A Sequel to Run with Rach

Wife to an ultrarunner, mother of two, Ironman, ultramarathoner, and backpacker taking life one stride at a time.

[runwithrachel-blog]

Storms rolling into Charleston. #thejoe #chsweather #nofilter (at Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park)

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I asked H what she wanted to do this summer to stay active. She said swim. So I joined her in the pool for the first time in over a year - for both of us. (She’s still much faster than me.) We did 800 meters this morning to “test the water”. Our neighborhood has 3 pools. This one is the newest - a 25 meter saltwater lap pool. We waited until June to try for a morning swim because we assumed the water would be chilly after a record cold winter and a slow start to spring. Nope, this one was quite toasty already. Hopefully I’ll be able to drag her out of bed a few days a week and she can drag me across the pool.

[runwithrachel-blog]

It may not be an ideal Memorial Day weekend, but there’s something so soothing about the rain. Nature is enjoying this moment as much as I am - the thirsty ground drinking to its fill, the frogs singing a cacophonous symphony, the leaves rustling in a light breeze. This is a great moment to enjoy a cup of hot tea and reflect. Tomorrow I make the long trek back to Arkansas for my grandmother’s memorial service. There’s nothing like the dread of a 13 hour drive that makes you want to take a moment and really just enjoy being. Then, I realized there’s only one thing I enjoy more than sitting and watching the rain, and that’s running in it. There’s something so refreshing about running in spring rain, splashing through the deep puddles, and enjoying having the roads to yourself. It wasn’t a run day, but since I’ll be in the car all day tomorrow, I think it was meant to be. Plus, I effectively put off packing for another hour. 2.5 splashy miles

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Ivy & Rachel’s Epic Adventures: the Foothills Trail - Part 1

I had hopes of cutting these into a continuous video, but my ancient Mac said no. So, here are the four separate recaps of our fun on the trail. Just two silly girls embracing life and rocking some camp hair. Fun times.

Day 1 Recap: Change that Hashtag

Day 2 Recap: Some Strange Kinda Dudes

Day 3 Recap: Picnic Tables!

Day 4 Recap: Bears, Camps, Creeks

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I went on a 4 night backpacking trip a couple of weeks ago with a friend. She’s a rockstar - completed the whole AT last year solo. This was my first trip out since the AT last year. Man, I missed it. We hiked 45 miles of the Foothills Trail, and compared to the southernmost sections of the AT, this was so much prettier. The water was ample, the trail was in good condition (so many stairs!!) and even in early May, it wasn’t very crowded. On a side note: I probably wouldn’t take my kids on this trail. 1. There are quite a few strenuous sections that they’d struggle carrying a pack through. 2. The western side of Heartbreak Ridge stairs are VERY steep. I didn’t have too much difficulty with my longer stride, but my shorter hiking mate struggled and my even shorter kids would be terrified. 3. There are a couple sketchy bridges and washout sections where one bad step could send you sliding 100+ feet down a mountainside. One in particular, the trail tread was completely washed out for a 4 foot section. Someone had laid a now pretty rotten limb next to a steeply slanting rock. That was your new path. You had to skillfully place one foot on the rotting wood, say a prayer that it would hold the weight of you and your pack, and quickly boost yourself across the gap. As a mom, my heart would not have made it through the moments helping my kids cross that. All in all, it was a great getaway. Don’t get me wrong, it was a lot of work. We hiked an average of 10-11 miles per day. And we stank to high heaven. But I’ll alway remember the good conversation, the ice cold streams we soaked our sore feet in, and the huge sense of accomplishment that we finished with.

[runwithrachel-blog]

It’s the Little Things

A whole lot could be said to preface this post, but I’ll sum it up with: managing chronic illness sucks. It’s frustrating. It eats up all your resources: time, money, energy. This is not me complaining. This is the truth. And if you’re out there struggling, I feel you. Really hurt for you.

Like I said, there is a long story here. Maybe I’ll share it sometime.

