Hiking: Red Feather Village to Home Base. 10 miles.

Like all runners, mostly I move in the lane facing traffic.

The road here has a noticeable crown, for snow management in the winter. With endurance walking I switch sides periodically to avoid the constant strain on my ankles and knees of leaning one way.

 Here's the first step in training for what may become a 50-mile hike.

May become. We shall see.

Malachi has shared the Teddy Roosevelt / John F Kennedy Challenge with me: 50 miles in under 20 hours.

The distance is one challenge. The 20 hours makes it a true challenge—limited resting. It’s like the original ultramarathon, but without other competitors. Just you and your body.

Not only has he shared the challenge, he’s actually made a serious effort at doing it himself. Per the challenge itself, without preparation—just go out and walk. In a terrific effort, he covered about 37 miles, losing time as injury and pain caught up with him.

I’m unwilling to do the without preparation part. At my age and with the learnings of 30 years of running, I know a deal-breaker when I see one. Teddy Roosevelt was a raving hyperactive fitness buff. The Kennedys were known for their competitive, sports-focused activity level. And if pictures of Bobby Kennedy when he finished this adventure can be trusted, it pretty much wiped him out.

Today I did the ten miles in 2:45, which is a pace of 16:18 per mile, a bit more than 3.5 mph.

50 miles at this pace it would take about 14 hours, 15 minutes.

But it’s unlikely I can do it at this pace.

My hike today was all downhill, over 1000 ft across the ten miles.  And what I can do for ten miles I can’t sustain for 50.

Yet.