Pace, Intervals And Rest

[DayTrip]

One of my main goals this year is to significantly improve my conditioning for hiking. I set a personal best for mileage last year and did a lot of longer hikes and really love those long days. Would like to get my conditioning to a point where hikes like the 1 day Pemi Loop or a Presidential Traverse are well within range. I've been reading several books and watching various documentaries on various hiking topics and a common thing that seems to come up is setting "the proper pace" and planning rest intervals.

I guess the more tangible question I have is how does everyone here (in particular on the long hikes) handle or manage stops/rests/food? I see a lot of references to walking a certain number of minutes each hour, resting the rest of the minutes (i.e. Every 60 minutes of walking we stop for 5 minutes or whatever). Does anyone here actually follow some sort of formula for rest/water/food? I generally will push early on and take bigger breaks at scenic areas or after significant distance, significant trail junction, etc. I do OK but I wonder if that is ideal or not. Obviously you might still feel fine early on pushing through but that can lay the groundwork for sub par performance later in the day. Do you rest even when you don't need it and eat when you aren't particularly hungry yet to stay ahead of the curve?

The other more vague question I have is how do you set a "proper" pace? In Mountaineering:Freedom Of The Hills it is suggested that you should walk at a pace such that you can maintain a conversation and keep that pace (I hike alone so that isn't really a useful tip unless I want to seriously disturb passing hikers). Some other references were things like taking "x" amount of steps and stopping (on really steep terrain). Settling into a "rhythm" helps distract from the monotony of early parts of the climbs too.

I know there is no rigid formula or magic bullet for this so I guess what I'm asking is what types of best practices those of you take when covering significant distance to optimize your performance for as long a period as possible. Not looking for food suggestions but more tips or ideas on the on trail, time management aspect of long hikes to stay as fresh as possible and maximize my range of travel.

 

[Tom Rankin]

IMHO, there are plenty of reasons to stop, but stopping because you are tired shouldn't be one of them.

You can stop to take pictures, use the facilities, admire the view, chat with a passing hiker, consult the map, eat, drink, layer up, layer off, etc., but given all that, you should not have to stop because you are tired or winded. I try to hike such that I don't need to stop for rest brakes, knowing that all the other things will be stops anyway.

We try to stop several times per hike for food/water in the winter. No big meals, just snack and drink lightly as we go.

 

[mirabela]

I can't give you a very scientific or arithmetical answer, but generally we try to take the sort of pace that we feel like we could sustain pretty much indefinitely. It's like pacing a very long run on anything other than race day. We just go a bit slower than we know we *could* go. Keep water & minor snacks close to hand so that most stops are very short, maybe three to five minutes out of any given hour given to a standing rest while hydrating, snacking, peeing, or adjusting layers. Longer, packs-off-everybody breaks in ten-fifteen minute, everybody-put-on-your-puffy durations are infrequent -- every second or third hour, depending whether we're climbing or descending. We try to do this somewhere where you'd want to hang out anyway -- view spot, good shelter from weather, whatever, and use the time to accomplish more significant eating, etc.

Drinking before you're thirsty, eating before you're hungry, keeping a pace you expect to still be able to do nine hours from now, and resting before you're tired all translate into more left in the tank late in the game.

 

[sierra]

I will not give you a scientific answer, that's why we have Doug on this site ( as well as others). My answer would be this. I have a set pace, it's a pace I developed after years of hiking. I feel at ease when at "my" pace and can carry that pace for as long as I'm out. I'm a soloist, so it works very well for me. I occasionally hike with someone and I have found this affects my pace considerably and I find myself of kilter at times. I even have a slow pace for day's, I just don't feel 100%, this pace just happens and I can tell when my body adjust to it naturally. As far as breaks go, I do not like breaks that are long at all. I stop, eat a gel pack have a drink, then get moving. A break lasting longer then ten minutes, greatly hinders my ability to regain my pace. One thing that I find incredibly helpful, is my breathing, more so on ascents. While exerting yourself your depriving your body of oxygen, I find that every 15 minutes or so, I take very deep breaths ( maybe ten) this seems to raise my energy level. I learned this method from a ironman athlete, I happen to hike along side of for a time on a hike. As far as eating and drinking, eat something once an hour, drink when thirsty, I do not eat a lot hiking for the first half of the hike, but increase my food intake in the second half. One final thought on ascents, more so on long day's. Use the " Rest step" when you can. By relaxing the muscles in the leg off the ground every step, your reducing the stress and energy used by quite a margin. Most people who walk fast, keep the muscles taught even when the leg is in stride and not in use. If you ever climb a long steep slope, it really comes into play. There are a lot better long distance hikers out here then me, but I hope anything I offered helps.

