Just J.Faye

Hiking & Other Adventures

PCT Training Weeks 11 & 12

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Another PCT training post for you!

As you definitely know by now, Michael and I are hiking the PCT and Colorado Trail this summer. You can read about our goals here.

I realize that we have some aggressive goals, so I’m trying to train for it as much as I can. Preparing my body to hike 25 miles a day for 4-5 months is a big ask. A lot of people say that your PCT training is basically the first month of the hike; however, I want to start the trail as prepared as possible in order to feel strong and minimize risk of injury.

My minimum goals for each week are:

  • Hike x1
  • Run x2
  • Stairmill or incline walking x2
  • Strength training workout x2
  • Stretch!!

Running trumps the stairmill and hiking trumps both the stairmill and running. If I get in an extra hike, but only squeeze in one run I’m totally fine with that.

PCT Training Week 11

  • Sun March 10: 5-mile run
  • Mon March 11: Walker Ranch Loop hike
  • Tues March 12: 3.1-mile run
  • Wed March 13: .5-mile incline walk + this HIIT workout
  • Thurs March 14: 3.5-mile incline walk
  • Fri March 15: this leg workout
  • Sat March 16: North Table Mountain hike

It was an interesting week. I hit my longest run since heart surgery (5 miles!!) and fit in a nice hike with Michael before getting an annoying cold that left me feeling very tired. Afterwards, I took things easier than I typically do, but was still able to do some sort of activity each day.

Also, it is mud season right now in Colorado. During mine and Michael’s hike around North Table Mountain on Saturday the trail was terrible – so, so muddy. Hiking in thick mud is annoying and walking off trail ruins the area, so it’s kind of a lose-lose situation. I might have to hold off on hiking for a week or two until the trails dry up a little more.

PCT Training Week 12

  • Sun March 17: 3.1-mile run
  • Mon March 18: 15-mile bike + 2-mile incline walk
  • Tues March 19: 4-mile run
  • Wed March 20: 5.1-mile run
  • Thurs March 21: 15-mile bike + this leg workout
  • Fri March 22: 2-mile incline walk + 3-mile bike
  • Sat March 23: This upper body HIIT workout with my sister

The annoying cold is still dragging on. Why do they take forever to go away?!

Fortunately, I got a couple of nice runs in, even though my pace was slower than normal. I didn’t hike because of the mud situation. Hopefully I can hit the trail next week, because it’s really starting to feel like spring out here!

Rawlogy was nice enough to send Michael and I some cork massage balls to bring with us on the PCT. They are only 1-2 ounces, so we can each bring one without weighing down our packs.

Summary

Week 11

  • 2 hikes, 2 runs, 1 stairmill/incline walk, 2 strength training, 1 walk

Week 12

  • 0 hikes, 3 runs, 2 stairmill/incline walk, 2 strength training, 3 bike

T – 24 days!

Anyone else celebrate pi day on 3/14?!

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PCT Training Weeks 3 & 4

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Another training post! Below is my summary of PCT training for weeks 3 and 4.

PCT training

PCT Training Goals

As a reminder, Michael and I will head out in the Pacific Crest Trail on April 18! You can read more about our PCT goals here. I’m not quite sure if it’s feasible to fully train my body to hike 25 miles per day for 120 days, so I am going to focus on increasing my cardio endurance and strengthening my body to minimize the risk of injury.

My minimum goals for each week are:

  • Run x2
  • Stairmill x2
  • Strength training workout x2
  • Yoga x1 or at least a lot of stretching
  • Hike x1

These are the minimums. I know I’m probably going to bike quite a bit and hopefully go on an extra hike, but these are the things I want to make sure I accomplish each week.

