Quote Originally Posted by Shouko View Post
Armor from knights depending on the era and location could weigh up to a 100 lbs. you're not running a marathon in that, short bursts maybe but even then you're not going to have much speed. Even in 20-30 lbs you're going to have issues running, as for swimming forget about it, most people can barely even swim properly let alone swim with weight on them. A marathon runner that wore armor would be slower than hell, they're used to not having any weight, drag perhaps but weight no..a pro swimmer again same concept, they don't swim with weight, drag yes.
You misunderstood me. It's not about whether an average person can do this or that, but whether it is possible.

I said that a marathon runner still would be able to run further than a non-marathon runner (I did not mean that they would run faster, though I probably did use an ambiguous word for that). That is most certainly true, because even if they would run slower certainly (marathon runners do not run fast at all, to begin with, and an average person on a short distance will easily run faster than any marathon runner anywhere during the marathon will), they trained their body for endurance. Even halving that distance will bring their run to a number most people won't come even close to.

You also seem to mix reality with fiction. "They are used to running/swimming without armor" doesn't mean jack squat in reality. A person that runs a marathon will have stronger legs than a person that does not. It's a fact and no matter the weight they add, it won't change things. A marathoner weighting 60kg will run further than an average Joe will run at 50kg. That same marathoner weighting 80kg will STILL run further than the average Joe weighting 50kg. You are underestimating humans ability. Current soldiers wear almost 30kg of gear on them in the field and they most certainly can run longer distances, while most couldn't run a marathon.

As for that 100lbs gear, as I said, jousting gear was heavy. Yes, jousting gear did weight about 100lbs, so about 45kg. And yes, knights were the ones that wore it. But no, that gear was NOT taken to war. Never. It was a suicide. They were hard to wear, hard to move in. Getting on a horse without help was nigh impossible. If the squires died, such a knight was just an easy target for enemy that couldn't fight properly. Humans are smarter than to put on tin cans that make it impossible for them to move. When against wooden or rock weapons it's fine and all, but a full-strength metal-ended mace to the gut can kill you with or without armor, so it was mandatory to be able to move, and move well.

Now, swimming is another matter. A 60kg+20kg armor person is not the same as 80kg human (heck, the more a human weights the easier it is to swim). However, again. Trained professional swimmers have general fitness and strength to maintain themselves and armor afloat and...though they ain't gonna beat any record obviously...I never said otherwise. All I did was say that it is possible for a person to swim in armor and that a person in armor that is a well-trained swimmer will be able to swim further than an average Joe without armor (clearly making assumption of that average Joe weighting a reasonable amount, like 70-80kg, cause those that are heavily overweight just won't sink and can stay afloat indefinitely without having to do anything...till they die at least).

Look here for your "slow as all hell" comment on running...Believe it or not, but knights did give chase and run away, including against people that had nothing more than leather armor. Being unable to run fast is a good way to never win a battle...except with a Pyrrhic victory. Really...Humans have fought wars for ages. Give more credit to humans where credit is due. Unlike in water, on land the weight of armor is significantly less of a problem. It's not the same as running while holding 20-30kg's in your hands. The weight of armor is spread around your entire body and moves less than fat for obese people will. It's not without its effect on how long a person can run and maximum speed will be reduced, but a fit person will still be better at it (both distance and possibly speed-wise) than an average Joe.

Also, look here for some information on weights.