[Jan]

Jan on May 28, 2019 at 11:34 pm · in reply to: Zone 2 training – better to go by heart rate or by respiration ease? #22652

So let’s say my AeT normally is at 150, and I go on a flat running course with my usual perceived effort/ventilation and my usual pace, but my HR monitor says I am at 155 – should I slow down to below 150 or just keep going?

How would it be the other way around? I am below 150, but feel my breathing is heavier than normal? Should I go even slower or keep the HR close to 150?

As both indicators may be unreliable for beginners/intermediates, would it be best to take the slower pace in both situations?

[Jan]

Jan on March 28, 2019 at 1:03 am · in reply to: Soft Flask/bottle #19211

Decathlon also has soft flasks with twist locks under the bite valves (probably only interesting for the Europeans in here).

[Jan]

Jan on March 24, 2019 at 4:11 am · in reply to: Wanted: Long Tern Synthetic Relationship #18998

And if you want to make the bag yourself anyway: Here you get Primaloft and Climashield Apex, considered to be the best available synthetic insulation right now, and everything else you would need to make your own gear.

[Jan]

Jan on March 24, 2019 at 12:46 am · in reply to: Wanted: Long Tern Synthetic Relationship #18997

The concept Steve refers to is called a top bag. Big Agnes produces them, Therm-a-Rest used to have a model of this and Sierra Designs uses it in some of their models as well – so not that impossible to buy at all, though Big Agnes might be the only synthetic one available.

I for myself use a EE Enigma Apex 20F Quilt and am happy with it. I usually don’t get into “real bivy situations” so can’t really say anything about that, but I don’t see why a quilt (plus a balaclava/jacket hood plus a bivy bag) wouldn’t work.

[Jan]

Jan on February 27, 2019 at 2:33 am · in reply to: Recovery vs Zone 1 replacement #17027

@jakob

Well, the book (p. 249) states pretty clearly that you should add weight. I really hope Scott and Steve don’t want me to carry up to 30 % of my body weight while running.

The purpose would still be to build a aerobic base, as until now I thought that both zone 1 and zone 2 workouts do that.

As I am mostly a hiker, that is also the most specific workout that I do, with about the weight as on a lot of my goal hikes. I also try to hike fast and hope that this will feel like “normal speed” on goal hikes (some day). And I would guess that this prepares your tendons, ligaments etc. in a different way than running does. I know good runners that got tendonitis after 4 days of carrying a pack.

This is also definetly an exhausting workout, though in a different way than a trail run.

Nothing too miserable about that. The weight doesn’t feel uncomfortable on my back, I like being in the woods, I like hiking, I like listening to music. But too much time spent if it makes no sense for sure.

It’s 5 hours of trail running in zone 2 by the way. Plus the weighted hikes, a bit of trail running in zone 3, ME-workouts, core and strength training.

[Jan]

Jan on February 26, 2019 at 11:42 pm · in reply to: Recovery vs Zone 1 replacement #17025

@Scott Johnston:

So Zone 1 workouts don’t build aerobic capacity? This kind of surprises me.

Especially when you add weight as suggested on page 249/week 9 of the base period, it gets hard to stay in zone 2 constantly, at least if you don’t have bigger mountains in front of your door. And even then, hiking with a pack downhill in zone 2 can’t be good for your knees.

Right now I do a hike with a 30 pound pack as part of my base period training, 9 miles with 1600 feet elevation gain in hilly terrain, where I’ll be in (the lower end of) Zone 1 for most of the time, only getting in zone 2 during the short, but frequent uphill sections. It takes me around 2 1/2 hours. Would that time be better spent with a different workout? More zone 2 trailrunning (with only 3 pound of weight)? I already do around 5 hours of that per week.

Sorry if I take that thread in a direction that was not intended by the opener!

[Jan]

Jan on February 22, 2019 at 12:36 pm · in reply to: BCAA supplement, worth it, or just hype? #16934

My thoughts on that: Taking BCAAs has not many advantages.
If you want to use any amino acid supplementation, use whey protein. Cheaper and all essential amino acids in there (that includes BCAAs). My recommendation is the unflavoured Impact Whey Protein from MyProtein. At least here in Europe that is also often on sale and can then be the cheapest protein source out there.
I don’t know if you get enough protein with your normal food, but especially for vegetarians it can be kind of a hassle to think about putting a good protein source in every meal. Protein powder is really convenient in that regard.
The main benefit of whey protein is that it gets digested really fast, while the protein in a normal meal (or other protein shakes) will take more time to get to your muscles and start the repair process. If that is really that relevant after workouts seems to be up to debate (metabolic/anabolic window is the term to use for further research).
I use whey protein at home, especially directly after workouts (you could also put some Maltodextrin as a quick carbohydrate source in that shake) and before I go to bed. I also mix some of it into my dinner when I’m in the mountains.
I do have the feeling that it helps recovery, but wouldn’t swear on it.