 

[jfb]

Pace: I try to keep my heart rate in the blue zone: http://www.hanford.gov/health/?page=112&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiGieq-hqDKAhWG8j4KHXP2BQkQ9QEIGTAA.

I find that taking it easy on the ascent helps my endurance later on. With a daypack, I usually hike a bit faster than book time.

Rests: I stop for about 5 minutes per hour, take off my pack, get out a water bottle, drink about 8 ounces and eat something that's easy to digest. On all-day hikes, I'll bring a lunch and sit down for about 15 minutes to eat (usually on the summit).

 

[DayTrip]

I will not give you a scientific answer, that's why we have Doug on this site ( as well as others). My answer would be this. I have a set pace, it's a pace I developed after years of hiking. I feel at ease when at "my" pace and can carry that pace for as long as I'm out. I'm a soloist, so it works very well for me. I occasionally hike with someone and I have found this affects my pace considerably and I find myself of kilter at times. I even have a slow pace for day's, I just don't feel 100%, this pace just happens and I can tell when my body adjust to it naturally. As far as breaks go, I do not like breaks that are long at all. I stop, eat a gel pack have a drink, then get moving. A break lasting longer then ten minutes, greatly hinders my ability to regain my pace. One thing that I find incredibly helpful, is my breathing, more so on ascents. While exerting yourself your depriving your body of oxygen, I find that every 15 minutes or so, I take very deep breaths ( maybe ten) this seems to raise my energy level. I learned this method from a ironman athlete, I happen to hike along side of for a time on a hike. As far as eating and drinking, eat something once an hour, drink when thirsty, I do not eat a lot hiking for the first half of the hike, but increase my food intake in the second half. One final thought on ascents, more so on long day's. Use the " Rest step" when you can. By relaxing the muscles in the leg off the ground every step, your reducing the stress and energy used by quite a margin. Most people who walk fast, keep the muscles taught even when the leg is in stride and not in use. If you ever climb a long steep slope, it really comes into play. There are a lot better long distance hikers out here then me, but I hope anything I offered helps.

I had read about the rest step last year and incorporated into my normal walking stride on steeper stuff. It definitely makes a big difference. I have been focusing a lot on how I breathe when I'm walking around the house "training" (I have a 4 mile loop I do on road, dirt roads with about 400' of vertical). I've read people try to time their breathing with a set amount of steps but I'd never heard of the multiple deep breaths. When I feel really winded I sometimes take one deep breath through my nose, hold it and exhale hard and it does seem to help a bit. I'll have to try the method you describe. Thanks.

 

[DayTrip]

Pace: I try to keep my heart rate in the blue zone: http://www.hanford.gov/health/?page=112&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiGieq-hqDKAhWG8j4KHXP2BQkQ9QEIGTAA.

I find that taking it easy on the ascent helps my endurance later on. With a daypack, I usually hike a bit faster than book time.

Rests: I stop for about 5 minutes per hour, take off my pack, get out a water bottle, drink about 8 ounces and eat something that's easy to digest. On all-day hikes, I'll bring a lunch and sit down for about 15 minutes to eat (usually on the summit).

I started wearing a FitBit about 6-7 months ago and it does provide some interesting information. It can be tedious to monitor during a hike though, especially with a lot of layers like in Winter or while sweating a lot. I usually look at it after the fact. I've been trying to "time" a rhythm to how many steps I take relative to my breathing when I'm in the "blue zone" as you describe it. I have a bad habit of moving forward to quickly, stopping, rushing forward, stopping rather than regulating my pace to a steady rate that allows me to continue walking. The rush/stop method makes it harder to regulate sweating too for layer management. I don't care in the Summer but it can be problematic in Winter.

