A Glimpse Into My Training
Over the past year or two, I’ve written a lot about my “training”” on Instagram. There are a few types of training I do, some based on technical skills, but I spend most of my time focusing on a fitness training plan. When I first started coaching myself, I had no idea what I was doing. I thought, more was better, and kept adding on the mileage and vertical. My days were long and punishing. I pushed myself to the limit, again and again and again. I was on the verge of falling apart.
Then I stumbled across “Training for the New Alpinism” by Steve House and Scott Johnston. I would see Steve at different events and ask him questions. “Steve,” I’d say, “How do I know if I’m over-training?” “I’m training for a lot of climbs and I just want to get faster and stronger overall.” Steve was really nice and answered my questions, but eventually, he said he thought his coach Scott could take on another athlete for private coaching. I contacted Scott, and we started working together.
Shortly after I started working with Scott, I came across Chris Morgan and his amazing video work after a mutual friend suggested we collaborate. We had a short planning meeting, and I told him I wanted to show this side of my athletic career. At first, it felt like we had a lot of shots to get, but we managed to pull this off in just two easy days of shooting! Chris has a great eye, he was able to keep track of all the shots we needed and he put them together in a creative way. I love working on these types of collaborations! Huge thanks to Chris for putting this together! Check out his site and Instagram account for more inspiring photos and videos.
I learned that effective training isn’t about adding on more mileage and vertical, it’s about building power and muscular endurance in focused sessions that are shorter than I ever imagined. I started loading up my backpack for weighted uphill hikes, doing 3,000’-7,000’ vertical at a time with 20-30% of my body weight. I got a gym membership and hit the weight room. I sprinted up hills. I trail ran for recovery. I started saying no to a lot of adventures, because I knew they would exhaust me and keep me from my training. Every week was a little different, and Scott and I communicated often to check in and make sure we were on track. It’s a fine line between pushing yourself to the limit but still being able to absorb the effects of the training and breaking yourself down. One session that’s too hard, one night that’s too late, or too many obligations and you risk illness or injury. I learned to be very self-aware, to check in with my body and my mind, and make judgment calls to do what was best for my bigger goals.
Do I feel stronger? After a few months, I started feeling stronger. I noticed big ski touring days didn’t phase me as much as they used to.
But now, I’m excited to go put it all to the test. I’ve been dreaming about skiing in Peru for years. Ever since I first saw a photo of the Cordillera Blanca, I knew I wanted to explore those high mountains on skis. Because the lines of my dreams don’t have chairlifts or helicopters to take me to the top. My legs are my chairlift, and I want them to be as sturdy as possible. In less than a week, I depart for #PeruSki15. Follow along on our adventure!
Huge thanks to Scott Johnston for all the coaching and advice and to Steve House for connecting us and writing the book.
