Fit Isn’t Durable: Lessons From My Failed PCT Attempt and How to Prepare for Thru Hiking Success

In 2023, I attempted to thru hike the Pacific Crest Trail. I didn’t finish.

I stepped off early at mile 210 out of 2,653 due to an overuse injury. There was no dramatic fall, no single misstep, no catastrophic moment. Instead, it was a predictable outcome of cumulative load, insufficient tissue durability, and moving too fast too early.

This article is a reflection on that experience what went wrong, the lessons I learned, and how I am preparing differently as I plan to attempt the Pacific Crest Trail again in March 2026. My goal is simple help you avoid the mistakes I made so you can stay healthy resilient and strong through long distance hiking.

A Brief Introduction

My name is Dr. Kellin Keesee. I am a sports chiropractor and sports physician with over a decade of clinical experience. In addition to my Doctorate of Chiropractic I hold a Master’s degree in Sports and Exercise Science and I am a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician.

My clinical focus is rehab based active care and performance. I work with a wide range of athletes from weekend warriors to professionals at my clinic in Portland Oregon. Over the past several years I have also had the privilege of working with the Portland Thorns and Portland Timbers supporting athletes through long physically demanding seasons.

Across all of these populations whether it is soccer running skiing or endurance sports the same themes show up repeatedly strength training movement quality and endurance preparation are foundational to durability and longevity.

Thru hiking is no different. But it does have unique demands and I learned that lesson the hard way.

My 2023 PCT Attempt What Went Wrong

In 2023 I set out on the Pacific Crest Trail feeling confident. I had a strong strength and conditioning background. I was road running regularly for cardiovascular fitness. I was completing long day hikes of 20 to 25 miles multiple times per month leading into a spring start.

On paper I was fit.

What I failed to fully appreciate was the difference between being fit and being durable.

The injury that took me off trail was not traumatic. There was no single incident. It was a classic overuse injury peroneal tendinopathy that developed gradually as daily demands exceeded my tissues ability to recover and adapt.

This was not bad luck. It was not random. It was predictable.

I went too fast for too long too early. Mileage and pace exceeded tissue readiness especially in the context of limited recovery and a chronic caloric deficit. My cardiovascular system was ahead of my connective tissue and the trail exposed that gap quickly.

Why Overuse Injuries Are So Common in Thru Hiking

Overuse injuries are extremely common on the PCT and other long distance trails for a reason. Thru hiking combines several risk factors that stack relentlessly

Daily high mileage
Minimal true recovery days
Ongoing caloric deficit
Constant pack load
Significant elevation gain and loss
Uneven variable terrain

When these stressors exceed tissue capacity repeatedly and without adequate recovery injury becomes almost inevitable.

This realization can be emotionally difficult. Stepping off trail felt like failure. But setbacks are only wasted if we do not learn from them. Once the emotion settles the question becomes what needs to change.

Lesson One Fitness Does Not Equal Durability

This was the most important lesson I took from my failed attempt.

Cardiovascular fitness does not mean your tendons ligaments and joints are ready for five months of daily loading. Most sports allow rest days off seasons or recovery windows. Thru hiking does not.

Tissue durability refers to how much load volume and frequency a tissue can tolerate without breaking down. On the PCT demands accumulate rapidly mileage elevation changes pack weight uneven footing limited sleep and under fueling all compound stress.

Injury occurs when those demands consistently exceed tissue capacity.

Where Hikers Get Tricked

Several predictable traps contribute to injury:

Muscles adapt faster than tendons leading to tendinopathies and ligament injuries.
Cardio improves faster than connective tissue so hikers feel great until they do not.
Uphill capacity often exceeds downhill tolerance. Downhill hiking requires eccentric control which is rarely trained adequately.

Training terrain does not match trail terrain. Flat predictable surfaces do not prepare tissues for uneven variable loading.

Durability is trainable but only with time consistency and repeated exposure to relevant stress.

This experience fundamentally changed how I train for thru hiking and how I treat endurance athletes in the clinic.

Preparing for Success Training for Durability Not Just Fitness

Strength and Conditioning

Strength training is essential but the goal is not maximal strength. For thru hiking we train for control endurance and tissue resilience.

Priority areas include:
Glutes
Hamstrings
Quadriceps
Core especially anti flexion and lateral stability under load

Single leg and single side exercises matter because hiking is inherently asymmetrical.

Eccentric strength is critical because downhill hiking breaks people far more often than uphill hiking.

Walking and Hiking

Weighted walking is the most important sport specific training tool for thru hiking.

Progress distance elevation and pack weight gradually. The goal is increasing time on feet without accumulating injury debt. If you cannot recover between sessions you are moving too fast.

Daily Incremental Loading

Durability responds best to frequent low intensity load.

Wear a pack while doing chores
Walk the dog with weight
Take the stairs
Walk during breaks

Day one of your thru hike should never be the first time you have worn your full pack.

The First Four Weeks Matter Most

Tendons and ligaments require roughly four weeks to begin meaningful adaptation. For the PCT the desert section should be viewed as a conditioning phase not a race.

Mileage should be lower than your excitement suggests. Adrenaline lies. Early towns like Idyllwild often called “itis” town earn their reputation for a reason.

Injury Prevention and Self Care on Trail

Daily mobility
Morning warm ups
Evening stretching
Use a cork ball
Take shoes off during breaks
Sit and eat do not rush recovery

Small daily habits compound over months.

Mental Training

Long distance hiking is as mentally demanding as it is physical.

Use process based thinking
Focus on what you can control today
Never quit due to temporary discomfort

Eat rest hydrate clean up then reassess.

Key Takeaways

Durability takes time and consistency
Consistency beats intensity
Train the tissues not just the engine
Stay mostly in Zone 2 to conserve precious calories
Early patience creates long term success

Stepping off the trail stayed with me. I missed out on experiences I will never get back.

My goal both as a clinician and a thru hiker is to help others avoid that outcome so you can enjoy the trail fully and reach the northern terminus healthy.