I’m not better, and I have to face the reality that I probably never will be the me I knew.

But in a way, fighting this has made me better. I have shifted to a path of not accepting empty promises of an easy fix. I’ve had to dig knee deep in hidden research to find out what works best for my body. I’ve had to start slow. Start from scratch. I’ve had to make goals and push through the really sucky stuff.

I’ve had to stay accountable - part of that comes with tracking my progress (or setbacks). I fastened a Garmin to my wrist and it showed me what I probably would have never noticed on my own:

In two short months, my average pace has dropped 30 seconds a mile. If you were to ask me, based on feel, how much time I’d shaved off each mile, I’d say minimal, maybe 10 seconds.

But there’s the proof. Just keep fighting. Put one foot in front of the other. Track your progress. Then celebrate the little successes in becoming a better you.

You can do it!

[runwithrachel-blog]

Things People Like to Do in Charleston:

Eat

Drink

Go to the beach

Stroll along the Battery

Eat

Drink

Sit in the shade

Drink

Hang out

Drink

Eat

Things People Don’t Like to Do in Charleston:

Run

Things I Have to Do So I Can Enjoy the Charleston Things:

Run

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The Humidity Returns

I ran today. It was hot.

When I finished my short run, it was 75 degrees, 99% humidity. Before 7:30am.

Oh, hey there, summer. 👋

I have a sweet little route where I cross a major highway halfway through my OAB. Very strategic. I’m almost always guaranteed a two minute break. Twice.

[halfhiker]

The number one question I am asked after stepping off the trail:

“So, are you disappointed?”

No, I’m not disappointed. I had a great experience on the AT. It was far more beautiful that I imagined. I climbed far better than I could have every hoped. 

My decision to step off started to cement after a week on the trail. I felt like I had prepped for the logistical and physical side of the endeavor for me and the family, however, I could not imagine the emotional impact it would have on my husband and kids.

Don’t get me wrong, these guys are tough. They are independent and overachievers. But every meal I prepped, every task I completed, box of food and supplies I readied, auto payments I set up, could not replace the fact that I wouldn’t be around to share their every day.

I loved seeing them on the trail and I cherished the miles alone with the kids (who, by the way, put in two back-to-back 10 mile days!!!). But, the truth is, I wasn’t ready to give up our whole summer to the trail. 

And so I made the decision that was hard and easy at the same time.

Could I have gone on? Yes. Did I want to? No.

I might go back in a few weeks for another section. I might not, and that’s ok.

I’ll leave you with a few interesting facts that I learned after 10 days on the Appalachian:

Over 92.8 miles, I climbed 23,845.8 feet. That’s equivalent to 82% of Mt. Everest or 1.23 times Kilimanjaro.

The Ridge Runners track the number of thru hikers in each section. During peak times (the bubble of thru hikers that leave Springer in March), there were about 70 THRU hikers coming through the first sections of the trail EACH DAY. That doesn’t include section hikers, day hikers, etc. When I reached that area in late April, there were 14 thru hikers plus LOTS of section hikers. The trail is still very crowded, shelters are full, campsites are well populated.

I ran into an ATC trail maintenance worker just north of Unicoi Gap. He said the ATC was estimating between 4,000-5,000 thru hike attempts in 2017. That puts a lot of wear on a trail.

Of the thru hikers starting at Springer, half don’t make it out of Georgia.

There are SO many abandoned tents along the trail. People give up and leave their heavy supplies instead of packing them out (apparently LNT doesn’t apply if you no longer want to hike???). The Ridge Runner at Hawk Mountain cleaned up 8 tents last month. I saw about 5 abandoned during my hike.

There is a LOT of trash on the trail. The ATC volunteers spend hours cleaning up after careless hikers. They are fighting a losing battle.

People live on the trail. There is a fine line between hiking and homeless. There are some who are on the homeless side. It’s not illegal, but as a solo female, it’s a little unnerving. Hikers are generous and share food with those who make the trail their permanent home. Sometimes I wonder if there isn’t a better way to help.

