Anxiety.

I’ve been thinking about many things over the past few months: the excitement, the experience, the adventure. Though as I sit here in my hotel room the night before starting the AT, all my mind wants to do is fill the time with doubt. Will I actually enjoy doing this? Can I actually do this? Wouldn’t my time be better spent doing something else?

It’s funny how my own brain can sometimes get in the way and attempt to self-sabotage my best intentions. I do know that I’ll be fine. I’m prepared, I’ve done my research, and I’m ready. These negative feelings will soon pass.

It’s going to rain tomorrow. I had a chance to talk to some fellow hikers in the hotel lobby. One was considering waiting out the rain and starting the trail the next day. “First intentions are important,” he stated. Well, I agree with that, and I’m not pushing back my start date because of a suboptimal weather day. No rain, no Maine.

A few days ago, I did my last training hike on the Buckeye Trail. I became really frustrated about four miles in because the trail was so spectacularly muddy that it slowed my pace to a crawl. “There’s no way I can get the miles in that I wanted to; this last training day is a failure,” is what I was thinking. It was that negative thinking coming through. About 15 minutes later, I realized my mistake. My last day of training wasn’t about getting my desired miles in; I know I can do that. No, my last day of training was to show me that I needed to be ready for the unexpected. There are so many variables in play while I’m doing the AT, and there will be times that plans and expectations will fall through.

The AT is going to be just as much of a mental battle as it is a physical battle.

I have my first day planned out. My goal is to do the 8 mile approach trail and complete 3 miles on the AT. Start slow with an 11 mile day.

I’ll check back in later ✌️