[at-l] Feet

[mapster at charter.net (Frank Looper)]

> Analyzing it, I have come to realize that any day spent on my feet, hiking
or
> standing, there are certain predictable stages of pain.  All four hours of
> the morning, all is well.  I don't even think of my feet.  Fifth hour I
begin to
> feel them.  By sixth hour I'm in definite pain.  Seventh, agony.
>
I have messed around with this for quite awhile. I've tried the "death
march" method and the hike-fast-4-hours method and a few others. What I do
now, I think that I learned here. Maybe Whiteblaze, not sure.

I walk 1.5 or 2 hours, take a snack break. In the middle of that I've taken
a water/set-down break. All breaks involve pack off and sitting down.
Another 1-2 hours and a decent-length meal break. Another couple and a snack
again (water break in middle). another couple (water break in middle) and
either a supper break and more hiking or quit for the day. Lots of breaks
let me hike lots of miles.

On my last hike, even though I started out VERY slow (long time with no
hikes), I ended up doing ~12-13 miles the last day using this method, and
didn't feel like death the next morning. It makes for a long day, but it's
entertaining, and you don't get nearly as tired.

Frank