Originally Posted By: Art_in_FL
Forced by events highly capable and motivated people have often completed remarkable feats of strength, toughness and endurance. Sometimes coming across the line half-dead after giving everything they have to give. At the same time others have died in the attempt. History is full of these death marches.


Very true, very true. Then there are the sadest cases of all - the ones who die after making it back. Especially in history, but also in some contemporary survival stories, there seems to be a pattern of people who make it back alive, but then die soon after. I think these cases show how sometimes the mind can drive the body to achieve beyond it's endurance.

That might be a good argument for pacing yourself and your group, if find yourself in such a situation. Feeling the urgency of the moment, there may be a tendency to drive yourself to your limit, without remembering that your mind might be stronger than your body. Even if you think you can go on, you need to ask yourself if you really need to, or if you can achieve your objective with a little more rest thrown into the mix.