Training for Explorations / Adventures

Training for Explorations / Adventures

Bob Rein, Adventurer

September 2023

When people decide to tackle a demanding adventure, the thing that most folks jump right to is to head to the gym and start working out. For some it may entail losing some of the extra pounds or start working with a trainer or maybe a nutritionist. One needs to consider several factors about the adventure to be taken in order to figure out the full complement of activities that will allow you to perform at your best in the field.

The first step is to decide on which factors you will encounter on the adventure. How physically and mentally demanding will it be? I think about the types of terrain or water I will be encountering. I think about the weather and it’s impact on the trail or the body of water I will be traversing. I think about the skill set that I will need and whether or not my skills match up or are up to date. I may need to incorporate skills training into my regime. The mental process of analyzing ones physical conditioning, skills capabilities, and environment awareness is part of the training plan that will need to be developed. Physical readiness assessment is the second major input to the plan. Being honest with yourself is critical to safely handle situations as they may occur and complete the adventure.

Once you have a plan, you can set up a regimen to begin training. You may have to start many months in advance depending on your condition and the ruggedness of the adventure. How many miles per day will I have to trek and how much weight will I have to carry? How many miles per day will I have to paddle? How much elevation gain will I expect to climb, once or several ups and downs? Will I need to portage a canoe and provisions and how many portages and what distances? How long will I be on the trail or water? What is the distance I need to cover and how many days of unplanned delays might I encounter? Can you take some trial hikes or kayak / canoe trips of a shorter duration to test out your preparation? All of these questions will dictate the physical conditioning you will need before heading out to the trail head or launching area.

The following example shows how I trained for a recent adventure on the water. Please keep in mind that the trip I would be taking would come 2.5 months shy of my 79th birthday.

This recent exploration would require me to be able to paddle at least 8-10 nautical miles per day over a 4-day stretch. I would also need to be able to help carry the kayak up past the high-tide mark each day. The body of water would be ranging from open water crossings of 3-4 miles and could potentially be rough seas. No portaging would be needed and there would be a lunch break each day on an island in the straits that would produce some respite from paddling.

I assessed my condition (mental and physical) and came to the following conclusions:

• Mentally, I was psyched and ready to tackle whatever came my way. I was confident in my skill set. The only preparation I would need would be to be able to self-rescue were I to capsize. I knew how to do it and had practiced it a few times in the past but had never done it in the configuration and type of kayak I would be paddling.
• Physically, I was about 10 pounds overweight and I thought that may impact my endurance and ability to paddle that many consecutive days.

This is the training plan I developed. I planned to start training about 6 months in advance and would consist of the following routine:

First came my diet plans: I set a target of no more than 1800 calories per day and a goal was to lose one pound every other week and that would take 20 weeks to lose the 10 pounds. Eating fish, fruits and vegetables and cutting down on the carbs would do the trick. I combined the new eating regimen with 3-4 days per week of exercising and I was confident I could lose the weight. As we get older, it becomes harder and harder to get in shape and takes much longer than when younger.

Next came the physical training:

• I had engaged a physical trainer for a few get started workouts for the muscle groups I would need strengthening. I worked out once a week in the gym.
• My paddling skills were solid so my normal paddling of once a week covering 5-7 miles was ample. I have, in the past, and could stretch to 8-10 miles per paddling day so this amount of paddling was fine.
• I swam 2-3 times per week in a pool to get good shoulder strength and cardio workouts. Each swim was 1800 meters or 1.1 miles.
• I walked twice a week with each walk covering 2.5-3 miles.
• I went on several long hikes with elevation changes.
• I took a multi-day kayak camping trip of a shorter duration than I would be encountering as a test.

These activities really started around 4 months prior to the start of the adventure.

The results: Was the training adequate for the adventure? How did it go or what was the assessment? I had no trouble handling the paddling each day. At the end of the paddling day, I was very tired and really unable to help my team carry the kayaks above the high-tide mark. Maybe it was adrenaline that enabled me to perform on the water but my self-assessment was that my endurance could have been a little better. I did not hit my target weight. I got close but my self-discipline was not great and I should have started the 6 months I had planned to. Had the adventure been longer or more intense, I would not have had an easy time. All-in-all, my plan enabled me to enjoy the adventure with no injuries and a good night’s sleep enabled me to perform each day at an acceptable level.

As you plan your adventures, keep in mind the two aspects of training, and the time you need to fine tune your body to be able to perform on the trek. The goal is to maximize the enjoyment of the adventure and to do it as safely as possible.

See you on the water or on the trail, wherever you wander!