The Training

I am not athletic. My sport is Archery and though it definitely requires strength well... its not like hiking. I did a half marathon, but that was quite a few years back. I have been doing some exercise to help prepare my body to walk all day every day with a 34 lb. pack on my back. I run, and I do exercises that were recommended in a backpacking magazine I subscribe to. So I am at my University's recreation center 3 days a week.

This was Summer 2002. Perhaps my greatest single end ever; 58 out of a possible 60 points from 90 meters (100 yards) away. I used to shoot on a farm lane next to my grandparents house; it was nice but every now and then I had to step out of the way to let a tractor pass.

Running in the Red Baron 2006 half marathon in Corning, NY 

UTSA Campus Recreation Center

Indoor track at the Rec

Indoor track at the Rec

I do exercises which I found in Backpacker magazine. Mostly I do core and leg stuff with a exercise ball.
http://www.backpacker.com/january-2012-backpacker-bible-hike-farther/skills/16315
http://www.backpacker.com/fitness-leg-strength/slideshows/231

Training schedule and notes

This will hopefully help a little but I think my plan is to go really slow the first 4 to 6 weeks on the trail until my body turns to steel, or Diamond, or Silicon Carbide, or Graphene! which are very hard due to their bonding and close packed structure of their atoms.....oh, sorry, I had to nerd out a little there - all apologies.

Spinel is pretty hard too - here is a 3D representation of it I made for one of my classes

I don't run a million miles, I haven't tried P90X or yoga, I don't lift big heavy weights. I might do those things sometime but for now just some very focused exercise and once I hit the trail I will avoid the temptation to do big miles right away.

steady-state