Current training schedule

Below you can read all about my current training schedule, while prepping for Denali.

It’s been a while since I know I’ll be climbing Denali in 2017. Last October I had some good preparation by being able to successfully climb Mount Elbrus north face. This was an excellent opportunity to test my current physical condition and my gear.

However, not exercising for October till May 2017 is a perfect recipe for disaster. Alpine Ascents, the organization organizing the expedition to Denali, has some guidance on preparing for Denali. You can read all about it here.

Since I want to make sure my physical condition is the least of my problems on Denali and by ambition goes a little further, I am following a somewhat more intense program.

Here’s my current training schedule:

Monday: Run – Fitness – Run

20 minutes run to the gym. Once arrived, I do another 15-20 minutes run on a treadmill. After being completely warmed up, it’s time for some core-stability exercises. These take about 60 minutes. To end this training I take another 15-20 minutes run on a treadmill. Then change into some warmer clothes and run the 20 minutes back home.

Tuesday: Rest!

Rest is as important as exercising. Today there’s no training for me. Let my muscles relax and recover. But, at least as important; have a day to think about other things than sport. Read a book, find the best new equipment, etc.

Wednesday: Run – Fitness – Run

Current training schedule. With motivational T-Shirt!Again! Same program as Monday, but my running sessions on the treadmill are
more intense. This first session is with increasing speed (currently below 5 minutes per KM). The second is with increasing gradient (up to 12% with 5:30 minutes per KM).

Thursday: Indoor climbing

Meet friends and enjoy my weekly indoor climbing session. I currently climb about 6B (Dutch grade). Unfortunately, climbing only once a week is not enough to climb harder routes. Oh, and it’s a 30 minutes bike-ride to the climbing-gym!

Friday is always quietFriday: Fitness

Depending on my plans for the weekend I either run to the gym or take a 10 minutes bike ride. Fitness-schedule is the same as other (more on that later!)

Saturday/Sunday: Bike ride! (or run)

Depending on the weather, I take a +/- 3 hour bike ride. This is an excellent endurance workout. However, with the winter ahead, it might be hard to stay warm. I hate to be cold, so rides may be a little shorter as temperature drops.

Or I run.. Running is good, because it takes less time and it’s not so bad to run while it’s raining. I’m using a Runkeeper schedule for 20 KM below 2 hours. But.. that’s not enough. I think 20 KM below 1:45 is within my possibilities. That’s what I’m going for!

Stay tuned for more updates on my current training schedule! This is just a short overview . There’s a lot more involved. Think about food, time management, gear, etc!

When training gets hard

The foresight of climbing Denali and the other 5 summits is really good. But, while not all of them are that hard, they still require excellent physical condition. And this means training, day in day out, to get in great shape! But, there are times when training gets hard, real hard … mentally.

Currently, I’m on a schedule of 6 workouts per week. You can read all about my current schedule here. But since I have a full time job, this means most of my workouts need to be done in the evening. So, coming home from work, have a quick dinner and continue to training. Busy, but still no problem, as long as the workout is fun!

Following this schedule day in day out does get a little boring after a while. So what do I do to keep enjoying the daily “suffer-session”?

Do what you do best…

… and do that often! I grew up with bike racing, and still love to ride my bike. Soi just love to ride my bike!
I ride it as much as possible. And right now, that’s not too often! Why? Well… because currently it’s January; dark grey and wet. Riding my bike in the evening is too dangerous, both for me and the traffic around me. So at the moment, I stick to cycling once a week, during the weekends. I love it, and it keeps my endurance at an acceptable level.

Change the sessionsWarming up in the gym

Currently I go to the gym at least two times a week. My workouts  contain mostly core stability exercises. There are a 1000 ways to do those, so I make sure I vary as much as possible. The exact same exercises every day just aren’t that much fun. I change the order of exercises every time and focus in the exercises I love most In short: I do anything that breaks my current routine!

Train with a group

I do believe training alone is very efficient. This way I can easily decide upon the intensity of my training and start whenever and where ever I want. It also give me time to think. To think about my goal(s) and ‘easier stuff’ like ‘what to do next’.  For me that’s part of training mentally.

But, I know training with a group can push you just a little further and is a great opportunity share experiences, socialize etc. So that’s why I decided to join  a 2 month training program of a Be Your Best-Program in January 2017 at Buiten Gewoon Fit. A nice combination between group training and individual training.

Just suffer

Suffering! even after a bikerideI won’t deny, sometimes it’s just no fun. Aiming goals also involves ‘just training’, repetition. And start even when your body or mind are just not that into it… It also involves ways of training that are not that much fun to you. For me, for example, that’s running.  I run about 2 times a week. And, despite people keep telling me running is getting better after 7 months, I still don’t like it. I guess running is just not for me. So, I focus on the nice parts of running to me:  it’s a great moment enjoy being outside and listen to great music while running.

Allow yourself to rest

It’s really no problem to skip a training every once and a while. You’re is not a machine. Sometimes you need to be able to step back and enjoy an evening of TV. This breaks the daily routine, and lets your body just recover a little more than usual. And probably makes you enjoy your next suffer-session a whole lot more!