7.31mph (~11.8kph) doesn't require the extreme conditioning that a marathoner would likely undergo. I applaud him for doing that at 43, but
In high school, I pulled 3 miles in 17:30, about 10.5mph (~17kph). Going on 5 years later, with minimal excercise during that time, I know I could finish a marathon just by eating appropiately beforehand. I'd expect my marathon pace to be somewhere south of 8mph, but I can walk above 6mph indefinitely.
Granted I don't really deserve this body considering how little I put into maintaining it, but the frequent migraines and extreme difficulty in balancing nutrition at over 5000Cal/day tend to outweigh my luck in perpetual fitness.
My point is that there are people out there who aren't seriously daunted by 52 miles in a day, even without preparing for it. I'm not quite stagnant, but I'm close enough to the stereotypical geek in my tendency toward sedentary activities. 52 miles... just so long as someone else supplies the fluids, and I don't have to carry significant gear. You want crazy, look at the military. |
