Reality check: this is going to hurt a lot

I’m a few days away from embarking on a hike on the Appalachian Trail (NOBO) and I’m struggling with a few things. The last time I put a backpack on my back and ran miles I was 32 years old and ran 6 to 8 miles a day. He was also in very good shape and didn’t have many health problems. I am now 49 years old, very out of shape and have some health problems. I have carried large backpacks across extreme terrain in extreme weather conditions, day and night, many times when I was younger and in better shape. And that is a reality that I cannot escape, life and my lifestyle will make this path much more difficult than it had to be. However, this is not the harsh reality. It will be painful and scary, but not difficult. The hard one is about 12 inches above the heart and is the one with the best chance of finishing my hike.

I am not immune to the doubts and fears that many may have about taking on the AT. I think at some point most people who do this will think, “Can I do this?” I would be surprised if a person didn’t have that thought and would probably question his arrogance. It’s a perfectly reasonable thought and there’s nothing wrong with thinking it. Ask yourself that question and be honest with yourself about your ability. If the answer is a resounding No, then prepare yourself to give yourself the best chance of success. If the answer is probably, do what you can to improve your chances. If the answer is yes, then ask yourself what you have been missing that makes you believe that. I’m not saying you should go into this thinking you’re not going to complete it, but you have to know that things are going wrong and the main thing you’re probably forgetting is that chunk of gray matter that resides in all of our heads.

The why

I really feel that as much as this is going to hurt, and it will, I will most likely complete the journey in the time I have given myself. Barring injury or illness, I don’t think I will abandon the path. I’m not saying this because I’m better than everyone else, probably quite the opposite. I’m not saying this because I have some secret technique or equipment that others don’t know about, believe me not. The reason I say this is because at some point along the way, every person who walks it will have a question pop into their head one way or another: “Why am I doing this?” That question, whatever its form, will take the strongest and most capable and break them. You will leave them on the side of the trail as the slower and less capable ones pass them to the end. It is the most devastating thought a person can have when faced with a voluntary challenge.

I was in the military and volunteered for some unconventional teams; To be clear, he was not in special operations. During that time I was trained in unconventional ways and one of the things the military does incredibly well is assign people very difficult tasks that are completely voluntary. What separates those who complete tasks from those who don’t is the ability to answer the above question: «Why am I doing this?» If you don’t have an answer ready when that question comes to mind, chances are you won’t make it.

Embrace sucking

The advice I offer you, when you decide to take on the journey or any other difficult task, is this: have an answer ready when you ask yourself that question. I haven’t done much research into why most people don’t complete this path, based on what I’ve been through and what I’ve seen in others, the reason I think most people leave the path is mental and not physical. To give yourself the best chance of success in this endeavor, train your mind for what’s ahead. Know that pain comes and that sometimes it will be bad. Know that loneliness and frustration are coming and will be difficult to overcome. Know that the only thing keeping you on the path is yourself and that it is painful to face reality. When it gets hard and you want to quit, and you will want to quit at some point, remember to put one foot in front of the other and then do it again. When quitting screams in your ear and echoes in your head, take 20 more steps until you quit smoking and then another 20 and on and on. Over time, the screaming stops and the echo diminishes and you will be better. If, for some reason, you are not able to overcome it and end up straying from the path, know that you did more than the vast majority of people by even stepping on the path and give yourself the credit you deserve for it. You are one of those who were brave enough to drop everything and even try this and you deserve to be celebrated for that, especially by yourself.

To everyone who is taking the path this year, or in the years to come, and reading this, know that I am rooting for you and wish you the best journey. Know that there are challenges ahead and meet them when they come, overcome them, and then laugh at them while leaving them in the dust. Accept the shit that is the road and good luck.

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