Running > Hiking: It's all about efficiency

I enjoy a good day hike as much as the next guy, don't get me wrong. 

I've done some longer ones, too: Paintbrush Divide, Grand Canyon R2R, and Whitney represent the rough "max" of what I'm willing to do, mainly because I want to sleep in a real bed and take a shower. So I stop at day hikes. 

But here's the thing. I don't go very often because it's inefficient. Take your average summer Saturday: 

  • I wake up at 4 AM to get my running gear ready, eat, and work on some stuff 
  • I lift at 4:45 AM 
  • I leave the gym at 5:15 AM 
  • I run at 5:30 AM
  • Whether I run 16, 18, or 20 miles, I will almost certainly be done before 8:30 AM.
  • If I run 22, could take until 8:45 especially with bathroom stops. 
  • I've burned an obscene amount of calories 
  • I've had wonderful, meditative time in nature, it's just not the backcountry 
  • This gives me all day to do other things, including water slides and working on my non-fitness goals. 

Now take a hike Saturday:
  • Everyone gets to the trail at like 10:30 AM best case 
  • Too much stopping
  • We somehow don't get back home until like 4:30 PM (??) , then everyone wants food
  • Then all the water parks are closed
  • A water park Saturday is burned and gone despite how short the season is
  • I've hardly burned any calories but when I sit down to write I fall asleep instead 
So the calculus is simple for me. 

Same reason why you won't catch me at an ultra. Ain't nobody got time for that. 

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