Bag packed and ready

My AT thru hike start date is just around the corner! I've made a list of the stuff that is making the 2,000+ mile hike with me. At the beginning of my preparation, pretty much the only gear I had was my pack and my boots. I had graciously donated my other hiking gear/equipment to someone else in need but that gave me the opportunity to buy all new stuff!

And into the forest I go..

It's finally time - I thought this day would never come! This summer I'll be taking extended leave from work and thru hiking the Appalachian Trail. This idea has been floating around my mind for a long time - since I summited Katahdin as a child, spent summers as a camper on Pleasant Lake in Maine, and backpacked for a month out west when I was a teenager. I'm excited to wake up to a different view each day.

Oh good..another blah marathon..

So marathon #7 in Melbourne, FL at the beginning of February was a bust. Near record high temperatures were set that weekend and my body was just not ready for the heat and humidity. I was planning on doing a marathon in Georgia this spring, but now I felt more pressure. I really didn't want to have two bad races in a row, so I was hoping for good weather and good health.

I had 5 weeks between the marathon in  Florida and the Georgia Marathon in Atlanta. I did some hiking, a handful of 3-7 mile runs, and a 10 miler. I had planned to do a 50k trail race at the beginning of the month but it was cancelled due to extreme winds. I had been taking it easy assuming I would have at least this one long 'training' day, but when it was cancelled I felt panicked that I had missed my opportunity to get in another long run. I knew my legs needed some rest, but I was nervous that all of my training would go to waste.