Unorthodox Training Plans – The Trek

Not all hiking trips have to be hardcore, even the training ones. 

 I want to train for my upcoming hiking season of three challenging objectives. Hike the Uinta Highline Trail (97mi), spend all of August on the Colorado Trail (500mi), and jump to the Arizona Trail (800mi) in late September. Maybe to finish out 2025 I will return to one of my local AR favorites too, the Ouachita Trail (223mi). This is an intimidating six month schedule for having been an office-desk creature the past two and a half years, which is why I am eager to get all the fun “weekend warrior” trips going. I would take any opportunity to walk some miles and sleep in a tent, but some outings do not hold high expectations for distance or pace and instead hold opportunities for other types of “training.”

General Fitness Routine

A wet and muddy “Whistles” running Spirit of Syllamo 35 Miler

Since getting off the PCT in 2022, I’ve taken up ultra/ trail running to maximize my time in the woods while keeping the typical 9-5 working life template. For the past two years, trail running has given me a daily dose of nature, exercise and community. I live in Fayetteville, AR and couldn’t be more proud of the trails here! As I move closer to my thru-hiking start dates, I have pulled back from exclusive running and have begun strength training three days a week, the early morning sessions, which I am not super fond of… I see strong people of all ages around me supplementing strength training along with their chosen outdoor recreation, and they are beasts! I want to go into my next chapter of long distance backpacking with some muscle and good form. I’m not prone to injuries, but I fear more the inevitable exhaustion that my body felt at the end of the PCT. I want to change habits and improve fitness to stave off that exhaustion a little longer for the next time. 

Besides my daily fitness routine, I also know the importance of being a “weekend warrior” with small backpacking trips as often as I can manage. I can muster the energy to hit the road as soon as I get off work Fridays, and be walking with a pack until Sunday. These trips allow me to break-in shoes, re-familiarize myself with gear, and play with food and nutrition. Ideally I am also pushing myself in steep terrain, inclement weather, and longer mileage days, but it doesn’t always work out that way…

First Weekend Training Trips of 2025   

Gal-entines on the OHT

I had the pleasure of making new friends with a group of outdoorsy ladies at a Gal-entine’s Brunch in February. We went backpacking on a lovely weekend in March on the Ozark Highlands Trail in Franklin County, Arkansas. Our little herd totaled five gals and a dog, all of us with varying hiking experience. One woman had never backpacked before, several others had to borrow or rent gear, and a few were familiar with backpacking out West, but were new to Arkansas and had never stepped on the Ozark Highlands Trail. 

 To accommodate the varied group, we planned a total of 14 miles for the weekend. From Cherry Bend TH we would trend uphill 6 miles to camp at Hare Mountain, the OHT’s highest point. We would then do roughly 8 miles downhill to Redding Campground via a blue blaze side trail. 

Looking at those stats, this was clearly not the weekend where I could blast off and physically challenge myself. If I wanted to use this weekend to “train” for my upcoming thru-hikes, I would have to get creative and think outside the Hiker Box. Maybe I wouldn’t improve my walking endurance, cardio or strength, but I could practice patience with myself and others. Patience and humbleness are very important values for thru-hikers to learn! I wanted to practice the important hiker discipline of setting priorities and then following through on them. My priority for this trip was not to get impressive elevation gain or long days on my feet, but instead was about creating friendships and ensuring a great experience for these women so that they want to do more backpacking in the future. I don’t ever want to be elitist, pushy, or impatient with this curious group of girls. Instead I could let them teach me a thing or two about slowing down to appreciate spring’s first Lambs Ear popping up from the ground, or enjoying extra long lunch breaks without looking at my watch. We stopped countless times to look at the same type of tree blooming white blossoms and tried to conjure it’s name that never quite came to mind. (Dogwoods? No, no, these flowers are smaller… Turns out it was a Serviceberry!) 

I knew I would be giddy to move fast and not break too often, that’s my backpacking default, but that is not what is good or fun for the group. We hiked through the forest for two mile stretches before someone needed a water break or to pee behind a bush. That was when I’d find awareness, check my state of mind and practice letting the expectations go. I told myself I would not comment or give advice on anyone’s gear, including my own, unless specifically asked. I would not dwell on the early miles we could be hiking as we take the morning hours to break camp. I would breathe, smile and enjoy my wonderful surroundings and my hilarious company. I shrugged off my internal pressure to be “hardcore” and instead found the best moments in being present and encouraging others in the woods. 

Miles 4 Missions on the BRT

Overlook with “Cool Runnings” on the BRT

A beautiful weekend in April had me hiking on the Buffalo River Trail with an even larger mixed group for wholly different reasons. A wonderful co-worker and dear friend of mine, “Ozark”, hikes a trail every year and fundraises for a children’s mission in India. He allowed a handful of others including myself, to hike the Buffalo River Trail in Newton County, Arkansas with him, increasing the donations to the non-profit. I was honored to join and inspired by Ozark’s drive to use something he loves to help improve the lives of people half a world away. I’ve always hiked for myself, getting the benefits of nature, exercise and adventure has seemed a down-right selfish pleasure. But 5 years into Mile 4 Missions, here was Ozark turning hiking into a selfless act that positively impacts hundreds of thousands of people! His story is beautiful, empowering and reminds me of the immense privilege I have to be able to embark on these walks. 

For this training hike, I prioritized connection to those I shared the hike with, and to appreciating the magnificent Give-and-Take that can be found so often on trails. I practiced letting numerous, gracious Trail Angels take care of me without feeling guilty or un-reciprocating. Trail Angels galore on the BRT, from the two funny sisters camping at Kyle’s Landing, who would tell stories and feed anyone with an ear and a mouth, to Ozark’s wife shuttling us from Pruitt TH to the Ozark Cafe for a full meal in peaceful little Jasper. Ozark himself, for pushing snickers and bacon on us at “bird song cemetery camp” even while he had hiked twice the mileage we had. 

A wonderful thing I remember about life on the PCT was that money was never the main underlying currency between people. We are so used to it being so in our daily lives that we don’t even notice. There is a powerful force of goodwill and unity that flows around these outdoor communities, jovial and undisguised. Anyone who has experienced Trail Magic understands what I speak of, and it was a gift that I could feel so lifted by so many on such a short weekend hike! I think of hikers like birds on a long flight, and Trail Angels as both little breezes or strong currents of wind. Sometimes I am a breeze that lifts a gliding bird higher into the sky, and at other times, I am that bird being lifted by others on my own flight. 

 This is an unorthodox training plan I am exploring, a mix of weights in a gym, spending time with the pack on and finding those little enjoyments of living outside. I am sure it sounds quite different from the intimidating training plans focused on making someone a 30 mile monster, but this approach feels right for me. I have enough experience to know that when it comes down to it, it’s my mindset and cultivating the core qualities of an honorable hiker that will keep me resilient on a thru-hike, not my miles per hour pace or daily elevation gain. 

2 Months, 8 Days until I embark! 

Happy Earth Day!

Till next time, Whistles

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