Re: [at-l] How seriously are we hurting ourselves???

I've heard that, too, but at the same time, i think surge hiking is worse on
your body than hiking a few moderate days in a row.  Usually, if I was
feeling tired, I'd take a short day.  I rarely did big miles two days in a
row, and after a while, My body was so used to hiking, that it couldn't
stand to take time off.  I would HAVE to hike.

So maybe I'm not the best person to talk with about this...

I do believe that zero days are very important because it does give your
body time to heal.  I took quite a few zero days, and took a couple zero
weeks as well.  My friend Sheltowee, who hiked last year, took one zero day
between Del Water Gap and Katahdin.  He has major knee problems now.  I took
about two weeks worth of zero days (maybe more -- can't remember) in that
span, and never had one problem.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The Belch

----------
>From: "richard mann" <hike-usa@email.msn.com>
>To: "at-lll" <at-l@backcountry.net>
>Subject: [at-l] How seriously are we hurting ourselves???
>Date: Thu, Dec 21, 2000, 8:02 PM
>

> I have a serious question.  It has to do with the damage inflicted on the
> muscles of the body while long distance hiking.  I have been a health club
> member at various points in my life, and have been told by the physical
> trainers at all of them that you a person is to exercise every other day.
> As explained to me, the exercise will tear muscle tissue, and the off day
> will allow the tissue to heal.  It is this tearing/healing cycle that builds
> muscle and makes it strong.  Relating this to hiking, since long-distance
> hikers rarely take days off, aren't we damaging our muscles and not allowing
> them to heal?  How seriously are we hurting ourselves out there???
>
> Would it make more sense to "surge hike" - hiking long distances every other
> day, with days off (or hiking shorter distances) in between?  This would be
> more like the tearing/healing cycle that has been taught to me by physical
> trainers...
>
> Also, you thru-hikers out there - what long term physical ailments did you
> deal with after your hike.  One young lady that hiked in 1997 had pulled her
> groin muscle, but insisted on continuing.  She was forced off of the trail
> eventually due to the pain and damage, but only allowed herself time for
> partial healing before again hiking.  She has paid a big price for this, and
> will probably never again be as mobile as she was before her hike...
>
> Pittsia Bad-Knees-ovia
>
>
> * From the AT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *
* From the AT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *

==============================================================================
To:            "Felix" <AThiker@smithville.net>, "AT-list" <at-l@backcountry.net>