RMI Expeditions Blog
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Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
In the 1930s, Swedish running coach Gösta Holmér was trying to find a way to kick start a floundering national cross country running team that had been thoroughly trounced by a strong Finnish team throughout the 1920s*. Part of his answer was an interval workout with a name that most Americans have trouble saying with a straight face: fartlek. Fartlek translates to English as “speed play”, and the workout is just that. A free flowing and loose type of interval workout, Fartlek has many incarnations and can greatly benefit climbers as part of a workout plan.
Fartlek workouts have gained popularity in the sports of running and nordic skiing (both heavily Scandinavian sports) since Holmér’s creation, but they can be accomplished in a wide variety of activities: swimming, cycling, and walking are all conducive to playing with speed.
Completed within a continuous workout, such as a longer run, the fartlek portion typically lasts for at least 45 minutes. After a good warm-up, many people begin the fartlek with a few minutes of a sustained increase in effort. This effort shouldn’t be all out, but a bump of 15 to 20 seconds per mile from your normal distance aerobic pace. This continues the warm-up process and readies your muscles and body for the gear changes that make up the fartlek workout. After this period, you are ready to play. The fartlek consists of increases in pace of varying duration and intensity, always returning to your aerobic distance pace. This could be a few quick steps thrown in every 50 meters - to simulate a bump in pace or a few difficult steps to get through an awkward section of Disappointment Cleaver - or a sprint of 50-60 meters every few hundred meters, simulating a short stretch of steep climbing. Longer efforts of one to several minutes can be used, as well as harder efforts up hills, with recovery over the top and on the descent. One of the main points of the fartlek is that it is continuous. After your harder efforts, you should return to your aerobic distance pace. If you can’t sustain this and you find your pace slowing, back off the intensity of your harder efforts.
This is a great workout to do with a partner or group. Switch leaders often, vary the length and intensity, and have fun. Pick different points to push to; racing to signposts, up hills, and racing mailboxes (push for two mailboxes then back off, then push for four, and back off, etc.) are all great ways to keep the workout entertaining and fun. Checkout these different fartlek ideas on Active.com and Triathlete.com for inspiration.
Fartlek has benefits for climbers throughout the different phases of a training plan. Early on in training, the goal is base fitness and building aerobic endurance. While aerobic endurance is incredibly important to the sport of mountaineering, the long slow nature of these workouts can leave athletes feeling sluggish and with a difficult time increasing the pace. During this phase, fartlek is a great way to maintain your ability to switch gears mid workout. As you move into your threshold building phase, fartlek is a great mid intensity interval workout that helps train your body to recover between efforts - important in a sport where a few more difficult steps at altitude can leave you gasping for breath. Experiment with different formulas, and try throwing these workouts into your plan once or twice a week. The fartlek workout is a great way to add some creative freedom to your weekly training regimen. Lastly, don’t forget the “play” in “speed play”!
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*Source: Wikipedia article “Fartlek”.
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!
Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest BC Trek
Elevation: 16,950'
Hello, this is the Everest Base Camp Trek. We are calling from Gorak Shep where we just arrived after a few days since our last post. We are in great shape. We have enjoyed very nice weather and steady pace coming up here where we will stay for the next two to three days. Trying to take some pictures and getting ready for the descent. So far all is good and we are enjoying our time up here. That's all for now.
RMI Guide Elías de Andrés-Martos
RMI Guide Elías de Andrés-Martos calls in from Gorak Shep.
On The Map
Your posts are great and appreciated. This is one trek I want to do,..and will do. Please keep the posts coming! Have fun and be safe!
Posted by: Deblan on 11/10/2013 at 7:57 pm
Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest BC Trek
Elevation: 13,950'
Hello from the "Himalayan Hotel" at Pheriche!
Another incredible day in the Himalayas, dear friends... And we can certainly say now we are going to spend the first night at high altitude, having hiked above the 4,000m benchmark.
After a rather cold night in Pangboche, we were greeted by another cloudless sky, whose sun made us ditch our layers just a few minutes after the start. Headed towards Pheriche Pass, we enjoyed astonishing views of Kantega, Tamserku (two of the most radical 6,000m peaks in the Khumbu,) and of course Ama Dablam. Like on the previous days, the mystique of the landscape is only disturbed by the heavy downhill traffic that we encounter from time to time.
