By Martin Bril
I used to think that I was in good shape. I could hike quickly up a mountain and spend hours post-holing through deep midwinter snow. However, I could only do these things because I pushed myself extremely hard, often too hard.
Before my trip to Mount Rainier last spring, I decided to increase my training by running every day, doing weighted step-ups, and continuing my usual hikes with a heavy pack. About a month before departure, my knee began hurting considerably.
I soon learned that I had iliotibial band syndrome, commonly called IT band syndrome, caused by overuse and muscle imbalance. With physical therapy and appropriate strength training, it went away after about three long months. I was disheartened by my inability to understand what I had been doing wrong.
Summer came around, and I climbed a peak with a few friends. We left on a Thursday evening for an eight-mile trail hike followed by a long bushwhack up a steep slope to our campsite.
While getting to know one of the guys I had never hiked with before, I tried to match his pace. Everything was going well until the route became steep. At that point, I slowed considerably, but he did not. I tried to keep up while out of breath and feeling my heart beating hard and fast in my chest.
By the time we began setting up camp, I was exhausted. Every muscle in my body cramped as I moved, and I thought I was getting sick. Cody, on the other hand, looked like he was just getting started. What could he possibly be doing to stay in such good shape?
Later, we talked about training. He mentioned a book called Training for the New Alpinism by Steve House and Scott Johnston. He explained that much of his training was loosely based on the principles described in the book.
Intrigued, I purchased a copy for myself, and that is where everything started to change. The more I read, the more obvious it became that I had been approaching my training incorrectly.
The primary message I took from the book was this: if you want to improve your aerobic fitness, train at a low intensity for long periods. The idea that meaningful results require considerable work and patience convinced me to give it a try.
It has been two months since I started my new training regimen. I used to run about a mile at a fast pace and quickly become exhausted. Short, high-intensity workouts left me tired and frustrated for most of the day.
I no longer focus on the number of miles. Instead, I focus on the time spent running. I can now run between 40 minutes and an hour every day without feeling fatigued. My resting heart rate has improved from 65 to nearly 50.
I have also seen progress in my recovery after long days in the mountains and in my ability to listen to my body's needs instead of my ego's wants.
The work is far from over. It may take months or years to reach my goals, but the improvements I have experienced over this short period tell me that the effort is worthwhile.
