The Ongoing (?) Exercise Regimen

The Four Season Guides has Training Information (pdf) for the backpacking hiking trips. In it, they point out:

"The best way to train for your trip is to go on numerous hikes. The steeper these hikes are the better. Elevation gain/loss of most of the trails in the Grand Canyon is over 4,400 feet. If hiking is not an option, we recommend running up and down stadium bleachers or stairways of tall buildings. It is strongly recommended for those going on a backpacking trip with us, to wear a backpack (a day pack or school backpack will work) carrying some substantial weight inside (about 30-35lbs.). An example would be a bag of dog food, kitty litter, or 3 gallons of water. Going to the gym or using a stair climbing machine will not prepare you nearly as well as hiking. Overall, any form of training that gets your heart pumping is better than none."

When my wife and I went to Mexico in January, we asked for a 9th floor room, and I made sure to use the stairs and not the elevator. This is what my stair climbs looked like:

Day	Number of Flights	Extra
1	14 flights	6 mile walk
2	35 flights!
3	9 flights
4	13 flights	Gym workout
5	12 flights
6	12 flights	6 mile walk
7	35 flights!
8	36 flights!
9	18 flights
10	9 flights
11
12	18 flights	Gym workout
13	36 flights!	Gym workout
14	45 flights!

This is my 4 mile walking/jogging route I try to do daily, as a replacement for the forest trail I mentioned earlier:

I know... Four Seasons Guides suggests hiking up steep hills with a backpack!
Yesterday, after a period of inactivity (I did a fresh install of Windows XP that has taken 2 days -- and I'm still not finished!) I felt guilty and thought I would make up for my laziness. I put my backpack in the car, drove over the bridge (above) to the stairclimb, and I climbed up and down the stairs 8 times!
I really exerted myself. On an empty stomach. Without having drunk water.
BAD!
Did I feel sick afterward!
Today I jogged the route on that map above, and included 3 stair climbs. I love to exhaust myself. This time I ate a triple decker peanut butter sandwich and drank good amounts of water before hand. It felt WONDERFUL!
I decided to rotate my regimen -- one day jogging, to work on endurance; the next day stairclimbing, to work on strength. I'll figure out how to get those back woods hikes in there too. I miss the woods. There's nothing like our Sitka forests to clear the head.