156 miles in 72 hours

[Pekka]

can it be done? I just agreed to do it. So I am an idiot. I mean I officially accepted. So, again, within few months of time, I find myself in front of a task that is painful and next to impossible. Why do I keep doing this?

[The Mad Monk]

You are the Supercitizen. It is what you do.

[The Mad Monk]

Does this have anything to do with the "How much hell should I give her" thread, BTW?

[pchang]

If you are on a bicycle, doable. On foot? Are you insane? The only way I can think of that would work is if you had caches of food, water, and shelter (tents and sleeping bags) laid out ahead of time on the trail you want to take so that you do not have to carry anything.


Are you sure you got the units right? 52Km is a lot less than 52 Miles.

[Sava]

remember

you beat cancer, for now

don't tempt fate by stressing your body

you were in a place where you could've died tomorrow

now, you're not (afaik)

don't **** it up

just had to express my concern, that's all

you're a big boy, do what you will

[rah]

Hmm the average march pace is about 2.5 MPH. 50 miles per day would equate to 20 hours a day. Seems a bit much to me.

[Pekka]

No I got the units right. 250km. It's almost 84km per day.

No prelaid resting stops, everything is carried.

Sava, I know, it's not going to take place soon. I will not give my body too much inflammation. I think the 400+miles was worse. Even though it took almost 4 weeks, it was still 10 hours + every single day and veeery painful. I think that was way worse for my body than this is.

But I think this is just tougher. Toughter to complete in time.

Yes this is the how much hell thing. The problem for me is, she's a former athlete. In much better shape than I am. Has experience in these sort of things (biking).

At the end of the day, or well, 3 days, it's just one long stint.

Once it is done, the world is ruled by new elite of broken feet. Seriously though, this will launch this epic battle into a new stage, where I can go for the PCT later on and get sponsored. Sometimes you have to take a deep look into insane obstacles and run through it like an idiot berserker.

This is just a mental challenge, really. I am already preparing for it physically. I have laid out a new training program, I will actually go for a ligther version fo myself, I'll cut at least 10 pounds, maybe more before the actual march. Probably 10 before our first 100km challenge, and then I know how much more I want to lose. The thing is, I don't want to lose too much weight. It's like a psychological thing mostly, not wanting to lose weight. I could use it, it would be good to lose some body fat. I gained way too much fat during my sick time. I could easily lose more than 10, I suspect only fat, and still be in the very normal limits. I am by no means even at a normal body fat or what I am used to. I just don't care ATM. I like a little wiggle. But it's a no go for such an undertaking, it will destroy my feet and hips, and probably knees as there is no sleep, except for few naps. Otherwise we have no chance of making it.

[Pekka]

rah, nah... that's slow. My average hiking pace with a full pack is close to 4 MPH and including rest time. For a month, I went around 10-12hours a day with 4 resting days until 437 miles (actually it was more!) was met. And that was with a HEAVY pack (tent, sleeping bag, everything).

So I don't think it's undoable. It's very difficult, but not undoable. She wanted to see what it's like to push the limits hard, so this is pushing it hard. We will hallucinate from pain and exhaustion, and see who quits first. Is this stupid? Yes! Then I or we can do the PCT. Maybe we won't make it, but then we see how far we make it in 72 hours. 200km should be absolutely done.

[Pekka]

I'll go to sleep now, but yeah you might be right. Maybe it cannot be done. But it will not stop me from trying. And it will not stop me from giving hell to her. Or maybe it will be the other way around. THis is good that there are the two of us and she will also write and document. It means that we are invested in pushing it and giving our all. We will see where we land at.

And there is no way in hell I will ask any advice from doctors. They said it will be very bad for my feet the first time. ANd that it probably will not succeed. They are just jealous, I need them to tell me what to do, and not that it is a bad idea. I know it is a bad idea. Sometimes you just have to do it because it still is the right thing to do. And yeah, we can do 200km training, 200km a weekend and another one on the next weekend just to get our bodies used to the horrible torture. I mean we are actually going to prepare. There is no actual date for the final push. Just the first preparation will be in two weeks. Then, on Saturday the 12th, we will do an easy 50km. But of course carry our stuff. My shins are not cleared from the long walk so I won't even attempt 200km before they are, I don't want to break them. I need my shins. I use my last 2 legs as a reference, I already had over 405 miles behind me and during the last 24 hours I still went over 40 miles with a full pack. Slept like 2 hours and continued. Yes it was tough but at the same time, it is comparable as it is difficult to push 40 miles against the clock with backbags because you have a flight to catch. Not so if fresh, but when broken, slightly injured and tired from the 400miles+ before. NOw that was tough.

[giblets]

Six marathons in three days sounds like it would be kind of hard

[rah]

rah, nah... that's slow. My average hiking pace with a full pack is close to 4 MPH and including rest time. For a month, I went around 10-12hours a day with 4 resting days until 437 miles (actually it was more!) was met. And that was with a HEAVY pack (tent, sleeping bag, everything).

Something seems wrong with the math. Assuming 10 hours a day at 4 mph is 40 miles a day. Times 26 (30-4) = 1040 miles based on your distance you were doing about half that speed.

[Pekka]

YEs, I'd say that was my average speed during my normal day. I would, for the long hauls, take longer times for resting and taking care of feet. But the math goes wrong in another place; I had to stop earlier quite often, because I had reached my destination. This does not count the miles I had to do when going off road to a destination and getting back to the road, the 400+ miles is the shortest way, how do you say? Bird's way. Point a to b, not takign into account the actual terrain or road. Still I can say with confidence I did not average 40 miles a day.

I refer 4MPH to the speed I can keep when not injured or exhausted from previous days or weeks.

[rah]

The american term is "as the crow flies"

[Bereta_Eder]

Pekka I can accompagny you for the first 2 kilometers (then I go for coffee )

[BlackCat]

Six marathons in three days sounds like it would be kind of hard

Then try this

Annette Fredskov's recipe to alleviate the often crippling effects of multiple sclerosis is a curious concoction.

It consists of one year, 366 marathons, 15,442 kilometers and 20 pairs of running shoes.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/01/08/sport/annette-fredskov-marathon-running-denmark/