Date: 2005-07-25
To: fatty fat fat land
Miles today: 0.0

When you read the journal entries of many of the people that are leaving every year you see many of the same themes: People wondering what gear they should bring, wondering what they'll send home at Walasi-Yi, people dreaming of what its gonna be like to be out there, trying to take leave from they're jobs, and, in almost every journal, people with different exercise plans that help them loose wieght and get in shape for the Trail. Well I am doing something quite different from the people in the last category, I have stopped all exercise completely and am forcing myself to overeat so I can gain some wieght and be out of shape when I reach Springer. Who in their right minds would do this? Well, I may not be in my right mind, but I'll explain my reasoning. During the preparations for my 04 hike I still lived in Boone, NC (a mountain town about and hour from Roan and the Grayson Highlands.) I lived just at the base of Howard's Knob, the big mountian in the town. Starting months in advance I would load all of my gear into my pack (at the time in all my glorious excess my gear wieghed 55 pounds.) AND I would put a 25 pound wieght plate in my pack. Then I would hike the road up Howard's Knob. 1100 feet of elevation gain in less than tow miles. On days I had off, I would do this five or six times. The result? When i got on the Trail with what then felt like a measely 55 pounds I was hiking 20 to 25 miles miles a day in north Georgia just because I knew I could. I practically and iterally would run at some points just to get out of breath. The result of this was that everything went by too fast, and I became more focused on miles and not smiles as the saying goes. So this time around I'll be as out of shape as possible. It's not easy, I'm addicted to working out, I would run ten miles a day 5 days a week my last semester in boone. And wieght lift at least 4 days a week, usually more. I've found and awful truth that catches many people my age by surprise. When you get into the working world and stop working out, be lazy is addictive too. I understand how so many people getoutta shape by the time they're thirty. With luck, by the time I reach Hawk Mountain Shelter I'll be so sore that the next day just making it to Gooch Gap will be a feat unto itself. That way i am forced to move slower, enjoy the company of my fellow hikers, and revel in being sore. (I love the feeling.)I'm not worried about being too sore. After all after being in such good shape for so long AND being 23 (24 March 13th!!) I'm sure it will only take me about a week to get back in the flow. Being young is fun....sorry old folks, but you guys have experience and tenacity over my youth and stubborness! As far as overeating goes. I'm 6'2, and when i got off the Trail on my 04' hike I wieghed 130 pounds, and that was after only 500 miles!! If I hike the whole way without any extra wieght I'll be able to just float on the wind to Katahdin! Right now I'm the fattest I've ever been (which, at 180 pounds makes all my friends struggling with weight very angry.) I over eat at every meal, eat meals between meals and snacks between those. If I miss even two days of overeating I'll start loosing wieght. So, I guess I'd better get off of here and go eat some ICE CREAM!!!