 

[BooZiggy]

One option is to do other activities that have higher intensity and cardio conditioning than hiking. I mountain bike, trail run, cross country ski, and workout a lot in general. I find hiking is the "easy" activity, physically.

Strength training can also help- the stronger a muscle is the longer it takes for it to fatigue. Squats, lunges, etc...a lot can be done at home, no gym needed.

 

[sierra]

I had read about the rest step last year and incorporated into my normal walking stride on steeper stuff. It definitely makes a big difference. I have been focusing a lot on how I breathe when I'm walking around the house "training" (I have a 4 mile loop I do on road, dirt roads with about 400' of vertical). I've read people try to time their breathing with a set amount of steps but I'd never heard of the multiple deep breaths. When I feel really winded I sometimes take one deep breath through my nose, hold it and exhale hard and it does seem to help a bit. I'll have to try the method you describe. Thanks.

I developed this breathing method when I was started working on the 14ers. I found that in the thin air above 13k, more so above 14k, I just couldn't get enough air and would feel light headed. By taking really deep breaths, I was absorbing a lot more O2 and I noticed this greatly improved my stamina. Even here at modest altitudes, if you think about it, your breathing faster under strain, so naturally, I figured your wasting useful air by breathing it in and out so fast, not allowing your lungs to fully absorb the air. By stopping and really filling your lungs, your getting full absorption and thus the full benefit of the O2. It really is noticeable to me.

 

[jfb]

When I feel really winded I sometimes take one deep breath through my nose, hold it and exhale hard and it does seem to help a bit.

If you feel really winded, you're probably in the pink zone. I recently read that the reason you breathe hard when exercising anaerobically is to get rid of CO2.

I found this book to be very helpful: http://www.amazon.com/Training-Endurance-Philip-Maffetone/dp/0964206277

 

[Tom Rankin]

If you feel really winded, you're probably in the pink zone.

I found this book to be very helpful: http://www.amazon.com/Training-Endurance-Philip-Maffetone/dp/0964206277

Having Tachycardia, I have to be very careful not to let my heart rate get too high. If an 'event' occurs, the frustrating thing is that I am not 'leg tired', or even winded.

 

[jfb]

Having Tachycardia, I have to be very careful not to let my heart rate get too high. If an 'event' occurs, the frustrating thing is that I am not 'leg tired', or even winded.

The reason I prefer to keep my heart rate in the aerobic zone is so I don't run out of stored glycogen during a hike.

 

[Stan]

I don't even think about my pace ... I hike whatever is comfortable at the time. What's comfortable means slower as I age and lose conditioning but it is really all about the safe enjoyment of the outdoors. And I don't care to talk when hiking ... it scares away any possibility of seeing wildlife though and, maybe I'm not so good at multitasking anymore but I do like to focus on my surroundings (there's always the tailgate for chatter) though some of the most interesting and informative discusssions I've heard have been on the trail ... so I guess it depends on whom I'm with and/or the subject of conversation. Hiking companions also dictate the pace and I like to keep up with or slow down to whoever I'm with ... as hard as that may be sometimes ... else I should go solo which occasionally is my preference.

 

[1SlowHiker]

I developed this breathing method when I was started working on the 14ers. I found that in the thin air above 13k, more so above 14k, I just couldn't get enough air and would feel light headed. By taking really deep breaths, I was absorbing a lot more O2 and I noticed this greatly improved my stamina. Even here at modest altitudes, if you think about it, your breathing faster under strain, so naturally, I figured your wasting useful air by breathing it in and out so fast, not allowing your lungs to fully absorb the air. By stopping and really filling your lungs, your getting full absorption and thus the full benefit of the O2. It really is noticeable to me.

I think it would be better to focus more on deeper exhaling than inhaling. If you force more air (co2) out you will naturally inhale more air. At least that's what they tell people with emphysema but I think it may be applicable to all.

