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Hi all,
I'm an Aussie currently living in London. I'm doing the Kokoda track with my family in Aug 2010. I'm wondering if anyone who has any ideas regarding training in an area where access to hills isn't exactly great! I've mainly got access to a gym, which I know isn't ideal, but winter in London, nothing is ideal for training! If anyone has any suggestions I'd be open to listening?
Thanx!
Hi Simone
You do have a problem eh? Mt Snowden and Ben Nevis just a little too far away for you whilst it has now been many many years we cannot recall any where suitable.
One thing for sure you will not have to worry about cold and snow where you will be trekking, although not well known there are glaciers in Papua. Suggest that you rug up well for any training that you may be doing as you will find it quite hot and very humid trekking Kokoda.
I suggest that you find somewhere where they are lot of steps or stairs the more and steeper the better, maybe you have access to some in a office block or similar that can be used during your winter then maybe during your better months you have some perhaps rougher outdoor stairs that you can use. Go up and down these stairs for an hour or more at a time firstly just one step at a time then two at a time then mix it up a little. Once you get used to this start adding a little weight building up to say 7-8kgs no more as you would not actually be carrying this weight in a daypack but if you are not using a porter, really recommend that you do so, carrying everything yourself build it up to 18kgs. There are no doubt step climbers in your gym make good use of these also the main problem that I found with gym training that all the machines are training your for walking Up Hill where in fact you will possibly find it harder trekking Kokoda going Down Hill.
If you have not done so already I would as most if not all on the forum would highly recommend that you use KTL to trek Kokoda with, I and others can not speak highly enough of them.
Brian
Hi Simone,
Echoing Brian's advice here again – the office block step training is a Kokoda and mountain trekking staple as is adding layers of clothing (one at a time!) while you do so.My physio got me walking BACKWARDS on a treadmill at the highest slope possible at ~4.5kms/hr. This does replicate some of the downhill walking and is also kind to aging knees. The stepper machine proved invaluable and I practised with backpack and boots as this changes your body posture.
As far as simulating exercise in tropical conditions, if you can get to a swimming pool that is over heated eg for children or physiotherapy, you can try some aquarobic classes or just swimming. I also found veging out in a sauna useful pre-Kokoda acclimatisation.
Enjoy your training and good luck on the trek – and don't hesistate to check out KTL as your trek provider.
Hi Simone,
Like Brian said, your task will not be easy.
Our son Stewart, who walked Kokoda with his younger brother and myself in 2007 is also currently working and living in London (since Feb 2009) and may have some suggestions which I will pass on.
Provided you have a solid background in overnight hiking back in Australia, a good Gym program should be adequate. You have ample time to prepare.
Assuming you are travelling direct from London to PNG and your Aussie home is in the southern parts, I would strongly recommend you allow at least 2-3 days in PNG to acclimatise before commencing your trek. You will have have the moderate benefit of arriving out of the northern summer although London's summer will in no way prepare you for the heat & humidity of PNG.
I would also recommend you consider KTL as your tour operator. If you intend trekking Kokoda to Owers Corner, their Orohaven facility at Kokoda would be an excellent stop over for the 2-3 day accilmatisation prior to commencing your Trek.Best wishes with your preparation,
Geoff Hardie
Hi Simone,
If you have limited space and/or options of where to train, these are things you can do anywhere, with no equipment. If you have knee or joint issues, walk/step the exercises, rather than jumping or bouncing.
Mountain climbers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO5KVEoEbo4Burpees
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5oXadjFAlQPlus step ups, lunges, squats and walking/running backwards, as has already been mentioned. Do some work on core stability and balance, too. I also suggest taking a good quality fish oil starting now, to help your joints. Start your training without a backpack, but start wearing it after a few weeks and increase the weight over time to *more* than you expect to carry at Kokoda. It'll make things a little easier once you get there.
Eve
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Br…afe/89659449138Hi Simone, I agree with Eve's comments, find yourself a highrise building and use their stairwell. I live in Port Moresby for the majority of the year and when I walked the track with the exception of a few 5km walks around the CBD, my whole training was in the stairwell where I worked.
When I first took to the stairs I was just walking up and down from the ground to the 12th floor where I worked. One day a personal trainer heard about what I was doing and came to pay me a visit and said she would show me what I SHOULD BE DOING!!! I was surprised as I had no idea she even knew I was walking up and down the stairwell but I guess someone from work informed her perhaps at the Yacht Club over a drink or two.
So on this particular day we hit the stairwell and this is what she had me do. I was instructed to do it everyday from Monday to Thursday and have Friday off followed by a walk around town on the weekend if I could get some people to walk with me for safety (yeah I live in PNG)!!!
Her suggestion and it worked for me:
Round one: walk from the top to the bottom single steps
Round two: walk up one step….then skip to the second step…then back to the first step and continue this to the top. Then walk back down again single step.
Round three: walk up one step….stretch to the third step….then one step…stretch to the third step from the bottom to the top. Then walk back down again single step.
Round four: as per round one walk up and back single steps.
The first time I did this I nearly died….I could not walk for days…but as I continued I got fitter and fitter and so did my legs. When I finally got to walk I had no problems whatsoever walking up or down the mountains.
As for walks around Port Moresby that only happened about three times as I could only do it after work and when it got dark and I was still out walking, it did not feel that good so knew I was putting myself at risk so just stuck to the stairwell.
If you cant find a stairwell, a guy who has walked with us used the steps of train stations and buildings in the city. He said he got some strange looks walking up and down the outside steps of the buildings but hey it got him across Kokoda on two occasions with no problems so why worry about what people think.
I too did a lot of stair training. There were hills where I live here in QLD (Australia), but initially, I found the local water-tower and walked up and down those stairs. 60 stairs x 10 times = 600 stairs at a time. I too, like Boss Meri was near dead on the first day I tried this. But as time went on, I became better at it, my legs re-adjusted themselves to the new routine and I tired less easily.
Also, squats. With or without a fit-ball behind your lower back – either way. I called it a 'wall-sit'. Position yourself up against a wall as if you are sitting on an invisible chair. Hold this position as long as you can (usually until your legs start to shake from muscle fatigue). My max. hold was almost 6 minutes (5mins 50sec).
Try them in the tv commercials of your favourite show. Try them in the bathroom when you are brushing your teeth. Balance a book on your knees. If the book slides off, bring your feet in closer to the wall. 6 mins doesn't sound like a lot, but trust me, when you first try this, 30 secs will feel like an eternity!!
This will also inevitably help you when you need to go to the toilet for a #2 on the track, I promise!
Lunges. If you have the room, lunge walk to the kitchen. To the bathroom. To the living room. To hang out the washing. To get the mail. Anywhere you can. If you don't have the space, lunges on the spot. Alternating each leg. Please, make sure to keep a straight back while doing these and also some basic stretching before you start. Otherwise you might pull a back or groin muscle. Not fun. (Trust me – I pulled a groin muscle 9 weeks out from treking because I forgot to stretch and right up until a few days before I left it was still hurting).
Good luck with your training.
fluppy
I also went for the training but met with a Truck Accident at the hilly areas. But these things does not happnes with all people. So enjoy and all the best for your training. .I really appreciate your effort and encourage others to view this post .
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