Squeaky, set that record real low [Archive]

mdionne

02-05-2006, 14:33

you guys should compete. you could be the first speed hike competition. it will become popular in the future. i see tour de france like support systems meeting dozens of contestants as they death march across road crossings.:D

Squeaky 2

02-05-2006, 16:11

hey lobster, that is way cool. so what time are you aiming for? if you are serious look me up after this year and i will try to help you out. good luck!!!

warren doyle

02-05-2006, 18:19

Nean

02-05-2006, 18:57

I don't know about cocky, sounds like lobster is just having fun. And btw, it wouldn't be a first. Horton, Mainiac and Ward all went for it in the early 90s. Wards unsupported record still stands. Squeaky just knocked 60+ days off a TC that most of us didn't even think was possible unless pieced together, taking shortcuts and roadwalking. One thing is for sure... we will see! Again!! Maybe it won't happen, the odds are stacked against him. But he is going to try, and has a chance. That is all that matters at this point.

Internegator

02-05-2006, 19:08

We are getting a little 'cocky' out there in Appalachian Trail endurance record land, aren't we men?
It's far easier to 'talk the walk' rather then 'walk the walk'.
Only time will tell. It should be interesting.

Hey I just noticed how old you are! I guess becoming a crotchety old fart also includes a certain amoun of "negativism" toward the younger and more vibrant hikers that appear on "the scene". Gee, I kinda feel sorry for you now, you old coot!

:(

saimyoji

02-05-2006, 20:07

Internegator:

What a an A-hole you are. How dare you insult a LEGEND of the hiking community! What makes you so qualified to make such assinine comments? Why don't you stop hiding behind the term WD created and show yourself? Using that name you prove you are nothing but a Troll with nothing but negativity to contribute. Go F yourself.....

Internegator....I wanted that handle...:D

Jerm

02-06-2006, 00:38

i see tour de france like support systems :D

by whatever do you mean? i guess you align yourself with those sportswriters that come out every tour de france and write an article saying that bicycle racing is not a sport. if i am wrong i apologize.

mdionne

02-06-2006, 00:52

by whatever do you mean? i guess you align yourself with those sportswriters that come out every tour de france and write an article saying that bicycle racing is not a sport. if i am wrong i apologize.

:confused: :confused: :confused:

i think you're confused. i am envisioning a future for the trail. bicyclers use a support system in order to accomplish the race, as do supported speed hikers. like speed hiking, i think the tour de france is very much a sport. only speed hiking is only in it's very beginning stages as a sport and may never become as popular as the tour de france. hope this clears things up for you!!;)

Jerm

02-06-2006, 00:58

mdionne--much thanks.

Squeaky 2

02-06-2006, 06:18

i think a race on the AT tour de france style would be awesome. if done properly and filmed it defenately would set the foundations for ultra hiking/running as a worldwide sport and get the respect it rightfully deserves as being one of the very toughest sports on the planet. maybe finally get 50 and 100 mile mountain races in the olympics.

Jerm

02-06-2006, 09:39

so you see it set up in lets say 35 stages. everybody starts and finishes at the same spots. and the person with the lowest total time wins. would there be seperate prizes for the winner of each "stage." sounds cool. there would be mountain stages, flat stages, and maybe a couple days could be a time trial where each hiker sets off every minute and they all wear aero dynamic clothing and use the leki nordic trekking pole.

Tha Wookie

02-06-2006, 09:53

Hey I just noticed how old you are! I guess becoming a crotchety old fart also includes a certain amoun of "negativism" toward the younger and more vibrant hikers that appear on "the scene". Gee, I kinda feel sorry for you now, you old coot!

:(

This person either is Lenny Tarlin, or is imitating him.

Gee, no one else says gee all the time.:D

Squeaky 2

02-06-2006, 10:27

JERM personally i think a stag race would suck. it takes away alot of tactical decisions, sleep v's mileage. say for instance 100 of the worlds top endurance athletes racing on a 2200 mile trail. i think it would capture the imagination of a world wide audience.

Jerm

02-06-2006, 10:43

so instead of being like the tour de france, it would be more like RAAM, Race Accross America, or Paris-Brest-Paris? i was just trying to get the tour de france analogy down. sorry, i am a bicycle racer as well and was applying the tour de france idea in my head.

100 of the worlds top endurance athletes capturing the imagination of a world wide audience. sounds like we need to get the guy from eco-challenge/survivor to produce this thing!!!!!

Squeaky 2

02-06-2006, 10:51

it would be a great idea, i am in for the race no matter where it is held. the PCT would be a great test. altitude, snow and deserts thrown into the mix.
it would be easy to set up.

lobster

02-06-2006, 17:29

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" width="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off"> This race would need to have no legs or mandatory stops.

That would just make it too soft an adventure!
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hat eco-chal

mdionne

02-06-2006, 17:45

a staged hike like the tour de france would find who is the fastest for sure. the unstaged hike is a test of sheer endurance. it would be crazy to be in front. you wouldn't know how far someone is behind you but the person behind you would know how far you are ahead because of support.:D

lobster

02-06-2006, 19:38

<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" width="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">It is an endurance event! You want mental toughness not a test of who has the most fast twitch muscles!!! If you want that, just go watch a 100 meter race!

