Diagnose Me – and help be get in better trail shape

Unfortunately, this winter, for the first time in many years, I didn’t walk my usual hilly routes with a 20lb pack. I walked most days, but I was lazy about wearing the pack. So I fully expect to be in your place come June. Maybe this thread can motivate me to start, I guess I still have a couple of months to build up.

I’m active all winter trail running and cycling and the thing that always kills me when backpacking season starts is the downhill. It feels fine until the next day when I realize just how little I must have used those downhill muscles over the winter. Since I started a functional strength training program I don’t feel this quite as much anymore, because built into my winter routine are lots of weighted squats, lunges, hip strengthening, and eccentric exercises. It’s really the eccentric that you need, where you’re both stretching and straining the muscle at the same time. The stronger you are with that stuff the lighter you’ll be on your feet coming down – less repetitive pounding is a good thing.

” less repetitive pounding is a good thing.”

I think that Lisa’s spot on about functional strength training. And, as I mentioned earlier, quick but short steps going downhill, that keep the feet mostly under the hips, can reduce pounding and twisting and overall torque.