walking...it's what we are made to do. For most of our species time on this earth, we have been nomadic people, moving place to place on foot. So in a sense, evolution has shaped us into walking machines. While most people might cringe at the idea of walking 100km in 48hrs, that is what we are made to do. Humans have only had the luxury of a life in which walking is not a necessary component for a tiny fraction of our evolutionary history. It's pretty cool to have the opportunity to go back and, at least for a weekend, live the basic lifestyle of our ancestors (Speaking of going back...). While they didn't have any canned tuna, gatorade, or quick dry clothing, at the core of things, we will be trekking over the same mountains and across the same rivers.

Humans have also done these journeys in groups, just as our team will be doing it with a bunch of other people. Another basic things about humans is our social nature. During training our team has certainly learned how important it is to have others around you when doing something like a long walk. While our ancestors walked as a way of life, I am sure they struggled at points and relied on the group to pull them through tough times. There are a ton of stories about how teamwork can drive humans to accomplish amazing things. But, back in the day, it wasn't about winning a game or finishing a race, it was about surviving. I hope it doesn't come down to that for our team, but just going through the same exercise is a pretty cool connection with our ancestors and humans as a species. When I feel the pain the bottom of my feet, I can at least say, "Hey, they did this their whole lives. I'm only doing it once. Stop whining and keeping walking!"

Labels: ken