Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise
Contents
1. 1 Pace Altitude monitoring means you ll know rates of ascent descent and you can set your pace not just by speed but also by elevation 2 Acclimatization You ll know when you ve entered high altitudes above 1500m or 5000ft and can plan your exposure to acclimatize properly For example you can determine when to stop for the day a predetermined elevation based on elevation gain 3 Navigation You can determine your location on a map not only by position but also by elevation making your navigation more accurate This can be especially helpful in poor weather when visual landmarks are hard to find 4 Performance You can measure your maximum altitude elevation change rates of ascent and descent and number of runs if you re a skier for a particular outing or season All of this altitude related performance data allows you to make individual comparisons or see how you compare to your friends Barometric Pressure Why Measure It The main reason to measure barometric pressure is if you re interested in changes in the weather At a constant altitude changes in barometric pressure can signify changes in weather Poor weather is usually accompanied by low pressure systems while fair weather is typical during times of high pressure By monitoring barometric pressure you can see changes over time which will help you forecast the weather The most typical times to measure barometric pressure are 1 Before you leave on a backcountry ou2. do to help cool your body It s not uncommon for heart rates to be 5 10 beats above normal ranges in these conditions Use your heart rate combined with perceived exertion and subjective feeling to set an appropriate pace Hydration Failing to stay hydrated can result in an increase in heart rate as your blood volume decreases and your body runs low on the fluids needed to maintain body temperature Dehydration can occur in cold as well as hot environments If you notice your heart rate increasing with no change in pace or other variables then increase your fluid intake Altitude The lower air pressure at altitude means there is less pressure to drive oxygen into your lungs Less pressure means your heart has to work harder to deliver enough oxygen to your working muscles The result is a higher heart rate at a given pace Fortunately your body adapts to higher altitude in several days to 2 weeks but if you re only at altitude briefly you ll need to slow your pace to keep your heart rate in the proper range It also takes longer to recover from a hard effort at altitude so rest periods may need to be longer Fuel Your body is always using a combination of carbohydrates fats and proteins for energy production As the exercise intensity increases you burn more carbohydrates and less fat protein metabolism is always fairly small Even at low intensities you need some carbohydrate to burn fats fats burn in the flame of carbohydrate What does t
3. lifestyle you can bring that number down to less than 5 per decade Why Monitor Heart Rate during Outdoor Sports You may be familiar with heart rate monitoring in running and road cycling but it is just as valuable during other outdoor sports There are many reasons to monitor your heart rate Pace You can use heart rate as a speedometer to set a pace that you ll be able to maintain The personalized nature of heart rate means the pace will be right for you Energy expenditure Measuring heart rate allows the determination of energy expenditure so that you know how many calories to ingest to keep going Adaptation Heart rate responds to internal and external factors giving you a way to monitor your internal condition energy expenditure aerobic fitness and indirectly hydration and the effects of altitude and weather The Polar HRrest test can help you determine how you re adapting Intensity Heart rate is an accurate measure of the intensity of an activity you ll know how hard you are working Safety Monitoring heart rate can keep you from pushing too hard thus reducing your risk of injury Progress Heart rate allows you to objectively measure improvements in your level of fitness Planning A plan that includes how hard to exercise measured using heart rate will help you accomplish your goals Use the Polar Fitness Test to measure changes in your level of fitness and evaluate your plan Variety You may think that monit
4. practice walking without focusing on where your feet land don t look at them gradually taking on more rugged terrain Your proprioreception balance and sense of where your limbs are in space skills will improve letting your feet fend for themselves more often improving your coordination and reducing the risk of injury Backcountry Skiing Staying Safe Backcountry skiing can be exceptional Your reward for a difficult climb can be a long untracked descent in virgin snow Backcountry skiing does have risks though primarily avalanches It is beyond the scope of this manual to address avalanche safety issues such as prediction travel in avalanche prone areas and rescue techniques It is important to know some of the basic information regarding avalanche safety One common misconception is that avalanches only occur on very steep slopes In fact the most common slope angles for avalanches are from 25 55 It is not difficult to find yourself on a 25 slope in the mountains Avalanches are more prone on wind loaded north or east facing slopes but can happen on any slope if the snow and weather conditions are right The basic rule of travel in avalanche prone areas Avoid steep slopes when the snow is unstable do not enter them and do not cross below them Contact your local avalanche hotline for up to date avalanche information if you are heading into the backcountry Here are some suggestions to keep you safe in the backcountry this
5. Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise The working ability of a muscle depends on sufficient blood flow and oxygen and nutrition intake The body uses two different systems to supply energy to muscles 1 Aerobic system Carbohydrates and fat are used with oxygen and metabolized to carbon dioxide and water 2 Anaerobic system Carbohydrates are used for energy production without oxygen and metabolized to lactic acid At lower training intensities your muscles use of oxygen matches your oxygen intake This kind of activity can be sustained for long periods of time At high intensities however your heart and lungs cannot supply enough oxygen to keep up with the demands of your muscles As a result your muscles begin to work anaerobically The problem with anaerobic energy production is that after a few seconds waste products like lactate rapidly build up Lactate blocks fat metabolism and forces the body to stop the exercise The metabolic turning point at which the body shifts from the aerobic to the anaerobic energy system is called the anaerobic threshold AT Your Anaerobic Threshold AT is the exercise intensity at which you begin to go anaerobic and build up lactate If you want to improve your performance itis useful to train for short periods three to five minutes at a heart rate just below your AT in order to raise it If you re out of shape your AT might be at 70 80 or less of your maximum heart rate However if your training progr
6. adjust pace You may notice that to keep your heart rate in the recommended range you ll need to move fairly slowly if you re going uphill with a heavy backpack You may not come close to the upper levels shown above Also you may find that if you re walking at a comfortable pace that your heart rate is lower than 50 HRmax You won t gain improvements in aerobic fitness at this intensity but you still get to where you need to go Monitoring heart rate isn t just to see how fast your heart is beating it also provides information about the relative intensity of the activity the rate of energy expenditure and indirectly the physiological systems that are being used to provide energy aerobic anaerobic There is a direct linear relationship between heart rate effort intensity and energy expenditure In general the higher the heart rate i e intensity during exercise the greater the rate of energy expenditure Also high intensities are usually associated with short exercise durations Determining Maximum Heart Rate Your heart rate has an upper limit or maximum rate called HRmax HRmax is not a good predictor of fitness level or performance it s mostly genetic but it is used to quantify levels of intensity as a of HRmax You can determine maximum heart rate a number of ways 1 Have your HRmax measured in a laboratory during a stress test 2 Do a maximal effort and record the highest heart rate not recommended for untrained
7. epending on whether you skate or classic ski but understanding and developing the proper timing is a critical early step
8. ercising This is considered the bare minimum amount of exercise you ll need to improve your level of fitness anything less and you may hold on to your current levels but you won t improve The upper limit is 5 6 days per week per activity Duration The duration of your workouts depends on your fitness level and what you are preparing for It increases as you progress in your training plan Intensity Is harder really better That depends on what you re trying to accomplish Different levels of effort or intensity elicit different physiologic adaptations As a result intensity is identified in levels Specificity Here s an obvious one if your objective is to improve in a particular sport plan most of your workouts in that activity at least 3 per week If you have lots of things you like to do and no particular performance goals then mix up your activities You ll minimize muscle soreness if you do the activities you like at least once every 10 days Progression You ll only keep improving as long as you keep increasing the stress of your exercise sessions and allow for proper rest and recovery If you get in the habit of doing the same activity duration and intensity each workout your fitness will plateau after 6 8 weeks What you are trying to do with a plan is to gradually increase the amount of stress your body can handle at a given time There are 5 exercise zones described in the article Heart Rate and Levels of Intensity each wi
