Beyond my limit

[HiKen2011]

I hear this term thrown around a lot, push myself beyond my limit and so forth. I'm not sure I understand what that means or if it's even wise and healthy. Beyond someones limits? For an athlete/backpacker woudn't you be dead if you go beyond. I've pushed myself farther than I wanted to lots of times but never "beyond" my limits. Perhaps that's why we here of many marathon runners (many may be overstating) falling over dead with a heart attack. Someone enlighten me so I understand. Is it safe/healthy to really push ourselves on a regular basis? Is it/can it be dangerous? :-?

[Carbo]

Pushing beyond a physical limit will lead to injury. Pushing beyond a mental limit may be where we experience growth.

[Storm]

In my opinion it isn't pushing yourself to death. I would consider myself to have pushed beyound my limits if I were unable to function normally afterwards and if I were unable to recouperate within a reasonable time period. If I were to do a 20 mile day right now it probably wouldn't kill me. I would however be overly tired at the end and would probably not be functioning well the next day. I would consider this to be exceeding my limits.

[jeffmeh]

Adrenaline is an amazing thing and can enable one to push well beyond prudent limits. That said, a 2000+ mile hike is a marathon, not a sprint.

[tdoczi]

well, first off, most people can do more than they think. a lot more. you never know just how much until you try, and thats mostly a mental limit. as for a physical limit, i think pushing at least to it if not beyond it is how you move the limit and improve. if the first time you hike 20 miles youre sore the next day and conclude therefore that 20 miles is "beyond your limit" and never try it again i think youd be missing out any possibility of improving your physical performance.

[Drybones]

You dont know what you are capable of or "what your limit" is until you fail. Some people want to know, others dontwant to fail, for those who do, go for it...only one life to live...live it your way.

[JAK]

I think the sensible thing is to push the envelop a little at a time, to test and extend your limits.
As you get older its a matter of retesting your limits, as your physical limits change.

[garlic08]

If you puked, you probably went beyond your sane limit.

It's good to know your limits, I think. Many training scenarios are designed to take you there.

[Papa D]

It is good to know your limits but you can surprise yourself and rise to occasions - - I remember a time when I passed a shelter in a big snowstorm and got caught out at night - - I kept thinking, this is crazy, I'm not going that slow, it simply has to be there - - post-holed till 2:00 am - had hiked 19 hours and covered about 25 miles in deep snow - - I woke up in THE NEXT shelter without knowing that I had actually done about 7 miles MORE than I had planned ..... it is these sort of times when you collect your thoughts, dig down, and (safely) push through that create some of the greatest memories.

[Juice]

Try to think of it in the terms of "a new personal best". No matter whether it's hiking, another sport or any goal which we strive for, there are times when we improve even if it isn't our intention. That also doesn't mean that it's healthy to try to break your old record on every attempt. There's definitely a HYOH mantra when it comes to this topic. I only feel psychologically healthy when I compete with myself. I lose when I try to beat "your" record.

[Mike2012]

One has to test their limits if they are to continue to grow.

[Shooting Star]

For me, I think of my "max" limits as hitting that point near the end of a hiking day where strength is
waning, there's no spring left in the legs and they don't recover on a flat or downhill section. And
maybe there's some jitters from blood chemistry (sugar) issues. It's hard to think clearly - I'm just
beat. I try to plan my trips and manage breaks, snacks and hydration so I DON'T quite hit this stage.
If I do, I make camp wherever I am unless I'm within an easy mile of my planned campsite. In a survival
situation, I think I could dig deep and push on for another 3 or 4 miles, but it wouldn't be pretty.

Anytime you've pushed yourself hard enough to have the stumbles and mumbles and mental
clarity lags, you've set yourself up for a really bad situation. Safety margin is gone and falls, wrong
turns and poor decisions about looming weather can put you in a dire situation real quick.