While we await our dinner and as I write this post, we're also getting ready to set up for another session of nocturnal time lapse pictures before the evasive crescent moon we have vanishes.
The plan tomorrow is to rest here, to continue to acclimate taking a short hike, to visit the Himalayan Rescue Hospital next door, and, of course, stay well nourished with the momos and tea that (among other things) make us look forward to every meal.
On a side note, we celebrated on the trails a rendezvous with fellow guide Lakpa Gelu and RMI office staff Bridget Schletty.
Regards to everyone,
RMI Guide Elías de Andres Martos
On The Map
Like - more photos.
Posted by: Mary on 11/7/2013 at 7:22 am
Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest BC Trek
Elevation: 13,074'
Good evening from Pangboche.
It has been a couple of days since our last post, but electricity and internet have been unreliable above Namche. We arrived today to the village where the trail splits between the Ama Dablam and Everest Base Camps' trails. We came here after a short hike from Deboche, where we arrived yesterday after our rest day at Namche.
The clearing skies we have encountered as we have climbed higher have provided the first great opportunities for time lapse pictures of both sunrise and sunset over Ama and the Everest-Lotse-Nuptse group.
Our plan is to hike up to Pheriche tomorrow where we'll continue to acclimatize taking at least one rest day.
We are on schedule for full moon at Kala Patar. We see lots of down traffic as the season comes to a close but we continue up in pursue of the crisp skies of the early winter for the time lapse pictures we're after.
We'll try to report again from Pheriche. Best regards from the Himalaya!
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
On The Map
Posted by: Lindsay Mann
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
When most people think about strength workouts, they think about joining a gym and lifting weights to build muscle mass. I grew up as an alpine ski racer and continue to stay involved in the sport now as a ski coach. If you have watched an alpine ski race, in person or on TV, you know that ski racing is all about leg strength. Although mountaineers don’t need to be hitting the weight room to the same extent as a ski racer, strength is a key component to climbing.
Traveling around the world as an athlete, coach, and guide, I do not always have access to a weight room. During the season I still need to do exercises to maintain strength. I make use of local parks or playgrounds (where the entry fee is free) or even my own living room.
Below are a couple of key exercises that you can do either in a gym or in the comfort of your own home. Remember, whenever doing strength workouts, it is important to get a proper warm-up and cool-down and listen to your body in order to stay injury-free and get the most from the workout.
Warm-Up: This involves 15 - 20 minutes of running or biking to get your muscles warmed up. This is imperative since diving into strength training cold is a great way to hurt yourself. This time can be spent on a stationary bicycle, a couple laps around the neighborhood on a road bike or mountain bike, a few laps around the track or soccer field, or a jog around the neighborhood.
Body Weight Squats: Start your workout with two legged squats, feet hip width apart, with no weight. As you up your training, adding weight is a viable option as long as your form and technique stay correct. Jugs of water, rocks, or chunks of firewood all make good weight additions. To maintain form and avoid injury, make sure that your knees are stacked over your ankles. Start with doing three sets of 10 reps. I usually go down for a count of 2 - 3 seconds and up for the same count.
One-Legged Squats: These are my personal favorite; still a leg strength building exercise, one-legged squats also add a balance component. In order to protect your knees during any squats, I recommend going no deeper than a 90-degree bend in the knee (doing these in front of a mirror when you first start can be beneficial). Start out with the non-weight bearing leg parallel to the standing leg. As you master this, play around with the position of the leg in the air. It can be in front, out to the side, or back. Now not only are you working on leg strength but you are also working on balance. Work up to 3 reps of 10 on each leg. Depending on your baseline strength you may start with 2 reps of 5 on each leg and then slowly work up.
Again as this gets easier for you, add weights in your hand or try these on grass or sand. All of this will change your balance and the difficulty.
Wall-Sits: Simply sit against a wall with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle like you are sitting in an invisible chair with your back and butt against the wall. This is a real thigh burner. Start by holding this for 30 seconds to a minute and doing two or three sets, shaking your legs out in between. As you get better at this, increase the time you are holding to up to a few minutes. Another way to increase the difficulty is to hold an object straight in front of you, such as a ski boot or climbing boot.
