Mountain objectives for 2016

ghaznavid wrote: any other VE people doing the Capital Climb?

I'll see you there

Ghaz, go and have a look at Stijn's profile on Movescount.... Might be time to up your running a bit too. Sounds like some incredible missions - good luck!

Haha, we did actually do the 82h DGT before I had seen the light and started a running routine (hence hiking all the way). But I can definitely vouch for how much easier/faster the running training has made subsequent mountain missions, even hiking ones. Get into it gradually though... injuries are no fun at all!

I actually started running through Park Run. A friend of mine started walking it, so I joined him - usually doing 52-58 minutes. Then when he couldn't make it, I jog it. The Dusi Park Run course is very easy, almost perfectly flat, so a good training ground.

I eventually hit my sub-30 minute goal in January this year, when Hobbit ran it with me. We both got around 29m58. I have only managed sub-30 once out of 7 tries (all sub-35, though, and 1 other included absolutely no walking). I have also done a sub-35 min almost entirely walking time. I want to take a shot at a full walking time sub 35 minutes, but haven't tried this yet.

I finished right at the back of every race I took part in at school, so I have never been fast. So I know I am not going to be winning Comrades in the future - but speed hiking is not about being fast, it is about endurance and not stopping. Even the GT speed record is "only" at an average pace of around 5km/h.

Agreed with Stijn, get into it slowly. My wife got me into trail running. She has run Comrades twice, Otter twice, that Whale Trail thing so she is pretty tough. Not fast, but relentless. So in I went and joined her on some runs. Initially it was impossible for me to run 5km without stopping, multiple times. It was quite disconcerting because upper body I've always been very fit and so I stupidly assumed I would be fine. I tried here and there, but running always felt so awesome - when I stopped At my wedding last year I was a solid 98,5kg - a combination of mourning over the loss of my father and the fine Cape red wines But I decided, no more half hearted efforts. So my wife said let's run a 10 kay trail run - never in my life had I run that far. Cycled far sure, hiked far sure, but run? Not me. It wasn't bad actually. This was this year only, and prior to that I was really rather infrequent and undedicated.

Now I've stepped it up and have a trail running route of 15 and 20km. Both with total elevation gained of around 2400m which I always run alone, as Table Mountain is a 20 minute drive from my hut. I tried a personal best on a 5km the other day and managed 23 mins, 28 seconds. My goal is still to beat 20 minutes but that will still take a long time. Not that I will ever be fast, and road running is about as fun as watching paint dry, but in just over a year I've gone from pretty pathetic, to feeling rather good out on the trails and weighing in at just over 90. I should be about 88kg, 86 may be pushing too little. It definitely makes hiking way easier and is so enjoyable I often look at the waves and if they're not quite what I want, I rather run in the mountains.

My mountain goals always remain simple: to have fun.

If you consider that the first time I ever did 30+km in a day was 25 October last year (also Hobbit's first), and the first time I did more than 2 passes in day was 13 November last year - I guess I am not doing too badly. So I can definitely with what you are saying.

Totally agree that the goal is to enjoy yourself.

Picking up the current conversation in this thread, I too started with Park Run which in turn resulted in more trail running - this resulted in a lost of 10% body mass. The biggest benefit was the leg power while hiking, so much so that I cut my previous Cathedral Peak summit time by almost half from before I started trail running. The wife and I are in Didma over the back end of December maybe we see you all running back and forth across the top as we do Cleft.

AdrianT, I'm also after the elusive sub 20min 5km...quite tough as I don't like running flats - I like winding paths and hills instead (to an extent of course).

Parkrun is amazing, I have seen and heard of a bunch of people that have started there and gone on to do much more with their running...such a great concept.

Losing some kgs is also a great motivator, 5kgs off my belly means a possible 5kgs worth of luxuries I can pack into my backpack.

My advice to anyone getting into running is to listen to your body, you'll be amazed at what you can do when you push yourself a bit but if something isn't feeling right, go see a physio, I've had to learn the hard way and injuries are just the least fun thing in the world. Nothing quite like being stuck on the couch when you really wanna go play outside.

Macc wrote: My advice to anyone getting into running is to listen to your body,

Could not agree more! And when I one day break the 20 minute barrier I'll be sure to post Although my father in law said I shouldn't bother and rather get distance in. He's 69 now and usually the oldest ballie running the Otter That is motivation enough for me, as he canes me on a trail run, except steep hills where there is hiking.

@Ghaz, I think with your current long hikes, if you throw in a lot of running too, you'll be a super machine

1h43m48 - average pace 8.67km/h