Training To Suffer!

[ElkNut1]

Every year I train in various ways to build up my "suffering threshold" -- Here are some of the ways I do this. I have a basic workout program year around to stay in elk shape, come May I add carrying a pack to my regular workout, I start with 45# for a month then gradually up the wt. to 75#=80# by Aug. I carry it 3-1/4 miles under varying terrain, part dirt road & part going through the woods. I do this 3 days a week for the 4 months leading to elk season. The outside conditions can vary from snowing to raining to clear & cold or sunny & hot. The last couple of months it's generally 80 - 90 deg. At no time no matter the weather will I bring any water during the pack carrying, this has really help me to put up with a measure of suffering because on those hot days you do get thirsty & sweat like a pig! (grin)

Too, I use various pack frames that are not real comfortable, I do this on purpose, this way I get the shoulder burn & grind but you just deal with it & try not to think about it, you just get it done. At random when carrying the pack I go to my side & back do a few pushups & get back up to my feet without removing the pack, this way I know I'm prepared to handle a fall & still get up with the wt. if by myself. Another thing I do is to turn sharply & quickly left & right with the pack so I get used to the wt shifting & still maintain my balance sorta like stuff happens on actual packouts.

I do not wear comfortable boots while carrying the pack, I make sure they're heavy or bulky & may not even fit the best. By doing these things it helps prepare me for any discomfort that can be had through an entire month of elk hunting running & gunning style & pack out elk quarters. I've done this for years & would recommend it to anyone especially as we get older or need to advance our physical conditioning.

When I was in my 30's & 40"s none of this was really needed but once I got close to 50 & up I could feel I needed to up the game a bit if I was going to continue to hunt the way I like to!

What are some of the things you do to help you prepare to suffer?

ElkNut1

[Lefty]

I really dont work-out. Never have
But much of my day can be hard work . I know it certianly isnt the same as any sort of training.
I guess I keep in good enough shape with summer hiking and ATV. ing and fall and winter hunting
Spring breck I ran a short trapline. 7 miles of straight walking then 7 miles of pulling a small boat on river rocks.
Last year I did practice for a Mt Borah climb/hike
I still kind of freak out my neighbor DR. and friend. Hes a marthoner and sets up workouts for bi/triathlics.
At my weight he still places me in the top 5% for my age54

Does PT count for my shoulder ????

[Z Barebow]

The bulk of my fitness comes from running (I log a ton of miles, year around). I train for a May marathon and running in Jan, Feb, Mar, (and this year April) is tough. I lace them up and head out the door, virtually no matter the weather. (I have done runs as cold as -27F [air temp not WC]). Last Sat, I did a 22 mile run with some other runners. It was 33F and it rained the whole time.

I do as Paul does also. I'll hike with a weighted pack, but not my Kirafu. I use my old Dwight Schuh pack and I wear tennis shoes, (not my boots). This pack is no where near as comfortable as my hunting pack and I wear shoes to strength and toughen my ankles and calves. I will even boost my pack weight to 80+ pounds in August. Unless packing meat, I never carry this much weight when hunting. It makes hunting weight seem easy. I also do my hikes mid-day when it is the hottest.

I look at it like this. I am a part time hunter with a stick and a string chasing a full time elk. I need to do something to help my odds of beating him!

[Swede]

Boy, I feel rather wimpy compared to you guys. I walk daily for 3+ miles and will carry some weight later on for a couple mouths. I never go for 80 lbs. It will be something like half of that. I have noticed over the years that I keep up or even out do many much younger hunters, unless I get loaded down heavy. That is when the younger larger men generally out do me.

[Trophyhill]

I've re invented my career and am now laying block and am finding my threshold daily I will start my workout routine when my new pack arrives

[easeup]

hmmm......that whole mindset does not work for me at all.

how should I reply to this one?
there is a training routine, and it does get bumped up through the warmer months as things get better.
There is no suffer to it. It is all about smiles and preparation and hope for the future.

[wideangle]

Er I rather have training be somewhat fun since I am more likely to adhere to a regimen.
I swim, bike, hike and I also cycle through doing squats, deadlifts, presses and pull ups.
When we pack out an elk we bone it and then load reasonable loads and do more trips in and out.
I do not want to injure myself. While elk hunting is great I have other interests and responsibilities

[dapper]

I exercise everyday, I haven't missed a day since christmas eve. I alternate between 15 miles on the stationary bike(its harder programs) and 5 miles on the treadmill( 4.5 mph, fast walk). Each session has to go for an hour and reach the stated mileage. On the day with the stationary bike, I do a few weights, the plank for 40 seconds. On the day with the treadmill, I also do the plank for 40 seconds, thirty pushups and 20 lunges. I will do some increases as the hunt nears. The week before the hunt I will stop exercising.