 

[nartreb]

It's pretty hard for me to think of a place in the Whites where you'd be using the rest step or compression breathing. Those techniques are mostly for high altitude where you have to force yourself to go unnaturally slow because your lungs just can't keep up with the rate at which you'd otherwise use oxygen. That said, I've used them a couple times at lower altitude when surprised by a really steep hill slope with really deep, loose snow, or when front-pointing up a steep gully with all my climbing gear on my back. In those cases, there was plenty of oxygen, but my fitness level was insufficient for the circumstance, so I had to slow down.

For hiking, pace is - where my heartbeat and breathing are elevated, but comfortable. Actual speed over the ground varies depending on incline and footing. I make sure I have a sip of water at least once an hour, more often if I feel thirsty. I have a plan for my food - certain amounts are designated "lunch", "dinner", etc., but I don't necessarily stop for a meal. Say I hit the trail at 9 AM, having skipped breakfast. I make sure I have a snack by 10AM, and I start eating "lunch" by noon. This usually means stopping just long enough to get some food out of my pack, and eating on the march. I stop all the time anyway, to de-layer, to take photos, etc. I try to use one of those breaks to get my next meal into a pocket where I can reach it without stopping.

Different people have an easier time with different aspects of fitness. For myself, I can walk indefinitely at an easy pace, but I get tired really fast on steep up-hills unless I slow way down. If I'm exercising in the gym in anticipation of a hike, I spend my time on the stair-climber. If I can handle the steep up-hills without slowing down, I can save a lot of time on the overall hike.

 

[DayTrip]

It's pretty hard for me to think of a place in the Whites where you'd be using the rest step or compression breathing. Those techniques are mostly for high altitude where you have to force yourself to go unnaturally slow because your lungs just can't keep up with the rate at which you'd otherwise use oxygen. That said, I've used them a couple times at lower altitude when surprised by a really steep hill slope with really deep, loose snow, or when front-pointing up a steep gully with all my climbing gear on my back. In those cases, there was plenty of oxygen, but my fitness level was insufficient for the circumstance, so I had to slow down.

For hiking, pace is - where my heartbeat and breathing are elevated, but comfortable. Actual speed over the ground varies depending on incline and footing. I make sure I have a sip of water at least once an hour, more often if I feel thirsty. I have a plan for my food - certain amounts are designated "lunch", "dinner", etc., but I don't necessarily stop for a meal. Say I hit the trail at 9 AM, having skipped breakfast. I make sure I have a snack by 10AM, and I start eating "lunch" by noon. This usually means stopping just long enough to get some food out of my pack, and eating on the march. I stop all the time anyway, to de-layer, to take photos, etc. I try to use one of those breaks to get my next meal into a pocket where I can reach it without stopping.

Different people have an easier time with different aspects of fitness. For myself, I can walk indefinitely at an easy pace, but I get tired really fast on steep up-hills unless I slow way down. If I'm exercising in the gym in anticipation of a hike, I spend my time on the stair-climber. If I can handle the steep up-hills without slowing down, I can save a lot of time on the overall hike.

I guess I should have clarified what I meant by a "stop". I stop plenty often to briefly catch my breath, take pictures, let another hiker pass, etc. By a "stop" I was referring more to a calculated and planned pack off, food and/or water, rest stop to maintain pace and stamina. And my conditioning goals relate to steep climbs. I too can walk 3.5 - 4 mph pretty much indefinitely with a decent weight pack if it is on easy grades. I'm usually well under AMC Guide time for these sections. It is the steep climbs, especially with the large step ups of rough trails, that tax my breathing and endurance. That's why I was interested in how others managed the steep climbs from a breathing and pace point of view. I have no doubt my conditioning is far inferior to most on this page. I'd like to get to a point where I can really crank up the boring climbs getting to the views for the first 2-3 hours so I can enjoy the ridge walks and above treeline experience without being pressed for time or fatigued.

And after considering what others mentioned about the rest step, I don't believe that is what I am actually doing. I briefly lock my knee with each step on steeper grades, giving the hamstring a quick stretch and then push off with my full foot as opposed to my toes. I find this very helpful for pace and keeping legs fresh. A true rest step as I understand from reading is to literally stand with all your weight on one locked leg for a brief moment to rest the muscles. That would seem pretty awkward on less than steep terrain.