I met some amazing people. Some who shared shuttles, water filters and everyday conversation. They provided encouragement and a sense of safety. They enhanced my trail experience and I think the promise of encounters with these kinds of people will be what continues to draw people to the trail.

[halfhiker]

(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjuxJoSaJmY)

Week 1 in video format - from the Approach Trail to Unicoi Gap

[runwithrachel-blog]

Thirteen Statements of Wisdom

By Warren Doyle

1) Walking the entire Appalachian Trail is not recreation.  It is an education and a job.

2) Walking the entire Appalachian Trail is not ‘going on a hike’.  It is a challenging task – a journey with deeper ramifications.  Are you willing to accept them and learn from them?

3) Don’t fight the Trail.  You have to flow with it.  Be cooperative with the Trail, neither competitive nor combative.

4) Don’t expect the Trail to respect or to be sensitive to your man-made comfort level and desire to control your environment.  In your avoidance of discomfort, you may become more uncomfortable.  Fear is weight. You can’t make a mountain any less steep; a hot summer afternoon any cooler; a cold morning any warmer; and, daylight any longer.  But you can actually.  How?

5) Time, distance, terrain, weather, and the Trail itself cannot be changed.  You have to change.  Don’t waste any of your energy complaining over things you have no control over.  Instead, look to yourself and adapt your mind, heart, body and soul to the Trail.  Remember, you will be a guest in someone else’s house the entire journey.

6) The Trail knows neither prejudice nor discrimination.  Don’t expect any favors from the Trail.  The Trail is inherently hard.  Everything has to be earned.  The Trail is a trial.

7) Leave your cultural ‘level of comfort’ at home.  Reduce your material wants while concentrating on your physical and spiritual needs.

8) Yes, one can wear one t-shirt the entire journey; you don’t have to take any showers; you don’t need to cook your meals; one does not need a roof and four walls around them at night; you don’t have to carry a canteen of water with you all the time.

9) It is far better, and less painful, to learn to be a smart hiker rather than a strong hiker.

10) Leave your emotional fat at home as well.  Feel free to laugh, and to cry, and to feel lonely, and to feel afraid, and to feel socially irresponsible, and to feel foolish, and (most importantly) to feel free.  Relive your childhood and play the GAME of the Trail.  Roll with the punches and learn to laugh in the shadow of adversity.  Be always optimistic – things could always be worse; don’t become mired in the swamp of sorrow.  Don’t blame your discomfort or depression on the Trail or the weather, but look at yourself for not being able to adapt.

11) If your goal is to walk the entire Appalachian Trail, then do it.  People who take shortcuts, (i.e., blue blazes, hitchhike) do so because it usually is shorter, quicker, and/or easier.  So where is the challenge/honor in that?  We have enough of this in the real world.

12) Expect the worse.  If after one week on the Trail you can say that it is easier than you expected, then you will probably finish your journey.

13) VERY IMPORTANT - However, remember we as individuals have our own acquired temperaments, levels of comfort, and thresholds of pain. If these three areas are congruent with what the Trail requires, you should succeed on your pilgrimage.

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Add this to your reading list. Only $1.99 kindle version this month. Very good read.

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It feels so official now

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This summer's adventure will be part family, part solo, part Appalachian Trail.

The plan is to hike along the Appalachian Trail from Amicalola State Park, Georgia to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia in 90 days. I will post our progress on a password protected blog, but if you'd like to follow along, you can email me at [email protected] and I'll send you the link and password.

And who knows, maybe some of the highlights will end up on this blog as well.

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Morning walks with the pup #riseandshine #carolinabay #chs

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We spent one kid-free night backcountry camping in Congaree National Park. Perfect weather, nice park. We found a nice off beat area near a closed bridge. But, as you can see, the clearest water we could find was pretty swampy. This was pre-filter. After running it through the filter, it was no longer cloudy but still looked like weak tea.