Last year I did this for eight months without missing a single day. I did some seven mile hikes with 50-60 pounds. I was in pretty good shape for 59. My 27 year old son has stated several times he was having a hard time keeping up with me and neither of us had any issues with the altitude.

If not doing the pack in elk hunt I would exercise everyother day, have for years. I do this to stay in shape and to avoid sugar diabetes. It runs in my family, I'm the only one that doesn't have it, I think because of my exercise routine.


Dan

[bnsafe]

i thought you meant going to my job . im not tough enough to train to suffer. i do work out fairly hard most of the year. but i really dont push it hard enough to hurt myself.

[ElkNut1]

The preparation is to avoid hurting yourself, the lack of it under trying situations could lead to troubles on the mountain. Prepare now & you'll be good to go & confident in your conditioning. This is for guys who hunt hard & cover many miles a day through steep unforgiving country. It not only is hunted but elk need to be packed out as well, nothing worse if you are not mentally & physically prepared. This is just a heads up for preparation.

If you generally hunt treestands or within 1-1/2 mile from rig or road then of course you should train accordingly. Just making sure all is prepared so their hunts are enjoyable. Yes, I do receive great fun & enjoyment training in the off season, it's all in ones desires & attitude.

ElkNut1

[bnsafe]

i wish i had more time to train. im not even close to the shape i was in last year. but im workin at it

[8seconds]

I hunt the San Pedro Wilderness area in NM near a plateau where walking is pretty forgiving. I walk in from the trailhead and live out of my pack for 1- 1/2 weeks during the first hunt.
At 68 and hunting solo, training includes 6-7 miles/day with push ups (approximately 200-250) at the present time. Had nuclear stress test last year and everything is open for blood flow; so i'm good there. Going from 750 ft to 10,000 is the issue. LOL I'll start the pack thing in May and move up with the weight.
I run a PYO (Pick Your Own) blackberry farm that keeps me moving during mid May/June/July as well as a large garden. . So I'm outside and force the "pain" as elknut states.

[horseshoe]

I've started by jogging and biking the hills around the house to build up the lungs and legs, but I really work on the oxygen uptake the most. Our first trip out we found out the lungs could not keep up with the legs!

We have some good hiking trails around with good hills that we will walk wearing the packs. I will end up near 80-90 lbs come the middle of August. Also do push ups and crunches as well.

[welka]

Paul sets a high bar!! I don't have an ankle that allows me the everyday or close to every day workout. Usually get in 3-4 days per week. Mix it up a lot, but always do steps or stairs with backpack/weight. One exercise I do that was not mentioned yet is to walk backwards on an inclined treadmill. It's one way us flatlanders can strengthen the "downhill" muscles around the knees. Had a buddy kill his hunting trip a few years back when his knees swelled up after a long downhill walk back on the 1st night. Good luck to all on your prep.

[mtnmutt]

For oxygen conditioning, swimming may help if you do freestyle swimming. However, I don't know the true benefits of swimming for lung development.

I have exercise induced asthma where my lung function goes down with exercise rather than up like most people. For my last 3 years living at 9,800 feet, I swam once a week which I believe helped my lungs to expand.

I also recommend that people take rolaids or tums 5-7 days before they get to 10,000 feet and keep taking them while hunting. There is something in them that helps people with the altitude.

Paul and others (myself included) are at an age that we have to do more training to keep the same stamina we had 20 years ago. That is the only reason I have been doing races (5K, sprint triathlons, half-marathons). I currently have more muscle today than 20 years ago which helps stabilize the joints that I have damaged over the years. However, I do not train to suffer like Paul and others train. I train to last the race/hunting season.

If you have a hard time getting motivated, sign up for 5K. There are lots of them in the warmer months and they are all for a charity. You don't even have to run the entire time. For my first one, I did not run the entire 5K. Lots of walkers in these 5Ks because they are mostly for charity.

[>>>---WW---->]

When you get to be my age you suffer enough without training to do it. When I get up in the morning I figure hurting just lets me know I'm still alive! A couple of miles on the local hi-school rubberized track 2-3 times a week puts me in decent shape. And I'm talking about walking, not running. I figure 18 minute miles are a good mark for a short legged old feller like me. That is probably about three times my normal walking speed.

I have a good friend that did 5 mile runs almost every day. I could climb up a mountain slope just as fast as he could. But, his recovery time was much faster than mine. Once I started my walking routine, I could hang right with him and have good recovery.

