Best Cross training--hiking the AT

Technically, no running has occurred since the last post. However, 17-18 miles of backpacking over the course of a day and a half did, and I think that counts as some good cross training.

Thankfully, Rob got home Thursday night, so I didn't have to drive to Georgia alone.We left right after I left work on Friday and met Stefani in the REI parking lot around 9:00PM Eastern. After leaving her car at our ending point, the three of us drove 40 minutes south to start our hike at Woody Gap. We didn't hike very far in (maybe a mile and a half) before finding a very crowded campsite. It was already 2:00 AM at this point and we didn't want to go much farther, so we squeezed our tents in there and crawled into our sleeping bags. Almost as soon as my head hit my "pillow" (balled up sweatshirt) one of our neighbors started snoring...LOUDLY. I was just about to bemoan my coming night of zero sleep when my genius fiance aggressively unzipped and zipped the entryway to his tent--miraculously, that stopped the snorer.

We didn't get started until 10:00 Saturday morning, and we planned to do 10-11 miles that day. It was a beautiful day, so the trail was pretty crowded. The first 5 or so miles were a breeze... we knocked them out in no time. Then we did the climb to Blood Mountain, which was pretty tough. Aside from the steep climb, the crowds were ridiculous! The worst part about weekend hikes is that you really can't go anywhere too far removed from outlets to civilization, so on beautiful days like Saturday you cannot escape the crowds. Frankly, an abundance of chatty teenagers really can take away from the experience.

Saturday morning at Preacher's Rock

The hike down Blood Mountain was, predictably, hardest on me. My knees are just pathetic when it comes to rapid descents. I have been paying a lot of attention (probably too much attention) to my running form, so as I was hiking I was trying to focus on not rolling my foot too far inward when I walked. The result was that I twisted my left ankle completely in the opposite direction that is inclined to go, and it hurt me for the rest of the day--that's what I get for over-thinking things! Seems to be okay now though. 

What happened here?

We found a lovely campsite for Saturday night, complete with a black bear and her cub...or so we heard. A hiking passing in the opposite direction asked us if we had seen them and seemed appalled that we had not. "How could you have missed them? THEY WERE RIGHT OVER THAT HILL!" Sorry, buddy. It rained that night and I forgot the rain cover for my pack. So, at around midnight I crawled out of the tent into the rain to put a garbage bag over my pack. All things considered, my pack was impressively dry the next morning. I got a new pack on the way home anyway, because the one I had ripped a few months ago. Thanks to the lifetime guarantee that REI gave me, I just swapped it out for a brand new version of the same pack. I love REI.

The weather yesterday was not beautiful in the same way it had been on Saturday. It was foggy and damp and a little creepy...but I really liked it. There were far less people on the trail that day, so it was very eerie...yet still beautiful. We powered through our last 5.5 miles and made it Stef's car.

Stef and Rob on the foggy morning

On the drive home, Rob and I discussed thru-hiking the AT one day...before we "settle down". I have wanted to thru-hike the AT ever since high school, when I did an 8-day Outward Bound course that took place on the AT in North Carolina. Only 200-300 people complete the AT in a single season every year, and I really think we could do it. Something to look forward to :)

Now I'm back at work (boo) and looking forward to a week of runs. Here's my schedule.

Tuesday: 3 miles (hills)

Wednesday: 3 miles (easy--probably on a treadmill)

Thursday: 3 miles (speed work)

Saturday: 6 miles (easy)

This weekend will be my last weekend at home for a few weeks. Next weekend I will be visiting my lovely friend, Laura, in Chicago. The following weekend Rob and I are driving down to Gainesville to watch the Gator's play, and the weekend after that may or may not be another hiking trip. Then there's a wedding in Miami, and Thanksgiving. Lots of out-of-town runs to look forward to--break away from the old worn out routes:)

Inspiration for this week