Physical conditioning with heavy backpack

[santaman2000]

Thats so sad. We're getting more like America every day

I'll never forget Mr & Mrs American standing looking dumbly at the broken moving pavement in Las Vegas, horrified at the thought of actually having to walk more than the length of themselves. Dear God, please dont ever let the UK get it THAT badly wrong.

This remends me of something I've been meaning to ask. Do you have the drive thru windows at McDonalds yet? So that it's easier to get bad for you food without even the exersize of getting out of the car? I hate those.

 

[peaks]

Yep had those for a few years..........

 

[Kernowek Scouser]

I'm well aware of that; I lived there for 4 years. I still maintain that while walking may well be the third most popular "outdoor" activity the vast majority aren't into "outdoor activities. Rather like saying that the Ford Crown Victoria is the most popular police car. So what; not that many people buy police cars.

I believe that walking is the third most popular outdoor activity.

But sadly, it is a rather distant third, behind the much more popular outdoor activities of:

1) Finding somewhere to sit down
&
2) Bitching about stuff.



I visited a mate in Portland, Oregon one time and there were parts of that city, especially the centre, that seemed to have been designed solely for car use, no pavements/sidewalks or even little bits of ground to walk on at all, just very busy roads. So walking just wasn't an option. But he and his wife lived on the edge of town and in the evening and at the weekends, they and a lot of other folks who lived roundabout, used to get out and walk for miles, enjoying some spectacular scenery.

So I don't know it is fair to say Americans are less or more active than us Brits, probably even stevens.

But there were more fat people there than I have ever seen in any one place, before or since, proper fat people, so fat they cart their belly in a wheel barrow fat people.

I'm sure it had nothing to do with there being an all you can eat buffet cafe seemingly on every corner

 

[santaman2000]

Kernowek Our problem is down to a number of causes. One as you mentioned is the preponderence of cheap food (and much of it high fat, high calorie foods) Another is the lack of exercize; not just the lack of walking but doing exactly what you and I are doing right now, sitting in front of a keyboard or other electronic devise. Sadly the school system has eliminated recess due to the subject matter taught now occupies the whole day so children don't get the outdoor play time anymore (my Godson gets little such play after school as there are no children his own age near his home) I suppose I could rant on endlessly but that's the point; there IS NO end of the causes.

Back on topic, I do wish the OP well on his training and his trek.

 

[santaman2000]

Yep had those for a few years..........

OMG! You have my sympathy. I hope to be able to see the UK again one day but I suppose I equally hope I'll still recognize it.

 

[rik_uk3]

Santaman, go anywhere in Europe and you'll see the same shops as you have back in the States, Mac's, BK, Star Bucks, TGI Friday et al, this is in London or Paris or Budapest, these chains are all over now.

Budapest, converted railway station, but your can have a beer or wine with your quarter pounder there, very civilised.

 

[santaman2000]

Santaman, go anywhere in Europe and you'll see the same shops as you have back in the States, Mac's, BK, Star Bucks, TGI Friday et al, this is in London or Paris or Budapest, these chains are all over now.

Budapest, converted railway station, but your can have a beer or wine with your quarter pounder there, very civilised.

Yeah Rik I knew the shops (McDonalds, KFC, etc.) were there. They were long before I got there over 20 years ago. But what I was asking about wasn't the shops themselves, rather did they have drive thru service windows now where you drive up to the window, place your order, pay and are served without ever getting out of the car?

 

[shaggystu]

Santaman, go anywhere in Europe and you'll see the same shops as you have back in the States, Mac's, BK, Star Bucks, TGI Friday et al, this is in London or Paris or Budapest, these chains are all over now.

