[pct-l] 20 mile days

[ronyon at comcast.net (Ron Smith)]

Jeff,
I think your problem is your present weight. Whenever you can get down
to, say, 190, then you'll be good to go 20 or even 30 miles a day. With
the muscles you've developed as a 240 pounder, you'll be a hiking
machine! But at 240 lb, you're putting yourself at a serious
disadvantage for a successful trip, since that much weight over long
mileage is bound to put inordinate stress on your whole body.
Myself, I'm a 55 year old 6'1" section hiker. My present weight is 163.
I just completed a 260 mile segment averaging 26-mile days, including
one 32-mile day. During the trip I had no physical problems. I'm not
trying to boast (well, maybe a little) but just pointing out that so far
my age hasn't gotten in my way.
Good luck.
Ron
> 
> Message: 4
> Date: Wed, 4 Aug 2004 20:20:29 -0600
> From: "Jeff Olson" <jjolson@uwyo.edu>
> Subject: [pct-l] 20 mile days
> To: "pct-l" <pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
> Message-ID: <002d01c47a92$c6f2eec0$6a239245@jeffrey6kevd44>
> Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="iso-8859-1"
> 
> I'm 6'2", 240 pounds now, down 20 pounds from two months ago.  There's
> another 30 that needs to go away.  Maybe more.  I guess all this comes
> down
> to a question.  How realistic is it to think that even in excellent
cardio
> shape, I could move in a month to 20 mile days and be energized,
satisfied,
> high, and routinely going to sleep anticipating waking up and leaping
into
> the day.  I lay in my tent above Frog Lake and realized I would
probably
> get
> through on ibuprophen, but pay a price in permanent damage to
ligaments
> and
> cushioning meniscus, etc.  I could have finished the TRT.  I chose not
to.
> 
> I've done all the tech things.  My base weight is 12 pounds, sans food
and
> water.  Those aren't the suggestions I'm looking for.  Anyone under 40
> simply has to sit back and listen.  You can't imagine.  The guy that
laid
> out his plan - an e-mail thatcame in the last week has the idea.
However,
> I'm more interested in stories of 50 plus persons who are coming from
the
> sedentary, weekend warrior, discovering the effects of age frame...
> 
> I have the vision.  I need to create a path.  I need to hear your
stories.
> Please write about what you did and went through to start the trail.
I
> dont' care if you finished or not.  What did you do, and what worked,
and
> what would you have done differently, if anything???
> 
> Thanks for you support and input...
> 
> Jeffrey Olson
> Laramie Wyoming