Training
One of my bowhunting idols is Cameron Hanes. Not only is he a hardcore, backcountry, Do-It-Yourself, public land bowhunter, he’s also a fitness freak. Dude does all kinds of crazy 50-100 mile cross country ultra-marathons, just to prepare his body for elk hunting! I’m not nearly as hardcore as Cameron is, but he still inspires me to get myself in the best physical condition I possibly can. Athletes Hunt!
Being in good shape has always been a priority of mine. Unless you’re just sitting in one spot all the time, being in good shape can help you with your hunting success, too. Treestand hunting for deer is hardly physically-demanding, but I’m also a turkey hunter, and you can really put in some miles chasing thunder chickens around the woods. Plus, being physically fit makes those mid-summer stand prep sessions a little easier, and it goes without saying that having strong upper back and shoulder muscles makes it easier to shoot a bow accurately and avoid injury. One of these days I’ll make it out west for an elk or mule deer hunt, and the fact that I’m already in pretty good shape will make it easier to prepare for the physical demands of that type of hunting. It’s not at all like hunting whitetails from treestands at 500 feet above sea level! I try to work out 6 days a week, but it’s hard to get them all in sometimes, especially during hunting seasons. My current training split is 3 days of running (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday) and 3 days of weight lifting (Monday, Wednesday, Friday).
In addition to keeping myself in shape for hunting, I also train hard because Courtney has somehow managed to turn me into a runner. I ran track in high school, but I was a sprinter…nothing longer than 400 meters. Well, thanks to Courtney, I ran my first half marathon in March of 2010, and I’ll be running another one on Thanksgiving Day. I have to admit I actually enjoy running now, and having a race to look forward to helps me stay in that training mindset.
Here’s a list of my training gear:
- Shoes: Nike Air Pegasus+ (running), Asics cross trainers (weightlifting)
- Socks: Injini Footwear, Under Armour
- Clothing: Under Armour
- Sunglasses: Oakley Flak Jackets
- Watch: Nike w/heartrate monitor
- Music: iPod with Nike+
- Running playlist: Darryl Worley, When in Rome, Lady Antebellum, Jimmy Eat World, Mercy Me, Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Modern English, Better than Ezra, Jason Aldean, Rodney Atkins, Gary Allan, Charlie Hall, Shinedown, O.A.R., The All-American Rejects, Chris Tomlin
- Weightlifting playlist: Rob Zombie, Korn, Pantera, Disturbed, System of a Down, P.O.D., Helmet, Metallica, Alice in Chains, Bush, Breaking Benjamin, Drowning Pool, Godsmack
Check out Cameron Hanes’ website: http://www.cameronhanes.com
