Date: 2006-05-22
From: Blacksburg, VA

To: Blacksburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Hello all,I just spent three zero days in Blacksburg, VA with myboyfriend. The break really couldn't have come at abetter time. Everything - my gear and body - startedfalling apart for me over the last week. My Platypus water bag developed a leak, so I couldn'tuse it anymore because it soaked my bag. I bought anew one this weekend. I discovered that my rain pantshad holes in them, but Sierra Designs couldn't doanything special for me, so I just taped up the holes.Up until the last week, I had been feeling great. Itwas finally feeling good to hike and I was routinelydoing 3 miles/hour. I'm not sure what went wrong, butsomehow my left leg decided to give up on me. Istarted getting knee pain in my left knee goingdownhill. It didn't bother me too much during the day,but it woke me up every night pounding. Ouch. The realproblem was that it was preventing me from gettingmuch sleep. In addition to my knee, my left footbecame a problem. For the last 30 miles or so that Ihiked, I pretty much limped along the trail. The last10 miles I hiked without an insole in my left bootbecause it was the only way I could walk. My mom is a physical therapist and her over-the-phonediagnosis was tendonitis in my left foot and some kindof cartilage problem in my left knee. She prescribedtaking Motrin for 1-2 weeks, even after the pain wentaway, to get the swelling down and keep it down - bothfor the knee and foot. And she suggested icing bothareas several times a day, and gave me a few physicaltherapy exercises to do. I also bought a knee brace.She said I should be fine to continue hiking. After 3days off I do feel much better, and I hope thingscontinue to heal because I don't want to get off thetrail. I also discovered a minor case of poison ivy on myleft leg too. I've got that under control, however. Iam now a walking medicine cabinet. I have zinc oxidefor my poison ivy, ibuprofen for my leg, Tylenol,Benadryl, Imodium (this one is really handy),multi-vitamins, vitamin C (recommended by my motherfor soft-tissue healing), and an extra dose ofantibiotics in case I come up with some freakbacterial infection again. I'd really rather not becarrying all of this, but better safe than sorry,especially when I can't just go out and buy something.I just hope I've got everything covered now.Despite all these problems, I'm still having a greattime and I'm not trying to complain. After all, what'slife without challenges? I'm loving being on the trail- feeling physically fit and healthy, being outdoors,having total freedom, making progress (if only alittle) toward Katahdin every day. I really enjoyed mythree days off, and I'm grateful to my boyfriend Rick(and Erin's Leon) for driving all the way down here tosee us. It was great to see him and to enjoy thecomfort of modern-day society (daily hot showers, TV,movies, music, a bed, not carrying everything I own,wearing different clothes everyday, using a car to getsomewhere, etc.) once again. I now have a new pair of shoes and a new hiking outfit(you get tired of wearing the same thing everyday).I'm hoping the abnormal cold spell is over and it willnow be a bit warmer, although hopefully not in the 80sor 90s (probably too much to ask). I'm excited to getback out there. I'll post another update when I get achance.Hope all's well,Lindsay