Trail Legs

Have you guys ever heard of the phrase "sea legs"? If so, I believe there is a such thing called trail legs. I don't get to go backpacking or hiking every weekends. I Remember I went backpacking for 24 miles over 3 day last year, and was sore in my calf muscles. A month later, a I went on a harder trip and I had much more painful soreness. What I'm getting at is, there is a such thing called trail legs, where if you hike difficult hikes much more frequently, you don't get sore or you're barely sore for a couple hours after the trip, right?

With long delays between trips, I'm working out 3 days a week to keep the ligaments and muscles active. I've been doing lunges and squats that will stress the muscles that are used on steep downhill hikes.

Anyone else got workout tips to minimize soreness with long downtime between trips?

Lots of stretching, before and after exercise. I learned this the hard way when I developed plantar fasciitis last year. It's usually a direct result of a tight achilles tendon and certainly was in my case.

If you really want to get sore, try hiking at the beach. It's amazing how many otherwise unused muscles come into play when walking on sand!

Just plain walking for 1/2 to 1 hour, 3 days per week, plus one longer hike (2 hours or more) on weekends, plus the strength training you're doing, should help considerably. If there are hills near your home to walk on, so much the better.

A regular running or cycling program will obliterate the sore legs issue. It doesn't have to be a lot, but it does have to be consistent, More mileage does help. At one point, I was running and training for marathons, and I could hike anything.. never giving a thought to sore muscles.

I ride mountain bikes regularly. It doesn't stress certain muscles use going downhill when hiking and that where I get most of my soreness from, downhills. Going uphill and camping on the top, I have no soreness the next day.

I day hike every weekend. And drink lots of water. That does me very well - I'm rarely sore and if I am it's usually because I didn't drink enough water.

I can go about two weeks without hiking before starting to see a change in that... my legs start to hurt if I don't hike.

YOU need to be on an exercise routine (picture a large finger pointing at you)! You probably already are, but it sounds like cross-training could help. I'm lucky enough to have a place where I can do 6 to 8 miles 6 days a week carrying 18-20lbs on trail close by (for me that's 1.5 to 2 hr per day cardio). I'm also self employed and set my own hours (and they are weird hours). I would find a way to get some hiking in on a regular basis (between mtn. biking) and as OM said make sure you are stretching before and after everything. If you can't find hills to go up, maybe stairs or bleachers...might even be able to do these at night if lit up. Having trouble getting motivated? Find a partner with similar goals and get out there at night. There is nothing like hiking or running to get into shape for backpacking. I don't ever remember feeling leg muscle pain and I'm now 56, but I also drink plenty of water and stretch out during longer/harder backpacks.

There absolutely is something called "trail legs". It's well known/understood among long distance backpackers. How long it takes to get your legs depends on what condition you're in starting out; if in great condition, doing a lot of walking it can be as little as a week. Or it can take two or even three weeks to get your legs.

By that I don't mean that before you're fully/maximally tuned that you have a lot of problems. You're just not up to optimal walking fitness in terms of legs strength and having those muscles tuned for walking all day.

The flip side is that most thru-hikers I know are loathe to take too long off the trail, and from talking to various folks the consensus is that after about a week you "lose your legs". And then depending on how long until you get back on trail it might take a week to get them back. In the meantime, you're still a relatively strong hiker, you're just not fully back in top hiking shape yet --- you walk up hills slower and feel more tired as a result, that sort of thing.

Among distance hikers I'll also note that nobody stretches or does any sort of special training or care or whatever. Walking all day, most days, for months gets you fully in tune for walking, it's just the normal thing to do.

Now, if in optimal walking shape where you hadn't been doing anything else, if you were to suddenly do some other intense leg-thing, say, some rounds of one-on-one basketball --- likely you could hurt yourself. Because some muscles are extremely strong, while others haven't been getting much use.

It's a cool feeling to be in the best shape you can be for walking. I wish it lasted longer after the trip stopped.

Me too! Ha. I haven't been riding bikes lately due to the cold. It difficult for me to do an intense bike ride in the winter because it hurts my lungs. Oh, well.

Up until about 5 years ago I would get my "trail legs" after one or two hikes that would give me sore muscles afterwards. After those hikes, I seemed to reach a pretty good fitness, even if I hadn't hiked for a while. But then things changed; I had a couple years of lots of desk work, coupled with taking care of aging parents that replaced my gym time (and then some). Then I retired from the desk job and jumped back into a hiking routine, and it just doesn't seem to work the same. Going right back to my same old pattern of hiking 12 mile day hikes as if I were still 20/30/40 yrs old and expecting to be in shape after a few times, instead I got plantar fasciitis and some hip muscle problems that I am still working on a couple of years later (I am 57 now). I am now having to basically start over, doing physical therapy on the ailing parts and gradually increasing my miles.

So I guess I'm saying take it slow and listen to your aches and pains, increasing workouts gradually, and especially if you are over 40!

I'm 23 and I already have a bone cement, a plate, and 4 screws in my right leg. I broke it twice and had surgery twice. I'm dreading what my medical file will say in the future...

I think Lori is right on the mark. Also, when I was in the military proper hydration was extremely important. We also supplemented our water with electrolytes (unflavored in a little foil packet). This was not only for the obvious reasons, but we were also told that this would help with soreness.

I can no longer go to the gym and exercise intensely due an injury. The best I can do is walk and a little on one of those "rocking" walking exercise machines. I also think that gradually decreasing soreness from hiking is really not mysterious. It's just one's body getting back into shape, as if you were starting weight training after a hiatus from it for a few months.

I know that my first trip this year, no matter how short, is going to result in some soreness, being that medical reasons and age, keep me from staying in decent shape anymore..



J.

I do a ton of cycling, so the aerobic part is pretty much under control with me. And I do walk every day, if only a mile or so. The only thing I need to adjust to on the trail is the pack itself...and that usually take less than an hour.

Unless, of course, we are starting at 10,000 feet. Then it takes me another hour to figure out the pace I need to adopt.

You never know....At your age, I was wearing a back brace and doing physical therapy. Fifty years later, my back is in much better shape than when I was in my early twenties.

Stay active! (it looks like you are...)

I hope you are talking to ETSU here..not me. Unless you are 110 years old?

Right, I was talking to ETSU. I'm not yet 110 (although some days it feels like that).

Yep, every year it takes a bit longer to get them back (right now it's taking extra long) best, jcp

I don't think I could honestly say I ever had any. I always struggle up our hills, and I take lots of rests stops, but I am tenacious and always get up there.

I do know that the more often I hike the further I can go up a hill without a stop, but it doesn't really feel any easier.

I try to hike year around, mostly day hikes in the winter so I make them steep. Today's hike!

Thanks for the reminder that I need to go out west.

If you get out this way you have an open invite, my wife and I run a campground. My hikes often start at my house!

I'm assuming by Eastern Sierra you're located in Northern California?

No more central, Bishop just south of Mamoth lakes.