Gathering Gear, Gathering Strength

My excitement is building each day, as I steadily heal from my bout with pneumonia and prepare for my upcoming trip on the Appalachian Trail, where I plan to run about 400 miles from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Blue Ridge Mountains.  I feel somewhat trepidatious departing after such an illness, but I have faith that the time of rest has given me time to make sure I am well prepared for my journey.

My plan is simple:  I will be self-supported, carry all my necessary gear and food, and stop to resupply or stay in hotels about every other day.  I plan to average about 35-40 miles per day, with wiggle room planned in case of weather or a necessary rest day.

Because the terrain can be tough in the Appalachians, and because I want to keep my pack weight down to a minimum, I am being extremely meticulous about what I bring.  I thought it would be fun to share my gear list, to give a better idea of how to "flashpack" through the wilderness, safely, and without breaking the bank! (I've included what I paid for each piece of gear)

First, food:  I plan to bring 2 lbs of nuts and dried fruit per day; resupplying along the way.  I will never be carrying more than 2 days worth of food, as resupply stops are frequent.  I won't be cooking, so no cookware, dried meals, or stove will be needed.  I know I'll crave fresh food and high calorie stuff when I arrive in towns, and hope to stay as plant based as possible... but seeing as it's the south, and I'll be ravenous, I will likely give myself some wiggle room.  

So, here is my GEAR LIST:

Sleep system:

Backpack:  Gregory Jade 28 Pack 2 lb 8 oz- $149.00

Bivy Sack:  MSR E-Bivy- 9 oz - $55.00 (closeout sale)

Sleeping Bag:  World Famous Sports GLITE 40 degree bag 1 lb 6 oz- $20.00

Sleeping Pad:  Thermarest Prolite Sm- 11 oz- $60.00

Clothing:

Jacket:  Mountain Hardware Youth Jacket (not sure of model)- 12 oz

Black Thermal Tights- 2 oz

Lightweight Thermal- 2 oz

Lightweight Poncho- 4 oz
hat, thin gloves, extra socks- 4 oz
the rest I'll be wearing

Other Gear:
Energizer headlamp and extra batteries
iphone and charger
water bladder and extra water bottles
iodine tablets
maps
zip-lock bags
toothbrush and toothpast
total- 10 oz (this is an estimate)

Total, that will mean carrying 7 lb 4 oz total without water or food.  With food and water, I'm hoping my pack will never be beyond 15 lbs. at the maximum.

An old picture of backpacking on the Lost Coast in California.

With many of the logistics taken care of, I can now simply daydream about the trip and rest up with Netflix and a good book, letting my body prepare for the challenge ahead.

Down for the Count, but Coming Back Stronger

So, I've been totally out of the game with pneumonia for the past few weeks, and am finally starting awaken to the world around me.  

I have been hesitating on posting, as I felt somewhat at odds with how to reconcile being so sick with my dedication to health and wellness; like... I must have done something wrong!!  Gasp!

And partly, I did dig myself into this particular grave.  I got a terrible chest flu/ cold after starting work at the dinner, (my theory is chemical exposure, but don't pass that on to management!) and tried to push my way through being sick, trying to heal through soup and pure will power, instead getting necessary rest and recovery time.

I pretended I wasn't sick; continued to work and train, and even decided to go ahead and try to compete in the Ironman 70.3 Hawaii in the beginning of June.  Maybe not such a great idea.

I DNF (did not finish) for the first time in a race, as I didn't make the swim cut-off time- I simply had no energy, and I couldn't breathe right, as I got easily out of breath or started coughing mid-swim.

I wept as I got out of the water, knowing that I hadn't made the time with my poor swim performance, and my dreams of completing the my first half Ironman faded into the day.  On the bright side, I enjoyed cheering
on my fellow athletes; taking in the fantastic accomplishments of my friends.

Two days later, after going to work again the next day, I was in bed with a high fever, went to the doctor and found out I had pneumonia.  Lesson learned:  Sometimes pushing through has serious consequences.

Reba shared in the "sad on the couch" experience.

In the past three weeks, I have been sicker than I have ever been before, coughing so much it's led to nausea and even bruised ribs. To cope, my time has been spent watching movies, napping, and living on a diet of soup, stir fry's, vegan ice cream (gotta have comfort!), and lots of tea and juice.  Not exactly the pretty picture of health and outdoor fitness that I typically enjoy.

Weeks later though, and I'm healing, and day by day feeling more like myself.  I'm still resting up for the most part, but also getting out and taking long walks, easy bike rides around town, and even going for a short jog this morning.

I'm also taking the time to make last minute preparations for my running trip on the Appalachian Trail.  Knowing that I have a 400 mile journey in the wilderness of the mountains has been a gift; I've kept my mental balance without running physically, just knowing I have this experience coming up.

Overall, getting pneumonia and the trip coming up is a great reminder that everything is temporary.  We may be injured, sick, or hindered by circumstances, but there is always tomorrow.  Taking the time to fully recover, I'm finding peace in knowing I'm doing the right thing for my body.  Every being from plants to animals to us humans goes through periods of dormancy or illness, and with the right conditions, we all bloom again, gaining strength from rest.