820km (510 mile) Walk For Nature and Wildlife Conservation!

Hello everyone! I thought this may be the best place for this topic considering it is activism. It's also the main reason I'm here on this forum actually (not to advertise, but to receive some knowledge from fellow Vegan Bodybuilders!).

In July of 2012 I'm filming a documentary about Nature and Wildlife Conservation Awareness in hopes to both give information and motivate others to help bring some of the worlds leading ecological issues into the light. Fortunately there are those out there who are willing to push the boundaries and influence change to happen. However, there seems to be an ever fading number of these people from what I have come to see.

That's where this film comes in to play. Because governments don't bring change, it's the dedication and passion from individuals who start movements. This film is dedicated to inspiration.

Next year I am planning a journey from Edmonton, AB, Canada to Vancouver, BC, Canada. The walk is a direct route between the two cities, a straight line with a 20km leeway on either side. There will be no camera crew but myself. There will be no hunting nor fishing to show the dedication of conservation. There will be no bringing of food, water or shoes. A two and a half month long trek sustained only by naturally grown vegetation.

Over the past 10 months I've been planning and training for this expedition, and what I've come to conclude is I will need a lot of help. I am quite new to a vegan diet, and this trek requires that I have one, so I've started over a year in advance for acclimatization which has proven to be a very good choice so far. From this community, however, I will need to know how quickly I can gain muscle weight and which exercise plans I should partake in judging the factors included in this trip.

My pack will be weighing in anywhere from 40-60lbs and I will be walking on average 20km a day in flat land, and 5km-15km a day in very mountainous terrain. I would like to increase these numbers as much as I can, but keep in mind I may not be bringing any supplements at all. which means the only protein and calories I'm consuming is that of natural vegetation ( If I manage to find it [fortunately it's plentiful, but i may cross some areas where I won't be as lucky] ). Which means I'll need some additional strategies and preparation that I'm sure many of you will have the knowledge to share.

The plans for this walk are past it's infancy. More and more factors are becoming finite in their positions. The earlier I can prepare the better. I hope some of your are willing to lend me a hand on this adventure, whether it be from your knowledge in Vegan Body Building or through your expertise in website programming, or even spending the day to either help me train in person or help walk the first 20km next year.

Thank you for your support! I hope to hear from everyone soon!

Advice from one wild child to another: practice foraging beforehand. See how your body responds to the local flora and its nutrient balance. Make sure you can sustain the activity level you plan to maintain on what you can glean BEFORE you head out "Into the Wild," pun intended. Do it so consistently that embarking on this adventure is no greater challenge to your body than the average Tuesday is now. Because you WILL encounter some challenges and they will be surmountable but they will also deplete your reserves. Find out what your operating parameters are beforehand and master the feel of them like a fighter pilot masters the controls of his jet. Then, your entire system will respond to danger with a rushing rise in power instead of a tightening lock-down, emotionally, physiologically...everywhere.

Survival mode is exciting to visit but you don't want to live there. What you eat will determine the length of your stay.

It just so happens that I got off the phone tonight with my dad, describing a book to him that I borderline-worship and want him to read. I think it would be a valuable asset in your case, too. Deep Survival, by Laurence Gonzales, is an amazing read. http://www.deepsurvival.com/ I use it like a survival manual and commit to memory as best I can the lessons contained therein. It is not a collection of wilderness horror stories, per se, more of a scientific exploration into the limits of the human brain, answering the question "Why do we do what we do when we are faced with that situation?" I learned a ton from Gonzales and I reread it every other year to keep my edges sharp. Amazon has an excerpt of his tight, intelligent writing: http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Survival-Who-Lives-Dies/dp/0393052761

Man, you are going to have SO much fun!

Baby Herc, still dreaming of the Rocky Mountains

Thanks for your input! I've been planning just as intensely as you've spoken since the start of this idea. I fully realize the power of preparation, especially in this case. There is a factor that I'm trying to surpass, which is locating a vast, yet accurate source of information on edible vegetation between the two cities at that time of the year (including how to prepare them). I know much less than I'd like to, but enough to survive, which is still as I said far less than I'd like to know.

I've ordered a few books on the topic (which haven't come in it), would you know a good source I may be able to look through? (PS: I've just purchased the Deep Survival book you suggested)

Thanks for the warm wishes!

Thanks for your input! I've been planning just as intensely as you've spoken since the start of this idea. I fully realize the power of preparation, especially in this case. There is a factor that I'm trying to surpass, which is locating a vast, yet accurate source of information on edible vegetation between the two cities at that time of the year (including how to prepare them). I know much less than I'd like to, but enough to survive, which is still as I said far less than I'd like to know.

 

I've ordered a few books on the topic (which haven't come in it), would you know a good source I may be able to look through? (PS: I've just purchased the Deep Survival book you suggested)

 

Thanks for the warm wishes!

