Some thoughts and wonderings about Redd Mage and others

[El Gallo]

When I saw RM's gear video I thought this guy does not have a chance of finishing. I think he had four or five knives with him. He seems to have adapted and has a great attitude. A thru hike is not a race so nailing 20 miles a day appears to be not super important to him if he has time with his pace to make to Kahtadin before Oct. With every step he takes his chances of finishing grow.

[rafe]

What's the big deal with 20 mile days? That's hardly a requirement for finishing the trail. Ditto with 2 miles per hour. A steady 15 miles per day will get the job done. Over a ten hours day that's only 1.5 mph.

[Wyoming]

Well in the spirit of your last post.

We are all different and have different capabilities. For some bodies and some mental makeups doing a thru hike is incredibly hard. For others it is no big deal.

I am in my 60's and have had some really severe injuries which impact what I can do now compared to what I could do when I was a youngster. That being said I can hike circles around most 20 somethings. I have always had what seems to be built in endurance beyond what the average person has. I however would not be your first choice for a stand-in in the UFC most likely. High endurance, fast, lean, high strength to weight ratio. But not much for top end power. I also never quit training.

If your hiker guy has never in his life reached a state of top conditioning and has been something of a fluffy couch potato then you are expecting too much too soon most likely. If he has only been going 3 months he has lots of upside potential. Top athletes train hard for many years to reach their peak. He just needs time.

Re the diet nonsense. Fruits and vegetables are not going to make any difference at all. Sure it is nice to have some dried fruit in the pack, but that does not power you. For those who want to really max what food to eat when doing max effort high mileage you need to eat like the site below instructs. Note Dr. Braaten is a PhD nutritionist and a long distance hiker. I follow that set of guidelines while hiking and it works like a champ. There is no reason you can't eat how you want to but trying to tell others that you need to eat vegan, vegetarian, lots of fruits and veggies and so on is wrong. It is a choice you make make but there is no scientific basis to it. Maximum physical effort in long duration endurance activities requires massive amounts of fat, less carbs and about the same protein intake. You do not want to do that at home of course, but while you are hiking pour the fat in the tank.

http://thru-hiker.com/articles/pack_light_eat_right.php

[Lone Wolf]

never heard of him. he doin' somethin' special?

[egilbe]

never heard of him. he doin' somethin' special?

He's just walking

[Lone Wolf]

He's just walking

cool. dime-a-dozen walker

[Deadeye]

Other than my remark to my wife when I first saw RM on the trail, which I freely admitted to and regretted nearly as soon as I said it, please point out for me where I am being disrespectful. I really don't see where asking the questions I asked fall under that category.

Fine, I'll bite. Had you posed your questions as "is it typical to go so slow?" or "how far do most hikers go in an average day?", I would not have been rubbed the wrong way. Instead, each of your "questions" were finding fault with his abilities: "Shouldn't he be having an easier time with the climbs by now?", "Shouldn't he be able to walk faster by now?", "Shouldn't he be able to handle doing some longer mileage days by now?"

All this while, in your own words, sitting on your fat @$$ on the couch. What part of HYOH don't you understand? I'm pretty darn sure he's doing the best he can, and he's been out there for 2 months... that deserves kudos, not questions about his speed.

[johnspenn]

Fine, I'll bite. Had you posed your questions as "is it typical to go so slow?" or "how far do most hikers go in an average day?", I would not have been rubbed the wrong way. Instead, each of your "questions" were finding fault with his abilities: "Shouldn't he be having an easier time with the climbs by now?", "Shouldn't he be able to walk faster by now?", "Shouldn't he be able to handle doing some longer mileage days by now?"

All this while, in your own words, sitting on your fat @$$ on the couch. What part of HYOH don't you understand? I'm pretty darn sure he's doing the best he can, and he's been out there for 2 months... that deserves kudos, not questions about his speed.

Fair enough. But the reason I'm asking these questions is because RM himself has stated he wants to do these things. That's what prompted my curiosity, and why I wondered that after the amount of time he's been on trail he is still struggling as much as he is.

I'm not the one finding fault with his abilities, he is. I'm just trying to figure out what some of the reasons might be why.

Again, I will state that I hope RM summits Katahdin, and I think he will. I have nothing but respect for his effort thus far.

