100 miles
I had great ambitions to become a Pacific Crest Trail hiker this summer. I blame Wild, a novel by Cheryl Strayed, that somehow made it seem romantic and cathartic and all those things that I was craving at the time I first read it.
After examining the fact that my life is not, in fact, in tatters and meaningless and lacking full definition, I humbly set a new goal. So, for this first summer as a reborn/newbie hiker, I'm hoping to hit 100 miles by the end of September. This feels doable to me for some reason. It also means I have to average 25 miles for the next three months. Which seems slightly unrealistic given the fact that I work during the week and my longest hike thus far is only 5.3 miles. I also should clarify that I mix in a lot of long walks, and while they are technically on trails, I can't classify them as "hikes" even if others do. There is a difference.
But we don't set goals that are easily attainable just to feel the satisfaction of reaching them. At least I don't. I am setting this one to push myself further out on a limb that I want to venture out on, and hoping that this public proclamation will spur me forward. I'm embracing the fact that I'm a work in progress and that means occasionally failing and flailing in the attempt.
So. 100 miles. That's both daunting and exciting. I'll report back on October 1.
After examining the fact that my life is not, in fact, in tatters and meaningless and lacking full definition, I humbly set a new goal. So, for this first summer as a reborn/newbie hiker, I'm hoping to hit 100 miles by the end of September. This feels doable to me for some reason. It also means I have to average 25 miles for the next three months. Which seems slightly unrealistic given the fact that I work during the week and my longest hike thus far is only 5.3 miles. I also should clarify that I mix in a lot of long walks, and while they are technically on trails, I can't classify them as "hikes" even if others do. There is a difference.
But we don't set goals that are easily attainable just to feel the satisfaction of reaching them. At least I don't. I am setting this one to push myself further out on a limb that I want to venture out on, and hoping that this public proclamation will spur me forward. I'm embracing the fact that I'm a work in progress and that means occasionally failing and flailing in the attempt.
So. 100 miles. That's both daunting and exciting. I'll report back on October 1.
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