9. esses intensively your AT will increase so that in very fit competitive athletes it might be at 90 of their maximum heart rate What is Aerobic Fitness Aerobic or cardiovascular fitness is one of the most important components of overall physical fitness It reflects the amount of oxygen in the blood pumped by the heart and transported to the working muscles as well as the muscles efficiency in using that oxygen When you re working hard your body s metabolism increases When faced with increasing energy demands your body eventually reaches a limit for oxygen consumption uptake represented as VO2 At this point VO2 reaches a peak value referred to as your aerobic capacity or maximal oxygen uptake maximal aerobic power VO2max Increasing your aerobic fitness means increasing your heart and cardiovascular system s capacity to perform their most important task supplying oxygen and energy to your entire body The best way to improve your aerobic fitness is through activities that put the body s large muscle groups to work dynamically for example walking jogging running swimming skating cycling climbing and cross country skiing Although your exercise habits have a big affect on your aerobic fitness it s also related to age gender and heredity Maximum fitness values occur between the ages of 15 and 30 decreasing progressively with age With a sedentary lifestyle VO2max decreases by 10 per decade but if you maintain an active
10. hey tend to be done at the intensity that you would train most of the time without a plan This is the uncomfortably comfortable pace They are valuable for teaching a sense of moderate pace burn more calories per minute and add variety to your schedule The length of endurance sessions will depend on your level of fitness overall time availability time of year and ultimate objectives Interval Interval workouts will improve your ability to maintain a higher pace for a longer period of time As the name implies Interval sessions are periods of high effort 80 90 of HRmax followed by periods of rest where you let your heart rate come back down to 50 60 of HRmax Avoid the temptation to go all out these are not sprints Because the adaptation to this type of training is somewhat sport specific Interval workouts should be done using the activity s that are most important to your goal Because interval sessions are performed at a high intensity it is important to warm up and cool down for 10 15 minutes by doing low intensity exercise The length of interval sessions is typically between 15 and 45 minutes not including warm up and cool down time and Interval training should be between 15 25 of your total training time each week depending on where you are in your program Strenght Training Strength training should be considered an important part of preparing for outdoor sport adventures You should do some form of strength training at
11. his have to do with heart rate If you start to run low on carbohydrate it will become difficult to maintain your pace at a given heart rate Your perceived exertion and subjective feeling will increase but your heart rate will be falling This is informally called bonking and can be remedied by eating foods high in carbohydrate As a rule of thumb always bring along some form of ingestible energy on any outing lasting more than 2 hours Using Heart Rate to Set Pace in the Outdoors One of the most valuable reasons for monitoring heart rate during outdoor activities is to set a pace that will get you where you want to go Your tendency may be to charge up the first hill on a long hike but if you were monitoring heart rate you would see that the effort required on that first hill would probably limit your ability to maintain a good pace later in the day In general the lower the heart rate the longer you can maintain the pace and the fewer calories you ll burn per unit of time For most individuals monitoring heart rate keeps them from going too fast initially rather than pushing them to go harder The table below lists recommended heart rate ranges depending on the duration of the activity The shorter the outing the higher the pace and heart rate you ll be able to sustain DURATION OF ACTIVITY RECOMMENDED HEART RATE RANGE HR 6 minortess 0 M 0 wi The tendency when using a heart rate monitor is to look at the number but not
12. individuals This will give you a fairly accurate maximum heart rate but is difficult to do properly Remember that HRmax depends on the activity so establish HRmax in the sports you do most often 3 Estimate your maximum heart rate based on the formula 220 age This will give you a rough estimate but is not nearly as accurate as the other methods described above For most individuals maximum heart rate declines with age and values are usually between 170 200 bpm Determining Resting Heart Rate The Polar HRrest test feature of the Polar Outdoor Computer allows you to determine your resting heart rate It will determine your baseline resting heart rate and monitor changes over time gap between current resting and baseline You can also determine your resting heart rate by recording your resting heart rate during a period of relaxation early morning works well Repeat this process for 5 days and average the readings for an average resting heart rate Resting heart rates typically range from 60 80 beats min bpm for most individuals with elite endurance athletes having resting heart rates as low as 30 bpm Resting heart rate is a good indicator of your level of fitness As your fitness improves your resting heart rate decreases due to an increase in heart size which pumps more blood with each beat Resting heart rate varies among individuals so monitor changes over time instead of comparing to others Resting heart rate can be affec
