[pct-l] Heavy Leather Hiking Boots

[Tom Holz (Bigfoot)]

Eugene wrote:
> Also, I'd like to see people that recommend trail running shoes to
> post their weight.  There's an owner of a popular lightweight
> backpacking site that frequently recommends lightweight trail running
> shoes.  This guy weighs 130 pounds.  Sometimes advice is highly
> dependent on body weight, and this is one of those times.  He also
> tries telling big guys what's up about chafing.

FWIW, I weight 215 pounds, and my base weight is conservatively 14 
pounds.  That's just about 230 without food and water.  I'm going with a 
"lighweight" running shoe that weighs just under 16 ounces per shoe. 
It's one of the least supportive, cushioning, or stabilizing shoes I can 
find... in 16EE.  They are Mizuno Wave Rider 13's, but I've also used 
New Balance in the past on the AT.  While I would love to find something 
lighter, there is just not much choice at my size.

For me, the discussion of shoes, feet, strength, and walking is more 
complicated that just finding a sasquatch size:

Two section hikes on the AT (~1000 miles each) in 2001 and 2004 left me 
with accumulated damage to my right leg.  Ever since those hikes I have 
been prone to shin splints and bad foot pain under the ball of my right 
foot.  This would happens sometimes after short walks, or even long 
drives.  It's not the lightweight trail-runners I used on the AT that 
did this to me, because my left leg/foot is fine.

I used to be incredibly skinny and weak, but in the last two years, I 
have spent a lot of time doing yoga and training in a gym (olympic 
lifting).  These have helped me develop a strong core.  I have also seen 
a physical therapist who introduced me to trigger point therapy, which 
helped somewhat with my foot pain after I used it on my calf. 
Currently, I am being Rolfed, which has drastically changed the way my 
right leg works (I'm still somewhat shocked).

After all that I am gently learning to walk again with my new leg.  It 
sounds crazy, but that's the best way to describe it.  On weekdays, I 
walk a couple miles across town in my "lightweight" running shoes.  On 
weekends, I walk a couple more miles off-road in Vibram five-fingers. 
This week I'm going to start adding weight.  While I'm on the trail, I'm 
going use something like Active Isolated Stretching to keep my legs 
working "correctly".

My goal is to build up strength with my new body while avoiding 
reversion to the old movement patterns that led to the chronic pain, and 
would likely have knocked me off the trail at some point.  (Who knows, 
it may still happen)

My thinking is that the body generally adapts very efficiently, if you 
give it time, to the support you provide it.  It grows strong where it 
is required to be strong, and it grows weak when it learns to rely on 
external support.  A weight-lifter who uses machines will have 
under-developed stabilizers and whole-body coordination compared to his 
big muscles, and a hiker who uses boots with heavy ankle or arch support 
all the time will have under-developed ankle or arch strength compared 
to his legs and cardio strength.  If I find that without support I am 
pushing my body past the limit of what it can adapt to, then I have to 
either throttle back or add support, especially if the alternative is 
not completing the PCT.

That was a longer response that I initially planned.  I do tend to 
overthink things sometimes  :)

Regards,
Tom Holz (Bigfoot)