Still Going Strong

It has been a while since I've posted anything of substance to this blog. Since Damascus I haven't had any cell phone or internet reception. I also met up with a fantastic group of thru-hikers and got into a habit of hiking faster and further than I had been to keep up with them. Although it was amazingly motivating and pushed me past what I was physically capable of, hiking with this crew definitely put a strain on both Roxy and me. 

Exhaustion has been tough to overcome, especially during the past 2 days. 

Tomorrow we are taking a zero day. A day of no hiking, so that we can rest, relax, and recover. It is only the third zero day we have taken since starting the trail. 

 We are also binge eating in an attempt to gain back some weight. I've been really good about carrying enough food for Roxy and making sure that she stays healthy, but I've been a little negligent about my own diet. As I've mentioned before, I am very committed to eating healthy foods out here, but that means that most of my foods are not as high calorie as highly processed artificial snack foods. I've dropped down to 130 pounds, the smallest I've been since high school (I was 160 when I started the trail). 

I need to be strong, not skinny. 

Although losing a little weight was to be expected, I need to make sure I have enough energy to keep climbing these mountains. I'm realizing that I need to eat more while I'm on the trail, and listen to my body. That unfortunately means that  have to give up my crew of hiking buddies and focus on doing what's best for me. 

A yummy way of getting healthy fats. 

So Roxy and I are taking a short break, and then we will continue hiking at a pace more suitable for us. The past few weeks I've felt myself slipping from my ended purpose. Instead of hiking my own hike, I was hiking to have friends. Making friends is great, but I need to focus on my needs and Roxy's needs. We are going to eat better and avoid exhaustion, so that we maintain our strength throughout the entire Appalachian Trail. 

Over 1/4 of the way there; still many miles ahead.