Fantastic! Smart man. I wouldn't mess around, just go straight to the source: indigenous peoples. Contact reservations, schools and universities that teach native arts, and people who are either published on the topic or have contact with tribal elders. Explain your goals and I'm sure they'd be thrilled to impart their wisdom to somebody so eager to educate the world about the delicate beauty of that area. I've seen documentary-type shows where a guy goes into the arboreal forest of Canada with local experts and films them demonstrating their wisdom--everything from birch bark basket craft to whipping up a revitalizing tea made from a certain camellia's leaves in the dead of winter. These are the people who understand the art of survival in such a vast place. They are your vegetable encyclopedia.

Baby Herc

I was thinking about taking a look at a few of the reserves to see if anyone may be able to lend some knowledge as well! Great minds think alike

There is one think, however, that seems to be stirring me a bit, and that would be what exactly I should be training (physically) for? If you think about it, it's really not THAT much of a stress to do this walk (excluding the diet). 20km a day isn't much, and 5-10 is equal if it's through more mountainous areas. There's going to be quite a bit of "down time" for resting and all that, and quite a bit of time without the pack too. Is there a specific programs you may suggest I partake in?

I was thinking about taking a look at a few of the reserves to see if anyone may be able to lend some knowledge as well! Great minds think alike

 

There is one think, however, that seems to be stirring me a bit, and that would be what exactly I should be training (physically) for? If you think about it, it's really not THAT much of a stress to do this walk (excluding the diet). 20km a day isn't much, and 5-10 is equal if it's through more mountainous areas. There's going to be quite a bit of "down time" for resting and all that, and quite a bit of time without the pack too. Is there a specific programs you may suggest I partake in?

If you intend to forage entirely off the land, you probably won't have time for 20k a day. The amount of calories in leaves, berries, bark, 'shrooms, etc. is miniscule compared to the farm raised Smorgasbord you're used to fixing up in your own kitchen. Indigenous peoples spent a heck of a lot of time foraging...and that was to supplement their meat-based meals, not as a stand-alone diet. Research the hell out of this one; you're going to need oodles more than you think on a daily basis in order not to look like a guest at Auschwitz in the end.

Regarding training, familiarize yourself with topography and weather. Find the toughest stretch you'll be doing in your entire trip, then train as if you'll be doing twice or triple that amount. Do it in inclement weather, if possible, to test out all your gear and work out bugs in the system. Take a bunch of 3-day weekends and pretend you are really out there. Basically, you want to reduce the "hard" stuff to "ordinary" stuff for your body. You can get a lot more technical than this, with GPS, heart rate monitoring, etc. but that's up to you. I prefer to go by feel: if all your fancy gadgetry fails, you can always do it by feel if you've trained for it.

Another salient point is something I learned by reading about through-hikers on the Appalachian Trail. Give yourself more "off days" and "down time" than you think you'll need. There may be setbacks, there may be supremely crappy weather, you may sustain a minor injury than can only be prevented from becoming a major injury by taking a day or two off. For every three days of solid, high-intensity hiking, give yourself an entire day of "rest." You don't have to use it warming a rock with your ass, you can explore, take pictures, repair gear, nap, nude sunbathe, write, read, skinny dip, and forage, forage, forage. Otherwise, burn out can be a real issue. And besides, what the heck are you out there for, anyway? Don't forget to ENJOY it!

I'm different than you, no doubt, but how I trained for 14ners in Colorado was to be able to walk twice the distance up a mountain comfortably and jog it easily. So, a six mile climb meant a 12 mile walk or a 6 mile jog the week before with zero DOMS the following day. That's how I knew I was in shape for it. I always trained far past the finish line, if you know what I mean. If you're not worried about surprises, you can enjoy the view.

Baby Herc

Wayyyy ahead of you bud! I've already taken a look at a few of the rougher areas of the trek and will be heading to all of them (more than once) this summer. There are a few scenarios I've planned out as well ranging from day trips to week long trips with anywhere from all my gear to none. As far as training goes for that sense I feel quite confident I'm on the right path.

I'm looking more so for a workout program, which I am all too ignorant about.

All of what you've said I've been planning so far But for the days I can't make it out into some deeper woods, I'd like to get a pretty rigorous routine going at home.

Fantastic! Just so you know, I'm just giving you everything because I don't know exactly where you are yet, having only met you a few days ago. I'd rather run the risk of telling you stuff that you already know than leave anything out that might serve you somewhere down the line. I don't know if I'm an "expert" or not, but 25 years of hiking and weight lifting has taught me a few things.

Okay. So. Workout routines.

First things first: what do you perceive as your weak areas? Notice I didn't ask where you actually ARE weak, just where you PERCEIVE that you are. The body takes its instructions from the brain.