13. ioritize your workouts and how much time to spend in each activity For example assume the event includes mountain biking and trail running total event time is 4 hours and estimated bike time is 2 hours and run time is 1 hour other events make up the other hour Plan to spend about 50 of your training time mountain biking and 25 running as these percentages relate to the percentage of time each discipline will take during the event This will force you to focus on all the activities instead of doing the things you like and do well the most and avoiding the things you re not good at There are most likely going to be segments that will be difficult to prepare for due to limited time or no access nearby If so plan to spend at least 1 day per week practicing the technical skills you ll need and focus on getting your fitness from the activities you can do regularly This is especially important if you are a novice in a particular segment climbing or kayaking are good examples If you re doing a team event make sure that at least two people of your team are proficient in each activity Training Principles In order to make a plan to help you accomplish your goals you need to know How often to exercise frequency How long to exercise duration How hard to exercise intensity What types of exercise to do specificity How to modify your exercise to continue improving progression Frequency Plan to spend at least 3 days per week ex
14. kiing Snowboarding downhill or backcountry Adventure Racing in hilly or mountainous terrain The Polar Outdoor Computer allows you to select various displays depending on what you are measuring The following are the recommended settings when in the altimeter mode depending on the activity DISPLAY Vestical speed Mtitude Calor Elevations above 1500m 5000ft are considered high altitude If you alpine ski or hike in the mountains you will most likely be at high altitudes and you can use your outdoor computer to monitor your elevation and limit your exposure If you are from lower elevations and you plan to be at high altitudes your body will need time to acclimate to the reduced atmospheric pressures at altitude As elevation increases there is less pressure driving oxygen into the lungs thus you have to breathe harder and your heart rate is higher to get the oxygen you need to keep moving Over a period of several days to 2 weeks depending on the altitude at high altitudes your body acclimatizes by increasing red blood cell count to increase oxygen delivery to muscles During the acclimatization process there are 4 general rules to follow 1 Increase elevation slowly Climb high and sleep low facilitates acclimatization and increases the elevation that can be gained each day It is good to spend several nights at 2500m 8000ft to 3000m 10 000ft before going higher Abrupt increases of more than 600m 2000ft in sleepi
15. l notice that your heart rate increases as your rate of ascent increases Enjoyment Looking at a map to get a sense of where you are and where you ve been is a good feeling When you know your altitude and changes in elevation you have an even greater sense of what you ve accomplished It s also more fun when you re prepared and using the barometer function will help you plan for changes in the weather Performance You may be the type of person who likes to challenge himself or herself with every outdoor adventure being a new opportunity for achievement Recording rates of ascent descent total vertical meters feet maximum vertical speed and time can all be done easily with the Polar Outdoor Computer giving you all the data you need to compare one outing with another You can use the data to improve your performance especially when you use the Polar Precision Performance Software to analyze the information stored during your activities Safety There is always a degree of uncertainty when you step outside and the longer you re planning on being out the more likely the environment will change Monitoring barometric pressure and temperature and having a compass mean that you can anticipate changes in conditions or navigate through bad weather more effectively Using Altitude and Rates of Ascent Descent Measuring altitude is most valuable in the following outdoor activities Hiking Trekking Snowshoeing in hilly or mountainous terrain S
16. least twice per week as it has been shown to improve sports performance Strength workouts can be done at home using your bodyweight push ups pull ups sit ups etc or in the gym and should cover the major muscle groups that you use in your primary sports activities The table below outlines the 3 types of workouts PRECISION WORKOUTS The primary challenge in adventure racing is maintaining a pace that you can sustain for long periods The pace you select will depend on the length of the event but if the event is longer than 4 hours you ll need to keep your intensity around 60 75 HRmax You may be able to sustain higher intensities but you ll burn more fuel and will have to make sure you can consume enough energy 50 of calories burned hour and stay hydrated while making good forward progress Also keep in mind that the intensity levels may be different for each activity As noted above running snowshoeing and cross country skiing intensity levels may be 5 10 beats higher than those for cycling swimming kayaking and other endurance sports Tips on Monitoring Hiking Pace via Monitoring Heart Rate Monitor your heart rate to teach you a sense of pace while hiking Think of your heart rate monitor as a speedometer the higher it is the faster you are going in terms of effort and the shorter the hike will be before you get tired Use the table below to help you plan the appropriate intensity Don t assume that if you go harde
