Hit mile 47 on the Eagle Rock loop and my knees just quit on me
Finished the Eagle Rock Loop in Arkansas over 4 days last month and around mile 47 my right knee started making a sound I'd never heard before. I had 12 more miles to the trailhead and every step felt like a rubber band about to snap, so I had to ditch my 45 pound pack food and all. Took me 7 hours to cover ground I should've done in 3. The thing is, I'd done 50 mile trips before with zero issues, so I blamed my boots at first. Turns out I'd added 8 pounds of gear since my last trip and never thought twice about it. Nobody warns you that a small pack weight creep can wreck you halfway through. Has anyone else had their knees go out on a long route, and what actually fixed it for you?
My buddy Dave did the Ozark Highland Trail two springs back and packed on about 10 extra pounds of camera gear without thinking about it, and his left knee blew up around day three. He swore it was the trail at first but it was really the weight, and once he dropped to a 30 pound base and added squats and step-downs twice a week, he finished a 60 miler last fall with no issue. Get your pack weighed and build up those legs before you blame the boots.