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From Ground To Summit: My 14er Training
Featuring Dr. Victoria R.
When I moved out here to Colorado I knew a goal of mine would be to complete as many 14ers as I could. I knew this wouldn’t be easy moving to higher altitude, adjusting my training, and making sure I stayed healthy and was prepared mentally and physically for the hikes.
Back in 2019 I had flown out to Colorado with my dad to attempt to hike Quandary Peak. With a summit at 14,265 feet I was unprepared for the physical and mental challenges that came with the hike.
We were uneducated on what time to start, what to look out for, and signs of altitude sickness. Very quickly, those questions were answered. I developed shortness of breath, a headache, and nausea. Others on the trail had also warned us of afternoon storms that looked as though they were rolling in. Realizing things were not going well we turned around and were unable to reach the summit.
The following year, my dad and I came back, much more prepared and were able to summit Quandary Peak. The feeling of accomplishment, the ability to come back and conquer the hike was fulfilling and left me wanting more.
Fast forward 3 years… my husband and I made our big move to CO and set out to summit as many 14ers as we can. Since June we have completed 7 14ers. Starting with Gray’s and Torrey’s we were able to complete the 7.5 mile hike in just under 6 hours. With this double 14er in the bag we were excited to complete more. Our next hike was Mt. Bierstadt wich we were able to complete in just under 5 hours.
Shortly after we completed these 3 hikes we had caught wind of the Decalibron. This combination hike covers 4 hikes over 7.5 miles (Democrat, Cameron, Lincoln, an Bross). We were able to complete this hike in just about 8 hours, with many obstacles along the way. My dad had decided to join us for this hike after flying in from Chicago the night before and we had decided to stay in Alma for the night to acclimate to the altitude.
We started our drive to the trailhead around 4:30 AM and began the hike at 5:00 AM. We decided to do this loop counterclockwise starting with Bross first. This was a pretty steep incline with a hefty elevation gain early on. When we reached the top my husband and I both started to have signs of altitude sickness and we knew we needed to get back down to a lower elevation in order to re-acclimate before continuing.
We slowly made our way over to Lincoln and were able to slowly summit before heading across Cameron to get to Democrat. By the time we reached the final incline to the top of Democrat we were feeling much better and were able to summit without any signs of altitude sickness returning.
But I wouldn’t have been able to complete these hikes without properly training and preparing physically for these endeavors. Here is how we prepared to complete the hikes!
We have been training 5 to 6 days a week for the past 6 years, although we have changed our regime to support out abilities to complete these hikes. Here is what a typical week looks like for our training.
Monday: Upper Body Push focusing on chest press and finishing with a low to moderate intensity interval training segment to incorporate cardio vascular endurance.
Tuesday: Lower Body Push focusing on squats, single leg step ups, glute strengthening to help us improve strength and muscular endurance to complete repetitive high stepping needed with our hikes.
Wednesday: Cardiovascular Endurance Training incorporating between 3-5 miles. This helps to specifically train endurance at a heart rate intensity over a longer duration similar to heart rate while hiking continuously to reach the summit.
Thursday: Lower Body Pull focusing on deadlift and hamstring strength to reinforce strength and endurance.
Friday: Upper Body Pull focusing on back strength and carrying weight to build endurance and support our ability to load up our backpacks with water and snack while hiking without becoming fatigued.
Saturday: Hike, rest, or LISTEN TO OUR BODIES. If we are fatigued from the week, we rest. If we feel good and want to move, we may join the FREE Community Class to kickstart our weekend, or add in another cardiovascular endurance day and go for a low intensity run.
I know at times it can seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get through your never ending checklist. Hiking is a great opportunity for my husband and I to unplug and spend quality time together outside. Thankfully, we both agree that our health is important to us, but to each other and our future. We know that by takng the extra hour each day to get our bodies moving, we are supporting our goals of staying healthy, active and happy.
I encourage you to prioritize your health, it is the one thing you can control. By exercising you will be able to keep up with your family and friends and not sit on the sidelines of life!
Be Happy, Stay Humble, Move Often!
Dr.Victoria
