As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter......
There are no Olympic records for the real record holders in life. Mother's lifting burning cars off children or runs which could never be repeated, are the real records of human endurance.
There was in the 1850's a trapper named Jim Beckwith, who had been talked into trapping the headwaters of the Snake River in Idaho, across from the Blackfoot and Crows, for the winter.
The other trapper named Reese had a plan for beaver trapping, and they thought they could get out before the Indians came over the Rockies in the spring again.
The duo stayed too long in April as trapping was very good.
100 Blackfoot Indians arrived one morning in their camp, and killed Reese with the first shot. The only thing Jim Beckwith could do was run, and run he did.
The attack started just after breakfast and checking beaver traps. That would make it in April around 7 o'clock. Jim Beckwith would in running for his life, ran 100 miles to Fort Hall, which he reached before dark, which again would be around 7 o'clock pm.
One has to comprehend that Idaho would be as big as Texas if it was laid flat as the entire country is verticle mountains. This run was not on a Boston Marathon street nor on trails, but over wilderness country.
If Jim Beckwith made this run in 10 hours, which is likely. It means that he was running at a 10 mile an hour sprint for 10 hours. His lungs held out, but his legs did not, as the toil burst the veins in his legs, which made him a cripple for the rest of his life.
The mark for speed is a 4 minute mile and that only being one mile. Marathon runners of 20 plus miles on pavement are heralded for 4 hour runs.
Jim Beckwith, who was a middle aged man in his 30's ran for 10 hours, 6 minute miles.
This was all without any Olympic village million dollar training facilities.
I am more fascinated by the destruction the human body will degrade to under stress. As no one hears of any such things in the modern era of athletes, or past great events in historical runs, it is a point that no athlete ever comes near to straining themselves as they would panting like others to believe.
Jim Beckwith is probably the greatest long distance runner in history, but no one will note it. It is as I always relate whenever I hear of "the greatest" anything, as there is always a better fighter, wrestler, basketball player etc... out in some hinterland who holds the records, but has never been recorded.
nuff said
agtG
