Interval Conditioning for Mountain Climb?

I've been training for a guided summit attempt on Mount Rainier at the
end of July. I'm in pretty good condition for my age (62), but I have
no illusions about the difficulty of this climb. I would appreciate any
thoughts about the most appropriate type of aerobic conditioning to do
in the final months. In particular, I'd like to know how much benefit I
would get from mixing some kind of interval training in with the rest
of my workout.

Currently, I try to take training hikes once or twice a week. These are
fairly strenuous (for me), typically involving about 3500 feet of gain
in four miles carrying a 40 pound pack -- Mount Si, for those of you
who know it. The ascent takes a little under two hours. My heart rate
stays between 140 - 160 the entire time, averaging around 150 (my heart
rate maximum is naturally high, I think around 190). I also do the
Stairmaster several times a week for about 45 minutes each. Again, I
push myself pretty hard, with my heart rate often staying above 160 for
20 or 30 minutes in a session. Finally, I work out with weights three
times a week for an hour each. I don't monitor my heart rate then, but
I know it stays elevated for much of that time.

I was thinking about trying to work some kind of interval training into
one or two of my Stairmaster sessions each week. The idea would be to
push my heart rate up over 170 for a couple of minutes, then let it
drop back below 140 for a couple of minutes, and repeat this pattern
for the entire session. I read that this is a good and quick way to
increase aerobic capacity. I also read, however, that it may not be
that helpful if your goal is endurance -- i.e., to maintain a hard pace
for hours at a time. Any advice on this would be welcome.

Also, are there any benchmarks to help me determine what kind of
progress I've made to date -- some test to tell me how close I am to
being ready (e.g., the time it takes to get up Mount Si or my average
heart rate during that hike)? I don't expect to be the fittest or
fastest person on the mountain, but I'd sure like to know whether I'm
seriously behind where I need to be by this time.

I do plan to get some altitude in shortly. I'm told that the effect of
altitude varies from person to person. I hiked the Inca Trail two years
ago (the second day has nearly 4000 feet of gain, up to about 13,800
feet) without problem. However, I didn't carry much weight, and I also
had a couple of days to acclimate.


Thanks.

Steve Freides wrote:
> <caseydoug3 RemoveThis @gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1149793843.816198.105590@f6g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> > I've been training for a guided summit attempt on Mount Rainier at the
> > end of July. I'm in pretty good condition for my age (62), but I have
> > no illusions about the difficulty of this climb. I would appreciate
> > any
> > thoughts about the most appropriate type of aerobic conditioning to do
> > in the final months. In particular, I'd like to know how much benefit
> > I
> > would get from mixing some kind of interval training in with the rest
> > of my workout.
> >
> > Currently, I try to take training hikes once or twice a week. These
> > are
> > fairly strenuous (for me), typically involving about 3500 feet of gain
> > in four miles carrying a 40 pound pack -- Mount Si, for those of you
> > who know it. The ascent takes a little under two hours. My heart rate
> > stays between 140 - 160 the entire time, averaging around 150 (my
> > heart
> > rate maximum is naturally high, I think around 190). I also do the
> > Stairmaster several times a week for about 45 minutes each. Again, I
> > push myself pretty hard, with my heart rate often staying above 160
> > for
> > 20 or 30 minutes in a session. Finally, I work out with weights three
> > times a week for an hour each. I don't monitor my heart rate then, but
> > I know it stays elevated for much of that time.
> >
> > I was thinking about trying to work some kind of interval training
> > into
> > one or two of my Stairmaster sessions each week. The idea would be to
> > push my heart rate up over 170 for a couple of minutes, then let it
> > drop back below 140 for a couple of minutes, and repeat this pattern
> > for the entire session. I read that this is a good and quick way to
> > increase aerobic capacity. I also read, however, that it may not be
> > that helpful if your goal is endurance -- i.e., to maintain a hard
> > pace
> > for hours at a time. Any advice on this would be welcome.
> >
> > Also, are there any benchmarks to help me determine what kind of
> > progress I've made to date -- some test to tell me how close I am to
> > being ready (e.g., the time it takes to get up Mount Si or my average
> > heart rate during that hike)? I don't expect to be the fittest or
> > fastest person on the mountain, but I'd sure like to know whether I'm
> > seriously behind where I need to be by this time.
> >
> > I do plan to get some altitude in shortly. I'm told that the effect of
> > altitude varies from person to person. I hiked the Inca Trail two
> > years
> > ago (the second day has nearly 4000 feet of gain, up to about 13,800
> > feet) without problem. However, I didn't carry much weight, and I also
> > had a couple of days to acclimate.
>
> Improving your strength can help - it makes everything relatively easier
> and can increase your resistance to injury. If you're not lifting
> weights, I suggest you add that.
>
> I think your interval idea is a fine one - give it a try. Part of the
> reason for doing higher-intensity work is to increase your efficiency,
> both mechanical and aerobic - you might try taking short sections of
> hikes at a brisker pace as another form of interval training. Most
> training for endurance focuses on endurance but includes high-intensity
> work, usually in a few different forms.
>
> In short, I think you're thinking about this correctly - give some
> things a try and see how they work out for you.
>
> Just my opinion - I am not a climber, just an ex run/bike/swim guy who
> now mostly lifts.
>
> -S-
> http://www.kbnj.com

Thanks, Steve. Yes, I am lifting three times a week, each time focusing
on different muscle groups (chest/back; shoulders/triceps;
legs/biceps). I'm also gradually adding weight to my pack when I hike
or do the Stairmaster. That may be why I'm not seeing much of a drop in
my heart rate for similar exercise.