[pct-l] Break Strategies

[Charles Williams]

For myself,  I would take numerous breaks in the mornings and afternoons in the beginning.  As I gained conditioning, and after I got through the Sierra, I took fewer breaks and a quicker lunch.  By the time I got deep into Nor Cal and Oregon I really took very few breaks and would rather just keep hiking.  I still took a lunch but it got shorter and later and later every day.  This was to fuel me in the afternoon and through the night as I quit eating dinners eventually.  
 
I had numerous friends and family from back home that would hike with me for a week or more and they didn't have the stamina to skip breaks, so I took breaks on their schedule (what ever they felt comfortable with)
 
My concern in recommending a (break-free) style of hiking for you as a section hiker is whether or not you'll ever spend enough time on the trail at once to "ascend" to a break-free "hike style".   I knew other thru-hikers on the trail that summer and when I'd hike amongst them for a day or two I found that that they took breaks often.  
 
Just some thoughts...
 
QuincyRider
Mex-Can in '93


________________________________
From: Michael Irving <michaeljirving at gmail.com>
To: "pct-l at backcountry.net MailingList" <pct-l at backcountry.net> 
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 9:54 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Break Strategies


OK, here's an actual hiking question to mix things up. 

To provide some context, I'm not a thru-hiker but a MYTH (multi-year thru hiker) hopefully. 

When I hike I tend to want to power through with pretty short breaks that may not even involve taking my pack off or sitting down. I usually have a short lunch but that may only be 20-30 min. I read/hear about thru-hikers often times having more formal breaks. (I tend to eat steadily through the day rather than set eating/break times). 

So, my question is if there is any info or opinions on how a break strategy or lack thereof impacts the average persons body in ability to hike longer miles and/or the same miles more comfortably. Sometimes it seems that breaks can make it even harder due to tightening up. 

Any experienced thoughts on this one? I don't recall it being discussed since I've been reading about the PCT over the last few years. 

Thanks!
-GoalTech
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