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Posted by: Ben Liken, Seth Waterfall
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 14,410'
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 7,800'
Friday May 20 - 10:38pm
Today we woke to another perfectly sunny windless day. The team moved strongly up to 10,000 feet where we cached gear to retrieve later.
After that we made short work of the descent, and are now back at camp 1, hoping to move up the mountain tomorrow!!
JT and the RMI team
Posted by: Tyler Reid
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Ski
Posted by:
Categories: Mountaineering Fitness & Training
One of the keys to performance in endurance events such as distance running, cycling, swimming, or mountaineering, is to be able to put in a hard burst in the middle of your effort and then recover. We see Tour de France cyclists do this all the time, racing a full out sprint in the middle of a stage, then recovering for the final sprint 60 miles later. Runners do it when they make a break up a hill to get away from the field, and mountaineers need to be able to do it when getting through a tough stretch of Disappointment Cleaver or clambering over the bergschrund on the fixed lines on Denali. The ability to put on a burst AND recover while you maintain your activity is developed through interval training.
There are lots of different intervals that can be tailored to accomplish different goals, from natural rolling intervals (Fartlek Intervals), to the 4x4 interval workout. Another useful set of intervals are ladder intervals.
Ladder intervals are sets of increasing and/or decreasing intervals. Ladder intervals can be done in a variety of terrain, from flats, to rolling hills, to a hill climb. A common ladder set might be to do a 1-minute interval, then recover, then do a 2-minute interval, followed by a 4-minute effort, followed by a 6-minute interval. Once you reach your peak (you’ve worked your way up the ladder), start working your way back down, reversing the pattern. After the 6-minute interval, do a 4-minute interval, then a 2-minute interval, and then finish with a last 1-minute interval. As with all interval training, the goal is to complete each one at a similar pace. The 1-minute interval might naturally be a bit faster, but you want to avoid blowing yourself out in the first couple of intervals so that you are just surviving through the remainder.
Another important component to interval training is the recovery time. Recover for between 50-100 percent of the duration of the previous effort. For shorter intervals, recovery time might be closer to 100 percent (you might recover for 1 minute after a 1-minute interval) while longer intervals may be closer to 50 percent (for the 4 and 6-minute intervals). Recover for long enough that your heart rate has dropped and you feel ready for the next set, but not so long that your heart rate returns to a very low zone 1 or 2 effort level. Recovery is best accomplished actively, at a very slow jog, walk, or spin; after all, the ability to recover while moving is what we are trying to develop.
As with all training tools, the ladder intervals can be adjusted to fit your needs. Using longer sets (at a slower pace) will help to build your lactate threshold, while shorter (and faster) sets will help to build your anaerobic threshold and recovery. These can also be done over distances rather than time, such as on a track. An example might be a 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 400m, 200m, 100m. Remember that interval training requires a quality warm up and cool down, both to prevent injury, and allow you to perform and get the most out of the workout.
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Need a refresher on interval training? Learn more about general interval training…
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here!
very impressive post for mountain climber like me.i am very excited to do my next expedition after reading your article.
Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Rajendra Timalsina on 5/14/2019 at 8:18 am
RMI Guide JJ Justman checks in from Ixta's lower camp.
On The Map
Doug and Audrey - we’re thinking of you every step of the way. Hope you’re enjoying it and seeing remarkable views. Love, Mom and Pops
P.S. Twins are losing to Detroit
Posted by: Matt and Sue on 5/26/2012 at 1:31 pm
Please tell Phil Usher: uphill and into the wind! Heather
Posted by: Heather Grahame on 5/26/2012 at 10:04 am
Saturday, August 5, 2023 - 9:38 pm PT
Hey, this is Brent Okita with the RMI Kilimanjaro team. We are on the summit of Kilimanjaro right now. It's, oh, I don't know what time it is, a couple of hours after sunrise. We have a beautiful day up here. Everyone did great and we are looking forward to coming down and celebrating. Congratulations to the whole team. All right, that's all for now from the summit of Kilimanjaro, 19,340'. We will talk to you later.
RMI Guide Brent Okita calls from the summit of Kilimanjaro.
Wow that’s awesome, congratulations! That’s an altitude few people outside an airplane ever achieve! Impressive hiking. You’ll remember this day forever! Well done.
Posted by: Judy Woellner on 8/6/2023 at 12:58 pm
Yahoo!!!! So excited to hear you achieved the summit. What a great feat for you all. Proud of those brave hearts that follow the sport of climbing. I give you all a a lot of credit for the commitment to challenge these mountains and volcanos you so love to conquer.
Have a safe and fun trip on the descend. Can’t wait to see photos of the summit.
Cheers,
Barb
Posted by: Barbara Heck on 8/6/2023 at 12:29 pm
Posted by: Dominic Cifelli, Jack Delaney, Jess Wedel
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 9,000'
Last night we celebrated our return to Basecamp with an incredible meal of salad, eggplant, meat with chimichurri sauce and of course, wine. Most of us connected to Wifi and let family and friends know we were well and they were missed. The mood was celebratory and the conversations light and airy. We chatted, laughed and played Farckle late into the night knowing our task was not complete. We woke early and hiked for a total of 17.5 miles, spending the day processing the experience we are completing and what lessons it has taught us. But, how do you incorporate the lessons of the mountains to make yourself a better person? A better partner? A better parent? A better friend? Can you remember to enjoy the simple and minute moments in your day? Can you filter out the sounds of the wind, the background noise, and focus on what matters? Can you remember to take a break, take care of yourself and take care of your “team”? By the time we rolled into Leñas we were reminded that we have only a short walk out to civilization and all the pressures of the real world will be back but tonight we feasted again and laughed again and enjoyed the moment. Whether that was petting a mule, watching the light fade on the mountain tops, feeling the cool breeze sweep through the valley or catch the stars brighten in the sky. Maybe that is the lesson of the mountain, being present and immersed in the moment, maybe that’s what keeps bringing us back to the mountains.
PS: I love you Mama, Teddy and Everett. Can’t wait to give you big hugs and kisses soon.
Climber David Scordino
Hey Team,
I do not know any of you, but I attempted Aconcagua a few years ago but did not summit. I was quietly cheering you all on and have really enjoyed all the blogs. Congratulations to all of you!
Posted by: Dave Kestel on 2/7/2023 at 10:13 am
On The Map
Yeah team and yeah Matt!! Can’t wait to hear all about it! So proud
-Vanessa E
Posted by: Vanessa on 7/2/2012 at 2:08 pm
17400+ 3000 = 20400, so I ask again, what is it like @ 20,000 Ft ?
Posted by: Uncs on 7/2/2012 at 11:27 am
Hey Wilder and Dink and your team - Wow! We look forward to hearing all the stories! Yes!!
Posted by: Beth Morningstar on 7/10/2012 at 8:37 am
Great job Wayne, Phil, Brennan and Scott. Can’t wait to hear all about it. Cheers!
Posted by: Barbara Johnson on 7/10/2012 at 8:35 am
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