[cycle61]

Like many others, I had my Denali dreams this season dashed by the COVID-19 cancellation. I’m a relatively new mountaineer, and purchased the 24 week expeditionary training plan last fall, and followed it faithfully until about mid-April when the permits were pulled. Training suffered without motivation, but I’m back on the wagon now. Our team is putting together a plan for next year, and looking at this as an opportunity to get into excellent condition by then.

Currently in shape to climb Rainier and other various NW Cascades without much trouble thanks to the last cycle through the 24 week plan.

Should I just reboot that and do it twice before next June, or are there better suggestions for a long-term plan?

Thanks.

Topic

[mzkarim]

mzkarim on June 1, 2020 at 8:40 am #42268

Somewhat off topic, but how did the 24-week Mountaineering Plan work out for you as far as training and fitness? I’m a relative beginner and am starting the same Plan this week. It seems challenging enough.

[cycle61]

cycle61 on June 1, 2020 at 8:51 am #42274

I had excellent results with the 24 week plan. My fitness level going into it was not great, and my training was very scattered, mostly consisting of running once in a while and climbing local mountains on weekends. It provided a structure that had been sorely lacking, and forced me to work on critical aspects of fitness that I typically ignored, particularly core and strength training, and above all, consistency. Many evenings I’d head out to the gym or a run, knowing that if I didn’t, the calendar would light up red the next day showing a missed session.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous on June 1, 2020 at 3:45 pm #42303

Avoid the red! 🙂

It’s fine to repeat a training plan. They’re definitely not single-use. If you find that your fitness has improved from the first round through, then you can scale up the volume of the easy sessions. If you handle the additional volume, then you can scale up the harder sessions as well in the same proportion.

The hard/easy ratios aren’t third-decimal-place specific, but keep them roughly in line with each other.

[mzkarim]

mzkarim on June 1, 2020 at 6:00 pm #42309

That’s wonderful, thanks.