It's funny how fitness crept up on us. The initial miles were grueling, but that was due to the condition of our soft feet, rather than the difficulty of the terrain. By the time we hit the mountains of Colorado, we were conditioned and accelerating. Differences now are subtle, but I feel like my balance and motor skills have improved, and I seem to like climbing stairs!
Back in civilization now, I seem to be adapting slowly to different demands of a sedentary job while dreaming of new adventures. Darryl is currently training for Australia's legendary Colac six-day race, a non-stop epic for serious endurance lunatics only. (The winner of the race is the one who runs the farthest in six days.) For the time being, I'm looking forward to spending time with friends and family and getting reacquainted with the wonders of fresh vegetables.
I started hiking for many reasons—foremost because it requires very little equipment or skill. I was drawn to its beautiful simplicity. The routine of long-distance hiking was not as tough as I imagined, either. The challenge seemed more psychological really. As long as you want to keep walking, the days race by, and it's always easy to climb out of a sleeping bag to witness a new mountain dawn. I leave the trail refreshed and content. I feel physically and mentally renewed, but probably not changed much. Disappointing, I guess, if I was expecting some sort of exertion-induced vision, but I wasn't. Hiking from Mexico to Canada has been the adventure of my life, and I am glad wild places still exist to humble and invigorate us. I'll be back!
Where are you going?
What do you want to do?
