Well, I’m retired, finished the Appalachian Trail and am getting ready to do the PCT.
Retired in 2019, had some family issues come up so we got off the trail and by the time we got back on winter weather pushed us off in Vermont. In 2020 we decided to just do it all over again, but Covid hit.
So, my wife took a contract in Virginia, I found a Shotokan dojo there and we finished up the sections we missed rather than starting over and doing Georgia a fourth time.
Our son-in-law got deployed, so we are in with our daughter (renovated her basement), I’ve started at a local gym, and we are working up our mileage so we can start the PCT in June, and I thought I’d check back in.
Currently doing four miles carrying weight and three to six miles a day just walking. That goes up each month (and in March we start hiking local trails here in Utah as well).
Well, we got 1600 or so miles of the Pacific Crest Trail completed before fire, snow and altitude sickness sent us home. My wife and I will finish next year. Now I need to start lifting again.
I’ll tell you, walking 20+ miles a day for three months was really a different experience. My legs developed completely differently from the Appalachian Trail where I got more mass and more definition, even though we did fewer miles a day.
adrr.com/d20 is where I pretty much covered the entire trip.
Huh. Just got a positive Covid-19 test. Guess traveling from the Sierras to home I got exposed. Not terribly pleased, so it will be a while before I make it back to the gym.
Ok, I’m back. We got about 1600 miles on the Pacific Coast Trail before the fires, weather and altitude sickness sent us home.
I caught covid on the plane flight back (?!?) and then a bad cold. Finally made it back to the gym.
Current numbers:
Machines
Adductor 150/10
Abductor 150/12
Seated Leg Press 170/10
Reverse Roman Chair 50/10
Cable Machine
Seated Face Pull 100/10
Shoulder Fly 30/8 L // 30/8 R
Rotating Push (looks like a reverse punch) 50/12 L // 50/12/ R
Abdominal Rotation 60 L // 60 R
So, I’ve lost a bit, but then I did walk 20-25 miles every day, with a backpack, through some interesting terrain.
Looking back at my numbers before retirement, hiking the Appalachain Trail and all the moves:
Abduction 345 x 21 – same as last time (miscalculated the weights). Good feeling though. Also ran the stairs three times today at work.
Adduction 338 x 21 + .5 lbs (used a 3 lb hand weight instead of a 2.5 lb plate).
Lateral raise, 160 x 9 +2.5 lb
Dip belt instead of seated dip.
+25 lbs / 5 reps. Good form, going well and then bang, couldn’t do rep 6. This is going to go a little slower than I expected.
Seated row 300 x 8 +5 lb - 1 rep.
Delt fly 222.5 x 8 reps, +2.5 lb, -1 rep
Squats are moved to Saturday’s split, now that they are moving along. I’m hoping for bodyweight x 30 (well, my “bodyweight squats” are going to include two ten pound dumb bells too, doing that gives my arms a good pump).
Curl, 95 x 9 +2.5 lb
Abdominal slant body weight, 10 reps. Well, at least my form is good. I can feel them.
Back extension, 350 lb x 10 reps. Dang that felt good.
Dang, In 2008 I was a lot younger and a lot stronger.
Heck, earlier this year I was over 30 kneeling ab rollers and over 50 push-ups.
Will see how those do tomorrow. Not many places to use an ab roller when hiking.
Doing the 20+ mile days on the PCT (Pacific Coast Trail) gave me different leg muscles than doing the 12-15 mile days on the Appalachian Trail. The AT really increased my calf definition and the heads of my quads. The PCT made my thighs longer and leaner. A really different look.
My weight was about 184 a month before I started, I dropped some weight and then it got to about 160 on the trail. It is now back to 170, though I think I’m going to cut some weight. I like the new weight.
Anyway, so much for me and my return. Too bad the closest Shotokan is over an hour round trip from here. I’ll finish my shoulder rehab and then maybe try a mixed karate/ju jitsu club nearby.
Grandkids are great. I’m glad we decided to help out and be here.
Adductor 160/10
Abductor 170/14 – I’m much stronger pushing out than closing in. Used to be the other way around.
Reverse Roman Chair 65/10
Seated Leg Press 180/10
Cable Machine
Seated Face Pull 110/10
Seated Face Pull 110/10 (two sets)
Shoulder Fly 40/8 L // 40/8 R
Rotating Push (looks like a reverse punch) 60/10 L // 60/10/ R
Abdominal Rotation 70 L // 70 R
Good work out. I’ll do my half push-ups and ab rollers later this week.
Goal is 55 half push-ups (looks like a push-up but doesn’t go all the way to the ground) and 22 kneeling ab rollers.
I have from now to the end of March before I’m on the trail again. So I’m hoping to get the ab rollers to over 40 repetitions again.
I’m headed for a road trip for my youngest’s graduation from Texas A&M on the 16th. She is graduating Magna Cum Laude with a minor in math and a minor in project management and will start her PhD in January.
I’m proud of her.
If I can hit a 24 hour fitness on my road trip I can use this entry as a benchmark for what I need to base my lifts on. Since the place was (a) just down the street from me and (b) free with my health insurance, I’ll be on the look for them while traveling.
Starting the Pacific Crest Trail on April 13 of this year. Training has transitioned to walking / hiking with a fully loaded backpack and doing bodyweight stair squats.