Gettin' in shape

[m gardner]

Anyone else getting in shape for elk season? It could probably be an olympic sport if it wasn't so cruel and grueling (not to the animal but to the hunter). As I age (getting older wasn't a sure thing when I was young and wild) I've been surprised to find that it's easier to get out of shape and harder to get into shape. I'm not immortal anymore! Been running (okay jogging's the best I can do) for an hour 4 to 6 days a week and lifting and doing some calistenics. If the hunt doesn't kill me the preparation might! I've had to double up on my ice cream intake to keep the weight on though. The suffering I do! Been doing some hiking too. There's enough vagrants around that if you hike along the road with a pack people harass you. I'm going to put "Elk Hunter in Training" on my back so they'll know! God bless and good hunting.
                                                          Mark

[Rohann]

I'm actually getting in better shape for basic training at the moment, so that could be considered as getting in better shape for hunting season too.
 
-Rohann

[m gardner]

I was thinking of some things that will keep you going in the field. One is never step up onto anything that you can step over or go around. This won't seem like a big deal but will keep you fresher by the end of the day. Another is, when you stop to rest put your feet up. This helps your legs recover quicker. I've also been in situations where people have been so exhausted they were sick to their stomachs and wouldn't eat. This is very bad. Eat something no matter how you feel. Small cans of evaporated milk are easy to get down and digest so I carry them, especially when packing heavy loads in bad terrain. Cans of Boost work well too. These are a few things I've learned that you don't see mentioned in the sporting press. God bless and good hunting.

                          Mark

[Hiker]

Good thread, I need this. Every now and then I feel like exercising and then I sit down and after a little while the feeling goes away. Just kidding! I try to scout out the areas I will be hunting so I can accomplish two things at the same time, learn the area and hack a lung. I like to plan 3 or 4 hunting trips each year and continue to get into better shape after each one and wish I could hunt all year long, then I would always be in shape. If you folks know how I can do this on a beer budget, let me know.
God bless you and your families,
Jeff

[Marlin917VS]

I'm getting in shape for tryouts for soccer at the moment. 2.5 miles a day with hills. The first time I ran the course that I plotted out I finished in about 18 minutes and 10 seconds. Right now I'm comming in at a little over 17, so at least I've improved. I found that when I'm not in the mood to run, I just pop in the maynard ferguson cd and put on "gonna fly now" (rocky theme song) and after that I'm ready to run. The type of hunting I do doesn't requre a lot of walking. My dad had a heart attack a little over a month ago, so he's been walking and jogging to get back in shape. He's doing really good now. He was never really fat, but he lost about 20lbs since the heart attack, and has been eating good. His cholesterol was never high (150) but he's been eating low cholesterol anyway. He'll be in even better shape this hunting season than before.
 
Andy

[M. R. Byrd]

I am walking(fast pace) two and a half miles that includes some hills at the farm. It is still in the 90's when I walk, so at the moment I don't have a pack or any extra weight(except that around my tummy). When it cools down some I will add some weight and hopefully add to the distance. I sure don't want to miss an elk opportunity because I am out of shape. Hope you all are getting into shape. I take my Drahthaar with me, so he is getting into shape for bird season also.

 
God Bless,
Maynard

[BuckBox Displays]

It's always good to get a little workout before you get ready to slay that monster!  Good luck!

[teddy12b]

Diets have never done anything for me.  Lifting weights has only packed on pounds in my experience.  The only two things that have ever helped my loose weight has been the Army and Martial Arts since I got out of the Army.  Needless to say I require a beating of some kind to loose weight.  Try looking into a local friendly martial arts studio and you won't regret it.  Your body will become more flexible than you ever could have imagined and your legs will gain a new kind of endurance.  The flexibility I have now really shocks my family when I show them and it's not as hard as a person might think.

[Hiker]

It's time again................to get ready for season.

[Smokepole]

I have been working out on a Nordic Track Skier for the past two months. I usually get 5 KM each session, 3 times a week. When the weather breaks I'll start jogging in the meto-parks. They have some steep hills. This will also include walking/hiking with an empty pack. Increasing the weight until it has reached my desired pack weight of 50 lbs. This would be my first elk hunt in Montana and I plan to get in the best shape possible.
 
Some of the hunters from my group have suggested eating lots of things like beets and spinach to help increase the red blood cell count and to keep well hydrated. They say at the higher altitudes it will help.
 
I also plan to keep an eye here to see how others are doing and looking for extra help.
 
Smokepole