For week 4 on the trail, I’m feeling strong. While my body does have occasional aches and pains, specifically in my feet, I think this can be considered normal for anyone who walks that much. None of the pain lasts more than a day at a time. And I think some of it could be paranoia induced.
Months of training, lifting weights, walking 8 miles to work daily, hours and hours of stair workouts fueled by Broadway musicals (you may have seen my “make it Broadway” workout series on Instagram or TikTok), have started to pay off. Side note: If you haven’t tried it, tunes make for epic, inspiring workout playlists. Can I recommend some Hamilton, Hadestown, Wicked or Rent? Message me for all music recommendations.
My only fear before starting the Pacific Crest Trail was injury or overuse. So I did everything I could during the 8 months leading up to the PCT to condition my body for such challenging physical exertion. Mentally, I will reach Canada at the end of this hike. Physically, well, that depends on how my body reacts. And how I treat it. And while I knew a lot could go wrong in the first few weeks (or any time really), I feel like I’m past the initial injury threshold. I’ve been here 28 days and I’m kicking ass.
So far, so good. I had a blister and some hot spots. But taking quick care of them with leukotape, keeping my feet as clean and dry as possible, and even taking off my shoes during breaks to let them breathe have really made a difference. As for the aches and pains; some have registered with fear in my brain as symptoms of overuse or tension (I have no idea if they are true or not). But I have been diligently cleansing and massaging my legs and feet every night with Tiger Balm to help relieve some tension and pain. I stretch when I get to ant camp every night and spread my feet with my cork ball every night. I’ve made foot care a priority here and so far it’s worked!
Along the way, I was able to increase my daily mileage from an average of 15 miles per day to 18 miles. Over the past few days, I’ve even walked consecutive 22-mile days, followed by a 19-mile day. And I’ve felt really good.
I have always been a great climber and I love walking in the mountains and slopes. I may once regret saying this, but I feel strong and confident when I climb mountains; I’ve always had endurance-conditioned muscles for that. Getting to the top of Mount San Jacinto and Mount Baden-Powell was incredible. I didn’t need too many breaks and I was impressed with how quickly I was able to get to the top. I think the hours on the ladder playing Broadway musicals have definitely been worth it.
«So if I’m flying alone, at least I’m flying free, for those who punished me, get a message from me, tell them how I’m defying gravity.»
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