Date: 2006-05-15
To: Prep #23-On Mother Nature & The Power Of Your Mind
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday was a milestone day for me. I hiked my first double-digit hike, 10.2 miles to be exact. I went back to a place I hadn't been for over a year, and re-discovered just how perfect it is for training. Lot's of steep ups and downs, tree roots, loose rocks, sand, and an all around feeling of isolation.   Per my partner's recommendation, I added weight to my little pack by putting all of my loose change in a ziplock baggie. Yes...that works well! With my 3 liters of water, I was probably lugging 10-15 lbs on my back. For anyone watching the news, those of us in the upper mid-west/east coast have been getting rain dumped on us non-stop for a week now. I got up yesterday and yup...raining still...ahhhh...the perfect day to go for a hike!It was in the 50's, pretty cool, rainy, muddy, and sloppy on the trail. It occured to me that it would be so easy to get mentally discouraged while hiking in such conditions day in and day out, so I decided to really put my mind in the place it will be while on the AT next year.I convinced my brain that I was indeed, not going home to a hot shower that night. I had my cheapo rain jacket on (not the rain pants), and I pretended that after I finished the 5.1 mile loop, that my truck was a shelter in which I was taking a lunch break. So...I ate half my PB&J, took off my shoes/socks (by the way...I can't begin to say enough great things about my Salomon Trail Runners...feet totally dry despite the rain...totally blister and hot spot free!). I was pretty tired, so I layed my seat back and shut my eyes for about 20 minutes. I got toasty warm. It was still raining, and although I could have just driven home, I didn't. I said to myself "If you were on the AT, you'd have to keep going, even though it's raining and cold." So, I put on my socks/shoes, raincoat, got out of my truck, grabbed my poles and headed back for another trek around the trail. This time I went the opposite direction. My legs were tired, around mile 7 my feet were starting to hurt, and fatique was setting in. This is when I really analyzed my thought-process, our tendency to fight/reject what nature gives us, and use the power of my imagination to change my frame of mind. It rains, you're cold, you're partially wet...you have one of two choices, fight it and focus on how miserable you are, or accept the conditions as nothing more than a moment in time and appreciate the beauty of hearing rain hit the leaves, feeling the beads of water run down your legs, and put your mind into a positive place. That's what I did.Just as I was getting really tired, I started thinking about funny moments/memories in my life. I actually caught myself laughing out loud. Then...it went to Oprah (you think I'm joking). I pretended I was being interviewed and was being asked "THAT" question, "So, Michele, tell us why you can't seem to settle down and get that 9-5 job." I placed myself in a position of having to verbalize it, and it's when I do that, that I'm able to discover things about myself. In the meantime..splash, splash, stomp, stomp...I'm still hiking.Finally, the hike ended in song and whistling. I felt great despite my very tired feet, but I was singing "Sweet Caroline" (YES...Neil Diamond!) and was whistling away w/out even realizing I had made it to the end. It was a great mini-test...and although I ultimately went home to a hot shower and my comfy PJ's, I feel like I had an opportunity to face some of the mental demons that wait for you during difficult moments on the trail.What I learned was that when it comes to Mother Nature....it is what it is. It is up to me how I perceive the situation, and the mind is an incredibly powerful thing if you learn to tap into it.