The Challenge has been proposed and accepted.

[winklie 518]

So, as most here who know me know is that I walk everywhere. In fact my morning PT includes a 6.7 mile walk at 19:00/minutes per mile. I wind up with 10-12 miles a day.

So my best friend on Earth was a Marine, when I was in the Army, and we've had this friendly back and forth for the last 25 years or so, over who is tougher. I'm much bigger, and much more trained, but we have a great time trying to outdo each other, it's just good man stuff.

So I challenged him. In the spring (it's too late in the year weather and logistic wise to pull it off) we are going to walk, From my front door, 20 miles to Manchester, get a room, spend the night, and walk back the next day. Yah, 40 miles in 2 days. I am going to work on my stamina over the winter, as I wanted to see how far I could get at full speed yesterday, so I did my usual walk, then kept going, I got to 11 miles and was spent. It's possible I may have been okay if I had eaten something, no idea.

Any tips from marathon runners? Or Marathon walkers? The issue, and it's a real issue, is that once we leave, we MUST arrive in Manchester, the path is a combination of trails and road walking. Google says we can do it in 6 hours. I say 10 at the outside.

The gear load-out will be pretty basic, camel hydration packs, food, perhaps MRE's if I can find some that don't suck and I can eat. A good first aid kit, map, compass (for the parts in the woods) I love technology but when it's my life on the line, I go old school)) That is about it, NUUN tablets in the camels.

The issue is, and it is a big one, neither of us will quit. Ever. I'd fucking crawl on my hands and knees before I gave up. So would he, so I HAVE to have the stamina to make this trip. We cannot get 15 miles in an call a cab, for to do so would forever skew the balance of 'manliness' to one side, and we cannot have that.

Additionally, anyone in the NH area that is interested drop me a PM, if you got the goods and think you can cut it, we'd love to have more aboard.

[LynnAlex 44]

I might check the breast cancer 3 day walk. I think they walk 3 days of 20 miles. There is probably a training guide on their website. They pay thru my neighborhood and there are a lot of ladies walking. I couldn't do it.

[LynnAlex 44]

http://walking.about.com/od/breastcancerwalktraining/fl/Training-Schedule-for-the-3-Day-Walk.htm

I found the above training schedule for the 3 day walk. I think there are hundreds of women on the walk in Michigan. I have seen a couple of guys. They do have a lot of support, food stops, people cheering them on.

[winklie 518]

Thank you, although now I feel the need to do more than 60 miles over 3 days......... <sigh> it's tough being a man.

[LynnAlex 44]

I would be thrilled to walk 10 miles for 2 days. I read somewhere that women perform better at endurance sports, something about slow twitch or fast twitch muscles. I don't see many men because it is hard to walk. I walk on trails by myself in many parks. It used to be if I saw a guy, my safety alert was switched on. In the last 5 years I see many more men trail walking. Usually the guys are running or taking pictures. So the macho man thing is usually the runner (with many ailments, knees, back, feet, etc.) while the healthier choice long term is probably walking as it is easier on the body. I would also like to run, 1-5 miles a day seems like a healthy amount, but I have yet to to go past the first week on a training program.

I think carrying your food and Water, without everyone blowing their horn and clapping, will be much harder than the 3 day cancer walks.

When I've gone on week long bike rides in different states, the crowd excitement of the other 500 to 10,000 riders keeps you moving. You and your buddy won't have that encouragement or excitement to keep you going. I think you have a grand goal.

[winklie 518]

@@LynnAlex

Very nice post, thank you for your kind words. You are correct in regard to slow and fast twitch muscles, also females are built differently, they store energy in a different way than man, so I think it makes for an easier marathon. I'm going to ask my PCP this week as she runs the Boston Marathon every year, and I want to see how she trains for that.

As far as the distance, we've both marched more miles than that in the military (although that was a loooong time ago) We are discussing starting a FB page and making the walk be about something. My friend even suggested we make it about weight loss (he's been banded) and I don't know that I think that is the worst idea I ever heard. I just don't know how many more people would join up. Two or three people, okay fine. Fifty and now it's a whole new affair.

[sharkgirl 251]

I did a half marathon last year and the only advise I would give you is good shoes, hydration, Snacks and some tylenol. There are many walking marathon training plans out there which could probably help you out get the long miles in. You got this and have plenty of time to build up the miles.