Well, after a few days like I had going into Pearisburg, I should have expected a letdown. The days since town have been tough. First off, I've felt very lethargic, especially the day I left. My friend Tate calls it "town fever," and I think that that's an apt description. You get used to the bed, the food, the laziness, and when the trail comes back it's like you're not ready. On top of lethargy there's a bit of apathy. I've found it difficult to get motivated these last few days. Mountains that should be easy climbs are hard, steep mountains seem impossible! And with this apathy I've been seriously neglecting my journal, blog entries are fewer, and even reading, my favorite non-hiking activity has lost some appeal. It stinks! And then there's the cherry on top of this sundae of misery: my foot.
Since Pearisburg, and especially yesterday, the top of my right foot has had this pain that seems to occur when I bend my toe up. Walking alone, all sorts of thoughts were flying through my head when it first acted up. "Stress fracture, off the trail, etc." It's scary! But, I've figured that it's just a tendon thing. I loosened my shoelaces, stretched a lot, and last night I gave my feet a 15 minute dunk in an icy stream. All of that has my foot feeling much better today, and I remain optimistic that I'll be 100% in no time. But boy, do I feel like an idiot for doing that 30 mile day! It felt good when I did it but I've got no doubts that all of this trouble started there.
Yesterday was the hardest one since Roan Mountain. But things are looking up! How can I be unhappy when I'm on the Appalachian Trail?! This is the dream. Sure it's hard at times, but overcoming challenges is probably the most important part of a thru-hike. I've got my head on a little straighter today, and although I still have to be a little ginger with my foot, it's way better than yesterday. Not only that, but I've got some beautiful trail ahead; Dragon's Tooth, McAfee Knob, and the Tinker Cliffs. And the weather looks good too! So I won't be down for long. In the meantime, I'm sorry if the blog has suffered with me these last few days. Better times are coming!
- Scribbles (aka Ted)
11:53 a.m. 5/2/2015
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