey,

I had the same problem for awhile, and turned out to be my leg muscle endurance.

If you have either of the books look up the Max Strength part of the programs. It is important that you do this 8 week period before endurance and that you maintain it during the endurance phase.

In regards to ME. Instead of the uphill water carries start with a 8 week cycle of the gym ME workout listed on this site. Then start with very small uphill carry sessions (like 500′ vertical) and see how your HR responds at that point.

This is all in addition to keeping aerobic volume up of course.

[jakedev]

jakedev on November 29, 2020 at 11:06 am · in reply to: How to get faster when the trial gets steeper? #47575

I have the exact same question in regard to hiking approaches and climbing.

Follow on question is that during the ME phase I have a hard time keeping my ME and MAX maintenance volume less than 10%. Is usually 15-20% of weekly, and that is with a lot of Z1 volume. What takes forever is the uphill weighted hikes. Especially when I start doing 2000-3000′. Would it be better to limit ME to 8 weeks for that reason? So I don’t negatively impact my aerobic fitness?

[jakedev]

jakedev on November 22, 2020 at 5:20 pm · in reply to: ME progression/specificity question #47192

Thanks Scott.