Hiking Kicked my butt!

[qwerty3656]

I'm 58 and do alot of walking, but it is on level ground. I thought I was ready to go on some site seeing hikes. We visited our Son in Colorado and did a few hikes with him that involved some elevation. Nothing too drastic, just some moderate inclines and declines. It was very humbling.

Any thoughts on how to better prepare for that?

 

[RunningBum]

Tired all over, or mostly in the quads? Wall sits can help build up the quads.

Altitude might have played a role too, if you were finding yourself out of breath.

 

[finnski1]

I'm 58 and do alot of walking, but it is on level ground. I thought I was ready to go on some site seeing hikes. We visited our Son in Colorado and did a few hikes with him that involved some elevation. Nothing too drastic, just some moderate inclines and declines. It was very humbling.

Any thoughts on how to better prepare for that?

Yes. Hike more!
Seriously. I hike my local mountain once a week which is very
strenuous. 1850 ft of elevation gain in only 1.9 miles.
However the total elevation is only 3165 feet so there are no altitude effects like you can get out west. Did you come from a lower elevation and not acclimate to the altitude slowly?

 

[RetireeRobert]

I'm 58 and do alot of walking, but it is on level ground. I thought I was ready to go on some site seeing hikes. We visited our Son in Colorado and did a few hikes with him that involved some elevation. Nothing too drastic, just some moderate inclines and declines. It was very humbling.

Any thoughts on how to better prepare for that?

I take it you mean "sight seeing"? or maybe there were some "sites" along the way that were of historical or geological interest?

At any rate, you need to do some walks in a hilly area. If that's not possible, then going to a gym that has motorized stair climber machines might do you some good for hiking up in the mountains.

Another consideration, a lot of Colorado is at high elevations (Denver, the mile high city). If you are not used to walking/hiking in the thinner air of higher altitudes, that can definitely exhaust one not used to it.

 

[MRG]

It's very important to make sure you are hydrated at altitude, I live in CO and have suffered the effects of dehydration while hiking. It wasn't pretty. I don't know how long it takes to become accustomed to it but hydration is extremely important at altitude and in the dry climate.

It's common here(7000'+) to have folks who had altitude issues, couple beers, soak in the hot springs and fall down. Most of the pharmacies and grocery stores sell bottles of O2. Outside of DW treating a multi-week migraine I can't speak to the effects.

 

[zinger1457]

The elevation will definitely make a difference, I like to visit Breckenridge in the fall and it does take some time to adjust. Trekking poles help take some of the stress off the legs, especially the knees when going downhill.

 

[qwerty3656]

Tired all over, or mostly in the quads? Wall sits can help build up the quads.

Altitude might have played a role too, if you were finding yourself out of breath.

I was definitely out of breath and I'm sure altitude played a role (but I was there with my 2 other sons who hadn't acclimated to the altitude and they weren't having my problems). I was also having some real knee joint problems particularly on the declines.

I was just really surprised how difficult it was for me - I had this vision of me retiring and taking active vacations - You see these "take 10,000 steps to the temple of ...." type trips.

 

[Aerides]

Stairmaster, running, squats, will all build your strength for a climb better than level ground walking. But the elevation and reduced oxygen will mean that any exertion is going to impact you a little more than in your lower-elevation environment.

I live in a one story home, in a flat, super-low elevation state, but I do work on my leg strength with weights, and I run. When I have a lot of hiking on a trip I don't have issues, which is good for me because I usually want to go on a hike every day.

(psa: planes fly at an altitude, the ground we hike on is at an elevation)

 

[Amethyst]

Now that my second shot is in, I'm hoping to get back to the stair machine at the gym. I credit it with building my glutes and quads far more than my bit of beach jogging can do. Four years ago, we hiked in Bryce Canyon National Park - 8,000 feet up - and had no issues (the air is thin, but also very pure). Today, after a year away from the gym, I'm not sure I would be as comfortable.

Stairmaster, running, squats, will all build your strength for a climb better than level ground walking. But the elevation and reduced oxygen will mean that any exertion is going to impact you a little more than in your lower-elevation environment.

I live in a one story home, in a flat, super-low elevation state, but I do work on my leg strength with weights, and I run. When I have a lot of hiking on a trip I don't have issues, which is good for me because I usually want to go on a hike every day.

(psa: planes fly at an altitude, the ground we hike on is at an elevation)

 

[RunningBum]

(psa: planes fly at an altitude, the ground we hike on is at an elevation)

Huh. I guessed wrong at which term to use. Now I know.

 

[grasshopper]

Only want to add walking on roads and smooth paths is not like hiking with large and small rocks, and scrambling over stuff on the path.

Lifting your feet high on the way up and using your knees to break your speed on the way down will wear you out.

But keep at it.

 

[pdxgal]

HIIT (high intensity interval training) may help with your aerobic capacity and endurance, which you need for hiking even more than walking. If you don't have the option to walk or hike with elevation changes, HIIT could simulate that a bit.

 

[pdxgal]

I was also having some real knee joint problems particularly on the declines.

