When working out less is more

When you're conditioning for a trip, alternating shorter and harder days with longer and easier days will not only save you time, it will increase your aerobic capacity more efficiently than doing all longer days. So pick a couple of days a week, maybe ones where you are short of time anyway, and do interval training. In interval training you alternate periods of working harder with easier periods. For example, you might run hard (or whatever)for two minutes, then slow down for two, and repeat that four times. Or bring your heart rate up to a certain level, maintain it for a minute, then slow down until it drops back to a certain level. The idea of this kind of training is that you are working harder than you normally would (i.e. you can't keep a conversation up) but only for a relatively short period of time. This kind of training actually serves well to build endurance. Note: because it is stressful to the body, you should only do it once or twice a week. -- Marian