[WindedBowhunter]

I use and mix up my workouts throughout the year.

I begin the first part of the year training for a 5k, as I may not have worked out outside as much due to the ice on the ground and that my deer season runs from Sept-Mar.
Then I add P90X training
Continue to run in preparation for Spartan Super race (This year I will compete in the Ragnar Relay in Oct, in addition to the SS Race)
Once the P90x training is complete, I replace the training with tough, intense workout that is 30-40 mins long.
Around June, I start to hike (8 miles at least 2x weekly) with hunting boots and my pack weighted.
Every couple of weeks increase the weight in my pack by 10lbs, with the goal of being at least 20lbs heavier than pack weighs at the trailhead at the start of my hunt

I don't use many weights, I just use a weighted fest for replacement workouts.

This regiment allows me to workout on the road, when travelling for work with next to no equipment needed.

I prefer (not necessarily enjoy) this style of training, as it takes more than just physical fitness to get you back into the backcountry and back. It takes mental toughness as well, because some of don't like to "workout", some of us quit short of doing 1 more rep. This translates into quitting your hunt too early.

[pointysticks]

i find working out different.

say i am hiking up a huge hill wearing a pack full of water and kettle bells. i will HATE it.

now transport me to some hill with a hunting pack on..climbing up to "see what's on the other side"..i will love it.

my first two elk hunts i did it without preparation. i was fat, drinking too much..eating too much junk. i made every climb i had to. it was awful. i wont do that again. i am just looking for the happy medium.

[6.5City]

Lots of swimming, biking and running. Later in the season it is hiking with the pack, I will generally use my boots just so I get used to them and make sure it feels ok. My main training to suffer is for Ironman in June.

[Moose Man]

I do all kinds of workouts, running, mountain biking, weights, surfing. My favorite elk specific workout is strapping a waterlogged bag target to the pack, hike up in steep terrain for some miles and practice shooting different angles/positions/distances etc. highly recommend it.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1366910726.727853.jpg (156.75 KiB) Viewed 11089 times

[Heartwood]

In winter i prefer to walk mostly up hill with a pack and can get a good maintenance workout this way. Im fortunate to live in the mountians where i can just walk out the door for a workout. On especially nasty days i can do the stairmaster inside. Most of these workouts are around an hour of continuous work. I have also started daily stretching which has helped improve flexability. As soon as snow starts to melt i start the fun stuff ( my favorite is mt. biking) Most rides are atleast 1 hour of continuous climbing and then an easy down hill home. I prefer the steep climbs because you have no choice but to spin fast or you loose momentum and stall. This can really cause the heart and lungs to work and the pulse to skyrocket.
Right from home i can climb 3000+ feet of almost continuous up hill with an easy downhill home. I alternate the biking with climbs with pack and some running. It is a hard earned skill to be able to suffer with a certian degree of dignity but well worth all the work when humping the hills hunting and packing meat come September. Seems like there is no substitute for the long hard climbs with a pack when preparing to hunt elk. Some years im in great shape but the feet aren't hardened enough for the trail and those long 15 mile days. I'll try some of Pauls brand of suffering this year!
We have a couple of tough endurance types amoung our crew and that motivates me as much as anything to be able to suffer and like it.

[elkmtngear]

I have an indoor job, so I train Year round at work. I am up to 250 bicycle crunches, 150 pushups, and my normal daily treadmill run. I'll start the treadmill exercise with the pack on around July.

Weekends are busy, but I will often do a backpack hike if I can sneak away from the domestic madness. Last Season, I was up to 100 burpees a day before I took off for my elk hunt.

[Lefty]

Some of you guys are animals,....

[slim9300]

The preparation is to avoid hurting yourself, the lack of it under trying situations could lead to troubles on the mountain. Prepare now & you'll be good to go & confident in your conditioning. This is for guys who hunt hard & cover many miles a day through steep unforgiving country. It not only is hunted but elk need to be packed out as well, nothing worse if you are not mentally & physically prepared. This is just a heads up for preparation.

If you generally hunt treestands or within 1-1/2 mile from rig or road then of course you should train accordingly. Just making sure all is prepared so their hunts are enjoyable. Yes, I do receive great fun & enjoyment training in the off season, it's all in ones desires & attitude.

ElkNut1

This is very sound advice Paul. As you know, doing a reasonable amount of physical preparation will give you an elevated level of confidence in general. For me this translates directly into reinforcing my mental toughness on the hunt. As most of you know, it's very easy to quit at certain moments of weakness, for me these are always the decisions I regret the most down the road.