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Items crossed off the massive to-do list:

• Purchased smartphone

Yesterday went very, very well indeed! 🙂 Currently, I have books, boots, and phone in transit. I researched to see which phone carrier reportedly has the best coverage out on the AT, and the verdict came back – Verizon. So Verizon it shall be. Prepaid, of course. I am not yoking myself into a contract.

Yesterday’s exercise session was treadmilly. 45 minutes, at a steady 2.5 MPH pace; 1.87 miles. Slow, but comparable to speed on the AT. 10lb pack; I switched the grade every 5 minutes. 20 minutes at a 10% grade, 20 minutes at a 5% grade, 5 minutes cooldown at 0%.

While I walked, I thought, and thought some more, and came up with a PLAN. The end of January through the third week in February – 4 weeks – will be for gradually increasing the pack weight – 5 additional lbs per week, at least, until I hit 30. At least. The third week in February through the end of March will be all about increasing the distance, up to 2 extra miles a week, to culminate at the end of March with an 8 mile walk carrying a 30+ lb pack. When I can get outside and trek real hills and real trails, I will. They advise that when you hit the trail, for the first week or so, you limit your mileage to 10 miles or less per day, so I should be in good shape for that at least.

I have not heard back from my HR department yet about a leave of access – I will give it until Monday, and inquire. I really doubt it, but it didn’t hurt to ask.

Cheers!

Today, I deal with a wave of relief. Much more welcome than panic. 🙂

While researching medical insurance options connected to the AT, I stumbled across the existence of travel insurance that offers basic medical care – some even with no deductible! There’s one in particular geared toward “travelers” who are off pursuing highly athletic type “trips” – including backpacking. While it doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions – I’d have to pay out of pocket for my medications, I suspect, a $355 quoted price, /total/, is much better than a $550/mo COBRA plan… Still researching, there are several possibilities, but it’s looking promising.

Of course, it won’t count as “real” health insurance, so I’ll have to pay a Obamacare fine next year (not going to go there, I promise!), but even that will be much cheaper (just for six months (I hope)).

So now what? Time to turn my attention briefly to checking cellphone coverage maps of the eastern seaboard, to determine which prepaid carrier to buy a smartphone from.

The total bills from my stay in the hospital over Christmas have come in… BOO! HISS! BAD! Payable. But unwanted.

Awaiting books and boots. 🙂 Onwards!

PS: I asked God yesterday to help me make this happen if He wanted me to do it, or, if not, to help me accept that I can’t, and move on. 3 hours later, I found the info about the travel insurance option. 🙂

Items completed off the massive to-do list:

• Purchased trail maps
• Purchased Thru-Hiker Handbook, with handy-dandy checklists and thingies
• Ordered two pairs of boots from Zappos to try out. One will win. One will be sent back. (Honestly, there are way too many boot choices out there, and hard to pin *anything* down.)

Today was a day of great frustration. I hate the days when panic sneaks up behind you, taps on your shoulder, and when you turn around, “WHAM!” Today’s panic was on account of money – spent too much at Sam’s Club on a shopping trip I really didn’t want to make, but Dad has his own set of concerns about the six month period, and I try to calm those as well. It really wasn’t that much money, but enough apparently. (I did score two boxes of Crystal-Light drink mixes to use on the trail.)

I’ll be okay tomorrow… and the next day… and the next day… and then panic will tap me again, and I’ll turn around, and it will be fear of heights waiting to pounce! And so it goes. 🙂

I still need to send the trail runners back, but to do that, I need to print out a shipping label, and the printer is out of ink. Waaah!

</end whine>

Baaaack on track! I hope!

Things accomplished off the massive to-do list today:

• The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) compiles and maintains email lists of past thru-hikers willing to give advice about various aspects of the trail. So I emailed a few people on the diabetes list to see what tips and information they could give about hiking and maintaining a constant good blood sugar level. Waiting to hear back
• Pulled my old hiking boots out of storage and tested them to see how they would hold up. Alas, I fear they would NOT. New boots will be needed after all. The left boot sole has a decided slope toward the right side.
• Tried wearing the new trail runners around the house a bit more, sadly came to the conclusion they’ll have to be sent back. I /need/ that ankle support they don’t provide.
• Loaded up a dayhiker pack with  exactly 10 lbs of weight, including one sleeping bag, one Harry Potter hardcover, one season’s worth of Buffy DVDs, and the paperbook edition of “American Sniper”, and took it for a trial walk on the treadmill  – 1.5 miles, 5% grade (59% of the AT is 5% grade or above), 3.0 mph, 30 minutes. It went well, thought my neck and knees are whining in an undertone. Walked back from the fitness area with my windbreaker hanging open, and the 2 degree temp felt wonderful
• 2/3 finished on the list of Catholic church services on Sat and Sun in trail towns.
• Recrunched numbas. Looking good!