17. ng altitude should be avoided at 2500m 8000ft and higher 2 Eat properly A diet high in carbohydrates and low in fat and salt and that includes plenty of water will aid in acclimatization 3 Slow your pace stay at the same elevation or descend if you feel ill If you begin to feel sick headache nausea etc stop or descend to a lower elevation until the symptoms disappear 4 Monitor resting heart rate Resting heart rate tends to increase at altitude The increase is significantly larger at higher altitudes however resting heart rate should decrease as you acclimate This means that resting heart rate is a good indicator of your body s progress in getting used to the altitude Altitude Measurement How It Works The measurement of altitude relies on a simple principle atmospheric pressure decreases as elevation increases The Polar Outdoor Computer determines altitude by measuring air pressure with a sensor A rule of thumb for the altimeter correction is that the pressure drops about 1 hectopascal hPa millibar mbar for each 8 meters altitude gain If you re using inch of mercury inHg the correction is 1 inHg for each 1000 foot of altitude gain These rules of thumb work pretty well for elevations or altitudes of less than two or three thousand feet Atmospheric pressure changes can be caused by changes in weather and temperature Because the altitude calculation is based on the air pressure at a normal temperature there are e
18. oring your heart rate is too much science and not enough play but it can actually increase your enjoyment You can be extremely creative with your time and avoid the pitfall of doing the same thing day after day Factors that Influence Heart Rate during Outdoor Sports In addition to exercise intensity and your level of aerobic fitness the following factors affect your heart rate during outdoor sports Activity Heart rate can change across activities due to different muscle mass involved level of experience and technical proficiency Running typically elicits the highest maximum heart rate during a stress test whereas cycling and paddling maximum heart rates can be 10 15 beats lower during a similar test This means that you may need to adjust your training heart rate intensities by 5 10 beats for activities other than running Heat and Humidity Temperature and humidity will influence your heart rate As the environment gets warmer and more humid heart rate will gradually increase throughout your activity even if your pace doesn t change This is due to your air conditioning and level of hydration You produce a lot of energy in the form of heat when you move and this heat needs to be dissipated typically via sweating Humidity reduces the effectiveness of sweating resulting in an increase in body temperature and thus an increase in heart rate Even if the humidity is low heart rate will still be elevated due the extra work the heart must
19. r at the beginning you ll be able to slow down later and enjoy the rest of the hike you ll most likely be very tired regardless of your final pace read looking at your feet and not the scenery You can also think of your heart rate monitor as a fuel gauge The higher it is the faster you are burning energy If you re planning on hiking for more than 2 hours plan to bring along something to eat and snack every 30 minutes to keep your energy level high A good rule of thumb is you should consume approximately 50 of the calories burned each hour to maintain your energy level Obviously the higher you maintain your heart rate the more energy your body will need to keep going so you ll need to eat more Don t forget to stay hydrated always bring water or a fluid replacement drink along on any hike regardless of length The amount you drink will depend on the temperature humidity pace and how well you handle heat but if you find yourself getting thirsty that s an indication you are already dehydrated and your performance will decline Plan on drinking 0 5 I 16 20 oz per hour on average Paddling Technique Obviously there are differences in getting a canoe to move in the proper direction as compared to a kayak but there are also some similarities The General Principles Use a relaxed grip Gripping the paddle too tight wastes energy and can lead to blisters Effective power transfer Angle the blade of the paddle so that it i
20. rked trails 2 Traveling in an area prone to poor visibility fog etc 3 Exploring an area that you are not familiar with 4 Assessing avalanche danger N facing slopes are more prone to avalanche In order to ensure correct compass readings you ll need to do two things 1 Calibrate the compass This process makes sure the readings you re getting are accurate in terms of a heading Because the compass measures a magnetic field any exposure to strong external magnetic fields television audio speakers power lines will affect the readings Be sure to calibrate the compass before any extended outdoor trip see user manual 2 Adjust for declination Adjusting for declination difference between true and magnetic north means that your map and compass are measuring the same directions Use an up to date map as declination changes over time When setting declination add declination if it s west and subtract if it s east the Polar Outdoor Computer uses declination as east or west so it s easy to set the declination You can use a compass to determine two important things 1 Find out the direction you are heading 2 Determine the direction you should be headed as long as you have a map Preparing for Adventure Races The biggest challenge is in preparing for the physical demands and involves scheduling the activities As a first step estimate the time you ll spend doing each particular activity this will give you an idea of how to pr
