Shrek's Trek 2014

Finch said:
Good luck, Shrek! You're kinda scaring me about the blisters though. I definitely want to avoid those for my trip next year.
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My boots were well broke in but in my training I didn't realize I had only sidehilled with uphill to my right. I was always doing the same trail loop in the same direction. As soon as the uphill was to my left I got a blister right away. I'm sure once the big blister heals I will not have trouble again now that I've broken them in both directions. Stupid little oversights can wreak havoc on your plans. Leaving the moleskin and tape at the truck means I needed to come out to re tape my heals.
 
Shrek said:
I never thought going down hill could be so hard but almost 3 miles with three steep grades just killed the balls of my feet and the muscles on the front of my legs. No way to train for it that I can think of except mountains.
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From an article in Running many many years ago: Even well trained distance runners have issues with this motion hiking or running if they have not been training hills. A few minutes of downhill is sustainable, but after an hour or two of repeated loading the muscles start to loose their strength and pull apart a little within the fibers. These are called micro tears.

Micro tears in your quads can be minimized by doing box jumps. Jump up then jump down from the box with both feet. You can also just step down from a box one leg at a time. Alternate which leg steps up and steps down each time. Make sure you are impacting your quads and that they are loading fully. You don't need more than a 12 to 14 inch tall plywood box for this, so those crossfit videos of people jumping four to five feet shouldn't deter you. This training should result in minimal pain on a long desent. I usually just have very mild soreness for a day after a long downhill training hike, and it does not return the rest of the summer/fall after that first hike. Pretty sure in FL there are tall buildsing with stairs. Lots of trips down them will help train your quads, too.

The other training method is jumping rope. Double unders make you jump with your whole leg rather than just your calves I am told. The old running article mentioned box step downs and jumping rope as the recommended training. I have never been successful at jumping rope for more than a few rotations so I stick to lots of stepping down off stuff. Lots of stairs at work.
 
We are all happy to motivate you with some subtle digs if you need it Shrek. I for one want to see your ugly mug behind a huge bull elk before this trip is over. Now get back out there and kill something ya lowlander!
 
I'm dragging this morning but I'm moving. Starred at the ceiling until 3 am for some reason and now I'm sucking it up. I did get to looking at the map and I'm going in another way that is only about a mile as I'd gotten closer to the next road by hiking in so far. I'm pretty sure the road is open that far. Going to tape up and head out now.
 
If you're staring at the ceiling, you're not tired enough.

Get into your groove, find your juju. Don't be focusing on what could have been or what hasn't happened. Put your head in the right place, where you are.

And stop staying in hotels.

Go get 'em!
 
The trailhead is a freaking zoo ! Going to have to think about this some. Just watched a road hunter shoot three times at a cow about 200 yards and miss ! There must be 25 trucks running elk up and down the road. I'm getting to see the worst of Montana hunting. I was warned to stay away from this place on the weekend and now I can see why. I don't know if I want to hike in or not.
 
The good thing is you know where the elk will not be. Hike in and stay a couple days. The weekend traffic will push them away from the roads and trailhead and the vast majority of those guys won't be more than a mile form that trailhead.
 
I'm all set up in my Sawtooth and waiting on my favorite MH , beef stroganoff , to hydrate. Saw couple of mulie does this evening and I'm listening to song dogs now. I'm getting so much stronger. Now that I've got the lay of the land and I'm getting more mobile my confidence is getting higher. Starting to enjoy it more and not fighting it.
 
Just heard elk chirps down by the water. They need to come during daylight Just heard more further up the creek. Good to know there are some in here now.
 
Just checked weather and it's going to get nasty ! I don't really have the clothes for lows of zero and highs around 11 ! Need to get it done before It gets too cold for me.
 
Shrek said:
Just checked weather and it's going to get nasty ! I don't really have the clothes for lows of zero and highs around 11 ! Need to get it done before It gets too cold for me.
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All you need is the morning. Enjoy the night's soundtrack. Wake up with your own intensity of focus. Tomorrow's the day. You know that you can feel it.
 
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