[pct-l] Heat Acclimatization and Training

[Trekker4 at aol.com (Trekker4@aol.com)]

It doesn't seem to matter how much or, within  reason, how little I 
condition; it always takes about 2 weeks for my body to get  "conditioned"; and I can 
always tell when that day arrives. I get hungry, and  horny.
    On the AT, when I got to that point, I'd  usually keep up with some of 
the thru hikers; but part of the reason is that  I'll go sunup to sundown at a 
pretty steady pace all daylight long - 10 minute  breaks every hour or so, and 
30 minutes for lunch. A lot of the thru hikers  goofed off more than I did; 
they'd start later and quit earlier; they'd pass me  mid-morn, and I'd pass them 
mid to late afternoon. One thru-hiking couple and I  leap-frogged for 17 days 
in ME, and they hiked a lot faster than I  did. 
   If you hike for 10 of the 14-15 hours of late spring  and early summer 
light (14 hours of daylight, and maybe 15 hours of useable  light), just 2 mph 
gets you a 20 mile day. I don't have my plan in  front of me, but 2.5 mph gets 
one to Kennedy Meadows well before 15 Jun,  even with a 0 day at every 
resupply; I'd guess 2 mph or 20s gets one there  about 15 Jun.
    Anyhow, that's how I do it: pacing and long days.  Just sitting around 
doesn't interest me much anyhow, and I cool down too much if  I sit over 10 
minutes. Al'la ya'all taught me one thing; I'll try elevating my  legs slightly at 
breaks and while sleeping this year.
   
Bob 
Big  Bend Desert Denizen
(Naturalized Citizen, Republic of  Texas)