During the 46 days — actually 45 days, 22 hours and 38 minutes — it took him to complete the 2,189-mile Appalachian Trail, runner extraordinaire Karl Meltzer averaged 47.6 miles a day.
Considering that’s more range than wolves, they with the four legs and all, usually cover in a day unless they’re starving, we’d say the 48-year-old bartender-turned-marathoner done good. Ya done good, Karl!
Highlights of Meltzer’s record-breaking run included capping each night of his trek with a couple of beers, stuffing his face with Three Musketeers bars and bacon while running, and going for one uninterrupted 23-hour stretch when he was desperate to make up time.
There were lowlights too, including when Meltzer turned running into a contact sport and slammed his head into the ground “several times” after he zoned out during a downhill stretch.
If you’ve ever considered walking, running or crawling the trail, Meltzer has some advice above everything else. “You really have to have a team,” he says. “It’s not just the one guy running.”
Beer and bacon probably won’t hurt, though.
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