Manitou Incline Training
https://www.visitcos.com/things-to-...rings-colorado/
Stair climber: Goal - 2744 steps
Week 1
Day 1 - Monday - This was an end of workout baseline. I often do this sequence at the end of a workout. 1 min at level 5 or 6, 1 min at 3 or 4 with kickback butt squeezes, then next 3 at the same level 1 min each: double stairs, side stairs right, side stairs left. Then straight 5 minutes at level 5. Total time: 10 mins. Total steps: 500
Day 2 -Thursday- 5 minute warm up on treadmill. Level 5 straight 20 minutes. Level 4 in 5 minute increments until 35. One bad thing is that all the equipment at my gym has forced cool downs at the 30 min mark. So after I fought with the machine for awhile, I gave up. I had 2-3 2 minute rest breaks. Total climb time:33 mins. Total steps: 1800. This is the bail out point, meets up with a trail that can take you down.
Week 2
Day 1 Tues - 5 min treadmill warm up. I wore my light backpack with one water bottle. I wanted to see if I could best my time without stopping. I did 25 mins at level 5. Then took breaks every 5 mins and continued at level 4 except the last 5 done at level 3. About 2 minute rest periods. Forced break at 30 mins. Total climb time: 40 mins. Total steps: 2064. This is about 70%. I was reading something about training for marathons that said that if you train to the 70% than you will be able to complete it. I don’t know if that is true or not but made me feel good that I did about 70% of the stairs.
Day 2 Friday- I didn’t have any personal training sessions this week. I focused my Thursday training on functional skating exercises. I decided to see if I could get to the false summit - 300 steps from the top or approx 2444. I started slow no treadmill warm up. No backpack.
2 mins level 3, 2 mins level 4 etc building up to level 7, then 2 mins back down to level 5. I stayed at level 5 until the 30 min mark where I took the forced break. I continued at 5 min increments- 1 more at level 5. The rest at level 4. I had to take 2-3 minute breaks after the 30 minute mark every 5 minutes. Total climb time: 50 mins. Total steps: 2450
Level 4: 45 steps per minute
Level 5: 48 steps per minute, increase to 49/50 after about 10 mins.
Feeling good about my progress. I feel that I can get there by the end of October or about 10 weeks from now. I will have to scale back during competition week. I think I can get the whole 2744 in a week or two, but there is thewhole altitude issue. This is in Colorado and I am in Minnesota. Plus it’s always different on a machine verses the actual trail.
I am drenched in sweat doing these climbs so hydrating is going to be important as well as moisture wicking clothes. I ordered some lighter weight waterproof hiking shoes from REI as I read that wearing my normal hiking boots would be rough. I am going to start wearing those once I receive them. I am also considering checking into buying a camelback or some other sort of hydration backpack. I do have a large water bladder that we got in Utah for the Narrows Hike, but it goes in my big backpack. Not sure I want to use that.