Make it count: Day #35

Thursday, April 16 - Day # 35 - AT Hike

Miles Hiked Today - 17.5
Total Miles Hiked on AT - 413.3/2,193 (18.85%)

Lost Mountain Shelter (486.7) to Wise Shelter (504.2) - camp at Wise Shelter

Total ascent - 3,878’
Total descent - 2,757’

Total States Completed - 1/14

Another sunny day today - but breezy and pretty cold throughout the hike. A solid day with 17.5 miles and 3,878’ vertical ascent. I had a big 2,300’ climb starting around Mile#3. That took a lot out of me. I hiked to the highest point in Virginia- Mount Rogers 5,729’. (The AT doesn’t go officially to the summit - but close) I stayed up on the ridge for the better portion of the day (that’s where you could really feel the breezy cold)

Today was one of those grueling, grind-it-out kind of days. The 1 condition you really can’t analyze going into a day (like miles, weather, elevation, elevation grade) is the actual terrain you’ll be walking through. This is a MAJOR factor. If the trail is mostly “clean” - your average pace can be solid. However - when the trail becomes “technical” (boulders, trees, roots, rocky) - it can really slow you down. That’s what happened the last 6 miles or so. It was basically walking through a boulder field for miles. This required careful attention to every step. There were large drops that I had to use my hands many times. This wore me out. My feet and heels have already been hurting - these last 6 miles were “painfully” slow.

One of the cool things about this afternoon was going through Grayson Highlands. It’s a park that has wild ponies throughout. Pretty cool - one of the popular areas of the AT. I saw about 5 of them. See some of the pics. Interesting- something very unique about this area.

I was thinking about different things today. Remember how I mentioned I was approaching this journey on the AT like a marathon. Ok - 18.85% of 26.2 miles is 4.94 miles. So I’m just slightly less than 5 miles into this thing - worlds of distance to go.

Many times when you run a marathon- it’s also combined with a half marathon. (You could also think of this example with a 5K/10K race). At some point in the race, the half marathon and marathon runners split off. Sometimes - this happens early in a race - like maybe around Mile#5. You’re running down the road with hundreds of runners - it’s hard to keep consistent because there’s people cutting in and out everywhere. But up ahead you see a couple lines forming. They have race staff yelling out: “Half Marathoners to the left. Full Marathoners to the right”. OK - so I break right. I look around and almost nobody is following me. They are all doing the half marathon (usually 80%). I enter the break off to the right. Inevitably- one of the half marathoners yells out: “Hey marathoner - good to see you - wouldn’t want to be you”
I turn that corner to the right - and I just see a really long road ahead of me. Very few people around. At that moment - I’m thinking — “Whoa - what in the world have I gotten myself into”

Ok - back to current day. This is sort of the point I’m at here on the AT. So much distance left - it’s a bit overwhelming. That initial adrenaline surge to start the race has worn off - now you got to just settle in for the journey. Don’t get me wrong here - this is just a natural feeling. I have it during every marathon. I just need to regroup - just concentrate on the next mile (the next hiking day). Miles #5-13 (AT 413-1,100) - they are always my best miles of any marathon. I concentrate on being efficient, smooth - and just let the miles tick away

So - tomorrow I’m going to hit that Mile#5 on the marathon. I’m turning right. I’m leaving the half marathoners - all the crowds of people. I’m creating my own path - a special path - a direction that not many people are willing to go. It’s OK to be overwhelmed. You wouldn’t be human if you weren’t. Just put your energy into that next mile - that next hiking day. You can do it!! —— I can do it!!!!! Stick with me on this journey!!!