How long is the training effect last?

   I did very similar training for Mt. Whitney hiking this year.  However, I felt my fitness level was not as good as last year.  One of factor could be my condition was not very good including not having enough sleeping in the previous week.  To understand more detail, I did more study and analysis of the training a few week before the hiking.

Cardio function

 First of all,  I use a stair master training data to assess my cardio performance before the hiking.   In the both years, I did stair master training 3 times within 2 weeks right before the hiking.  The equipment setup is exactly the same, 75 steps per minutes for 1 hour.   The average heart rate during the exercise is 153 bpm in 2016 and 2015.  The maximum heart rate is 167 bpm in 2016 and 166 bpm in 2015.  Based on this, the cardio performance at the hiking would be the same level.

   Also, I checked average heart rate right after resumed the regular exercise and a few weeks after resumed the exercise.  Overall, right after resumed exercise is a bit higher than after a few weeks.  This indicates, the performance might be lower without exercise.   If there is a period not to have exercise more than a few weeks, then I do see the average and maximum heart rate is getting slightly higher.  But the amount is probably not much.   So I would think the cardio performance might be smaller impact with small period not to have exercise if missed period is short.

Muscle strength

   On the other hand, the muscle strength could be easy to get lower performance in a short time.  If I do not do any exercise just one or two weeks, then I feel it is getting hard to do the same menu right after I resume the exercise.   For example, Stair Master Exercise is one of a good example.  If I do not do it for 2 weeks, then I might not be able to do the same menu which is 75 steps per minutes for 1 hour.   I might need to stop around 30 to 40 minutes with the same setup.  This is not due to too many heartbeats, this is because of muscle weakness.   But after 1 week of exercise, even the duration is shorter in the first week, I can do the same duration which is 1 hour in the second week.   Stair Master is not really strength exercise, it is a part of cardio exercise.   However, it needs to have some muscle strength on legs.   So it shows hiking with a heavy backpack needs more strength.  If I do not do a similar stress during hiking when I do the training, the muscle might not be strong enough for the hiking.  I think the muscle strength is getting lower performance even the period not to have training is short.

Mt. Whitney hiking data again

   If I looked at the summit attempt data for 2015 and 2016, it shows there is not much difference.  They are almost the same time.  As I mentioned in my report of Mt. Whitney hiking this year, I was intentionally slowing down for descending.   But the time difference between the trail head and Trail Camp is much bigger than the summit attempt.   The difference for ascending to Trail Camp is 36 minutes and the difference for descending from Trail Camp is 29 minutes.  They are much bigger than the summit attempt.   Thinking about the distance, there is obvious difference. (The round trip of the summit attempt is about 15km.  The distance between the trail head and Trail Camp is about 10km.)

Time for the summit attempt

	2015	2016	Notes
Trail Camp	--	--
Trail Crest	1:42	1:49
John Muir junction	0:06	0:07
Summit	1:28	1:29
John Muir Junction	1:08	1.11
Trail Crest	0:07	0:13
Trail Camp	1:16	1:21
	6:13	6:22	Including time at the summit.

    I originally the slower time is due to my condition.  However, the primary factor could be muscle strength for a heavy backpack.  Because I do not see big difference for the summit attempt that I did not have a heavy backpack.  However, between the trail head and Trail Camp, I had a heavy backpack with camping stuff.  Yes, the muscle strength for descending is not strong enough.  But overall, my muscle strength for a heavy backup is also not enough.

   All training I had done was no “load”.  So with a light load, I was probably all right.  This is probably true with the summit attempt data.  However with heavy load, I was not strong enough.  That is my conclusion.   Overall training menu was very similar.  Or this year could be better since I also had treadmill running which stress more.  However, the injury in January could be a big thing in terms of muscle strength.   Since I did not do any training in January / February.  Since then I did not had heavy load.  Also, much less real hiking after the injury.

The other fact

   Since all planed hiking this summer had done.  I did not have any other “long” hiking.   So my training has been slowing down last a few weeks.   I slowly resume the regular training now.   Just a few weeks, I did less training with more resting days.   Then I did treadmill running yesterday, I got muscle ache today.   This also indicates muscle strength is getting weaker in a short period.

   Based on this study / analysis, I think the cardio performance could be longer to keep a similar level.  Of course, it will be getting lower performance for long term for sure.  But muscle strength is getting weaker soon if people do not give any stress.   Based on this data, it is better to keep reasonable training regular basis even if people do not have any plan for a big hiking.   Then, it is easy to reach the target performance sooner.   Also, other than the regular training, it is better to have a similar load what people plan, such as a similar “load” with the target hiking.

 

Mt. Whitney Hiking Guide “Hiking the highest mountain in California”

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