5arah

Just a couple thoughts:

From a conditioning standpoint, I think that milage is milage. Milage with weight has more resistance than just milage, so it "counts" for more as does milage on hills(you did more work).

To get more milage, think about combining it into things you HAVE to do anyway (you mentioned corporate life and putting on the pounds - I sympathize).

For instance, while I have rarely been able to live close enough to work to WALK (about 2 miles for a half an hour commute) I usually live within BIKING range (4-8 miles). I get the cardovascular benefits and am better able to climb hills when I bike than if I just walked on the flat terrain where I live. Further, I have to get back and forth to work anyway, so I get to actually do the workouts, and biking doesn't impose that much more of a time cost than driving a car.

There are downsides to this approach - for instance, I don't build calus in the right places on my feet. However, by combining my workout with what I need to do anyway, I get fitness benefits that allow me to get out on the trail.

Please note that I didn't directly answer any of your questions - but I am suggesting a general approach that, depending on how far away work is, could enable you to recover some of your lost fitness and make the trails accessible again.

Steadman