Walking speed of the Grim Reaper

[alliecat]

I suspect everybody here believes that walking in general, and bushwalking in particular, is good for us. But how fast do you have to walk to avoid the grim reaper? A study in the British Medical Journal pins it down:

The Grim Reaper prefers to walk at 0.82 m/s (2 miles (about 3 km) per hour), with a maximum estimated speed of 1.36 m/s (3 miles (about 5 km) per hour)
Older men wishing to outrun the Grim Reaper should maintain walking speeds above these levels

Here's the full study: http://www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d7679

So keep walking everybody!

BTW, since the reaper is traditionally depicted as having only a cloak and a scythe, he is obviously an ultralight bushwalker...

Cheers,
Alliecat

[Lotsafreshair]

Is the scythe titanium?

Cloak ultra fine merino?

[michael_p]

Cloak ultra fine merino?

I believe it is Cuben Fiber.

[Moondog55]

More likely to be dark smoke coloured Cuban

[tas-man]

I suspect everybody here believes that walking in general, and bushwalking in particular, is good for us. But how fast do you have to walk to avoid the grim reaper? A study in the British Medical Journal pins it down:

The Grim Reaper prefers to walk at 0.82 m/s (2 miles (about 3 km) per hour), with a maximum estimated speed of 1.36 m/s (3 miles (about 5 km) per hour)
Older men wishing to outrun the Grim Reaper should maintain walking speeds above these levels

Here's the full study: http://www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d7679
So keep walking everybody!
BTW, since the reaper is traditionally depicted as having only a cloak and a scythe, he is obviously an ultralight bushwalker...
Cheers,
Alliecat

I am hoping that his cloak, even if lightweight, will make it more difficult for him when scrub bashing through bauera, horizontal, scoparia and the like, so he can't catch experienced bushwalkers going only 1 km/hour. Then again, his scythe might give him an advantage if it helps him cut through the scunge faster than we can push. So does this mean that scunge bashers are more likely to be caught by the grim reaper? IE should older bushwalkers stick to graded tracks to increase their survival chances?

[mikethepike]

I suspect everybody here believes that walking in general, and bushwalking in particular, is good for us. But how fast do you have to walk to avoid the grim reaper? A study in the British Medical Journal pins it down:

The Grim Reaper prefers to walk at 0.82 m/s (2 miles (about 3 km) per hour), with a maximum estimated speed of 1.36 m/s (3 miles (about 5 km) per hour)
Older men wishing to outrun the Grim Reaper should maintain walking speeds above these levels

According to the speeds given above, bushwalking, especially rucksack laden, will do you no good at all! I recently heard of some very recent research that showed that training interval training, with 1-2 minutes 'hard' separated by 'easy' pace did more good (not sure what was measured) than 30 minutes of medium pace exercise. I think that bicycles may have been used to make the comparison.

[MrWalker]

According to the speeds given above, bushwalking, especially rucksack laden, will do you no good at all! I recently heard of some very recent research that showed that training interval training, with 1-2 minutes 'hard' separated by 'easy' pace did more good (not sure what was measured) than 30 minutes of medium pace exercise. I think that bicycles may have been used to make the comparison.

It's well known (among bushwalkers) that cycling does not exercise as many muscle groups as walking does, hence the need for sprints and interval training when using bicycles.

We can assume that on long or difficult trips the Grim Reaper is similarly laden to us, so if you maintain an "average pace" for the conditions under a heavy load or while bushbashing then you will stay ahead, whereas any stragglers are likely to be caught.

[andrewa]

However, Mr Walker, cycling does improve your quadriceps control and therefore your enjoyment of both uphill and downhill sections. I've not seen the Grim Reaper on a bike, so cycling might improve your chances.

BTW weren't the old G R adds all about safe sex and using condoms? Or have I lost it? A condom slows your walking speed down at least 20kg. The clap slows it down >22kg!

A

[MrWalker]

However, Mr Walker, cycling does improve your quadriceps control and therefore your enjoyment of both uphill and downhill sections. I've not seen the Grim Reaper on a bike, so cycling might improve your chances.

My experience of cycling confirms that the Grim Reaper won't catch you as long as you keep moving, but if you fall off, particularly on those downhill sections, the Grim Reaper can catch you quit easily.

[tasadam]

Does the grim reaper sleep? If n't, he's doing that speed 24/7, so we'll need to walk pretty fast to keep ahead.
But, who is to say where he is on the track? Like, if you walk too fast you might actually catch up to him.

Maybe I need to read the study to see how it all works.

[madmacca]

I love this study. There is serious scientific research underlying it, but I LOVE the way they have written it up.

Yes, interval training is one of the best ways of increasing your fitness and VO2 Max. And V02 Max is important to bushwalkers in a couple of respects:
1. It allows you to climb steeper hills faster.
2. It makes your body more efficient at converting fat to energy, which can be a good way of lightening your food weight on an expedition style walk. Protein and carbs = 4 calories per gram, fat = 9 calories per gram.

But training should also be in as close to real conditions as possible, and the best way conditioning your muscles for bushwalking is to, well, walk with a pack.

So a good overall training program for bushwalking would include both interval training AND pack walking.

Mad

[matagi]

I love this study. There is serious scientific research underlying it, but I LOVE the way they have written it up.

Christmas edition of the BMJ has traditionally had a "lighter" article to provide a bit of Christmas cheer. Some of them are just plain silly but some like this article have more serious underpinnings.

Maintaining mobility in the elderly in particular, is vital to maintaining good health and good quality of life (even amongst the severely demented)

And .... make sure you look after your joints people.

[Explorer_Sam]

What about when camping overnight? Surely the Grim Reaper would catch up to a couple of walkers that are camping.

[MrWalker]

What about when camping overnight? Surely the Grim Reaper would catch up to a couple of walkers that are camping.

The Grim Reaper is probably busy elsewhere overnight, chasing up all those people who don't get enough exercise.
I'm fairly sure that not many bushwalkers die overnight in their tents (in Australia anyway).

[Overlandman]

The Grim Reaper came for me last night, and I beat him off with a
vacuum cleaner. Talk about Dyson with death

[MrWalker]

The Grim Reaper came for me last night, and I beat him off with a
vacuum cleaner. Talk about Dyson with death

Were you camping in a tent at the time?

[tas-man]

What about when camping overnight? Surely the Grim Reaper would catch up to a couple of walkers that are camping.

Only if they camp under old eucalyptus trees with lots of dead branches waiting to fall . . . in the night . . . without warning