21. rrors in altitude calculation if the current air temperature differs from the normal temperature For example a thunderstorm can cause a pressure change of up to 80 hPa 2 36 inHg which means a change of approximately 700m 2000ft in the calculated altitude You can also see from the graphs that small changes in temperature can have a significant effect on the altitude measurement The standard atmosphere graphs below show the relationship between air pressure and temperature You can think of these values as averages for the entire Earth over the course of a year Calibrating your altimeter often will ensure correct readings The calibration process allows you to enter a known altitude which establishes the pressure altitude relationship making the altitudes displayed much more accurate Set the reference altitude whenever a reliable reference such as a peak or a topographic map is available It is also recommended that you check the altitude at home and other common starting points AIR PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE VS ALTITUDE SI AIR PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE VS ALTITUDE C e 5m 40 nm N o 9 Se 1000 ewe 20000 25000 300 35000 Altitude ft source Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators Altitude Why Measure It Thankfully the world isn t flat If you prefer places that present vertical challenges whether it s on dirt or snow knowing your elevation will help There are 4 main reasons for monitoring altitude
22. s perpendicular to the direction of motion If you want to move forward make sure the face of the blade points to the rear and stays vertical to the water s surface Face your work Use the powerful muscles of your back and torso to generate power not just your arms Accomplish this by rotating your torso and unwinding through the stroke keeping your chest facing your paddle start by watching the blade as it moves through the water Three Main Paddling Strokes There are 3 main paddling strokes to master they are the forward stroke the sweep and the scull All start with the proper grip on the paddle For canoeists the side you want to paddle is called the on side Grip the shaft with the on side hand and grip the top of the paddle with the other hand this hand will control the angle of the blade Your hands should be about shoulder width apart For kayakers rest the paddle on the top of your head and grip the paddle such that your elbows form right angles making sure that your hands are an equal distance from each blade Snowshoe Technique Snowshoeing has been billed as the sport without a learning curve If you can walk you can snowshoe is the general rule but there are a few things that will make your initial snowshoeing forays a pleasant experience Begin on packed snow and level terrain Snowshoes provide flotation but that doesn t mean you ll be able to walk on top of deep dry snow By starting on packed snow you ll get
23. ted by 4 other factors altitude recovery overtraining and illness 1 Altitude When you go to high altitude above 1500m or 5000ft your body responds by increasing heart rate at rest and during exercise This elevation in heart rate can be temporary and should decrease with acclimatization to the altitude see section on altitude below 2 Recovery Your resting heart rate increases if your body is still recovering from a high level of stress If you find that resting heart rate is elevated reducing the day s planned volume and or intensity of exercise is suggested Continuing to push the body when it is unable to recover can result in overtraining see below 3 Overtraining Overtraining can occur when the stress placed on the body is greater than its ability to adapt The stress can be physical i e exercise or mental i e job sleep etc Overtraining typically results in an increase in resting heart rate over several days and reducing the planned volume and or intensity of exercise is recommended 4 Illness If you are coming down with an illness cold flu etc your resting heart rate may be elevated In this case rest or a reduction in exercise stress is recommended ALTITUDE Why Monitor the Environment during Outdoor Sports The primary reasons for monitoring the environment are enjoyment performance and safety Also you ll be able to see the relationship between your body and the environment For example you l