You've probably seen this on the trail and in the gym: If you're in a bad mood, depressed, thinking about something debilitating (anything other than anger), you've probably noticed yourself slowing down, getting unnaturally tired, feeling a little weaker than usual. Then again, when you are chatting and laughing with friends, time flies, you can hike all day, you are stoked. You can do that without an entourage, all you need is your fabulous brain. It's going to be you and you out there for that great adventure so start building that muscle first. Build your ability to focus. Gym rats without focus are just monkeys throwing heavy things around, they're not really training. Any dedicated body builder in here will tell you that.

An athlete with the ability to focus on something to the exclusion of everything around him is one powerful mo fo. If you can laugh in a blizzard, get horny over memories during a downpour, and sing to yourself while you backtrack a lost trail, you're on the right path, pun intended. The human body operates at its peak when happy. Back in Denver at my old body building gym, my buddies and I used to tease each other incessantly and laugh our asses off. Guys would stare at us, wondering why we weren't growling and snarling and acting all pissed at the weights, like we were doing battle. It's because we knew a secret: getting angry can make you strong for a few minutes if you can keep it up but being happy will keep you strong all day long without any extra effort. No need to work up any steam, we were already at maximum. You should have seen these guys lift. I felt like I was in the presence of superheroes, even rubbed elbows with the Denver Broncos once or twice. Great guys. Our boxing team took home titles every year.

From a physical standpoint, think about where you get tired first in your body. Is it your quads from doing inclines? Then, train like a sprinter and do some jumping exercises up and down high blocks or three stairs at a time, then balance with some hamstring work. Is it your back from the weight of your pack? Work the muscles that help the back move smoothly and target the spots that talk to you first. http://home.comcast.net/~wnor/lesson6musclesofback.htm

Also, test different ways to arrange your pack and adjust your straps. Maybe a strap could be padded, maybe another one needs to be longer. Test wearing your pack tighter and looser for incline and decline. Get all your gear absolutely soaking wet in the tub and then weigh it to see what your max gear weight will be, water bottles filled. That is what your knees and feet will be absorbing, worst case scenario.

Here's a brainstorm: pay a visit to a chiropractor and get an adjustment. Take notes on the bones and joints they adjust and ask them which muscles affect those bones. Let them know your plans (ignore them when they get wide-eyed and say you're crazy) and ask them what they think would be in your best interest to strengthen or loosen on YOUR body--not just anybody who's "gonna go hikin", but YOUR body, specifically. Stretching and relaxing certain muscles is often a far saner route to alleviate a problem area than attempting to strengthen everything around it and force it into allignment. At the end of your trip, see the same chiropractor again and compare notes. This will give you a springing-off point for future training.

Here is a great site for exercises once you've targeted your areas: http://www.exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

In a nutshell, and you already know this, you aren't training for bulk and you aren't necessarily training for cardio (because you've already got that). You are training for a very particular kind of portable strength. Every body is different and no one rule applies to the entire planet. Experiment with between 10 and 20 reps and then adjust from there by adding weight, not reps. Concentrate on core muscles--abs, obliques, lower and middle back--for balance and don't neglect your arms. I don't know how much scrambling you'll be doing but upper body strength is an essential, especially in an emergency. Do pull ups while weighted down with the equivalent weight of your wet pack, narrow and wide grip. Do rope climbs in the gymnasium the same way. (Work up to these two, don't just start with the full weight.) Have some fun with an indoor rock wall if you have access to one.

You will design a custom lifting routine for yourself over time. I suggest trying a bunch of different stuff and seeing what feels good. I do a Push-Pull-Leg routine where on one day, I do all upper body exercises that require a pushing motion, two days later I do all the pulling moves, and two days after that I do legs. Abs I sprinkle in as I go. Others train one or two muscles a day, then rest for three days in between due to the high intensity of such. Keep in mind that the closer the move is to how you will actually be using your body, you more it will serve you. I mean, you aren't going to be seeing many rowing machines out in the forest, are you?

Regarding your usual cardio routine, work in interval training with running and walking on hills, walking up and running down, then running up and walking down. Interval training is still scientifically proven to be the fastest, most thorough method to increase blood oxygen capacity. And it will come in handy when you are running from cougars. Just kidding.

This is all just my own experience, take only what makes sense to you.

That's all I can think of at the moment, had a long week. Hey, I want to track your progress as you go out there, will you be checking in on the internet during the trip? I'd be more than happy to supply you with dirty jokes for the duration. What are training friends for?

Baby Herc

PS: The smart-alecky smile on your avatar is priceless. It's plain to see you're all over this.

Here's a good starter routine:

1. Begin by standing on a comfortable surface, where you have plenty of room at each side.

2. With a 5-lb potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can.

3. Try to reach a full minute, and then relax. Each day you'll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer.

4. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato bags. Then try 50-lb potato bags and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100-lb potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight for more than a full minute (I'm at this level.).

5. Then, after you feel confident at this level, put a potato in each bag.

Just kidding--Ha, ha!

Baby Herc