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[at-l] Just do it.

Pete - I will ignore the insults and the flames, for now, but I did want to
clear up one thing -- you missed the point of our stories entirely. Jim and
I never said, or implied, that you have to be a super hiker to finish the
AT.  I of all people know better.  (And being a super hiker can get in the
way of finishing when the push for miles eliminates any enjoyment along the
way. It is very hard to keep a forced pace for 2000 miles.)  You are correct
that finishing the trail is a head game. I know many unlikely finishers (and
was told that I was an unlikely finisher shortly after I started the trail.)
 Like you, I was never an athlete.  However, I loved the woods.  My point
was, and is, before you disrupt your life totally, find out if you like that
world.  I knew one woman on the trail who had many problems along the way
and finally, happily, went home after 300 miles.  What she said really
shocked me - she told me, "Well, I never really liked to walk."  So what was
she doing there?  No wonder she was miserable.  If you don't love to walk -
day after day after day - you will not be able to stand the trail.  It isn't
physical, it is mental. Likewise, if you don't like camping, or getting
dirty, or are afraid of strange noises in the night, or strange companions
sleeping next to you, you probably won't finish the trail.  A lot of people
like day hiking but hate backpacking.
My point is, find this out before you totally disrupt your life.  Life is
too short.  
Ginny
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