Evaluation of my preparation (two weeks before)

Physical preparation

As of this morning, there are only two weeks left until I begin my hike. Bama to Baxter, baby, come on! I wish I could say that I felt 100% physically prepared for my trip, but the recent winter weather here in the Mid-Atlantic states has affected my training. Yes, training. In early November, I began the progression of increasing the distance traveled and weight carried on my weekend outings. Sixteen weeks of rest, like a marathon. I did pretty well through December, and even into the first part of January, but over the past four weeks, I’ve spent more time in my Peloton chair than in my walking shoes. I’m not worried right now. Last weekend I went on a thirteen-mile hike with a thirty-pound backpack and felt great. If I can keep up my daily walks for the next two weeks, I’ll be good to start the journey.

Also, I’m hiking the Pinhoti Trail (PT) to warm up for the Appalachian Trail (AT). For the first month of my hike, I plan to limit my mileage each week to allow my body to acclimate to the sustained effort of a full hike. Last year, I walked a long time (38 miles) and I walked fast (20 miles in under six hours), but I didn’t walk long days for a sustained period. Therefore, I want to use PT to hone my fitness and backpacking skills. I hope to dial in my daily routine (break down camp, eat on the trail, set up camp, hang my bear bag, etc.) so I can hike efficiently when I get to the AT.

Team preparation

I’ve had my team dialed in for a couple of months now. I still need to make some clothing decisions (I don’t like being cold), but my big three have been established for months now. My goal is to keep my backpack weight under thirty pounds with four days of food in my backpack. It sounds like that won’t be a challenge unless you end up needing to carry more food than you anticipated. I will list my gear for the hike in my next post.

emotional preparation

Mentally and emotionally, I think I’m ready to go. I have been saying goodbye over the past few weeks at various family and social events. I still have a handful of days of work ahead of me, but they should be very easy. When I look ahead to the walk, it is difficult for me to contemplate my emotional state three and four months into the walk, but I am sure looking forward to the first few months of walking. It’s been almost forty years since I only had to worry about myself. I recognize how selfish that sounds and I hope that my role as a husband, father and colleague over the years has earned me the right to enjoy these next six months. My family knows that I am at most three days away if an emergency arises.

I hope you choose to follow my journey. I can’t promise poetry, but you can count on me to deliver timely posts that describe life on the road, describe my physical challenges and successes, and relate to the emotional, mental, and logistical challenges I face while on the road.

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