*8

Why do I highly doubt that? If we assume you actually mean 4, even though the FML says 8, then you're saying you walk 4 miles in 40 min, or 6 mph. Normal walking speed is 3-3.5 mph, so you apparently walk double that? I just looked it up, out of curiosity. Average running speed is 6-11 mph, and distance running is about 6-7, so you walk as fast as your average person runs. Well. If I believed you, I would be HIGHLY impressed.

I'm surprised that no one is considering that terrain could be a factor, OP might not have been walking on flat, tame ground.

got my unit conversion mixed up, not used to dealing in miles, but basically i can walk 2-3 miles in 15-20 minutes on flat ground, so it'd be around an hours walk for me on a not so hot day.

I see what you did there,

just because it took them that long doesn't mean they're out of shape dumb ass. and he said he walked - which is prob why it took him so long to get home FYL OP

Why is it that people who sign up to do the extremely psychical stuff always act like they are so superior to the rest of us who didn't sign up for such jobs? @sgtgrim570 "in boots." Whatever point you were trying to prove with that part of your comment is moot because the boots you wear are made to hold up during those activities. The fact of the matter is that everyone's body is created differently and each person handles things their own way. I go to the gym every other day or so and work out for an hour and yet I know that I couldn't do an eight mile hike. There are two very simple things that would cause major problems, 1. I don't have the right shoes for an eight mile hike nor do I intend to run out and spend money I don't have, on shoes that could hold up to an eight mile hike. and 2. I have major problems with my back and often just breathing hurts enough to make me want to cry, let alone walking on uneven/ rocky ground for that long.

I never mentioned how long it took the op to complete the 8 miles. I said the op was a cry baby for seeking sympathy over it. 8 miles is nothing. My 9 year old can drag me around Disney World from sun up to sun down and doesn't complain about having to walk. But if enabling the op makes you feel better about yourself, go for it.

Chi, as for your back condition, my heart truly goes out to you. I know how debilitating a back injury can be, and I truly regret the pain it causes you. that being said, the op never mentioned an injury or medical condition preventing them from being physically active. Obviously the op's father believed them to be capable, although maybe he is a total ass. The point of my original comment, and perhaps I was being too blunt about it, was simply that if you are physically fit, 8 miles is no big task, and if you need to get from point A to point B, you shouldn't need to be bribed to do so. Also, apart from a debilitating injury, or medical condition, none of us have anyone to blame but our selves for being physically unfit. And the point about the boots wasn't meant to say they are more or less comfortable than any other foot wear. However, as anyone who has worn combat boots can attest, they are heavier, hotter, and more prone to cause blisters than running or walking shoes. It takes weeks to break a pair in, and months to get used to wearing them.

I'm just saying that eight miles, for someone who isn't used to it, can be really harsh. The OP may actually work out on occasion but may not yet be up to the task of an eight mile hike (terrain unknown) while (probably) carrying a backpack. They may be more of the work out on an elliptical for thirty minutes type. An exercise which will help you lose weight, but doesn't necessarily get you prepared for any kind of real hiking. Also as I said, they may not have had the right kind of shoes, something which should be factored in. If the OP got four blisters while making the trip I'd say that it's highly likely they were in bad shoes. The fact that the OP didn't do well on this particular trip is not really an indicator of whether or not they are really and truly out of shape.

Huh? I walk at 3.5 miles per hour and about 5% if that if people I see walk faster. It's walking, not running. 8 miles is a lot.