You're going to have to do some preparatory hiking. It will probably need to be done the weekend before the trip in August.
I went on my first hike of the year which was a killer. 14 miles and 5000+ verticle feet. My muscles performed just fine and I am not even sore. I had three body part break down though. My hip joints and the outside of my knees. During hiking season of course the best remedy is just to hike. But, is their anything I can do durring the off season to get a quicker start to long hikes? I have a 6 day backpacking trip the end of Aug and would like to do something to work on these joints during the times I cannot hike.
I used Google, but I dont really trust what Im reading. Appreciate the tips.
You're going to have to do some preparatory hiking. It will probably need to be done the weekend before the trip in August.
Longs Peak Keyhole route?
It could be the glute med / stabilizer muscles. Especially when hiking on unstable rocky surfaces it can crop up.
For me glute med tightness shows up as
outer knee pain and tight hips. You can try to strengthen it using those stupid girl exercises like clamshells. Athlean X has some slightly manlier feeling options.
But also try bringing a lacrosse ball with you and rolling out the sides of your legs at lunch and before bed. Because, nothing is a substitute for the sport itself for sport specific training. So you're gonna end up getting the cramping no matter what.
Matthew,
Thru-hiker (PCT 2015) and seasonal backcountry trail crew volunteer here. I feel your struggle, especially as I push closer to my mid-50's. You'll find over the years that the lifting prescribed here will make those trips easier, but it cannot and will not replace a few good prep hikes, as Rip mentioned above.
I have made that mistake going into the first backcountry trip of the year, thinking that the lifting would suffice. It never does, especially with a loaded pack (crew trips are 20-40lbs heavier than hikes for fun). So if you can get an overnighter between now and the end of August, with comparable distances on the days either side, you should feel significantly better.
Outside of your lifting, the real off-season workout for that neck of the woods is backcountry skiing or snowboarding <<edit - especially snowshoeing>>. It keeps those muscles used to that sort of workout.
Good luck!
Bill
Last edited by Bill Anders; 08-04-2020 at 03:48 PM. Reason: Added snowshoeing as a more appropriate off-season activity.
Appreciate the comments Bill. I guess I just have to be ok with hiking more!
I also just purchased some hiking poles. After reading more about them, that could have made a huge difference. It was the 7 miles back that really took a toll on me. If I could have softened the down steps a bit we might not be having this conversation.
Honestly, I had never used hiking poles until we stepped away from the Mexican border and headed north. Within the first two days, I was sold. I'll never go without them again.
Watch a few videos of cross country skiers/racers to see how they use their poles. Headed uphill, keep the handles low, plant the tip in the ground next to your foot and push backwards. You'll get the rhythm down and those poles will help propel you up the hill. Headed down, extend them out as long as reasonable and use them to control your speed downhill.
Good luck!