Training for StoS
First off your probably wondering what StoS is. It’s the abbreviation I made up for Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass. One of my big goals for 2010 is to fastpack the 72 miles from Stevens to Snoqualmie Pass in one shot. Yes, that’s a big bite to swallow but I’ve done it before in 47 hours with two nights of full sleep. With the right training I think I can do it in 36 hours without sleep.
To get ready for this I have been running stairs at the Howe Street stairs every week. Currently I’m carrying 30 lbs for part of the 5440 steps I do each week. I bike to work about 95% of the time as well. It’s on 9 miles total each day but it get the heart pumping and that’s all that counts in the end.
Map of PCT
Now that hiking season is here, you might have read about my the hikes I’ve been doing. My plan was to slowly build the milage of those hikes up to a 30 miler or two if I could find the time. I also planned to do some night hiking as well. Hiking at night is mentally and physically tiring. It’s harder to see with the shadows and I’ll be tired from hiking all day up to that point. One thing I can do is wear my head lamp at my waist. It will cut down the shadows and help my depth perception.
I had the crazy idea I would hike Mt. Si and Mailbox peaks a few times during the week as training hikes as well as , hike from Stevens to Waptus Lake 30+ miles, and hike from Waptus to Snoqualmie Pass 30+ miles too.
What I have managed to do is ride to work almost everyday, weekly stair workouts, some long mountain bike rides, core work outs, and my weight is down. While in Maine this week I will be ramping up my running miles to give the feet a good pounding. I’ll also be swimming in the lake as part of my training.
The other major thing I have been doing is some serious logistics. I need to figure out what to carry so I’m safe; which foods to carry; what clothes to bring; where my exit/bail out points are and who’s able to come get me; how to figure out my speed while I’m out there.
As the hike gets closer I’ll be doing updates with a gear list, time projections, and other details of the hike.
Scatman
Get out there!
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What? Are u nutz? Are u staying at sea level in Maine? And then going up for this maniac marathon? When your tired is when you make mistakes… why be sleep deprived? Tell me, Scatman!
Not sea level, about 300′. The plan is for Labor Day. I hope my experience from hiking this section of trail twice already will help during the night time. To say the least it will be a wild experience. I’ll have plenty of batteries with me, so I’ll be burning the head lamp on high. It will be a major mental and physical test, that’s for sure. I promise to be safe.