[pct-l] Trail Injuries (cliques)
Patrick Beggan
meta474 at gmail.com
Fri Apr 4 18:01:45 CDT 2008
Group forming is a natural human thing, to be expected from most
people, even backpackers.
It's only bad when it results in friction with other groups, in my
opinion. Think high school. :p
On Apr 4, 2008, at 15:56, Trekker4 at aol.com wrote:
> Heed these words of wisdom from Dr Mohawkian, the world expert on
> hiker
> cliques (not chicks - DOWN Monty & Reinhold) from observing
> thousands of PCT
> hikers, cliqueing in her backyard. When stuck in the same backyard
> - damn nice
> place to be stuck - for 3 days in '05, hoping for an arch injury to
> heal, I got
> to really observe some of that behavior. I saw 2 hikers, one male
> and one
> female, who were ready to hike on, actually wait a day or two until
> their
> fellow cliqueians were ready. In the AT shelter registers there
> were almost daily
> notes: "Catch up, so-and-so", "We're waiting on you so-and-so", or
> "I'm
> trying to catch my friends". Oh well, people are people. Hike your
> own hike; the
> rest will work out.
>
> Bob "Trekker"
> Big Bend Desert Denizen
> Naturalized Citizen - Republic of Texas
>
>
> In a message dated 4/4/2008 9:53:02 A.M. Central Daylight Time,
> dsaufley at sprynet.com writes:
>
> We talked about this in the thru-hiker panel at Trail Fest -- how
> the
> psychology of social attachments to one's group causes issues of
> various
> types. Trying to keep up with a group is one potential hazard.
> Separation
> from the group is another, sometimes devastating, form of mental
> anguish
> that sometimes leads to people quitting.
>
> Social bonding is a really powerful thing, and we see "cliques" all
> the
> time, whether the members of the clique realize they are in one or
> not.
> Separated from their clique, they are like fish out of water, and
> don't
> assimilate easily into a new group (perhaps the new group puts out
> subtle,
> unconscious barriers to potential new members).
>
> On the panel, Basmati emphasized the need to be flexible in this
> and other
> regards. Don't let the desire to be with a group force you to hike
> outside
> your physical limits, and be open to change should you need to
> alter who
> you're hiking with -- or if you have to hike alone.
>
> L-Rod
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: montypct [mailto:montypct at gmail.com]
> Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 6:51 PM
> To: Donna Saufley; 'Robert W. Freed'; pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Trail Injuries
>
> Darn. There goes those facts again messing up my macho perceptions.
>
> This last year, I think it was Bill Person (Pooh) said to an
> injured hiker
> simply, "Were you trying to catch up?"
>
> No matter how much a hiker wants to stick with the group and hike
> with their
>
> "Trail Family", it can't outweigh the facts of the past. "Trying
> to catch
> up" can lead to drugs (Ibuprofen) and destroy dreams (the thru-hike).
>
> Monty
>
>
> Warner Springs Monty
> Pacific Crest Trail 2650 Miles .....Again.....and Again
> Sign my Guestbook
> www.trailjournals.com/monty
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Donna Saufley" <dsaufley at sprynet.com>
> To: "'Robert W. Freed'" <robert at engravingpros.com>; <pct-l at backcountry.net
> >
> Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 6:43 PM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Trail Injuries
>
>
>> Well, I hope I can give you an opposite view that is intended to
>> help you
>> balance your "push on" perspective. Mind over matter is
>> important, but
>> there are limits and realities to deal with. Years ago when I was a
>> fitness
>> trainer, we always said pain -- real pain, not the "wah, wah, I
>> don't want
>> to do this" sort of thing -- is the way your body tells you
>> something is
>> wrong. In my experience it is always best to listen to what your
>> body is
>> telling you, even if it's not what you want to hear.
>>
>> Here at Hiker Heaven I've seen a fair number of hikers who had to
>> quit
>> hiking because they didn't listen to what they bodies were telling
>> them,
>> which is often slow down and/or stop and rest until injuries heal.
>> Because
>> they pressed too hard for too long and didn't take care of
>> themselves,
>> their
>> hikes ended. Stress fractures are the usual culprit, but shin
>> splints and
>> plantars also take their toll. It's very sad to see this happen.
>> It's
>> even
>> more ironic to see young healthy people who are so full of energy
>> and
>> strength but haven't learned how (or why) to pace themselves get
>> sidelined
>> with injuries while wizened old timers pass them up, slow but
>> consistent.
>> It's the classic case of the tortoise and the hare.
>>
>> It takes time for the body to adjust to carrying 30 (or more)
>> pounds of
>> extra weight, and for all the tendons and ligaments to adjust to
>> walking
>> many miles a day. Large muscle groups adapt quickly, but training
>> for
>> tendons and ligaments is a much slower process. You can blow
>> yourself up
>> on
>> the first day if you don't take it easy and hike within your
>> limits. The
>> first days and weeks should be a gradual process of allowing your
>> body to
>> adjust. There's a price to pay for most when they're too fast out
>> the
>> gate.
>>
>> So, I hope this helps you.
>>
>> L-Rod
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net
>> ]
>> On Behalf Of Robert W. Freed
>> Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 12:40 PM
>> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
>> Subject: [pct-l] Trail Injuries
>>
>> Injuries are just a excuse your body makes to trick your mind into
>> rationalizing giving up.
>>
>> At least that's what I'm telling myself this season.
>>
>> Robert
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