PCT Training Week 3

PCT training
  • January 13: 3.2-mile run + this 30-minute full body yoga stretch video
  • January 14: 7.2-mile North Table Mountain hike with Michael
  • January 15: 30-minute stairmill + this pyramid power workout + stretching
  • January 16: 2.6-mile solo run + 2.6-mile walk with Lindsey
  • January 17: Green Mountain hike with Michael
  • January 18: 30-minute stairmill + 9-mile bike
  • January 19: Skiing at Keystone

I am counting skiing as a strength training. My quads were essentially on fire for about 4.5 hours, so yeah, leg day with great views.

PCT Training Week 4

PCT training
  • January 20: 4-mile run + this 20-minute total body yoga flow
  • January 21: 15-mile bike + 1000m row + pyramid power workout + stretching
  • January 22: 3.2-mile run
  • January 23: 30-minute stairmill + this dumbbell superset HIIT workout + stretching
  • January 24: 15.5-mile bike + 30-minute stairmill + 2.55-mile elliptical
  • January 25: 4-mile run + this arms and abs dumbbell workout
  • January 26: Skiing at Breckenridge

I went for my longest run since since June 2017! It was only 4 miles, but still! I was so excited and happy. Running has been really hard for last few years (since 2014), obviously most of this was due to having major heart problems. After my heart surgery 1.5 years ago I still had to be careful while running and wasn’t allowed (per my doctors) to get my heart rate up above 140 bpm. Once I had my cardiac ablation and was given the go ahead to do whatever physical activity I wanted I stuck to 2- or 3-mile runs. Last week I finally decided to try to knock out 4 miles. And I did! I took it slow and steady, so that I wouldn’t have to stop and walk. This was a huge milestone for me and I am excited to push myself a little longer.

Also, I found that I run better while listening to podcasts rather than music. Podcasts seem to capture my brain’s attention better. I just finished Dirty John and am currently working through Dr. Death. I highly recommend them both. Please pass any good ones my way!

Summary

PCT training
sweaty mess gym selfie after a Nourish Move Love HIIT workout

Week 3

  • 2 runs, 2 stairmill, 2 strength training, 1 yoga, 2 hikes, 1 bike, 1 walk

I finally got some yoga in this week, along with more post-workout stretching. I also hit my minimal goals!

Week 4

  • 3 runs, 2 stairmill, 4 strength training, 1 yoga, 0 hikes, 2 bike, 1 elliptical, 1 row

I was short on hikes this week. The weather wasn’t really cooperating, so I didn’t make it out. However, I got in extra runs and strength training, so I feel comfortable with that.

Have a great week everyone!

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Seven Sanitas Summit Challenge

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On March 31 Michael and I hiked to the top Mount Sanitas for my first time in 2018. On the way down he gave me the Seven Sanitas Summit Challenge: hike Mount Sanitas six more times before April 14.

Seven Sanitas Summit Challenge

Challenge accepted.

Why the challenge?

Seven Sanitas Summit Challenge

At the end of March Michael and I decided to plan a trip for some backpacking in Utah for mid-April. We found backcountry permits for the Lathrop Trail in the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands. The Lathrop Trail starts at the top of a mesa and extends down to the Colorado River and then back up to the mesa. The 21-mile out and back is flat to gradual aside from a 1.5-mile stretch that is quite steep with about 1200 feet of elevation gain/loss.

Since my heart still isn’t at 100%, we decided to test out my abilities on Mount Sanitas, a trail in Boulder with a 1250-foot gain over 1.3 miles and is similar to what we would encounter on Lathrop Trail. I used to hike Mount Sanitas allllll the time – before work, after work, weekends, you name it. It definitely is a butt-kicker and is one of those trails that you love to hate.

Knowing that I could get to the top just fine, Michael then extended this challenge to me. By doing Mount Sanitas 6 more times we would both gain more confidence in my abilities and wouldn’t be quite as nervous that anything negative would happen while backpacking.

This link has some more information on the trail itself.