[Jan]

Jan on February 7, 2019 at 10:31 am · in reply to: Suunto Movescount Group #16542

Hi deadpoint,

but will Movescount still be usable on a PC, or what will be the alternative for PC users? I don’t even have a smartphone …
I can’t see the content of your link as you have to be registered.

[Jan]

Jan on February 1, 2019 at 3:48 am · in reply to: Recommended mountaineering watches #16337

Interesting, I never have problems with the HR belt as long as I clean it once a week and the battery life is still good.
Andrew Skurka has a good review of the watch and a troubleshooting for the belt:

https://andrewskurka.com/2018/long-term-review-suunto-ambit3-peak-gps-sport-watch

https://andrewskurka.com/2018/heart-rate-monitor-suunto-smart-sensor-ambit-troubleshooting

[Jan]

Jan on January 31, 2019 at 5:26 am · in reply to: Recommended mountaineering watches #16315

I don’t have too much experience with watches, but really like my Suunto Ambit 3 Peak.
It has all the functions you should need.
It has different modes of GPS accuracy, so you can make it really accurate for training but less accurate for multi-day trips. In the least accurate mode it has a battery life of 200 hours.
You should also be able to get a good deal on used ones.

[Jan]

Jan on January 20, 2019 at 6:22 am · in reply to: Training with Ankle weights #16095

Hi Scott,

thanks for the answer.
What I take out of it is that you would just mimic the weight of the goal climb boots, not actually put more weight on your feet. So I will keep adjusting progression in ME hill climbs via pack weight and elevation gain.
As I do a lot of my bigger outings (multi-day hikes) in trail runners, I will keep wearing just these for the ME sessions. In the end of June I will climb 2 easy 4000m-peaks in mountaineering boots, so I will add in the ankle weights some time befor this goal climb.

[Jan]

Jan on December 14, 2018 at 10:00 am · in reply to: 100,000 calories in fat storage #15350

Hi Scott,

thanks for your answer!

About the calories of body fat, here is a “resource” in English I just googled quickly: Calories in body fat
I found some sources in German which seem a bit more serious, but the point is the same: Body fat is not pure fat.

Also, you should definitely consider that you can’t burn all the fat you have.

I am nowhere near 5.6 % body fat, and the fact that you can’t answer my question precisely will luckily keep me from going that route. I think a body fat percentage of 10-12 might be ideal for my normal 10-14 day outings in a rather big caloric deficit, though I’m really just guessing here.

If anyone is interested: Here is a site from a nutritionist and hiker who gives some advices and insights in nutrition for long-distance hikes. It made me change my diet from eating mostly very fatty food to a more balanced approach, and it definitely helps me keep my muscle mass on longer outings. Probably because my body transformed my muscles to carbs before (gluconeogenesis).
An interesting point of her for the “gel”-guys:
“If you eat sugar, hormones and enzymes alike adjust to burn sugar and will lock fat in storage. Simply stated: Eat fat, burn fat. Eat sugar, burn sugar. If you want to burn fat, avoid sugar. Instead, eat fat mixed with protein and complex carbohydrates.”

[Jan]

Jan on November 15, 2018 at 3:12 am · in reply to: Training for challenging Hikes #14457

Okay, I think I can answer the question myself:

Ditch both the hiking (lower end of HR Zone 1 most of the time, up to Zone 3 in steeper sections) and the running for a mix of running most of the time and hiking in steeper sections: Trying to be constantly able to breath through the nose and stay around a heart rate of 125-147 (with 147 being my Aerobic Treshold according to MAF). Obviously without weight, probably also without poles.
As this might still be more exhausting than my former plan as I’ll be running much more, dial down the volume and try to get it up again.

Doing some hikes with weight and up-/downhills with even more weight at the specific period. As I hardly ever have a time frame of more than two month between two rather challenging multi-day hikes, this period might get very short.

Does that sound about right?

[Jan]

Jan on November 14, 2018 at 2:39 am · in reply to: Training for challenging Hikes #14428

I hope it’s okay that I revive this thread …
I’m also using TftnA for my hiking training, objectives are challenging multi-day hikes like the Sierra High Route which I did last August.

In my base period, I do 3 hour hikes in rolling terrain twice a week, next to some trail running (mostly Zone 3, 90 minutes) in the same terrain and ME-training (steep up- and downhills with a weighted backpack, 60 minutes), and some strength training and bouldering.
Right now I do these training hikes with a pack weighing a bit more than I carry on my trips. Is this a good idea or should I do the hikes without added weight? Or should I do one with weight, one without?
Also, I’m using poles while training, as I do on the actual trip. Should I leave these at home to give the legs a better stimulus, or keep them to mimic the actual effort better?

Thanks in advance and best regards from Germany

Jan