Lunges: With an emphasis on quad-strengthening exercises it is important to incorporate some hamstring-strengthening exercises as well. One suggestion is lunges. The key to these is that they are done slowly; you are building strength as you lower your body weight and raise it again. Make sure that your knees are lined up above your ankles and feet, and do not push your knee beyond your toes. I usually start with my hands on my hips doing 2 to 3 sets of 10 - 15 lunges on each side (20 - 30 total in a set), and alternate which leg is in front. Again, as this becomes easier for you, you can add free weights.
Pull-Ups: These are nice because they can be done anywhere. Not only is it good arm strength exercise, but it also involves the core. Pull-ups can be done with a pull-up or chin-up bar in your house, or at the local playground on the monkey bars. Start out with 2 sets of five. If this is hard for you, have someone hold your knees to assist you after doing a few on your own. You will be amazed how much you will improve just by trying them on your own and then going through the motion with someone assisting you.
Cool-Down: In order to aid recovery for the following days, do a proper cool-down. Spend another 15 minutes on a bike or finish with a light jog to get out some of the lactic acid. Don’t forget that stretching is also an important aspect of the cool-down process.
Listen to your body with any workout. All of the recommendations of sets are exactly that - recommendations; do what makes sense for you. Depending on your starting point you may have to start with fewer and work up. That is okay; continue to work on strength exercises and you will see improvements. Set benchmarks and goals for yourself so that you can see the improvements! Often times the process of seeing yourself improve is all the motivation you need!
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Lindsay Mann is a senior guide at RMI Expeditions and a NCAA D1 Skiing Champion. She has climbed and guided around the world, from Peru to Alaska. Lindsay is leading a team of female climbers to scale Mt. Rainier on a special Four Day Summit Climb next summer, August 12 - 15, 2014.
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!
Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest BC Trek
"Tashi Dele" from Namche Bazaar!
What a lucky team we are! Scheduled to fly yesterday into Lukla, the morning greeted us in Kathmandu with cloudy skies, grounding the little aircrafts that are meant to bring climbers and trekkers alike to the Khumbu.
After a long hour of uncertainty, (and with the news that Lukla was also shutting down,) we relied on our trustworthy outfitter personnel at the airport; Sagar and Shangkar pulled some magic and about an hour and a half later, we were boarding... a helicopter! This safer vehicle under such conditions, provided us with awesome views of Everest and Nuptse as we approached Lukla above the clouds and we continued to give high fives in disbelief of what we were experiencing.
Soon after we met our Sherpa Nawang and porters at Lukla, we headed for Phakding, where we'd spend our first night at a Sherpa lodge. Continuing today with astonishing views along the lower valleys, we proceeded towards Namche, from where we are writing now as we enjoy a cup of milk tea.
The biggest excitement of the day was provided by the many hanging bridges, the last of which is a new addition to the trail since last season and sits some 300 feett above the river! As the mystique of the Buddhist populated land embraced us, we enjoyed the great hiking trails ornamented with centennial Mani stones and prayer flags.
Upon arrival, we enjoyed a hardy dinner at "Camp de Base Lodge" and we're now ready for a well earned rest. Tomorrow we'll meander in Namche optimizing our acclimating process with hopes of taking some sunrise pictures over Ama Dablam, weather permitting.
Best regards from Nepal,
RMI Guide Elías de Andrés Martos
On The Map
Can’t wait to see your sunrise shots!
Have a good trip!!!!!!
Posted by: Tammy Doppenberg on 11/3/2013 at 9:09 pm
Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest BC Trek
Elevation: 11,300'
Hello from Namche. This is the Everest Base Camp Trek and we are calling after the second day on the trip. Everything is well. We will try to send more detailed updates tomorrow, even with some pictures as we were having some internet connection problems today. All is well and we will try to update you more tomorrow.
RMI Guide Elías de Andrés-Martos
RMI Guide Elías de Andrés-Martos calls in from Namche Bazaar.
On The Map
Posted by: Elias de Andres Martos
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Everest BC Trek
Elevation: 4,383'
Greetings from Nepal.
Today we officially started our fall 2013 Everest Base Camp Trek!!!
Our team arrived filled with excitement to the small country of the big Himalayas. Great weather accompanied our arrival to a very much alive Kathmandu; the anticipation of the elections that will be celebrated in 2 weeks makes the capital city a unique place. Dodging the different political groups' parades through the city, we visited historical landmarks which made the day of such a photographer.