[LongBlaze2019]

Why even bring him up at all? He's out working on a thru hike and your on WB talking about him..... I'd say what he is doing is working and like has been said several times, each person is different.
Why don't you ask him on his YouTube channel?

I find this thread kinda pointless

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[Lone Wolf]

why torture yourself
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFbGWCBbqAU

[Carl7]

In the mornings when I'm making lunches for the kids and myself and trying to keep the house in order, it's been really nice to watch reddmage and Early Riser 71. They are bringing the the trail to those of us that can't get out now. I wish them all of the best. They are both great guys like most hikers on the AT that I have met.

[saltysack]

I'm still scratching my head with this post....what the $$$$ is the point.....who gives 2 ships how this guy hikes his hike?


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[AfterParty]

It is reality TV at its finest

[Don H]

What's wrong with 2 mph? That's my typical hiking speed.

[johnspenn]

What's wrong with 2 mph? That's my typical hiking speed.

Absolutely nothing is wrong with 2 mph if you're satisfied with that pace. Nor is anything wrong with 1 mph in the same circumstance. But if someone wants to hike faster, and for some reason can not, then it becomes a problem, if only in their mind.

As to others who are asking about the point of the post and etc, I have tried to explain several times already. My apologies to anyone who still doesn't understand, I'm sure it's my lack of clear communication. Peace and happy trails!

[Gambit McCrae]

Ol Redd is going exactly the speed he needs to be going. Wether it is 10 miles a day or 20. He is complaining about what he wants to complain about just the right amount as well. It is his hike, his videos and his choice to share. I am really rooting for Redd because if he makes it, even if he doesn't make it, has broken a sterotype for successful hikers.

I just got back from a 40 mile, 29 hour hike in central VA and met some nobos that hiked with Redd in GA. They were saying how he was always the first up, but last to come in to camp. I wish him the best.

[LongBlaze2019]

Absolutely nothing is wrong with 2 mph if you're satisfied with that pace. Nor is anything wrong with 1 mph in the same circumstance. But if someone wants to hike faster, and for some reason can not, then it becomes a problem, if only in their mind.

As to others who are asking about the point of the post and etc, I have tried to explain several times already. My apologies to anyone who still doesn't understand, I'm sure it's my lack of clear communication. Peace and happy trails!

I think everyone else's point is "who gives a s**t"
Everyone hikes their own pace...

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[Don H]

Absolutely nothing is wrong with 2 mph if you're satisfied with that pace. Nor is anything wrong with 1 mph in the same circumstance. But if someone wants to hike faster, and for some reason can not, then it becomes a problem, if only in their mind.

As to others who are asking about the point of the post and etc, I have tried to explain several times already. My apologies to anyone who still doesn't understand, I'm sure it's my lack of clear communication. Peace and happy trails!

Well then that's the problem, wanting to hike faster instead of what comes naturally.

My point is 2 mph is a perfectly acceptable pace to complete a thru. After watching some Redd Mage's videos he reminds me a lot of myself during my thru. In fact he's closely matching my pace since I was in SNP on day 72.

Sure the youngsters can hike 3+ mph and do 25+ mile days after not getting on the trail until noon, but I couldn't. I was 53 when I thrued and I intentionally stayed under 20 miles a day. I saw lot's of over use injuries from people doing long distances, especially early on and I avoided that for the most part.

If I could give RM some advice I'd say just hike as far each day as you want, don't try to keep up with the group, enjoy each day, remember there's hundreds of people sitting behind a desk or working in some factory wishing they could be in your place.

After watching his gear video he needs to dump half the stuff he's carrying. I bet I could pull 10 pounds out of his pack easily. Who in the world needs 4 knives?!

Thanks for bringing his videos to my attention, I'll be watching.

[johnspenn]

I think everyone else's point is "who gives a s**t"

You obviously do despite several claims to the contrary, because A. you keep reading the replies to the post and B. you keep commenting about how you don't care.

So, to answer your question, at least one person.

[rafe]

One forgotten part of HYOH is moving at your own pace. Which can be hard to do if it's more than just you. It has to be a compatible group and even then, compromise is what makes it work.

I could never really keep up with any groups so ended up doing most of the trail alone -- at least the walking part. That works better for me. I'm usually happy to partake of the shelter/campsite scene if there is one.

If I see the same fellow hikers two or three nights in a row, great. But I don't make that my goal.

(OTOH... it can be fun to part of a "working" partnership or group on the trail. They do exist.)