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Other/Mixed Mountain Strong

Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
The other thing that some people ’get in trouble’ with is training (rucking) by doing it with too heavy of a load. Usually from the misguided belief that more is better, in that if they can schlep a 20kg load for a few hours then they should be able to go all day with 10kg right?
I prefer to train (usually) with the load I plan on carrying, or sometimes just a wee bit more. Now bear in mind that I am normally schlepping an overnight climbing pack over rough and technical terrain.

@TrailNRG …. please allow me to walk back a bit what I said about my strength training above. For this years GC because of when we are going (Early June!!!) I may do some ancillary strength work as outlined in TFNA / TFUA, just because it will be too hot here to hit the lower trails around here on the regular. (SpiderLegs knows what I am talking about…) This approach has served me well in the past; especially when I did not have easy access to elevation.

I too, will walk the pooch with a loaded pack.

@SpiderLegs is spot on about nutrition and hydration being pivotal to success on these type of adventures. This is pretty easy to accomplish (once you know how) on something relatively simple like the GC, but becomes increasingly complicated in alpine and high altitude situations.
 
The other thing that some people ’get in trouble’ with is training (rucking) by doing it with too heavy of a load. Usually from the misguided belief that more is better, in that if they can schlep a 20kg load for a few hours then they should be able to go all day with 10kg right?
I prefer to train (usually) with the load I plan on carrying, or sometimes just a wee bit more. Now bear in mind that I am normally schlepping an overnight climbing pack over rough and technical terrain.

@TrailNRG …. please allow me to walk back a bit what I said about my strength training above. For this years GC because of when we are going (Early June!!!) I may do some ancillary strength work as outlined in TFNA / TFUA, just because it will be too hot here to hit the lower trails around here on the regular. (SpiderLegs knows what I am talking about…) This approach has served me well in the past; especially when I did not have easy access to elevation.

I too, will walk the pooch with a loaded pack.

@SpiderLegs is spot on about nutrition and hydration being pivotal to success on these type of adventures. This is pretty easy to accomplish (once you know how) on something relatively simple like the GC, but becomes increasingly complicated in alpine and high altitude situations.
I've ususally seen military rucking programs being 'X'% of Bodyweight for 'Y' of kilometers.

For a previous event in which I rucked/jogged 30 kilometers with 11 KG I pretty much just trained with the 11KG required in the pack called the Norwegian Foot March. Though I finished the event in 5 hours and 2 minutes (not the 4 hours and 35 minutes that a man my years must do) due to a run in with some nausea and dry heaves 3/4 into the event (my priorities shifted from making time to just finishing the event), I found that Zone 2 work made a lot of sense. In a few weeks I'll be doing a 25km ruck with 10 KG of pack.
 
Not sure, but I'm still pretty pleased I managed to finish the 30km foot march. That was a tough paced event. Thankfully for the 25km march I've got a lighter load by 1 kilogram, a shorter distance by 5 kilometers and six hours to finish.

This was the 30 kilometer event. That's roughly a 14:47 min/mile for a passing time for men:

 
I’ll wager dollars to doughnuts that it was. Every time I’ve experienced this type of thing I can trace it back to inadequate hydration and nutrition for the conditions. Every time…
What DID work for me was the following:
  • Polarized endurance training: hard days were hard, easy days were easy (Zone 2 aerobic)
  • Heavy emphasis on chassis integrity via TGUs, Goblet Squats (and barbell front squats), and deadlifts
  • A&A Swings, mostly at 28KG
Had I not had the nausea episode, things might've been better. Lessons learned.

Would these be Dunkin' or Tim Horton Donuts?
 
Polarized endurance training: hard days were hard, easy days were easy (Zone 2 aerobic)
This is so very important. I see far too many people whose training is the polar opposite… their easy days are too hard, and their hard days are too easy…

And Timmy’s all the way man….
 
Yeah, I monitor my heartrate all the time in training events. From Runninversity.com I know my maximum Z2 is 152 BPM, and I try to keep my HR o/a 145-147 BPM at the highest.

I get weird spikes, like yesterday when doing 35 minutes I spiked to 170 BPM just starting the run and I immediately slowed down, and maintained an average HR of 128 BPM during that run. I wonder if that was just a weird issue with my HR monitor, or if my previous day's 57.2 meter sprints with full recovery meant the wrong system got engaged when I started running.
 
This is so very important. I see far too many people whose training is the polar opposite… their easy days are too hard, and their hard days are too easy…

And Timmy’s all the way man….
Way back in college I was an elite bicycle racer and Tucson is the place many Tour de France pros come for a month to soak up sun in the winter. Got to train on occasion with a few of them. One guy in particular gave me this advice over 30 years ago. He had finished in the top 20 of the TDF and was third in the climbing category (the polka dot jersey) 6 months before. His succinct advice came in a thick French accent and he said "On your slow days, go very slow....on your fast days, go very fast. Never train medium and most of your training should be slow".
 
Way back in college I was an elite bicycle racer and Tucson is the place many Tour de France pros come for a month to soak up sun in the winter. Got to train on occasion with a few of them. One guy in particular gave me this advice over 30 years ago. He had finished in the top 20 of the TDF and was third in the climbing category (the polka dot jersey) 6 months before. His succinct advice came in a thick French accent and he said "On your slow days, go very slow....on your fast days, go very fast. Never train medium and most of your training should be slow".

Until recent years, when I discovered and consistently applied Zone 2 endurance training I used to HATE running and foot marching. Now I actually don't mind having it as part and parcel of my physical training regimen, uniformed or not uniformed. I find LISS/Z2 endurance work genuinely compliments my lifting/strength work and jiujitsu.
 
I’m definitely interested in hearing more about R2R2R but understand this might not be the correct venue.
 
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Thank you @offwidth and @SpiderLegs! Thankful to have your insight. I too raced a bit back in the the 80’s and 90’s in Colorado. I only did a few races in AZ. Cactus Cup, El Tour and the infamous shoot out.
 
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