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Butcher's Dog! Regular
outdoor fitness tips from the canine on creatine. Cold wet
nose and glossy coat guaranteed.
Emerging from
hibernation..
Oooh get you, been lurking iin your warm
basket all winter, but the sunshine's calling and you 're
heading back to the hills for dry paths and grippy rock. And
of course you've been training hard all winter, so you're in
the peak of condition with a glossy coat and cold wet nose.
Er, no?
The trouble is your brain still remembers
how you felt in October after a hard summer of walkies,
unfortunately if your body is still six months behind. The
temptation's to get stuck in and out there, but stop, think
and follow my doggy dictums and your body - and probably
your long-suffering partner will thank you.
Oh, if you've been running around all
winter, you can ignore this...
Ease Back Into Distance It's
tempting to bite off some epic trek, but ease back into it.
If you haven't walked for a while, start off with some
shorter day walks, perhaps on easier ground before you hit
the biggies again. Your muscles will take time to adjust and
your basic endurance may be low. Try building up the
distance over the first month. To accelerate the process,
consider a long, gentle run mid-week to build fitness
again.
Be Conservative You're probably
going to be moving slightly slower than usual to start with,
so don't under-estimate the time you may be out. Instead be
slightly cautious till your motor is running efficiently
again.
Time To Recover After a weekend's
walking, have a quiet rest day on Monday. A very gentle 20
minute cycle or walk may help to reduce stiffness, but your
body needs time to recover properly. If you cane it day
after day with no respite you'll actually end up less
fit...
Eat Proper Most walking is low
intensite, fat burning stuff, but it's easy to eat into your
blood muscle glucogen supplies which can take several days
to replenish. While walking, eat little but often. After you
finish walking, try to eat something which combines
carbohydrate and protein within 30 minute sof stopping.
Research shows this is the best time to re-fuel and the
protein helps your body to absorb the carbohydrate. Just as
important, stay hydrated.
Stretch Stretching before walking
or climbing is a good idea, but even better is a slow,
gentle stretching session after you finish but while your
muscles are still w arm. It will make a significant
difference to muscle soreness next day. Don't bounce and
don't overdo it and cause pain. You shodl feel the stretch
in you muscles, but it shouldn't hurt.
Sore Feet Don't laugh, but if your
feel have gone soft you'll know all about it. Minimise
damage by carrying some Compeed blister treatment while your
paw pads toughen up. Help them along with a nightly rub of
surgical spirit. Trim any overgrown toe nails to prevent
digging in and consider thin, wicking liner socks to help
keep them dry.
If You Climb If you haven't been
to the wall regularly, remember that connective tissue like
tendons takes longer to strengthen than muscle so stay off
those fingery routes till you're back in the swing of
things. Just like walking, ease back into the groove by
starting with some easier routes and building back up to
where you were last year. Even if you've been training hard,
remember that your head is as important as your body, so
don't jump straight onto some exposed death route as your
first lead of the year.
Don't Underestimate The UK Weather
Mountain weather is vile and fickle. It may not be
snowing any more, but it can still be fierce up top even in
summer conditions. Make sure you have the right kit
including wind and waterproof clothing.
Read OUTDOORSmagic The more time
you spend on OM, the less you'll have to tramp across the
hills. Oh, really. Check past articles below for more
detailed information on many of the above tips and hey,
enjoy the sunshine.
Woof!
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