Log from the trail: pain
This is my first blog since starting the AT on March 2nd. It’s been 20 days and 100 miles. Here’s my story, where I’ve been and what I’m learning.
I’m a 50 year old retired couch potato smoker who has never backpacked more than 5 miles from a car. So this is my perspective:
#1 Listen to your body and actually LISTEN
I started the trail with what I thought was a minor cold. Fourteen days later, a clinic in Clayton treated me for bronchitis.
The staff took care of me very well. The oxygen made a big difference.
#2 Pain: my ever-present friend
I expected pain, but that doesn’t make it any easier.
30-year-old me who ran 30 miles a week would laugh at 50-year-old me who struggled to walk.
I trust Goodys powder because it is light. But I’m not just surviving: I’m rebuilding.
I take electrolytes and prenatal vitamins for iron and folate. I force myself to eat and drink more water than I have in years.
Here I not only recover, but I rebuild my body.
#3 The rhythm: overcome yourself
I started with the idea of walking 10 miles a day.
Instead, I struggled to get 5 miles a day for the first two weeks.
At that rate, it would end in October 2027.
I passed a mile past Neels Gap and had to take a zero, the only one so far. That moment forced me to face reality:
I don’t compete with anyone here.
I compete with my ego.
I start slow. I build slowly. I rest and recover.
Could I have trained more? Sure.
But I didn’t do it.
I’ve met great people: Eldon & Mosey, SloPoke & Royal. We walk at similar speeds and that matters.
#4 Miles per hour vs. hours per day
I can’t match the speed of the younger hikers…yet.
But I wake up earlier.
I get up at 5:45, pack my bags, and start hiking at 7. That gives me a 2-3 hour head start before the faster hikers pass me at lunch time.
That works for me.
I may not walk faster, but I walk longer.
#5 Am I the youngest “old man” here?
I didn’t expect so many hikers in their 50s, 60s, and even 70s.
The younger hikers impress me. They bring energy, dreams and curiosity. They take time to open up, but they listen.
To the elders: I see you and respect you.
Keep going.
#6 It costs more than I planned
Moving slowly costs more than I expected.
I’ve already stayed in three hostels and one hotel within 100 miles. I planned a resupply and shelter at that distance.
Instead, I restock every 4 or 5 days like everyone else; I just cover fewer miles.
Yesterday I raised my first double-digit day. I’m proud of that.
I’m going out of the way for four days to see my son graduate from basic training in San Antonio. I look forward to chilaquiles and spending time with my son, wife and mom.
And honestly? I can’t wait to get back on the road.
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