I have a beer. Last of the Wisconsin bottled beers from the last beer run. Here’s to you! Here’s to me!

My hiking poles are missing.

Forgiveness. It has been a very rough week. And other projects have taken temporary precedence during free time.

But I haz shoes! Not sure I will keep the trail runners though, absolutely no ankle support. Great treads,however. But the crocs, I’ll keep.

Exercise proceeds, eating healthy, not so much. Ah well.

Too tired and cranky to say much tonight. I’ll let HIM speak for me.

(Link: __https://www.facebook.com/SteveHarvey/videos/1653661894894669/__)

I’m going to jump.

This is getting serious!

Not much really to report today, except I added another stair climb into the regular routine. My legs feel it!
Coincidently, the Air Force Cold Steel challenge kicked off yesterday as well, and I signed up to be on the non-competitive team. Each motivation to exercise will help reinforce and strengthen the other.

I’m really not wanting to get on the treadmill. I don’t like that thing. But temps are 10 degrees outside, so at this point, it’s the only option for incline-walking carrying a pack. That groundhog better give us an early spring!

Which doesn’t mean I can’t still enjoy a cold beer after a long day. Awaiting my shoes… Slainte!

P.S. I gave this URL to some co-workers this morning. Hi, co-workers!

Items crossed off the massive to-do list:

• Buy crocs or similar
• Talk to contracting company
• Buy new boots (well, trail runners, in this case)

Yesterday, I Zappo’ed! One pair of crocs, and one pair of highly rated trail runners are making their way to me as I type. I will try them out and decide whether to keep them or send them back for boots.

Today, also, I did speak with the head of HR. Odds of a six month leave of absence are small, but I knew that going in; she’s going to see what she can do though. We also discussed medical insurance options. Ouch, and ouch again. That costs an arm and a leg. In the interests of staying apolitical in this blog, I’ll just say I wish not having insurance was a potential option still. She was very supportive, and thought it was great I was chasing down a dream… that reaction still takes me by surprise!

Misc notes:

• On the plus side, I have more leave time than I thought, which will translate into more money when I do leave – plus I have the option, which I will take, of working steady 45 hour weeks from here to April (barring holiday weeks).
• When sorting through my gear, the little portable stove I have never used went to pieces. Since on my best days the thing mystifies me, I am having trouble putting the pieces back together. I may end up getting a more comprehensible stove, rather then try to carry Humpty-Dumpty-Heater along. We’ll see!

Today’s reflection features the exciting topic of footwear!
It comes down to the question: hiking boots or trail runners? Trail runners are lighter, more flexible, and easier to wear… but not as much ankle support. My right ankle has been pretty weak since I sprained it badly as a kid, so ankle support is a must.  But hiking boots are heavier, hotter, and clunky! Clunky!

Solution 1: I do have an older pair of hiking boots, which I might end up pressing into service for this hike after all. They are already broken in, and yes, they did give me a blister on an 11 mile walk, but blisters are an expected fact of life on the AT, and since I know where I got the blister, I can protect the area before it begins.

Solution 2: Zappos.com! I am considering ordering a couple different pairs of trail runners and boots from the site, and wearing them around the house a bit to see how they fit. Thanks to the wonderful return policy, I can keep one pair, and return the others, as long as I don’t wear them outside. They’re not a sporting goods store or outfitter, but a cursory look yields a good selection.

Solution 3: All the above.

And then again, I’ll need camp shoes. This will be easier. Either crocs or sandals. Crocs with good traction would be best for wading rivers as well as for wearing around camp at night.  Something to add onto the Zappos order. 🙂

This has been Trail, Trials, and Travails Trivia with atsioneva! Tune in Tomorrow!

Okay, okay, I was bad, and did not exercise today. That part of my life dedicated to other responsibilities broke in and demanded attention. A lot of attention. Plus soundbar issues… don’t ask. Best Buy is getting sick of seeing me though.

My bed is piled high with the contents of what I not-so-fondly call my “gear box”. A lot of it is practical and will be useful on the trail. A lot of it, I’ve come to realize over extensive reading… is /not/. And a lot of it is still in my brother’s car. Another long story.

One thing that is sinking in is that I’m going to have to buy a smartphone. I come to this conclusion kicking and screaming, because I don’t /want/ another electronic gizmo to carry around, and I’ve never needed it. But it’s either a smartphone, or a kindle AND a tablet AND a GPS unit AND a dumbphone. I’m trying to reduce weight; something has to give. I’m not going to put myself under contract though, that’s going too far. I’ll keep with a tracphone or AT&T pay as you go deal.

We did not win the Powerball lottery. I guess it’s back to work on Monday after all…