24. th a particular level of effort or heart rate range A good plan will utilize workouts across different exercise zones depending on the goal Workouts for Outdoor Sports Now we can take the basic principles and define specific types of exercise sessions that can be combined each week and across activities to meet your objectives The fundamental elements of each type of workout don t change across various outdoor sports which make it easy to plan effective and fun workouts Base Base workouts serve as the foundation from which higher levels of fitness are developed These longer low intensity excursions are designed to develop a strong fitness base and will teach you a sense of pace required for long outdoor adventures Base training should be 50 70 of your total exercise time each week The length of your Base sessions should gradually increase no more than 10 per week until you are able to do about 70 of your estimated event or goal length Keep in mind these are easy efforts avoid the temptation to up the intensity especially if you re in hilly terrain You ll have to pay close attention to your heart rate during these workouts as the tendency will be to go too hard These are perfect sessions to combine 2 or more activities especially if you re preparing for a multisport adventure Endurance Endurance workouts done at 70 80 HRmax improve both aerobic and anaerobic fitness These types of workouts often feel familiar as t
25. the hang of it a little quicker Start by walking getting used to the snowshoes on your feet You may feel a little awkward at first but after a few steps you go from beginner to advanced intermediate Walk with a normal stride width and don t exaggerate foot lift Avoid the tendency to walk like big foot think efficiency of movement Use a strong arm swing for propulsion and balance Your arms will help move you forward and keep you from losing your balance especially if you re in powder snow For walkers the addition of poles can assist you if you feel unbalanced or you are uncertain of the terrain under the snow If you re running use less emphasis on toe push off Walking Hiking Technique You mean there is actually technique involved in walking Don t worry it s unlikely you ve been doing it the wrong way all these years but here are few technique tips that you may find useful Use your arms Your arm swing can help drive you forward especially when climbing Keep your shoulder relaxed while you use an aggressive arm swing Really use your arms Add poles to your arsenal of gear especially if you have trouble balancing and you hike in rough terrain Don t just carry them along in case you lose your balance use them to help you climb and to help you brake on downhills Learn to feel the trail Trail surfaces can be very uneven but you don t want to spend all your time trying to find the perfect place to put your foot Instead
26. ting Ideally you ll see a steady or rising barometer indicating a good chance of fair weather 2 In the evenings of an overnight backcountry trip You can observe the trend in pressure over the evening to predict the upcoming day s weather 3 When you stop due to uncertain weather If you think the weather is going to change you can stop and check the trend in barometric pressure This will give you some indication of what s to come Reminder you can t follow altitude and pressure at the same time Rule of Thumb A 1 hPa hour or 0 03 inHg drop in pressure can mean deteriorating weather A 2 3 hPa or 0 06 0 09 inHg drop in pressure over 2 3 hours means there is a good chance the weather will deteriorate Measuring Temperature You can also measure temperature with a Polar Outdoor Computer It is displayed when measuring barometric pressure Because the sensor is in the computer take it off your wrist to get an accurate reading of external temperature If you re out in cold conditions pay attention to the combination of wind speed and temperature to reduce the risk of frostbite and or hypothermia abnormally low body temperature WIND CHILL CHART adapted from U S National Weather Service No outdoor adventurer should be without a good map and compass and no outdoor computer would be complete without a compass You ll need a compass if you re doing any of the following 1 Going into a backcountry area without well ma
27. winter Do not ski snowboard alone in the backcountry Tell someone who is not going with you where you are going and when you plan to return Use avalanche beacons for travel in areas that have avalanche danger Make sure you know how to use them and that the batteries are fresh Cross avalanche prone areas only if absolutely necessary and one at a time Nordic Ski Technique Cross country skiing is like a lot of sports the best people make it look so easy that you get the impression that it just can t be that hard to learn But like most technical skills the reality sets in about 15 seconds after you get your skis on The best advice and if you take it the rest of this will be extra credit Take a Lesson Here are the basics of Nordic skiing these apply whether you are classic kick and glide or skate skiing master them and you ll be well on your way The Basics of Nordic Skiing Weight transfer from ski to ski That means you shift your weight completely from left to right ski and learn to balance and glide on one ski Whether you are skating or skiing classic as you step on to the other ski think about committing to that ski with all of your weight and letting that ski glide Hips high and forward bending at the waist without sitting back As you step from one ski to the other one think of stepping forward with your hips centered over your foot Timing of the arms and legs Obviously the timing of the arms and legs will vary d
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