Budapest, converted railway station, but your can have a beer or wine with your quarter pounder there, very civilised......

my favourite has to be the maccy d's right next door to the museum of communism in the centre of prague, very well developed sense of irony these eastern europeans

 

[shaggystu]

Yeah Rik I knew the shops (McDonalds, KFC, etc.) were there. They were long before I got there over 20 years ago. But what I was asking about wasn't the shops themselves, rather did they have drive thru service windows now where you drive up to the window, place your order, pay and are served without ever getting out of the car?

they most certainly do, and they get ever so upset if you and three mates just pretend to be in a car and use it as a "walk through", if it wasn't for the fact that a mate of mine's a manager at one of the restaurants (their choice of word, not mine) in the local franchise i think that we might have been explaining a few bits and bobs to the local constabulary! no sense of humour these mcjob types

 

[santaman2000]

LOL. They (Mickey-D) call themselves "stores" over here. And they don't like "walk thrus" either.

 

[sandbender]

"...If no one has mentioned it. If you are packing dehydrated meals, empty them all into one ziplock bag, you can dump half a kilo in carry weight that way. If its three distinct meals-3 bags. Eat your main meal in the morning, if its dehydrated rice, soak overnight, makes it cook very quickly..."

Really good advice there.

"...Budapest, converted railway station, but your can have a beer or wine with your quarter pounder there, very civilised.

..."

But so much more civilised in years past, a coffee, a selection of cakes and scones and all the latest European newspapers to browse through.

 

[rik_uk3]

Lovely photo chap. We'll be over in November if you fancy a pint.

 

[mousey]

Completely of topic

but

I remember when I went to prague for a college trip, we were let loose for the the first afternoon. A group of us went for a walk, after a couple of hours somebody had the bright idea of getting something to eat and the first suggestion was........ macdonalds! here's me thinking we've travelled to a different country and you want to eat the same *.!&* you can get anywhere????? so me and another guy walked off and found a lovely little cafe which didn't serve food for another 2 hours so we decided to stay and have a beer - didn't wait till the food started because we'd have been too drunk, the beer was too nice and a little strong So toddled of to find a market round the corner and many more cafe's - we were the last back to the hotel at 11:00 that night, the teachers [and some of the other students] were getting a bit worried - great laugh

Anyway hope the OP's trainings going well be sure to have a good time now - and post some pics when your done...

 

[spikeuk76]

Ha,

Conversely, 10+ years ago I did a month mountain training in the Carpathian Mountains living off of rations that provided no where near the required calories for our daily requirements, as a group of 40+ blokes our weight loss was alarming!! With our first day off we went straight into Brasov and straight into McDonalds and spent probably what was probably the yearly earnings for the average Romanian on as many Big Macs as they could cook. I remember sitting by the big glass window with locals actually stopping and staring at all these foreigners scoffing what was one of the most welcome meals I've ever had!

 

[lannyman8]

hey all, back on topic i did an AFT yesterday (Army Fitness Test) to all you ex soldiers thats the new CFT, 8 miles in around 1hour 50 mins with 18kg + water, and today did some OFT (Operational Fitness Test ) training, only 4 miles in 50 mins but 24kg + water...

i must be getting old because my feet hurt a bit today....

regards to all and hope the training is going well...

chris.

 

[Retired Member southey]

Hahaha excellent, three weeks till aft baby!

 

[lannyman8]

Hahaha excellent, three weeks till aft baby!

ha ha ha ha, walk in the park mate..... i have not done PT for about 3 months so im a little stiff, but all is good....

the OFT (part 1) is a nice little tab for the warm up then 1.5 mile best effort with 15 kg + water in 15 mins or less, the second part is 4 miles in 60 mins with 20kg + water, nice bimble before work eh....

best of luck with it Southey Dude, should be well reat.....

 

[Retired Member southey]

Hahaha ahhh oft, remember it just being acft. Lubo, Sandsnakes is bang on, do the distance comfortably and repeatedly before adding the weight else you WILL CAUSE PERMANENT INJURY. And I would get that left ankle checked out.

 

[Ratbag]

@ the OP: Just make sure you look after your knees fella, you'll miss 'em when they're gone!

Good luck

Rat

 

[MrHare]

OP: you might save a bit of weight on maps by using the Harveys - your kit list looks like you've allocated more than I'd expect for maps.

http://www.harveymaps.co.uk/acatalog/Pennine_Way_South.html

3 maps, about a third the weight of an OS lamfold each.