Date: 2013-01-24
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Miles today: 0.0

I am fat. Worse yet, I am fat and out of shape. Worst of all, I am fat, out of shape, and two and a half months away from the start of my AT hike! How did this happen? In thinking and dreaming about being at this point in my trail prep, in my mind's eye I was slim and strong. I guess wishing doesn't make it happen!So, what to do? Well, I'm a doer, not a whiner, so something must be done. I lost 30 pounds last year, was at my goal weight, looked and felt good, and just assumed that somehow I would not be one of those people who lose weight only to gain it all back again. Those lost pounds came sneaking back, waiting until my back was turned or I was asleep, and then they jumped me. I have some reasons, of course, but if I list some of them, it just sounds like I'm justifying or making excuses. But here they are, anyway: I have a great life, really, but there have been some big-time stressors in the last few months, and I am an emotional eater. My workplace closed, and I was absorbed into another department, into a job that I don't like and am really unhappy in, but I can't quit, when I am quitting anyway, in March, for the hike. And my 89 year old mother is ill, with a lot of uncertainty about how best to handle it, and the underlying understanding that her condition could very well impact my hike, change my start date, etc. And yet, I have to continue to plan as if I will actually be leaving on April 1.So there, you go, but I really do accept the responsibility for the weight, of course. Nobody forced the pasta and chocolate down my throat! The good news is, I still have time to do something about it. I'm actually not that worried about the weight, that will take care of itself, but I really do have to get in better shape. So, it's back to the gym for me. I have a great steep hill behind my house that I can walk, but that is dependent on daylight and reasonable weather, so I've been going to the crappy small town gym near my house. I'm doing 4 miles on the treadmill, set at ultra incline to simulate Georgia terrain. I walk at about 3 to 3.5 mph, and I do this almost every day (except when I work). I need to find the time to get back to my 3x weekly yoga class, too. I can't see finding the time to do more than this, so I hope this is enough!In other news, I will be slackpacking (walking without the weight of my backpack) for the first week of the hike. This will help me ease into the trail, and hopefully build up my fitness level with less chance of injury. This is a service offered by the Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega, Georgia, near the beginning of the trail at Springer Mountain. I will return to the hostel each night that first week for a meal and a bunk, and can leave most of the weight of my pack at the hostel. The hostel owners, Josh and Leigh, will shuttle me to the trailhead each morning, and pick me up at a pre-arranged road crossing each afternoon. Yes, I am eager to get into the whole trail-life experience, with cooking on my homemade alcohol stove and sleeping in my beloved hammock. But I will have a whole 6 months for those experiences, and I think this is a good choice for me. I need every advantage as a novice hiker, especially in the beginning.And did I mention the Summit Sisters? I am part of a group of-ahem-"mature" women, all planning to hike the AT in 2013. One group departs in March, one in April, a few starting on other dates, a few undecided as yet, and two are hiking the Pacific Crest Trail instead of the Appalachian Trail. We communicate online nearly daily, sharing information, ideas, tips, recipes, inspiration and encouragement. It's nice to have a support group, like-minded women who understand the excitement and even anxieties that are growing as the countdown to our start date continues!