I honestly can't remember when there was not a race or a major hike/climb of some kind in my immediate future. And I've been racing since I was 12. That was 40 years ago. Next month I have a rim-rim-rim Grand Canyon trip lined up and then a running race in Las Vegas. I have a 50 miler scheduled for May.

Having goals always gives me good motivation to work out. I probably couldn't stay in shape without them. I like to do a variety of different events so nothing ever gets stale.

I don't do many leg specific exercises in the gym. All of the road miles on foot or by bike take care of that. If I have a long kayak paddle coming up I usually spend more time on my upper body.

Gym workouts are good but there is no substitute for logging miles on the trail. When I have a long backpack trip coming up I load my pack to simulate what I'll carry and then go out and hike with it. Even though I'm in good shape no amount of running or cycling can simulate the exact demands of backpacking.