Tag Archives: Fitness over 50

Winter Months EBC Training

Posted on by
4

img_0800

Photo above was of our secret stair training locations. Eight flights of stairs ten minutes from home. great for winter training because it was totally covered.

July

Week 1…Stairs 45 min;  Treadmill walk run. on 1 step incline, 35 minutes; I stopped counting the steps and we started recording time.

Week 2…Stairs 50 min; Treadmill 45 min, 43.5 km, step incline 1, vft 143, 10 min run; Hill walk Viewbank, 1 hour 5 min; Treadmill 36 min, 4 km, vft 131.

Week 3…Stairs 1 hour, 4000 steps; Treadmill 3.65 km, 1270 vft; Treadmill 3km, 33min, 100 vft;

Week 4… Stairs 4,368 steps; Treadmill 4.256 km, 1559 vft. weight in pack 2.3k, 15 step incline; treadmill 3.038 km, 1120 vft., 2.4 kg weight.

Week 5… Treadmill 4.010 km,1580 vft, 56 min, 2.4 kg weight in pack; Walk on track 9 km, 2 hours 10 minutes: treadmill 3.117 km., 1506 vft in 51 min. on 15 step incline

August

Week 1…Treadmill 3.8 km, 1721 vft.,1 hour; Stairs 3,800 stairs 1 hour; Treadmill 3.825 km., 1500 vft.: Walk 9 km, 2.5 – 3 hours with trekking poles.

Week 2… Stairs 70min: Walk to Rosanna 8km: treadmill 3.92 km., 1502 vft., 1 hour; Treadmill 3.825 km., 1609 vft.: Walk hill and track training 8.3 km, 2 hours 40 min.

Week 3…Bike to Petty’s Orchard, fell off bike: Stairs; Treadmill 4.144 km., 1787 vft.; Treadmill 4.810 km, 2000 vft.; Walk 6 km. at Cape Patterson.

Week 4… Walk at beach, Cape Patterson; Walk hills, 9 km., small pack; Treadmill 4.113 km., 1767 vft., 1 hour and feeling very tired; Stairs 60 min; Walk 11.5 km.

What we were training for – The 2015 Trek

A glimpse of the trail

But if you want you can jump to Day One of the 2015 Trek Lukla to Phakding or get a taste of an Acclimatisation Day at Dingboche or you want to skip straight to one the best bits feeling on top the world at Kala Pattar.

If you are not convinced the incline training for EBC is worth the effort read 25 Reasons to Trek to Everest Base Camp.  

Counting Down to Our EBC Trek

Posted on by
3

Today is our second last Monday out with the ‘roos at the back of Templestowe doing hill training. Seeing large mobs of kangaroos moving between the paddocks, orchard and scrub areas around the mountain bike trails and the rough tracks of the Main Yarra River Trail is always special. They are amazingly powerful animals, quite curious and we have had a few close encounters with the bigger ones as they are so well camouflaged.

Appropriately we were rained upon today as chances are we will get wet this time around on our trek as it is the end of the monsoon season. I was also practising with my new camera. Looking at the results I need a lot more practice!

The last two weeks will be packing, some training, preparing for a three week break at work and adding more posts on the 2015 Trek  section. So watch that space.

Training for EBC in May and June

Posted on by
Reply

TIPS

  • Keep a training calendar.

  • Enter details straight after training or you will forget, then get into a hot bath.

  • Undercover stairs are a great option during the winter months.

May – training three days a week, starting incline training on the treadmill.

Week 1…Walk 1.5 hours, Hills @ Templestowe; Treadmill 30 min 1 km run, vertical feet (vft) 500, 2.706 km Week 2…Treadmill 3 km, 25 min, no incline, 65 steps on new stepper; Walk 65 min fast walk to Rosanna, 5.5 km; Hill climbing (?) Week 3…Bike, Bridge at Templestowe to Petty’s Orchard; Hills (?); Treadmill 4km, incline 800 vft, 46 minutes; Treadmill 4km run,1 km walk cool down. in 46.5 minutes on 1 step  incline. Week 4…Treadmill incline training,1 hour, 4.73 km 5 and 7 step inclines, 1052 vft.; Treadmill 30 min, 2.6 km, 1 incline 53 vft.; Walk Plenty River Trail, Viewbank, 1 hr 45 min, off trail hills.

Perfect for Everest Base Camp Hill training

This is one of our favourite training hills because it is steep! That’s Sam half way down the hill and my daughter is the speck at the top.

June – training three days a week, 1 slow week, started step training

Week 1… Treadmill 4km total – 3 km run on 0.5 incline in 27 min, 1 km on 10 step inlcine, 40 min, 346 vft. No other training this week. Week 2… Run at Rosanna Park; Weekend away, Heathcote 7 km walk. Week 3… Walk, Plenty River Trail Viewbank off trail hills; Run 4km at Rosanna Park; Treadmill incline training, 10.5 step incline,  30 min,1.997 km; Stairs at La Trobe 2,304 steps Week 4…Walk at Rosanna Park 5 km ; Walk, Plenty River Trail Viewbank, 6 km “6 laps”; Stairs at La Trobe 2,000 steps; Walk, Plenty River Trail Viewbank,”8 laps”, 1 hour 10 min. Week 5… Stairs at La Trobe, 2,250 steps, 40 minutes.

