Mountaineering Training | Consolidation Weeks
Posted by:
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
If there is one period of training linked to success on a grueling alpine climb like Mt. Rainier, it is the base building phase. Our intensities while climbing tend to remain relatively low, but the elevation gained, distance traveled, and hours on our feet make it imperative that we can sustain those low intensities hour after hour. Your aerobic base takes time to build, and one of the keys to building it is proper recovery to allow your body to adapt to the training stress you put on it.
Every four weeks, it’s important to schedule a recovery week, in which your weekly training volume will be about 50% of the highest volume week of the period. This is the consolidation week that allows your body to make the changes in response to your training and come out the other side stronger. These weeks feel light and you may worry that you are losing valuable preparation time, but these recovery periods are critical.
Also important – throughout your training period – is how you recover. Excessive alcohol and sleep deprivation both will inhibit at least some of your training gains. Good nutrition to support the training stress on your body is vital. And some light movement, even on your rest days, is better than being completely sedentary – it helps to move some blood through your muscles and flush out the cellular waste. Be strategic about your training, and as importantly, be strategic about your recovery!
Comments (3)
Recovery week has typically been difficult for me, but essential. I love the grind and being 63 I always feel I need to do more. Thanks for the reminder!
Posted by: Lisa J Lander on
Great reminder, thank you… the 4th week at 1/2 the rate is so important for recovery.
Posted by: S.F. Baker on
Looking to get back in shape to go back to mountaineering.
I am now 66. Good health
Posted by: Steven Edwin Walls on