Date: 2010-03-04
From: Home

To: Troutville, Virginia (Two months away!)
Miles today: 0.0

03-04-2010Fraser Fir Section HikerAppalachian TrailGeorgia to MaineUpcoming Section: Southwest and South-Central VirginiaTarget date: May 2010I have been saying that I have been waiting for something to happen at work so that I may establish some type of formal dates for my upcoming hike.I am still waiting. That is o.k. I understand that things happen and I know that I will be walking sometime in May. For now, I continue to exercise four, five or six days per week. I have stayed in my neighborhood and have alternated back and forth between various exercises. I have been walking with a pack (around 50 lbs. or so). I have been walking without a pack.I have started running short sprints up hill. (up to thirty percent grade hills). My shins are feeling so much better so I added running back to my exercise routine. I am keeping the running in check so that I do not put too much pressure on my shins. I have been walking in rain and snow. I have been walking in below freezing temperatures.The great news is that I have gone from around a size forty or so waist to a thirty six waist line. That will be less weight that I have to carry in Virginia! I have not been this ¢light¢ since Bryson was born almost five years ago! That was when I was doing a lot of my ¢in-out¢ day sections of Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee!My only concern is that I have yet to do any day hikes or overnighters in 2010 because of the ¢busyness¢ of life and the unwillingness to be away from my lovely wife and two boys. I truly believe that the early morning exercises will set me up for success like no other section hike.My legitimate concerns for this hike: ¢¢        I will hike for almost 175 miles. The furthest that I have ever hiked in one section is maybe seventy miles.¢¢        I bought a pair of North Face Gore-Tex ¢Hedgehog¢ Trekking shoes yesterday from the guys at Outdoor World in Dawsonville. I actually had the guy size me up and he shared the news with me: my arches are failing! At any rate, I have always been rough on shoes and rough on my feet. I blister quickly and 175 miles across Virginia could put a hurtin on the feet. I am going to do research on some different approaches with prosthetics and other things to aid in my arch support and alleviate the friction that I may encounter between my feet and my new shoes. (which will be broken in by my May start.)¢¢        Being away from my wife and kids for eight days. The sense of loneliness; if it occurs. I have to remember that when I choose to do one thing, I miss out on another. I am so looking forward to this hike and the time to really get away and sort things out a little bit. I plan on writing to my boys and sending post cards from Bland, Pearisburg and possibly Troutville.So, we are getting closer and I think that I have Bryson already psyched about Pennsylvania! By the time I get through Virginia, he will be six or seven and hopefully ready to head northbound with his Daddy!I am shooting on loosing another ten pounds or so (although I have not stood on a scale in years!) before I get started. The more weight I can take off, the smoother the walk for sure!Appalachian Trail, ready or not, here I come! Pretty soon in fact!