Quick side note on my heart health

Seven Sanitas Summit Challenge

Before I continue I’ll give a quick update on my heart. Since the yurt-defibrillator-shock fiasco things have been going really well! With the new medication that I’m on I haven’t had any arrhythmias that needed my ICD to kick in with therapy. This is huge! I went from receiving 1-5 therapies daily (caused by VT) during the first two weeks of January to receiving NONE mid-January through now.

After getting shocked I had a hard time getting back to exercising. It’s not that I didn’t want to, it’s that I was scared to. I was scared that I would receive therapy again or, worse, get shocked.

I took it easy and tried to go for daily walks or hit the gym for some leisurely biking or ellipticaling (<- don’t think that’s a word). I continued to get stronger and more confident, especially since I hadn’t had any episodes with the new medication. Each week I tried to push it just a little bit more.

And that brings us to today!

Let the challenge up Sanitas begin

Seven Sanitas Summit Challenge

March 31 was my first time hiking Mount Sanitas this year. I started out very slow and only slightly scared with my only goal being to get to the top safely. I tend to do best when I settle into an all-day easy pace so that I don’t have to stop for breaks. One step at a time, slow and steady progress.

And guess what?! I did it! And then I did it 6 more times! I hiked it through a range of weather – hot and sunny, foggy and snowy, chilly and windy – sometimes by myself, sometimes with Michael.

Here are my times for hiking to the summit (does not include the hike down):

  1. March 31 – 45:30
  2. April 1 – 44:36
  3. April 3 – 41:16
  4. April 5 – 38:53
  5. April 8 – 50:13 (took an alternate route up which was .6 miles longer)
  6. April 10 – 39:45
  7. April 12 – 38:53

You can see that I was able to shave off about 6.5 minutes from my first hike to my last. It may not sound like much, but the trail is only 1.3 miles long, so I’ll take it. Back in the day I could run/hike to the top in around 30 minutes – lots of room for improvement!

Not only did I get faster, but I got stronger and more confident in myself. I was able to feel that rush of endorphins that I hadn’t felt for so long. It’s such a good feeling!

Challenge fever

Seven Sanitas Summit Challenge

I had forgotten what it’s like to pursue a goal – a clear, concrete goal with a deadline. Up until 2017 I had trained for either a half marathon or a full marathon at least once a year for 7 years. It was a lot of time and a lot of work, but so satisfying. Without working towards anything specific (because my general “get back into shape” wasn’t super inspiring) I felt a little lost.

The Seven Sanitas Summit Challenge left me feeling driven and motivated, excited to tackle anything that came my way. I know Michael has a few more challenges for me coming up. I can’t wait to smash them. I’m lucky to have a partner that encourages and inspires me.

And here are some extra pictures, because I took a lot during my 7 times up and down.

Seven Sanitas Summit Challenge

Seven Sanitas Summit Challenge

Seven Sanitas Summit Challenge

Seven Sanitas Summit Challenge

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30-Minute Workout With Cardio, Legs, and Core

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You know the days when you want to get in a good workout, but at the same time you want it to be convenient and fast, yet still super effective? The days when you’re not really in the mood to run or go to the gym, but you know that working out is still a good idea?

Yeah, me too.

That’s why I put together this 30-Minute Workout with Cardio, Legs, and Core.

30-Minute Workout With Cardio, Legs, and Core

It’ll get your blood pumping. You’ll work your legs and core. And you won’t need any fancy equipment to do it. Hurray!

Find the full workout on Minneapolis Running.

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An Easy Core Strengthening Workout

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A strong core is super important. Your core is in the middle of your body and is essentially the origin of all movement. Strengthening your core can help improve both balance and posture and can also help prevent injuries.

Because I want you to stand up straight and not fall down, I put together an easy core strengthening workout for you. By easy, I mean logistically easy. It is made up of 10 bodyweight exercises: 5 dynamic exercises + 5 isometric holds. The only equipment you need is a mat and a timer and the whole thing should only take 5-7 minutes to complete. This means you really have no excuse to not do it.

