[at-l] Physical and other conditioning on the trail

[pvpvpv at earthlink.net (Pat Villeneuve)]

Okay, Melissa, the first thing I should do is admit I have not followed this thread. That said...

-----Original Message-----
From: Melissa Jenks <mjenks@christiancentury.org> wrote:

>Well, poor li'l ole newbie hiker me seems to have set off a bit of a
firestorm.  Unintentional, to be sure.  <snip>
So, does everyone want to hear the panic dreams that keep coming?  There was
the one where my whole body was crushed  [etc.]


Panic is not unusual prior to the first big hike. If more people spoke openly about it, we might be able to say that it's common. I remember when I first headed out. I was as prepared as I could be, yet I shook all the way to the airport. When the flight attendant asked if I wanted a cocktail, I said "Yes, PLEASE." I kept thinking about the gear manufacturer who ran the ad that said something like "If your teeth are still chattering, it's fear." Somehow I knew that once I got out there I would be fine, and I was right. There is a community out on the trail, and it is a comfortable community--although the trail is not always a comfortable place to be. Think cold, sore muscles, fatigue, etc., rather than monster boulders with sinister intent. The trail was a luxurious place for me. My everyday life is pretty demanding, and life on the trail was reduced to walking, eating, keeping warm, etc. Getting to the shelter at the end of the day, getting comfortable, eating, reading the register was an incredible experience. The blisters, bugs, and all faded, and I knew I was at a special time and place. I relished it. (Stop, Felix!!!)

I have a friend who might like to hear from you.  ;->  She used to enjoy asking people about their irrational childhood fears. One of her classic examples was the run-away boulder. Anyone want to play--off list, perhaps? I used to fear that I would be a witness to a crime and be unable to give a complete description of the get-away vehicle. Police reports in my home town always had such good descriptions, and I was afraid of being humiliated by saying "Um, it was red."

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