# How would you win The Long Walk? (From the S. King novella) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 4, 2007, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-win-the-long-walk-from-the-s-king-novella/386687 "2007-01-04T14:48:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-win-the-long-walk-from-the-s-king-novella/386687/81 "2011-12-30T21:07:05Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Since this thread has already been revived, I’ll add my own question: > > What do you think of the advice to not wear sneakers? The novel is emphatic about this in the hints given the Walkers prior to event. The hint states: > > I always wondered about this advice, because it seemed to me that a good pair of running shoes would do better than a pair of boots. > > The shoes don’t have to last for months, after all, just a few days. I think I’d take my chances with a good pair of New Balance [993](http://www.newbalance.com/products/MR993/?productID=MR993&page=all) running shoes. The story was written in 1979. “Modern” running shoes had only been available for a few years and were certainly not well known to the non-running population. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-win-the-long-walk-from-the-s-king-novella/386687/82 "2011-12-30T23:04:54Z")
Based on any bag-drive ruck march I have been on, running training doesn’t cut it. Marching, walking is all about your feet. If I was going into something like this, I’d find some great hiking boots and break them in. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-win-the-long-walk-from-the-s-king-novella/386687/83 "2011-12-30T23:30:10Z")
It mentioned that you have to stay on the course, but does that mean you had to keep going forward on the course or just stay physically on it? Could I just go back and forth between two areas? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-win-the-long-walk-from-the-s-king-novella/386687/84 "2011-12-30T23:50:31Z")
Why would you? You still have to maintain a 4 mph pace so you’re still getting tired and they’ll just shoot you if they think you’re concocting some sort of ruse. ---
**Author:** ![UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/46a35a/32.png) [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UFC_Is_Sux)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-win-the-long-walk-from-the-s-king-novella/386687/85 "2011-12-31T00:18:08Z")
Any ruling class/society sick enough to shoot somebody for stopping for 3 minutes in a race is sick enough to ventilate my skull for any reason their black little hearts desired. I’d be looking up the local Underground Railroad and getting my happy backside out of that place. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-win-the-long-walk-from-the-s-king-novella/386687/86 "2011-12-31T00:38:32Z")
I feel like the thing about Stephen King stories is that reading a summary of the story is actually more interesting than reading the actual story. So many times, I have read (usually on Wikipedia) a summary of a King story and thought, “wow, this sounds so awesome.” And then I read the actual story, and I hate it. _The Jaunt_ is prime example number 1. There are _so_ many others. I think from now on I am _only_ going to read the summaries of King’s stories. His concepts and ideas are always first-class. His actual text? I can’t stand it. His overly-wordy prose is obviously fueled by cocaine and writing-mania. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-win-the-long-walk-from-the-s-king-novella/386687/87 "2011-12-31T04:26:31Z")
By all means. Try your loopholes and tricks. Trying to nitpick the rules just gets you shot sooner rather than later and one less opponent for me to worry about. Your family can appeal the decision after the race is done. For myself I’ll go with intensive endurance training. Then a week before the event I’ll go with an astronaut type diet. High energy, low bulk and get the GI tract flushed out. Then still wear only a kilt for the walk, I don’t expect to have any trouble taking a dump while walking if there’s anything left to run through. From what little information I’ve got at this point, packing red blood cells would be a definite advantage but I’ll have 6 months to research that and performance boosting chemicals if I believe it won’t get me a bullet. Or more likely, have someone research it for me while I train. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-win-the-long-walk-from-the-s-king-novella/386687/88 "2011-12-31T04:56:14Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > I feel like the thing about Stephen King stories is that reading a summary of the story is actually more interesting than reading the actual story. So many times, I have read (usually on Wikipedia) a summary of a King story and thought, “wow, this sounds so awesome.” And then I read the actual story, and I hate it. _The Jaunt_ is prime example number 1. There are _so_ many others. I think from now on I am _only_ going to read the summaries of King’s stories. His concepts and ideas are always first-class. His actual text? I can’t stand it. His overly-wordy prose is obviously fueled by cocaine and writing-mania. I remember Kurt Vonnegut had one of characters say of his perennial author stand-in Kilgore Trout: “He has such brilliant ideas! If only he could write!” I think King of the 70s was much better, when he had to restrain himself. Cocaine may have contributed to that, I’m not sure. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-win-the-long-walk-from-the-s-king-novella/386687.md?page=4)