Exercise: My regimen for training has fluctuated since I first started back in February.  I started nice and slow and gradually built up my stamina.  In the beginning I just started walking around my neighborhood.  Then I upped my distance by picking a point just shy of 2 miles from my house as a turnaround point.  That walk took me almost 1.5 hours when I started but now without a backpack on I do it in about 55 minutes. I was never trying to go particularly fast (it is a walk after all) but it is kinda crazy how much my speed has picked up just from basic endurance training.

Next I started to base my walks around the time it would take me.  I started with an hour a day, 4-5 times a week. Then I could do 2 hours 2-3 days a week without being too sore.  From there I made 2 hours my minimum if I were to go out walking. Usually I would do 2 hours (about 5.5 miles) 3 days then 7.5 miles for 2 other days with a 10-15 mile walk on the weekends.

In the last month or so (November ’15 for those of you reading this at a later date) I have really upped my distances.  I usually walk 10 miles 2-3 times a week then at least a 5 on the off days. I wrap up the week with a hike with my friends almost every Sunday. The hikes have all been single day trips but I load my backpack with 30-55lbs to get my back in better shape. Very recently I started taking my push cart with me on my 10 mile walks. It weighs about 110+lbs so its a solid workout going up the hills around me.

I’m also putting this next part in it’s own post but I thought it might be a useful story for anyone stupid enough to try this walk after me.

Dry Run: Back in September I decided to go for a dry run to see how I fended for myself. I wanted to be solo for a few weeks so I chose to walk the Pacific Crest Trail for about 200 miles starting in Mexico. Spoiler Alert: It didn’t go well.

I actually ran out of water one day 1.  I had to get a goddamn helicopter to come pick me off of the mountain. Though I have never been backpacking before then I felt I had done my research and I was tough shit.  I definitely was not. I brought 6 liters of water with me and expected that to last me 20 miles and 2 days, allowing for 3 liters per day.  The thing is, it was 100 degrees outside (to my credit it was only supposed to be 90) and up until this point I had only been training with about 35-40lbs in my bag. When I packed all my stuff up…it was 55lbs. The heat, the extra weight and the 2 mile section of incline completely kicked my ass. I ran through all 6L by mile 8 and got picked up by mile 9.  Luckily my friend was hiking the first day with me and had plenty of water to spare as he had far less weight to carry.  Thanks for savin’ my ass, Curtis.

So, though I was utterly embarrassed by having to be helicoptered off a mountain on DAY 1 of a 20+ day hike, I learned a ton so I’m glad it happened.  I realized then that I was nowhere near the level of fitness I needed to be to start this journey. I also tried to go with the long sleeved clothing method that is used in middle eastern countries to keep the sun from beating down on me… that shit was awful.  I was cooking in my clothes and It was the cause of my first liter of water to disappear rather quickly.

But hey, at least I got to ride in a helicopter!