With support, even if you are ahead, it is quite easy to figure how far behind somebody is.

A staged race is for the wussies!
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mweinstone

02-06-2006, 21:00

okay lets see,.....guys that want to hike fast...................cursing mad dudes.............guys that want to hike fast..............cursing mad dudes...................i choose,........................................... .................................................. .................................................. .............................guys that want to hike fast! accepting the award for being a guy who just wanted to hike fast...............drumroll please...........and the winner is mr squeaky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

Whistler

02-06-2006, 23:35

I think a stage race would be very cool. No need to limit the stages to a day's distance though. Mix it up in 50, 100, 200, 300 mile chunks. You could also do the jersey-swapping thing at the end of each stage... don't forget to draft during the race!

I also think it would be cool to do an AT relay record. Split it among 5 people doing 435 miles each [or nearest convenient point at that approximate distance], or maybe 10 sections, each person hiking twice. If you're not hiking, you're recouping or doing support. That would be a blast. I wonder how low a relay team could set a record...
-Mark

brz

02-07-2006, 06:07

The iron is inescapable.

Here a human wishes to disapear into the wilderness to do NOTHING but see how little time it takes to race through an ageless sancturary in which time means nothing?

mdionne

02-08-2006, 12:37

The iron is inescapable.

Here a human wishes to disapear into the wilderness to do NOTHING but see how little time it takes to race through an ageless sancturary in which time means nothing?

IMO, there two main reasons why people hike. One, to get away from it all and enjoy an "endless" walk in nature. The Other, is a sense of self accomplishment.

while many hikers consider their hike a mix of the two, there is usually more importance placed on One or The Other. hence, the many disagreements among hikers about what is the proper way to hike the trail. (if you'd like an example, refer to the white and blue blazin' thread ).

Sloghound

02-14-2006, 03:48

Mr. Minimalist here.

I'd like to read the Goals of the AT Sub40 Challenge posted here, or elsewhere. They don't have to be in any kind of order. Just curious!

Thanks!

vipahman

02-14-2006, 21:25

<table style="width: 426px; height: 148px;" id="HB_Mail_Container" unselectable="on" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr width="100%" unselectable="on" height="100%"><td id="HB_Focus_Element" unselectable="off" background="" height="250" valign="top" width="100%">It is an endurance event! You want mental toughness not a test of who has the most fast twitch muscles!!! If you want that, just go watch a 100 meter race!

With support, even if you are ahead, it is quite easy to figure how far behind somebody is.

A staged race is for the wussies!
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The idea of an AT DDM (Daily Double Marathon! I'm trying to coin a phrase) is great. But if it is not staged, then waiting 40 days to find a winner might be too much. After all, it is 2 marathons a days.

vipahman

02-14-2006, 21:29

<table id="HB_Mail_Container" unselectable="on" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="100%" width="100%"><tbody><tr width="100%" unselectable="on" height="100%"><td id="HB_Focus_Element" unselectable="off" background="" height="250" valign="top" width="100%">It is an endurance event! You want mental toughness not a test of who has the most fast twitch muscles!!! If you want that, just go watch a 100 meter race!

With support, even if you are ahead, it is quite easy to figure how far behind somebody is.

A staged race is for the wussies!
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Since editing is turned off, I'd like to add that it's not just mental toughness. I believe I have the mental toughness needed for the slog but I just don't have the physical aspect that's required (even if I exclude my broken ankle).

lobster

02-14-2006, 22:58

vipahman

02-15-2006, 11:33

lobster

02-15-2006, 11:54

That's true!

There is a certain level of physical fitness that anybody hoping to succeed in this type of endeavor needs to have and genetics plays a large role.

Good luck clearly also plays a role. Plain bad luck can cause an injury which forces somebody to quit. Also, bad weather increases the chance for injury, expenditure of more energy putting in the miles, a slower pace which means more hours on the trail and possibly a resulting sleep deprivation, etc.

Then the mental part comes in whereby some folk are going to keep hiking and others are going to stop as factors such as bone bruise, blisters, strained muscles, sleep deprivation, etc. take their toll.

warren doyle

02-15-2006, 18:50

Physical, mental and spiritual fitness all play a part in a successful endurance record long distance trail hike.

However, decision-making plays a big part as well.

What will Matt decide if his body and the trail are telling him his sub-40 day objective is not doable anymore? Will he not change his mind and risk not setting a record at all?
Will he accept the advice of his support crew?
Will his support crew be afraid to offer him advice?
Will he decide that he won't be satisfied with anything but sub-40 days?
Or, would he be satisfied with 47 days 10 hours?

His record attempt will be not only be about physical, mental, and spiritual endurance, but will also be like a game of chess. Will he be smart enough to counter all the moves that the trail/weather/society will confront him with?

Andrew Thompson's second AT record attempt ended as a result of a tactical mistake, coupled with nature's fury.

I look forward to his attempt.