* Stairs have been a good option during the Winter months.

Three Months EBC Training Activity

Posted on by
1

February Training

Week 1…Walk to park 5km; Treadmill 5.8km no incline; Treadmill incline 5, 2.44 km, 5 min bike, stretches; stretches Week 2…Trail walk & treadmill 6.5 km 400 vft.; Walk to Rosanna park one lap. Week 3…Treadmill 5.1km, 1hour, 900vft.; Treadmill 15 mins, 1.2 km, 74vft ; Walk to park, half a lap Week4…Treadmill 3 km, 33.5 mins, 415 vft; walk to park 1 hour 20 mins; Bike ride 11km Heidelberg to East Ivanhoe.

March Training

Week 1…Treadmill 5.423km, 1 hour 20 mins, walk/ run 413 vft ; Treadmill 7 incline, 626 vft, 2.578 km, 30 mins; Bike 12 km Templestowe to Petty’s Orchard Week 2…Treadmill 30 min walk on 2 incline, 20 min run on 2 incline, 20 min on 6 incline; Walk /run at Rosanna Park 1 hour 20 mins Week 3…Bike at river Mountain Trail Bike path Week 4…Run 4 kids, incidental walking as support team; Treadmill incline 30 mins, 2.512km,8 incline 510vft; 1 hour 20 min hill walks and “off piste” terrain Week 5…Bike Odyssey House to Petty’s Orchard (Pedal for Parkinson’s); Treadmill 10 minutes; Bike to Fairfield boathouse, 1 hour 15 min12 – 13 k, Treadmill 10 min 7 incline 11min 1 km…April… Treadmill 4 km, 47 min,15 min on 7.5 incline; Fast walk to Fairfield Boat House along Main Yarra Trail to Studley Park boathouse and back; Walk 9 – 10 km, Fairfield to Gipps Street bridge / Yarra Bend.

April Training

Week 2…Walk to Rosanna; Walk back of Templestowe (Boot Camp 6); Walk to Rosanna park and some jogging 59 mins: Walk Week 3…Bike Ride 13km, Heidelberg to Odyssey House and the alpaca; Templestowe hill trail with trekking poles, 7 km, 2 hours; Treadmill 4 km run and 1 km on incline Week 4…Treadmill 2km, 7 incline, 27:25 min, 462 vft; Walk 7 km, 2 hours Plenty River Trail, Treadmill 3km, 27 min, 1.5 incline; Treadmill 1 hour, 4.808 km, 6 step incline, 927 vft; Treadmill 5km, 2km on 8 step incline, 3km on 1 step incline, 599 vft. Week 5…Walk Plenty River Trail, 1 hour, 4km; treadmill run, 1.5 incline, 200 vft. 4km in 31min; Treadmill 30 min ”Central Park” 28 mins, 20 min walking on 6 incline, two lots on incline training.  

POSTSCRIPT –

Is all the training and the tedious list necessary? I trekked all the way to Gorak Shep without a blister and with very little in the way of aches and pains thanks to our training. Put “Trek to Everest Base Camp” as your Fitness Challenge or on your bucket list. You won’t regret it and it maybe it will be one the best things you do. Chances are you will do it again. Trekking in Nepal is addictive.

Are you considering an Everest Base Camp Trek? Want to know more? Here is the last place you will sleep on the trail….. The Last Lodges at Gorak Shep

Training for the EBC Trek in January

Posted on by
Reply

January 2015 – school holidays and a cool January

Sunday 4 – Saturday 10
4… Walk Waterfall Gully to My Lofty (Adelaide)
5… Walk along Henley Beach
6… Stretches
7… Stretches
8… Stretches

Sunday 11 – Saturday 17
11…Stretches, Walk / Run 55 minutes
12… Stretches, Walk to Hazelwood Park
13… Fly to Melbourne
14…Hill Trail walk Templestowe 1.5 hour
15… Stretches, 5 minute spin bike, 40-minute treadmill
16… Walk Canoe launch, around off main trail tracks to Petty Orchard return
17… Stretches

Sunday 18 – Saturday 24
18… Walk / Run 2 laps at Rosanna Park
19… Stretches, Bike ride to East Ivanhoe. First time on Mountain Bike Trail
20… Sore after MBT ride
21… Rosanna Park Walk 8 kilometres
23… Plenty Hill Trail with Bike. 5 kilometres, 1 hour.

Sunday 25 – Saturday 31
25… Walk at Rosanna Park, some jogging, 1.5 hours
26… Walk Heidelberg to Rosanna, 6 kilometres
27 … Stretches
30 … Bike Viewbank to the Orchard, 18.5 kilometres
31… Treadmill 38 mins, 10 min walk @ 5.5 Km, 10- 12 min run @ 6.5 km, 10 mins 1 incline 5 / 5 km, 229 Vertical Feet (VFT)

Training for EBC update

Posted on by
Reply

We have been planning a return trip to Nepal for a second attempt at trekking to Everest Base Camp since mid 2014. We paid for our flight to Kathmandu one week before Nepal’s first earthquake three months ago. Since then and the second quake we have followed the news of Nepal. With Plan B up our sleeve we have continued to plan and train.