Core Strengthening Workout

This easy core strengthening workout can be as difficult as you want to make it. You can go through it 2-3 times total and/or hold the isometric exercises for longer than 30 seconds. There are also ways to regress some of the exercises if you need it as well.

Find the workout and the exercises cues over on Minneapolis Running!

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10-10-10 Upper Body Workout

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Upper body workout time!

10 10 10 Upper Body Workout

This workout features 10 upper body exercises, 2 for each muscle group: chest, back, shoulders, biceps, and triceps. Each exercise will be done back-to-back for 10 reps and the whole thing will be repeated 10 times.

It’s a woozy.

But really it’s not that bad. Since it is only 10 reps of each exercise it moves fast and shouldn’t wear out your muscles too quickly. Until, you know, you are 5 rounds in and everything is burning, but that’s why we do this – burning muscles to build them.

Here’s what we’ll do:

10 10 10 Upper Body Workout

The only equipment you need is a set of dumbbells, so you can easily do this workout at home or at the gym. Understand that you can probably lift heavier weight with your chest and biceps than you can with your shoulders. If you only have access to one set of dumbbells some of these exercises will be harder than others. If you do this at the gym, you may want to grab a couple of different sets in varying weights.

This workout was actually modeled after the 10-10-10 Lower Body Workout that I posted last April. I pulled it out of the archives last week and did it after a 4 mile run. I only went through it 5 times and MAN I was beat. My legs were more sore after that workout than it typically is after a heavy leg day in the gym. I was surprised, pleasantly surprised. Needless to say, I’m definitely doing it again… maybe even later today.

And just in case you need them, the exercise cues:

  1. Push Ups: Begin in push-up (plank) position. Keeping your body in a straight line with your core engaged, slowly lower your body while bending your elbows to 90 degrees. Push your body back up to starting position.
  2. Dumbbell Rows: Standing with a dumbbell in each hand, bend over slightly, making sure you have proper posture, and place your hands directly below your shoulders. Raise the dumbbells up to your sides until they reach your ribs. Lower back down until arm is fully extended.
  3. Shoulder Press: Hold dumbbells at shoulder level with palms facing forward. Press dumbbells overhead until arms are fully extended. Lower arms back to starting position. This can be done sitting or standing.
  4. Bicep Curls: Hold dumbbells shoulder width apart with arms at sides, palms facing forward. Raise dumbbells, keeping upper arms stationary, until they reach shoulder level. Lower back to starting position.
  5. Triceps Bench Dips: Sit on a bench with your legs straight out in front of you, your heels on the ground, and your hands gripping the edge of the bench on each side of your body. Straighten your arms and lift your body off the bench (starting position). Lower yourself in front of the bench until your elbows reach a 90-degree angle. Raise yourself back up to starting position.
  6. Chest Press: Lie on the floor (or a bench) with a dumbbell in each hand, elbows directly out to the side in line with your shoulders, and hands in the air above your elbows (starting position). While contracting your chest, press the dumbbells up until they are fully extended. Lower back to starting position.
  7. Reverse Flies: Standing with a dumbbell in each hand, bend over so that your back is parallel to the floor, hands directly below your shoulders. Raise dumbbells up and out to your sides until the dumbbells are in line with your shoulders. Lower back down.
  8. Front Shoulder Raises: Hold dumbbells in front with palms facing front of thigh. Raise both arms forward until hands reach approximately eye level. Lower arms back to starting position.
  9. Hammer Curls: Hold dumbbells with arms at your sides, palms facing in. Raise dumbbells, while keeping upper arms stationary and palms facing each other, until they are at shoulder level. Lower dumbbells to starting position.
  10. Triceps Extensions: Stand holding a dumbbell with both hands. Raise dumbbell to be directly above your head (starting position). Keeping your elbows still and either side of your temples, slowly lower your forearms and flex your elbows until the dumbbell is at the back of your head. Raise dumbbell back to starting position.

I hope you try out this workout and enjoy it! Let me know if you have any questions or feedback.

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