Mountaineering Training | Fit To Climb: Week 11
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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
Fit to Climb: Week 11 Schedule
BRIEFING
This week’s weekend hike is 6 hours and your Day 2 stair workout will bump up to 4 sets of the 1-2-3 Stair Workout. Be sure to stay focused on your sleep and food intake this week, you’ll be burning a lot of energy and you want to give your body the rest and fuel it needs to recover from these workouts!
DESCRIPTIONS OF WORKOUTS
Day 1: Rainier Dozen + Easy Hiking (30 Minutes)
Today’s hike is a recovery workout and you can always substitute it with a different activity, such as running, biking or swimming. The important thing is to move at a moderate pace for 30 to 45 minutes. The pace can be conversational and you do not need to be dripping with sweat at the end of the workout.
Day 2: Stair Interval Training: The 1-2-3 Workout
Warm up with some moderate paced stair climbing. Then, make three efforts: one moderately hard, one very hard, and one close to maximal effort, with rest periods in between. This may look like:
• 2 minutes at 50-65% intensity, followed by 3 minutes of rest (1 minute standing, 2 minutes descending)
• 2 minutes at 65-80% intensity, followed by 3 minutes of rest
• 2 minutes at 85-90% intensity, followed by 3 minutes of rest
Repeat this sequence four times.
Day 3: Rainier Dozen / Rest
Begin your day with the Rainier Dozen. Feel free to take another 30 to 60 minutes of light exercise if you feel like it (a brisk walk is a great option). If you feel tired, today is a good opportunity be good to take a complete rest day instead. Listen to your body.
Day 4: Rainier Dozen + Stair Interval Training (50 Minutes)
After the Rainier Dozen, warm up for about 10 minutes, and then climb up and down a set of stairs, at a consistent pace, for about 40 to 50 minutes. Cool down with some stretching. You don’t need to carry a pack on your stair interval training, the focus in this workout is on speed and intensity.
Day 5: Rainier Dozen / Rest
Begin your day with the Rainier Dozen. Feel free to take another 30 to 60 minutes of light exercise if you feel like it (a brisk walk is a great option). If you feel tired, today is a good opportunity be good to take a complete rest day instead. Listen to your body.
Day 6: Rainier Dozen / Cross Training (60 mins)
Warm up with the Rainier Dozen and then spend an hour in some moderately vigorous activity as cross training (find out more about cross training here). Listen to your body, and have fun with it.
Day 7: 6 Hour Hike (15 pounds of weight)
Warm up with the Rainier Dozen, and then hike for 6 hours, or about 10 - 12 miles. Be sure to hike at an even pace. Be sure to prepare yourself for this hike. It may require extra food and water and ensure that your socks are comfortable and your feet are well taken care of. Consider taking an extra pair of socks to change later in the day if your feet are tired or wet.
SUMMARY
It’s normal to feel that you are pushing the limits with this week’s workouts. You are ... and you’ll do well to let friends and family know that this is an important time for you. Remember that during this phase you are intentionally going to the edge which means that you are taking risks. Peak training requires meticulous attention to restoration and recovery. This is not a time to be burning the candle at both ends. Ample sleep, quality food and good relaxation are your allies when you challenge your body like this. But, the benefits are worth it!
- John Colver
Have a question? See the Fit To Climb FAQ for explanations of specific exercises and general pointers to help you through the Fit To Climb Program.
John Colver is a longtime climber, former mountain guide, and certified personal trainer with the American Council of Exercise. Colver introduced outdoor fitness classes to athletic clubs throughout the greater Puget Sound region before creating his adventX brand. Currently, adventX leads training programs in Seattle and Colver presents clinics on outdoor fitness at companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, the American Lung Association, and REI. Colver lives in Seattle, and is working on his second book, Fit to Climb - a 16 week Mount Rainier Fitness Program.
| DAY | WORKOUT | TOTAL TIME | DIFFICULTY |
| 1 | Rainier Dozen / Easy Hiking ( 30 min) | 42 min. | Medium |
| 2 | 1-2-3 Stair Workout x 4 | 72 min. | Very Hard |
| 3 | Rainier Dozen / Rest | 12 min. | Recovery |
| 4 | Rainier Dozen / High Intensity Stair Interval Training (50 min) | 62 min. | Very Hard |
| 5 | Rainier Dozen / Rest | 12 min. | Recovery |
| 6 | Rainier Dozen / Cross Training | 60 min. | Medium |
| 7 | Rainier Dozen / Hike (6 hrs, 15 pounds of pack weight) | 372 min. | Medium |
| Total | 10 hrs 32 mins |