Hiking poles will help with that. They absorb something like 30% of the force on the downhills. As an added bonus they help tone your arms, in my experience anyway.

 

[Chuckanut]

The best way to prepare for a hike with significant [-]altitude[/-] elevation gain is hiking in areas with significant elevation gain. So find a hilly area not far from home and scamper up and down those hills at a pace that leaves you somewhat winded.

 

[euro]

Hiking poles will help with that. They absorb something like 30% of the force on the downhills. As an added bonus they help tone your arms, in my experience anyway.

I second that suggestion. Hiking poles are hugely beneficial in taking a lot of weight off your knees and hips

 

[harley]

 

[finnski1]

What is that? An off road Segway?

 

[braumeister]

Getting acclimated to altitude is a bigger deal than many realize.

When I was in my 20s, I lived in Colorado for some years, at around 7,000 feet. Doing my daily jogging, I was nothing special in the speed department, but when I went back to sea level where I grew up, I could absolutely smoke my friends when we ran together.

However, after a week or so at sea level, when I returned to Colorado it took me nearly two weeks to get my altitude conditioning back. I'm sure it would take much longer today, but it made that much difference even as a young man.

In the Air Force, we often flew in unpressurized aircraft and it was mandatory to use supplemental oxygen any time we were over 10,000 feet. There is a real danger of hypoxia if you don't.

Another thing I did out there was to climb some of the fourteeners on weekends. Going to the summit of a mountain above 14,000 feet is an experience like no other. A wonderful way to experience what altitude sickness is all about.

 

[audreyh1]

I'm 58 and do alot of walking, but it is on level ground. I thought I was ready to go on some site seeing hikes. We visited our Son in Colorado and did a few hikes with him that involved some elevation. Nothing too drastic, just some moderate inclines and declines. It was very humbling.

Any thoughts on how to better prepare for that?

What was the change in elevation from home? It normally takes a few days to adjust to higher altitude.

 

[calmloki]

Couple Fridays ago Gal and I visited some local "art in the outdoors" sites. One sculpture was on top of a hill - a little 150' elevation change, .3 miles up, paved path. It kicked my 71 YO tail. Had to stop 4 times because I ran out of air. Had a heart doc video visit the next week and she basically said tough beans: COPD and a drug that keeps my constant Afib heart from reving up to a reasonable rate for "under load" use is dragging me down. sucks.

 

[braumeister]

on top of a hill - a little 150' elevation change, .3 miles up, paved path. It kicked my 71 YO tail.

Very common, so don't beat yourself up about it.

OTOH, constant practice shows results. On one of our Grand Canyon rafting trips, there was a guy who was always in the lead on our hikes up the cliffs, and far above any of us in aerobic fitness. Near the end of the trip, he celebrated his 70th birthday, and we were all just amazed. Turned out he lived in Phoenix and ran up Camelback mountain every morning.

 

[Ronstar]

The best training for hiking at elevation is hiking at elevation. Every year we snowbirded to Scottsdale, my first several hikes there were a challenge compared to my Illinois hikes. Hiking (and more so running) in Scottsdale at 1700’ elevation was noticeably different than our Illinois home at 550’. Couple that with hike ascents of 1500’ in Arizona compared to 150’ max in Illinois.

I really noticed a difference while hiking Rocky Mountain National Park and the Canadian Rockies.

You might be able to train for bigger ascents on a treadmill on a big incline, but it’s tough to duplicate the affects of higher altitudes while training at lower altitudes.

 

[ocean view]

It's very important to make sure you are hydrated at altitude, I live in CO and have suffered the effects of dehydration while hiking. It wasn't pretty. I don't know how long it takes to become accustomed to it but hydration is extremely important at altitude and in the dry climate.

+1 for proper hydration

I've only spent a little time in Colorado, but I remember that it was a very dry climate and I was always thirsty, even without a hike.

About 2 years ago, I switched from carrying water bottles in a day pack to using a hydration pack (camelback or osprey). Surprising to me, it made all the difference in the world for how I felt at the end of the trail. Now, no matter what the weather or the length of the hike, I take my hydration pack. Being able to sip water easily all along the trail meant that I drank more and resulted in no more crash and burn at the end of the day. Plus it is big enough to carry snacks, clothing layers, hats, and anything else I might need. I like to be prepared.

Recently I got back into some elevation hiking from my regular flat city walking, my knees were sore for a day. I did the same hike just a few days later and had no pain.

 

[audreyh1]

Yes, for sure. In the western mountain country I usually get nose bleeds due to the super low humidity and it takes 2 weeks to adjust. I try to drink a lot of water. UV exposure is also high due to the altitude.

Colorado starts at 5000ft and goes up from there, so for anyone coastal or from the central plains it’s going to be a big altitude adjustment.

 

[latexman]

It was probably the altitude. That’s what got me many years ago, when I was 10 feet tall and bulletproof, when hiking the Chimborazo in Ecuador.

Or, was it the aguardiente my amigo and I were drinking?