Joanna On The Trail

Out of office. On the trail.

Training

It’s really important to me that I complete this hike. I know there’s always a chance of a fall or other misfortune that prevents me from completing it, but I absolutely don’t want it to be because I wasn’t fit enough or didn’t train properly. My overall goal is to be hiking similar distances and elevations as the C2C on a daily basis, before I start my journey.

Train Like You Fight

I’m embracing the ‘train like you fight’ philosophy, meaning I want my training to mirror the environment, stress, and intensity of the actual hike. Not only do I need to be able to hike up to 20 miles in a day or handle up to 4000 ft elevation gain, but my body needs to be able to recover well enough and I need the mental toughness to do it day after day for over two weeks.

Luckily I live in California where there are plenty of very hilly trails so I can get used to both miles and elevation. It is lacking cold/rainy weather… I hope that doesn’t become my Achilles heel.

On every single training hike I use all the same gear that I plan to use for the C2C. This means the same backpack, loaded with everything I’ll need in my daypack (hiking poles, rain/cold weather gear, first aid, full water bladder, snacks), which totals about 18 lbs and is way more gear than I need for a local day hike (yes, people look at me quizzically). I’ve also been experimenting with footwear and blister prevention, and zeroing in on the best clothing for various conditions. I’ll share more on my gear in the packing list.

Mistakes Were Made

I have worked out nearly every day for the past few years — strength, HIIT, running, stationary bike, yoga — and considered myself pretty in shape, especially for my age. I was still working when I first started training specifically for the C2C so only hiked on the weekends. I ramped up my distance and elevation gain too quickly, which was a huge mistake — I ended up with severe pain in my right knee when going downhill, landing me in the physical therapist’s office. The PT gave me a pretty intense set of exercises to do for about an hour, 3x per week, for a few weeks, focusing on strengthening all those muscles needed for stepping down. Around that time I also retired, giving me the opportunity to hike daily, slowly ramping up the miles per day/week over the ~12 weeks before I started the C2C.

Weekly Plan

I’m following roughly this schedule, with increasing distances each week (starting around 35 miles/week, ramping up to 75 or more by late July).

  • Day 1 – Easy (not too demanding in terms of distance and elevation)
  • Day 2 – Vertical (moderate distance with more significant elevation)
  • Day 3 – Easy (similar to day 1) + lower body strength (PT exercises)
  • Day 4 – Off/recovery (low-impact bike, core and upper body strength)
  • Day 5 – Moderate (a bit longer and more elevation than day 1)
  • Day 6 – Long (a bit longer and more elevation than 5)
  • Day 7 – Moderate (similar to day 5)

I’ve modified the plan on the weeks when I travel (e.g. shifting the recovery day to a day I’m flying). Most of my travel is to Florida, which is distinctively not-hilly, so when I’m there I’m walking longer distances. I’m also trying to do yoga as much as possible because my body feels better when I do it regularly.

This plan sounds more organized than it actually is in practice – it mostly serves as a reminder to not push myself to go as hard as I can every single day.

Trial Runs

I have two trial runs planned: a MammothMarch in early June, followed by part of the Colorado Trail a few weeks later.

MammothMarch is a non-competitive long-distance hiking series where participants hike 20 or 30 miles in one day within a time limit (8 or 12 hours). I signed up for a MammothMarch as a fun way to test that I could hike at least 20 miles in a day, and as an excuse to visit my brother who lives nearby. I’ll post my experience with the MammothMarch here.

The real trial run is the Colorado Trail, which will challenge me to complete similar daily distances (~15 miles) and elevation gain (~2500 ft) as the C2C for five consecutive days. If my body and my gear hold up to this, and I continue my training plan for the remaining few weeks before leaving for the UK, I should be good to go for the C2C. And if I do encounter issues, I have about a month to course correct. I’ll post my experience on the Colorado Trail here.

Training Log

I’ll maintain a log here of all my training hikes, with links to the relevant post in the local hikes section of the site.