Pre training started in mid January and included hill training, jogging and cycling. In June the personal trainer cranked it up and we started intensive hill and stair climbing and recently incline training with backpacks.

Yesterday we climbed over 4,000 steps. After 35 minutes we had a five minute break walking to the water fountain. I was reminded of how exhilarating it feels to feel really fit, something I felt for the first time in my life on our 2013 trek towards Everest Base Camp.

Everest Base Camp Trek
Almost there! The infamous climb to Namche Bazaar almost finished.

Beautiful River Walks

Posted on by
Reply

Boot Camp Days Seven and Eight

Two beautiful morning walks in the superb autumn weather. Exploring new bits of the Main Yarra Trail.

Day 7  Yesterday we walked from the Fairfield Boat House along the Main Yarra Trail and then into the Yarra Bend Park and back. A fast walk 10 km 1 hour 45 minutes walk.

Day 8  Fairfield Boat House to the Collingwood Children’s Farm and then over the Gipps Street bridge to the Yarra Bend Park and back to Fairfield, a 9 – 10 km walk I hour 45 minutes.

First Steps to Jogging Training Program

Posted on by
1

I started with a schedule very similar to this one.

first steps to fitness

Basic Training Schedule for introducing jogging.

Twisting by the Pool

Posted on by
3

Music for Treadmill Training

Boot Camp Day Three

Simple Training Tips

Tip: A MP3 player loaded with favourite songs of varying tempo is a great tool for training.
Tip: Don’t pack your MP3 player for trekking, as you need to listen for animals approaching so you can move out of their way.
Tip: Buying a quality treadmill has been one of our best family purchases.

Using a home treadmill regularly is a great first step to fitness for someone over fifty.  It will feature in our 2015 Everest Base Camp Trek training. Our treadmill has a great position under the air conditioner with a 180 ° view of the ever changing Melbourne sky. Music keeps me going when I exercise. I could stay on the treadmill all day with a never-ending supply.

Usually I have a plan before I start; to walk, jog or do some incline walking or all three. The Trainer and I had agreed at least an hour session and stretches for today. I decided to concentrate on incline walking before a quick jog, knowing we have a long bike ride tomorrow. With one-kilo hand weights I started on a 2.5 step incline at 4.5 km per hour. Staying on the same incline I jogged at 6.4 kilometres per hour for ten minutes. Then at the twenty-minute mark it started. Twisting by the Pool. I lowered the belt and raised the speed to 6.6, probably not wise given I haven’t jogged for a while. The songs kept coming and I sped up. Fortunately country songs played next and I switched to six-step incline walk – great pre-training for more serious hills and steps in weeks to come.

Just as well it wasn’t Zorba the Greek. All the family agree it makes them run really fast.

Boot Camp for Base Camp

Posted on by
2
There is a training calendar, the Trainer and a plan. There is always a plan. Only sometimes it changes.

Boot Camp Day Two

The plan was to ride from the suspension bridge to Petty’s Orchard, have a coffee and return. Before we started Adventure Man Sam informed me of his plan to detour off the track via a really steep hill along a rocky track then rejoin the main track. The very hill (below) we trained on ad nauseum for our EBC trek in 2013. I knew I would have to walk my bike up.

TODAY – approximately 10 km ride with some big hills and competitors!

2015-02-08 14.10.22

“Our hill” with the Trainer and my daughter at the very top in February.

We arrived at our hill to find the inaugural Pedal for Parkinsons 6 Hour Enduro MTB, taking place. After watching the event for five minutes, we headed off back on the main trail in the direction of the orchard. Next thing I knew the Trainer was riding up another dirt track alongside the cordoned off area of the event. That wasn’t on the plan. I had no choice but to follow.

The new route crossed over the event’s circuit at a few points. There weren’t huge numbers of riders so this wasn’t a problem. We joined up with the down hill trail from the original planned route. At this point we were on the left of the cordoned off section sharing a reasonably wide track. When we saw a rider on our side of the tape but coming towards us we realised we had in fact, joined the event, but were going in the wrong direction. That was definitely not on the plan.

Eventually we got out of the area, made it to the café at the orchard, had our coffee and headed back. With the exception of very narrowly missing a rider on another off trail track we arrived back at the car in one piece.

Who says you need to go to Everest Base Camp to have an adventure?

Bicycle Love

Posted on by
4

Finding Work Life Balance

Get Back On a Bike and Get Back On Track With Fitness

 

In mid 2012 I quit my job. I desperately needed time off work and to find some work life balance and reassess my next step and thinking about what retirement would look like down the track.

During those first few weeks off work I fell in love with and bought, a new beautiful traditional bicycle. Given my second-hand one was in the shed covered in cobwebs, my husband was sceptical that I would use it. I proved him wrong. Continue reading →