 

[nartreb]

a calculated and planned pack off, food and/or water, rest stop to maintain pace and stamina.

Maintaining pace is the opposite of stopping. If you need to stop and rest more than once or twice a day, you've been going too fast and/or your pack is too heavy. Food and water don't require stopping. You should be mindful of how often you're eating and drinking, but the exact intervals and amounts will depend on how much you're sweating, how well you ate the day before, etc.

You can plan a nice long lunch break into your itinerary (I usually do when I anticipate a good view, which is most of the time) but that's for enjoyment, not stamina.

On winter day hikes I almost don't stop at all - saves me a lot of time messing with clothing changes In summer I'll plan on three short pack-off breaks a day where i can take off my shoes and change my socks, one of those being the aforementioned scenic lunch break.

There's really no secret to how you manage the steep sections. As I've been emphasizing, it's generally better to go at a steady pace than to be the hare in Aesop's fable. You improve that steady pace by... doing lots of hiking up steep and rough trails. I don't know what your training options are like in Connecticut but you could get a job on at least the 10th floor of an office building and never use the elevators. (I did this in Boston for a couple years, it works!)

 

[jfb]

It is the steep climbs, especially with the large step ups of rough trails, that tax my breathing and endurance. That's why I was interested in how others managed the steep climbs from a breathing and pace point of view.

When I find myself breathing hard and my heart rate is higher than normal because of a steep section, I slow down and take baby steps until my heart rate and breathing drop back to normal.

 

[hikerbrian]

Here are my somewhat disjointed thoughts:
1. I rarely plan rest stops at set intervals. But there are two exceptions: a) Bigger mountains (Rainier, for example), where the altitude or the excitement of the moment might cause me to be less in tune with what my body would otherwise be telling me; and b) harsh conditions (winter Presi-traverse, for example) where even a moderate loss of energy, body heat or focus could have severe consequences. In these situations, I plan a 5 min (pack still on) rest every hour. But on normal trips, even very long days, I eat when I'm hungry and I drink when I'm thirsty. These generally amount to short stops every couple of hours, and longer stops every ~6 hrs (mostly for the purpose of mentally recharging). On long days, I'll take off my pack once, maybe twice, max.
2. Pacing. There's a pace I can keep up indefinitely, and there's everything faster than that. On longer itineraries, I keep a pace I can stay at indefinitely. I don't really have to think about it much, I just know what that pace is. I rarely, if ever, stop for a break because I'm winded. I adjust my pace well before that happens, even on steep uphills. I feel like I actually hike at an overall faster pace using this strategy. Plus, for me personally, the sprint-stop-sprint-stop cycle is mentally and physically draining; I just don't enjoy it, and it makes me sweat a lot.
3. Hiking is more fun if the uphills don't actually tax you that much. Conditioning is key to achieving this state of nirvana. It's useful to remember that in the northeast, you'll rarely have more than 4k' elevation gain at a time, and this usually translates to a 2-4 hour interval. For me, getting my conditioning to a state where I can perform 1 hour of hard aerobic training or, alternatively, 2 hours of moderate aerobic training, makes a 2-4 hour 'sustainable pace' uphill interval feel pretty easy.

[I don't know if this adds any value to the post, but for me, some example workouts that are worth trying to get to: a) 1 hr on step mill w/ 25 lb weight in your pack right at the pace you can barely keep up for the whole time (or small intervals just above and below that pace); b) 2 hr run at any pace; c) 1.5 hr challenging trail run (think big ups and downs, insecure footing, etc); d) 1 full hr of challenging spin? (I have very little experience with this one). If I can do any of those 4 and still walk afterwards, I know my conditioning is in a very good place, and any issues I have are likely due to something else.]

 

[nartreb]

One little concrete tip you may find helpful:

(I first read this tip in somebody's journal of a trip up Kilimanjaro, where high altitude makes it particularly important, but it works at low altitude as well.)

Many Americans tend to set goals for themselves like "I'll climb up this short steep section right here, then I'll rest." It actually works better to take a short rest at the foot of the steep section. Make sure your heart rate and breathing are normal, eat and drink a bit *before* you feel an urgent need, and then proceed at a steady pace.