My training has started!

[devon deer]

Hi All,
I am waiting for some important news to come through within the next fortnight then i (maybe 2 of us) can apply for a MT NR tag.
So i went out yesterday and tagged on the end of a party of school kids training for the annual ten tors walk on Dartmoor national park.
So i put on a light pack and set off, pretty cold day, and when we started the fog was so thick we couldn't see further than 50 yards, my leader showed me some basics with map and compass (gps aids are banned on this walk) and off we went.
Today i am feeling it, 11 miles non stop fairly fast walk, and the same again in 2 weeks time only it will be 15 miles then and i will increase the weight in my pack.
The ground can be hard granite, heather or bog!
As they say failure to prepare,prepare to fail.

Cheers
Richard

 

[tarheel]

You might want to take smaller bites then work up unless you're already in pretty good shape. Might try driving down to Mevagissey in Cornwall and hump it from the harbour to the top of town a few times or the coast road south of Mousehole to work on some steep areas, though you probably have a few similar places nearer to Exeter. Come to think of it; there are some fairly steep areas in Dartmoor if I recall. I mostly remember the absence of trees and the large expanses of heather in bloom.

 

[IdahoHombre]

As they say failure to prepare,prepare to fail.

Love it! Maybe that was what I needed to hear to motivate me ~

 

[devon deer]

You might want to take smaller bites then work up unless you're already in pretty good shape. Might try driving down to Mevagissey in Cornwall and hump it from the harbour to the top of town a few times or the coast road south of Mousehole to work on some steep areas, though you probably have a few similar places nearer to Exeter. Come to think of it; there are some fairly steep areas in Dartmoor if I recall. I mostly remember the absence of trees and the large expanses of heather in bloom.

You are well travelled, you are correct, we have some serious hills, but no mountains in the area of the UK where i live.
Whilst i wouldn't describe myself as super fit, i am fairly fit, did the walk on Sunday, its Tuesday now and i am fully recovered.
Just a pity we don't have any elevations in the UK either.
Cheers
Richard

 

[tarheel]

.
Just a pity we don't have any elevations in the UK either.

One thing to keep in mind when flying into any major city on the front range of the Rockies is that you will be near or over five thousand feet upon landing and then working your way up to ten thousand in some instances. This rapid elevation change has caused many who are unaccustomed to those altitudes to experience altitude sickness which can come on fairly rapidly and has resulted in more than a few deaths, usually because the stricken can't reach medical help in time. You might want to plan for two or three extra days on the front end of your trip in which to adjust to an intermediate elevation before assaulting the higher elevations. Google should give enough details to be more explicit as to the conditions and warning signs.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Devon Deer,
Don't get too freaked out about not having high altitudes to train in. Give yourself a couple of days to acclimate and you'll be fine.

Most of your elk hunting in MT will be done at less than 9000 ft.

I live in northwest MT @ 2500 ft altitude. The mountains around here go up to @ 5700 ft. In the areas I hunt in the southwest I'm usually @ 8000ft. I can tell no difference other than being short of breath for a day or two.

Are you hunting with rifle or bow?

 

[Mudranger1]

good luck!

 

[devon deer]

Thanks for the great advice.
I remember we did a family holiday in Colorado, flew into the mile high city of Denver, spent a day at that altitude and then made our mistake, we had rented a lodge which was at 10,000', i didnt suffer apart from a dry throat at night, kids fine, but my wife got sick, she even thought about going home, but thankfully after 3 days she was fine, so lesson learnt!

I will be rifle hunting, bowhunting is banned in the UK, so it wouldn't be fair on the Elk if i came over and picked up a bow, which is a real pity because i would love to try it out.

Cheers

Richard

 

[tarheel]

Banned??? in the land of the long bow? What in Heaven's name for? Are they afraid someone will see a wounded animal bleeding out and get traumatized, or is it to keep a weapon of any type out of the hands of the common man, or would poaching be more successful if bows were allowed and gamekeeper's lives would get more complicated? Enlighten us Richard; that's difficult to fathom, but someone had to sell a real bill of goods to the lawmakers to get that one passed.

 

[devon deer]

I cant defend my country in relation to the banning of bow hunting, i will leave that to another hunter from the UK should they ever join this forum and have an opposing view to mine.

I had a nice walk today, 14 miles 2 weeks ago but today was only 8 miles in warm spring sunshine.
But what really grabbed my attention was the Royal Marines training today, lots of automatic gunfire from their SA80's, shouting and running around the granite tors.

Cheers

Richard

 

[devon deer]

This planned hunt is having some good side effects.
I am doing a 10 mile walk once a week with a full pack.
Also doing some short hilly runs, only 3 mile in length.
But i have had to accept i am not in my 20's anymore and doing 6 min miles isn't ever going to happen again, in fact i cant even get under the 8 min mile
But the upside is i have lost 9lb and still losing, and feeling better for it.
Just need to shoot a cow over here without the farmer seeing and practise hauling it out!
Cant wait now!
Cheers
Richard

 

[Jon Boy]

Keep hammering buddy, you wont regret it.
What are the dates you will be here?

 

[npaden]

Keep after it. Slow is fine, doubt you will need to run one down or anything like that.

Alot better to be able to run several miles at a 11:00 pace for hunting than to be able to run 1 mile at an 8:00 pace.

 

[devon deer]

Keep hammering buddy, you wont regret it.
What are the dates you will be here?

Should be over first 2 weeks of November.

Keep after it. Slow is fine, doubt you will need to run one down or anything like that.

Alot better to be able to run several miles at a 11:00 pace for hunting than to be able to run 1 mile at an 8:00 pace.

As long as i can run faster than my buddy i'm not too worried, thanks for the advice.

Cheers

Richard

 

[kansasdad]

Richard, has your training buddy's physical condition improved?

 

[devon deer]

Richard, has your training buddy's physical condition improved?

I haven't walked with him since he had the problem, but he tells me things have improved, i will be out with him again soon and see for myself.

Cheers

Richard

 

[devon deer]

Jumped on the scales today, 175lb for a 5' 9'' 52 year old, got my pulse rate down to 57/min at rest, i must say i am feeling fitter than i did at 42!
Walking 10 miles with a full pack is a breeze, still only running for short 3 mile runs but getting faster all the time.
I think i need to turn my attention to a little weight training now.
So even if i dont get an Elk at least i have got myself in good shape.
The adrenalin is already building!
Cheers
Richard

 

[devon deer]

I am walking like John Wayne today.
I came across this video on the RMEF site
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDPtivFjnVA&feature=player_embedded
So i did as he suggested but with only 100lb, 4 sets 8 reps, didn't appear to be too difficult.
But woke up this morning, ouch!
But i will try again tomorrow.
Anyone else tried it?
Cheers
Richard

 

[noharleyyet]

Devon, I think it was Moosie who posted this regimen a few years ago,

For those of us getting on in years and needing a bit of exercise, I thought I might let you, my friends, in on a little secret I've found for building my arm and shoulder muscles. You might wish to adopt this regimen three days a week or so.

I started by standing outside, behind the house, and with a 5-lb. potato sack in each hand, extending my arms straight out to my sides and holding them there as long as I could. After a few weeks, I moved up to 10-lb. potato sacks, then 50-lb. potato sacks, and finally 100-lb. potato sacks.

Finally I got to where I could lift a 100-lb. potato sack in each hand and hold my arms straight out for more than a full minute. Next, I started putting a few potatoes in the sacks, but I would caution you not to overdo it at this level

 

[devon deer]

Devon, I think it was Moosie who posted this regimen a few years ago,

Brilliant!