Arctic Challenge 2009

The Training Schedule

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TRAINING GUIDELINES

Challenge rating: Challenging

This event has been designed to be challenging.  You will be dog sledding for 5 days in cold temperatures.  We do not expect you to be super fit, however it is imperative that everyone follows a reasonably serious course of training in order to get the maximum benefit from the event. The weather is an unpredictable element of this challenge, the estimated lengths of each day could be longer and the fitter you are the better you will cope with this and you will enjoy your Arctic experience all the more. 

Everyone has his or her own physical and mental abilities so devising a training programme is not clear cut.  Here is a schedule to assist in preparing for the Arctic challenge. Use it as you see fit and modify it for your own purposes.  Keep in mind that your ultimate goal is to be as physically prepared as possible for the challenge.

In planning your training, you should have the following aims:

1. Increase stamina / cardio vascular fitness

Any means of increasing your cardiovascular fitness will be beneficial to your training. Activities such as running / swimming / step aerobics / circuits / spinning classes are great ways to develop overall fitness. The key focus must be to maintain aerobic exercise for a sustained period in each exercise session so as to develop your lung capacity and strengthen your heart. Hill training programmes on treadmills and stair machines in the gym are particularly effective in developing this area.

2. Prepare leg, arm and back muscles

It is important that your leg muscles are strong to enable you to ascend and descend steep and tricky inclines. On inclines, you will be expected to get off the sled and help the dogs up the hill by running behind or alongside the sled. You will also benefit from strengthening your core back muscles which will assist you when jumping off and back on the sled as well as your balance whilst on the sled. Hill walking will strengthen your leg muscles and set you in good stead.  Following the suggested exercises below will strengthen the muscles you will need most for the challenge. It is imperative that in these training periods, and during the challenge itself, that you stretch your muscles effectively as suggested in the exercises below. Failure to adequately warm up, cool down, and lengthen your muscles, particularly after intensive work outs, can result in injury, impairing your further training!

It is vital that both of these components are accounted for in your training schedule. Your efforts would be wasted if your heart and lungs are not prepared for the cardiovascular challenge, by only concentrating on muscle strength.

Remember:

·         Choose an activity which you enjoy so that you stick to the regime. 

·         Start off slowly – don’t injure yourself by trying to do much in the initial stages if you haven’t exercised for a while.

·         We do not recommend that you follow a weight loss programme and increased exercise schedule without consulting your doctor.

Getting started:

¨      Walking

Start with fast walks 2 to 3 times a week, for at least 1 hour each time and carry water with you. Increase your walks to 3 evenings a week and during the weekend try fast walks of up to 15 miles. Wherever possible this should take place over two consecutive days so your muscles become accustomed to repetitive exercise – you will be sledding for 5 days in a row.  Join a walking or running club to keep you motivated.

¨      Cardiovascular training

In preparing your heart and lungs, any sustained aerobic activity will be of undoubted benefit. Running, however, is the most efficient way of developing stamina as well as increasing leg muscle strength at the same time. Aim for sustainability in pace rather than short bursts of speed and then rests. If you’re in the gym, try to stay on a machine such as a step machine, cross-trainer, bike or running machine, with your heart rate raised for at least 20 minutes. Try to incorporate some “hills” into your workout by increasing the incline and speed for 1 minute to push yourself, but only push yourself so far that you can return to your previous pace without stopping for a rest or walking. If running isn’t for you then swimming is also a good way to develop stamina.

The aim is to build up the amount of time you can sustain these exercises. If you start with jogging for 20 minutes, try to add an extra five minutes on each week until you can jog for an hour.  You will find it easier to build up your level of fitness if you repeat aerobic exercise every other day - you should be aiming for at least 3 times a week to make a difference. Twice a week is not enough.