We enjoyed a great dinner before heading to bed for an early start tomorrow, which with a 5 am wake up call, will take us to Lukla, (weather permitting) to start our journey through the Khumbu valley towards the higher grounds. More to come soon from the unpaved trails, the smoke free air and the inspiration filled mountains of the Land of the Sherpa!
RMI Guide Elias de Andres Martos
On The Map
Posted by:
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
Illness is the enemy of every climber. You have trained countless hours and are in the best shape of your life, but if you start a climb already sick, the climb you were prepared for can become infinitely harder. Health on an expedition starts before the climb, before the team meets, and before the marathon of travel to get to your destination. Start your trip healthy by making sure you are thinking about your health and your immune system several weeks before your trip even starts!
Remember to "taper" your training before the climb. Ease back on the hours and intensity of your workouts during the last week or two before your trip and make sure that you are rested, recovered, and ready to go. It’s always tempting to push the last few workouts, but doing so can lead to arriving tired and predisposed to getting sick before the climb begins.
Most climbing trips begin with an airline flight, whether across the U.S., or across the globe to South America, Nepal, and beyond. An airplane full of people from all over the world is a big test for your immune system, and it will need all the help you can give it. To keep your immune system strong, don’t forget to start hydrating a day or two before your flight as well. Airline cabins are often pressurized to higher altitudes than we are used to, and consequently, humidity in the cabin is also much lower than our normal environment. Good hydration before your flight will help get you through the flight in better shape. Lastly, don’t forget to get up and move around. A few hours of sitting in your airplane seat can leave your legs feeling stiff, sore, and perhaps swollen; not an ideal start to a climb!
Once you are back on the ground, try to adjust to your new environment. Often, the hardest part is adjusting to a new time zone. Do your best to adjust your routine to the local time right off: eat your meals at standard times and try to stay awake until a normal hour. Besides a time zone change, you may also be dealing with new and different foods. Right before your expedition isn’t the best time to be adventurous with your food. Be mindful of what you eat, especially when traveling abroad. Make sure that food, especially meat, is thoroughly cooked. Beware of fruits and vegetables that are unwashed, or have been washed with tap water. Soil and tap water in other areas can carry bacteria and viruses that our systems aren’t accustomed to dealing with. Along the same vein, be careful with drinks. Drink bottled water if in doubt, and ask for drinks to be made without ice (which is usually made from local tap water). Use bottled water to brush your teeth as well. If you are dying to spice it up and try the local delicacy, the time to do it is after the climb.
If you arrive feeling a bit off, don’t stress. Take the time to rest, recover from your travels, and refuel. This will make all the difference if you are balancing the line between getting sick and staying healthy. Vitamin-C supplements, Zinc, Echinacea, and innumerable other immune supplements are available. Bring your favorite, and use them prophylactically during your travels. Traveling can be the most stressful part of your climb. Once you are in the mountains, routine takes over and all of your training pays off!
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!
Posted by: JJ Justman, Solveig Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
We are back from the mountain safe and sound. It was a wild morning and it kept rolling throughout the early morning. First, we woke up to a constant rain at the hut. Solveig and I stayed up and kept checking the weather for improvements. And alas at 2 am the weather cleared. The team was so excited to climb.
We donned our packs and began our ascent. It was a beautiful early morning on Orizaba. As we inched our way up to the lower glacier I began to notice the snow underneath me doing something unusual. It was settling with a giant whoomph. A clear indication of snow instability. Solveig and I conducted a few snow stability tests and it wasn't looking good. As a matter of fact the snow settling under my feet was the worst I felt.
We contemplated a bit and it was an easy decision. Orizaba was not safe to climb. It can be disappointing not making the summit but with what the team experienced they all understood. Safety is number One. And as Sr. Reyes mentioned as he picked us up...Orizaba isn't going anywhere. We will climb it another day.
RMI Guide JJ Justman
On The Map
Good call glad everyone is safe.
Posted by: Mic Walter on 10/26/2013 at 9:22 pm
Fartlek + Burpees = now that’s a combo!
Posted by: Matt Stone on 11/11/2013 at 9:26 am
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