Training for the Alps

"In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer" Albert Camus

"Walking is the best possible exercise.  Habituate yourself to walk very fast." Thomas Jefferson

Only one left before my dad and I are hiking the European alps and learning about what is inside of us and we will definitely "habituate" ourselves walking; thank you, President Jefferson.  How does a person prepare their mind and body for traveling in foreign countries, hiking up steep mountains, breathing in high altitudes, weathering snow, ice, rain, wind, unfiltered sun, and journeying long distances for over a month?

Training the Mind

Well, since we will be traveling through 5 different countries (Switzerland, France, Germany, Austria, and Italy), knowing a little bit of the languages will help us navigate and interact with fellow travelers.  My dad... is an amazing man.  Over the years, he's mastered many trades and talents, one of which being, language learning.  He seems to have the discipline and intelligence to learn foreign languages in ways that may not be as easy for the average bear.  So for this trip, he has tackled 3 languages: German, French, and Italian! He introduced me to a language learning method, called the Pimsleur Approach:

Well, my dad is an ambitious guy, however, I'm not as brave.  He let me borrow some of the German CDs and I've been practicing in my car while driving places.  The program is really cool and I hope to get the Romanian and Spanish Cd's in the future.  Preparing our mind for new languages is one thing, but preparing our bodies for new distances and heights is another thing entirely.  

In addition, we have been reading guide books on both the Haute Route in Switzterland and the E5 trail:

Training the Body

Preparing ourselves for the physical exertion required by long distance hiking is somewhat of a challenge.  Trekking the alps will include:

• long and step inclines
• walking for long periods of time
• carrying a pack weighing 30+ lbs
• exertion in high elevations
• doing all again the next day

My dad lives in Virginia where there are tons of rolling hills and mountains right outside his door.  He trains by running in these hills for 1+ miles a day.  Now that he has his pack, he is running with it almost at full weight.  

Since I live in a valley in California, the mountains are at least 1 hour away.  So my training routine looks something like this:

• Monday: Run 4 miles of high intensity interval training-- HIIT (2 min. walk,  1 min. jog/1 min. run x5, repeat 3x, then 5 min. cool down)
• Tuesday: HIIT with trainer at the gym (45 min)
• Wednesday: Weights and treadmill with incline (2%, 6%, 8% 10% for 25 min.)
• Thursday: HIIT with trainer (45 min)
• Friday: 4 miles run HIIT
• Saturday: Hike in mountains or run hills
• Sunday: rest

I've been able to hike in the Kern Canyon toward Breckenridge with my friend Don, Sequoia Park Lakes Trail with Alina, Mineral King, White Chief Bowl with Alina, Mineral King, Monarch Lakes solo., and at the hills at the beach.  The higher up you go in the mountains, the more spread out the oxygen molecules are, so you have to breathe twice as much to get the same amount of oxygen in lower altitudes.  As we exert ourselves in high elevations, our bodies don't get as much oxygen, which can cause altitude sickness or fatigue.  Training high up would be the most beneficial, but in the valley, it's just not as accessible.

I'm finishing this post at 11:00pm, Thursday, July 3, 2013, and there are only 9 more hours until we depart for Switzerland!  I'm pretty excited!