¨      Muscle strengthening exercises:

Aim to do these exercises twice a week. Do 10 repetitions in each set and gradually build up the number of sets you can do. Make sure you repeat equally on both legs and don’t push yourself too far too fast!  Pilates is also good for muscle strengthening if you prefer to go to regular classes

Legs:

-     Hamstrings: Strong hamstrings (the muscles going into your backside) will help you push yourself up steep inclines. Try lying on a bench on your stomach and have your legs hanging straight down. Place a football between your ankles and raise your legs slowly so that they are parallel with your upper body, hold for 3 counts and then lower until the ball is an inch or so off the ground, then repeat. This movement should be controlled and focused on the use of the hamstring muscle.

-     Shins: If your shins are unprepared for intensive walking you could suffer from shin splints. To prepare your shins, stand with your back against the wall and your knees straight. Lift up your toes as far as you can, hold for 3 seconds then release and repeat.

-     Calves: To avoid overburdening your Achilles tendon, you should strengthen your calves. Stand on the edge of a step so your heels are overhanging and then raise up onto your toes, hold for 3 seconds, release and repeat.

¨      Stretching:

To be carried out before and directly after exercise. Always stretch warmed up muscles and hold stretches for 30 seconds for maximum benefit. Relax into each stretch, and as you feel each muscle release, try to push it a little further.  Ensure you repeat on both sides equally.

-     Hamstrings: Lie on your back, with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Raise one leg and clasp it with your hands just above the knee joint. Try to bring the leg towards you, keeping it as straight as possible, and your buttocks at all times on the ground.

-     Calf muscles: Stand with one foot in front of the other. Both feet should be facing forward and your legs apart. Keeping your back leg straight, and your back straight, bend your front leg so the knee is over the ankle joint and press the back leg into the floor until the stretch is felt down the back of your lower leg.

-     Groin: Stand with your feet 1 metre apart, with both pointing forward. Keeping your head up and back straight, lunge to each side to stretch the inside of your legs.

-     Quads: Stand on one foot, (you can put your hand against a wall for balance). Hold the other foot with the opposite hand and raise the heel of the lifted foot to the buttocks (or as close as possible). You should feel this stretch down the front of your thigh. 

-     Hip and Lower Back Stretch: Sit on the ground with your legs crossed. Lift your right leg and cross it over the left, which should remain bent. Hug the right to your chest and twist the trunk of your body to look over your right shoulder.

-     Hip tendon stretch: Stand in the same position as for your calf stretch. Now bend and drop the back knee slightly. Maintaining the straight line in your spine, push your back hip forward so as to feel the stretch down the front of the hip and thigh. Hold and repeat on the other side.

It is important that only warm muscles are stretched and that you do not over stretch to the point of experiencing any pain.

At any point during your training if you feel unwell or run down, take a break. 2 weeks out of a schedule that you have been following for 6 months will not cancel out all your hard work. By training when you feel under the weather will only prolong the illness, and will make you more susceptible to injury.  

8 WEEKS TO GO CHECKPOINT……..

-        Do at least one weekend trek of 7 hours each day on hilly terrain to give your legs and heart a proper outdoor workout.  Ideally this should be done 8 weeks prior to the event to give yourself a good idea of how well your stamina is developing and identify which areas you need to train on further. 

-        Continue your 3 weekly cardio training session of 45 minutes - 1 hour and your twice weekly muscle strengthening exercises.

-        Do a final 2 day hike of approx 8 hours each day incorporating hills and include 1 minute “bursts” in your cardio training. Make sure you are training outdoors and not just in the gym. 

Please Note:

The training advice given here is purely suggestions as to the more effective means of training for this challenge. It is not comparable to a personal fitness programme and may not suit all participants. It is advised that everyone consults a qualified fitness instructor in support of these guidelines to make sure they embark on a programme that’s suitable to them.  Should you experience any pain / problems during your training you should seek medical advice before continuing. If you have not done any exercise for a while or you have a pre-existing medical condition you should seek medical advice before embarking on any form of training programme.