Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board How to improve speed?

Since I sprained my ankle four months ago I switched from treadmill to elliptical machine. I am glad to hear that training on elliptical is better than training on treadmill to improve my speed.
On my last hike, I added extra weight to my pack, took fewer breaks and I was managed to hike two extra miles (total 16 miles & 5,000+’ gain).

Thank you all,
Kala

On my hike yesterday I was noticing which muscles were working more on the uphill and compared it to my work on the stairmaster. I'll be bringing that info to the gym and try to replicate it. I have found that you can use the stairmaster two ways....fast and slow, or quick steps and long steps. Fast is great for getting a sweat and raising your heartbeat quickly, but the slower longer steps remind me more of the steps on a steep hike, so I try to mix it up. On a steep hike, the steps just kill me. Those 18 inch or so steps on Whitney take a lot out of me, so I'm trying to get in enough "long step" time in on the stairmaster to help me for my hike later this year. I actually find it easier to do the faster quick steps, but as usual, the workout you don't like to do is usually the best for you.

This goes without saying, but what works for one may not necessarily work for others. For me personally, I have improved my speed and cardio by going to the MAXIMUM INCLINE setting on the treadmill at my gym and hiking at a steady 3.5 mph for 45 minutes.

Sometimes, I do intervals where, again at the maximum incline setting, I run (4.5 mph to 5.0 mph) uphill.

Test and see what works for you, but there's been a lot of good suggestions thus far.

--Amin

Of all the training suggestions on this thread with multiple responses, I find this statement very informative and applicable. There is no comparison between say, a treadmill, and doing "the same" on a high mountain. Of course, there is a diversity of altitude illness susceptibility and "mountaineer's foot" amongst the posters. Harvey

Here are two more quotes from the mountaineering literature:
First - on the effect of altitude:
But the fact is that now something new is dogging their every step, attacking their minds and bodies, altering judgment, eroding stamina, shortening tempers – in very real terms, changing them into different people. Their new companion, a thirteenth man as it were, is named Altitude.
James Tabor, Forever on the Mountain, page 120

And, for all the goals all of us proclaim, here is some wisdom, albeit at extreme altitude whereas Whitney is "only" moderate:
My goal now was never further than the next step.
Stephen Venables, Everest. Alone at the Summit, page 168

Well, I decided to do Mt Wilson today. Actually a lot tougher than I thought. 14.2 miles round trip and 4800 ft gain (appx) in 4 hours 50 minutes. I was exhausted.
So Kala, I guess if you're doing this every weekend, you should be ready for Whitney. Just do some elevation.

I DID IT!!!!

Thank you all, I couldn’t have accomplished my dream without your advice and encouragement. I started the hike on July 6th at 1:15 A.M. reached the summit at 11:30 A.M. and back to Portal at 7:00 P.M. It was a wonderful experience. I was paranoid about snow and ice, carried crampons but didn’t use them.

Switchbacks were not bad because I was expecting the worst. The last two miles were brutal, I was kicking myself for making this commitment but when I reached the summit the reward was priceless.

Coming back I got sick at the Trail Camp, my lungs were filled with fluids but made it back to the trailhead. A nice lady at the Portal store cash register suggested that I should go to the emergency, when I talked to my son (doctor) suggested that I should return home, so we left Lone Pine at 9:00 P.M. and reached home at 1:00 A.M. I am feeling better now.

Everyone on the trail was extremely nice and helpful. Hikers are a different breed.

My last training hike was to Mt. Baldy (elevation 10,064’) from the Village, 6,000’ gain and 12 miles RT.

Thanks again.
Kala

Congrats, Kala! Well done!!! You trained and prepared well. Glad you made it back from TC o.k. and are feeling better now. You accomplished a dream and will inspire others. Wonderful!

MC

EXCELLENT!!!! I am sooo glad you wrote us. Better watch out though as you may have caught the "WHITNEY FEVER" and already start planning for another one either later this year or next!
I for one am very happy and yes, even proud of you. Good going.

"I am glad to hear that training on elliptical is better than training on treadmill to improve my speed."

I would strongly dispute this. Many studies have shown that among exercise machines, the treadmill is by far the best cardio workout, followed by the stairmaster and then the elliptical in a distant third place.

An easy way to determine this for yourself is run on the treadmill at 3% incline for 90 minutes. The next day do the Stairmaster for 90 minutes and the last day do the elliptical for 90 minutes.

When I do this regimen, I am pretty winded and sweating a lot from the treadmill when I get off. With the stairmaster, I am slightly out of breath and sweaty, but not dripping wet. After 90 mins. on the elliptical (at the most difficult level on the machine)... I am not even wet and not out of the breath at all.

I regard the elliptical trainer as almost worthless in comparison to running in terms of difficulty. Another cautionary note is that almost every elliptical trainer I have ever been on egregiously exaggerated the calories burned. There is no way that an elliptical trainer is burning 800 calories a mile, even if you're going gangbusters on it. It's insanely inflated.

The elliptical is a good machine if you're injured, or have shin splints, plantar fasciatis or similar ailments. It's easy on the body, that's for sure.

Just my .05 cents.

One thing's for sure.....Kala's a "newbie" and completed the entire Mt Whitney Main Trail in pretty good time and had a minimum of problems. Took me two times. I would certainly believe that her training on Mt Wilson (under appreciated distance and mileage by most) and Mt Baldy helped her achieve her goal.

I think the elliptical, treadmill and stairmasters are great for in between the hikes and help keep you in shape, though I don't see any of them as a replacement for putting your boots on the dirt.

Hi Kala,
Congratulations for your summit!!!
I am a local hiker enjoying Mt. Baldy hike for training for other mountains. It pays to get out on the real trail to train.
You will overcome the altidude issue if you continue to train on Mt. Baldy.

Keep on hiking.