We’ve all had those mornings when we keep hitting snooze. The last thing we want to do is get up, let alone work out. Between work, family, errands, and everything else on your plate, feeling mentally and physically drained can become the norm, rather than the exception. Read more
Last week I posted about the meaning of VO2Max and how to get an estimate of yours. And I left you hanging with your “But Rache, how do I Improve It?” questions. So here you go! A selection of workouts tailored to different endurance activities that can help you dial up your cardio engine’s power. Read more
You may have heard the term VO2Max bandied about, but aren’t sure what it is, or if it’s something you should care about. Well, do you like to do active stuff outside? Then, I’d venture a: Yes, You Should Care About It. Want to live a long life with a long health-span? Then, absolutely, VO2Max is a tool for you. Read more
You train hard. You push yourself up hills. You run for miles. You constantly challenge your body. The difference between runners and hikers who keep their stamina up for years, and those who burn out or get injured, is usually how you take care of your body between workouts. Read more
With our mostly meh skiing season this Winter in the Seattle area, thoughts turn to Spring hiking. Trails are already opening up and clearing of snow. Are you ready? Hopefully, you are building your core, hip and leg strength. As a precursor to that, attend also to your mobility! Why is this so important? Well, think of it this way. You won’t be able to use your strength (or even build effective strength) if you don’t have full range of motion at your joints. The way to ensure that range of motion is to address your mobility, joint by joint. Read more
Picture this: It’s a gorgeous Saturday morning, you’ve been training for weeks, and you’re ready to tackle that trail you’ve been eyeing. But when you arrive at the trailhead, the parking lot is completely full. Cars are circling like vultures, people are parking illegally on the shoulder, and your hiking time is ticking away. Sound familiar? Read more
As a native Seattleite who moved to Scottsdale a little over a year ago, I know how hard it can be to find a hike that’s not muddy and rainy, so I didn’t hike as much as I wanted to when I lived there. Plus, I need the sun and because it was frequently overcast, it was hard for me to be motivated to hike, so one of the things I wanted to get back into was hiking when I moved, and immediately bought hiking shoes! I started doing small hikes in Scottsdale, but knew I had to get out to Sedona and see the area. For those of you yearning for a sunny desert hike right now, you can get it in Sedona. Here’s my account of a beautiful hike there. Read more
Now that I’ve whet your appetite with Jim King’s Zephyr Travel Curators post on magnificent multi-day walks all over the world, let’s talk about how you train up for such a journey. Over the past several years, I’ve trained backpackers, hikers and trekkers taking on anything from 2-day backpacking trips to more than a month of long daily walks. These experiences can be a serious upgrade in fitness as well as a life-changing way to take a long look at a culture and landscape. Read more