I started my endurance journey at around third grade. My mom had been dragging me to local 5ks for years, but I eventually convinced her that I was ready to tackle an upcoming 5 mile race. Being young and having not trained adequately, I struggled throughout most of the race. At mile 4, my mom passed me while I walked and said my lips were turning blue. She went on ahead thinking I would tap out and head back to the car. But, I ended up proving her wrong when she crossed the finish line and turned around the see little Callie absolutely gunning it toward her from out in the distance.
My school system’s cross-country coach caught wind of my running hobby and decided to let me practice on her high school team. From there, I ran throughout grade school all the way up until my junior year. By then I had been diagnosed with an eating disorder and knew it would be better for my recovery to take a running reprieve. Despite not running my senior year and having a history of rather depressing race times on MileSplit, I was somehow offered a cross-country scholarship from a really small Kentucky college I was thinking about attending. I ended up turning it down though because I knew again it wouldn’t be good for my recovery. But even to this day, I often wonder what would have happened if I had taken it.
From then on, I ran sporadically here and there, usually when I wasn’t supposed to. I’ve talked about it before, but I started getting into hiking around that time as well. Entering my 20s, I continued to go through periods where I hiked more than I ran or vice versa. This was also when I began to experiment with backpacking and traversing longer distances. The process was gradual and I’m sure as I get even older I'll start craving to push my body in different ways. Thru-hiking, ultrarunning, fastpacking? I’m keeping an open mind as I explore this sport on my own terms.
I figured for this post, I would highlight some important concepts I’ve learned along the way when it comes to going the distance. Let’s dive in!
1. Logistics of going very far
First, it’s important to narrow down the gear and items needed to succeed when attempting to go farther distances. If starting with day hikes, maybe this looks like buying a small backpack and boots to get going. Or maybe it is time to give backpacking a try and need to graduate to a larger pack. Or maybe running is more of the focus, so investing in some trail runners or a nice hydration pack wouldn’t hurt. Heading out to a gear shop to get advice on what to have or going down various research rabbit holes are both great places to start.
*It also helps to get an idea of the trails in the area that can be accessed frequently throughout the week or on the weekends. Do this as well as trails that might be farther away, yet ones that can be saved for much longer, more exciting outings or trips. Apps like AllTrails can help with this.*
2. Training
As far as building endurance goes, everything online will say that consistency is key. This is correct! It certainly helps to determine how often you can realistically commit to training. Forcing yourself to hit the trail 5 or 6 times a week is not practical for a lot of people with full-time jobs, classes to attend, or children to care for so don’t beat yourself up if you can’t be that type of superhuman person. I have found 3 times a week or less of trail-related activities to be the sweet spot for balancing life obligations with hiking or running for me.
It’s important to keep in mind though that while consistency will help your body adapt to a higher training load, slowly increasing miles over a long period of time can be a way to keep everything manageable and prevent possible injury. Putting one foot in front of the other for miles sometimes get a little mind-numbing, so to keep things fun and fresh, vary the terrain, trails, and elevation too. To avoid getting stuck in a rut of low motivation, it also can be a good idea to cross-train. Besides running, hiking, or backpacking, what else is an exciting way to move your body? Biking, rock climbing, strength training, swimming…base jumping?
3. Fuel for performance
It sometimes helps to think about my body as like a racecar or at the very least a moped. Without fuel or a way to get the engine going, you’re not going to get very far, and if you do, it won’t be fun along the way. That’s why I’ve found food and water to be probably the most important aspect of endurance sports. While it helps to experiment with different fueling strategies to see what works for your body, I generally try to eat something every 60 to 90 minutes while on hikes. The same can be applied to trail running, except leaning more towards a snack or gel of some sort every hour is often better.
It’s essential to note that hunger signals often dissipate or lessen significantly during physical activity or in certain temperatures, so that’s why it’s always good to stick to a solid eating schedule while out on the trail. Off trail fueling can be just as critical too. Eating something substantial 30 minutes before and directly after each hike or run can not only boost performance but aid in the recovery process. Some of my favorite pre/post trail snacks are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, protein shakes, overnight oats, or bananas and peanut butter.
4. Goal setting
I’m a fan of running and hiking purely for the enjoyment aspects without any particular purpose, but I will say it does help to have goals. This can look like planning an upcoming trip on a trail somewhere exciting, signing up for a race, or even thinking ahead to a future thru-hike you’ve been daydreaming about. In sports psychology, goal setting can be a huge advantage in improving athletic ability and overall fulfillment within an activity.
There are three specific types of goals that can help with this:
Process goals include focusing on mastering a skill that will aid in reaching larger goals. Example: learning how to run or hike through technical terrain when going downhill.
Performance goals include achieving specific personal objectives that are usually numerical in value. Example: aiming to run or hike without stopping for one hour.
Outcome goals include goals surrounding the desired end result. Example: finishing a trail half marathon or going on a three day backpacking trip
Bottom line: it can be fun to have a clear focus which can often contribute towards you’re “why” for hiking and running in the first place. Which brings us to point five.
5. But…why?
I have covered this topic in a few of my older posts, but I thought it would be beneficial to revisit it. A “why” can be different for everybody, but this simple yet effective insight can be a good motivator or reminder when the going gets tough. Picture this. You find yourself hiking in the dead of night and your campsite or mile goal is a few hours away. You’re tired, want to cry, and so paranoid that every tiny crinkle of leaves in the woods makes you stop in your tracks. What keeps you going?
Is it the fact that even though things really suck in that moment, you love hiking deep down and that’s what keeps you focused? Or is it because you set a goal for yourself and want to see it through? Do you want to find out what you’re capable of? Or maybe you just realize that you’re in the middle of nowhere and the only way out is through? Either way, your “why” should hold power. It also can help if it’s more intrinsically based than extrinsically influenced.
Running a trail race just to set a PR should never really be the true goal. Loving what you do and craving to experience more of it to make your heart and soul happy is what will set you up for lifelong fulfillment in these activities. For me, I hike and run to feel all parts of myself deeply, even the parts I don’t like, and hope that I can someday learn to accept all of myself for where I am at. And that is what keeps me going the distance.
What has your endurance journey looked like and what helps you run or hike very far? Comment below; I would love to hear your perspective!
See you out on the trail!