Workout July 29, 2010 - Hydrant Testing and Pack Test

This morning at work we did our yearly hydrant tests, to make sure that the hydrants in our area are in good working order. I turned it into a mini workout by wearing a set of running shoes and jogging at a moderate pace from one hydrant to the next. I focused on maintaining good breathing technique, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth as detailed in mc's begin2dig post

http://www.begin2dig.com/2010/07/run-longer-easier-right-this-minute.html

Later this afternoon, I drew inspiration from the Forest Service Pack Test for the second workout of the day. The Pack Test is part of the basic requirements for all FS wildland firefighters. It involves walking (no running allowed) with a 45 lb. pack, 3 miles in under 45 minutes on level ground. Smokejumpers perform the same test with a 110 lb pack in 90 minutes. My first wildland pack weighed 40 lbs, so I started there with my weight vest. Then I programmed the treadmill to mystery hike, max incline and max speed of 4.5, for 15 minutes. My Vibram Five Fingers worked out better than expected on the treadmill. I could feel my feet working the entire time, in addition to my hammies and glutes, especially on the incline portions. This was a nice compliment to the stair master and bike workouts that focused on my quads. At the end of the 15 minutes I completed .83 miles. Next time I'll increase the max speed to 5.0. Once I complete a full mile within the 15 minutes, I'll add 5 lbs. at a time until the weight vest is maxed out at 60 lbs. Once both weight and distance goals are achieved I'll start adding on time until I complete 2 miles in 30 minutes with a 60 lb weight vest. At this point, I want to keep my cardio sessions at half an hour or less, working instead on increasing the intensity, rather than time.