The Score So Far (Health & Fitness)

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Thanks, Lemmie. I just talked to my BIL, who by all metrics is successful, and should be happy. And yet, he confided in me that he wants to die, that he hopes he contracts an incurable sickness so he has an out.

It broke my heart soul to listen to this man, this great man who has crafted a life, with children and wife and a dog and guinea pigs and a garden, where they live in a beautiful and desired neighborhood, where he has built a successful and ethical business, who by all rights is living the American Dream, and he wishes for death.

We had a nice conversation about life, what it means to live meaningfully, and to develop a fundamental appreciation for being alive. He has a standing invite to join me next year when I bike the Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail. I hope he does. For him.

So, yeah! We fly out on the 8th and will start our hike on our 8th wedding anniversary. I can't think of a better way to live than getting in shape on the AT.

- Doc

[_Jersey Girl]

Cam I have to tell you something, and then give you something. When I read your new comments here (I read the previous when you posted them) my thoughts went directly to something I discovered when I was in high school. I was flipping through posters in a store in Jersey when I found a quote that was printed like a labyrinth. I loved it so much that I bought it, took it home and framed it. I didn't know at the time that it was a reflection of a verse in Ecclesiastes and I didn't know that my new discovery would lead to an author whose writing proved to be relevant to me and continue to resonate with me my whole life. It still does.

I hope you know me well enough to know that this isn't preaching. It's sharing a philosophy with you that seems relevant to your upcoming trip and the comments you made about yourself and now your BIL. If it's not, then all I did was fail. Haven't died from that yet. ;-)

Here's the quote from the poster. My wish for your trip!

Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth. Rise free from care before the dawn, and seek adventures. Let the noon find thee by other lakes, and the night overtake thee everywhere at home.

So moving forward with Ecclesiastes and then more from Walden by Henry David Thoreau (the top quote there)...these seem to fit with what you've been thinking about and discussing in your above. If you've never read the Thoreau quotes in context, I hope one day that you will.

Here's Ecclesiastes:

12 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

Here comes Thoreau...

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.

All men want, not something to do with, but something to do, or rather something to be.

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

Okay I won't over do it. I'm so happy for you, so jealous of you, and I hope that your trip sees you and your Mrs. achieving your personal goals. I hope that you return having discovered something new whatever it might be. Something that renews your spirit and refreshes the soul, a new idea, something that inspires. I hope you'll share when you return.

Happy trails and "Let the noon find thee by other lakes, and the night overtake thee everywhere at home."

Jersey
:-)

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

That's a very special and intuitive post you made, Jersey Girl. You nailed both my pathos and ethos. It's also very heart tendery that you shared Walden with us. It's the book I read right before I left for my mission trying to wrap my mind why I would travel to Peru as a 19-year-old for two years, and it was one of the formative books that oriented my entire philosophy regarding life. Where before I was unsure, tentative, and scared about going to Peru into who knew what, I ended up embracing it as an adventure and authentic living. It has served me well over the years.

As an aside his fascination and love for trees has also stayed with me throughout my life. I've planted dozens and dozens trees wherever I've gone, to include 19 on my property here in SLC. When I'm hiking they seem to demand my attention, and it's not rare where I, like Thoreau, want to climb up into the trees when the wind is blowing and swish and swash among the branches.

- Doc

[_Jersey Girl]

Then I guess I didn't fail. :-)

I hope your trip is the hardest, sweatiest, most inspiring, grounding, centering, and glorious best thing you ever did.

Until the next best thing comes along!

;-)

[_Jersey Girl]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_Trail

What part of the trail are you and Mrs. Cam doing? Or are you doing the whole thing?

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

We're picking up where we left off in 2015 at Harpers Ferry. The plan is to make it to Katahdin (~1200 miles), and then possibly SOBO the Shenandoah (we canoed that, or what they call 'blue blazing'). My wife just finished her Associates and will be taking the Fall semester off so we can do this, which is nice.

- Doc

[_Jersey Girl]

I'm so incredibly jealous and yet excited for you both. Isn't it wonderful to have the freedom that you have now? We have that same kind of freedom but service related disabilities get in the way of some things. So...I'll be off to the UK with my sis in late summer/early fall. It's a little "heritage" trip. Going to where our G-G'ma came from. See the family castle--actually Night Lion's family castle, too. We're really related. No joke.

I looked at the trail map. You'll be going through Jersey. I joke a lot about Newark here on the board, but there are parts of Jersey that are damn beautiful and you guys are going through there. Delaware Water Gap up through High Point? I don't think you'll be disappointed, the woods are impressive up there--or at least I think so.

Carpe Diem Dr. and Mrs. Cam!

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Taking a rest day in Waynesboro. Some quick thoughts on this thing I'm doing:

- Three years later I've found that aging has gifted me the ability to calm the “F” down about logging miles. My first time around in 2015 my wife and I didn't take a rest day until 30 days in and it caused major issues for me about a month later. We're averaging 10-12 miles a day versus 15-20 right out of the gate. It's a big difference for our feet, knees, and connective tissues. Still, though. It's tough!

- Anyone who believes losing weight isn't directly tied to burning more calories than you take in is crazy. I've ran a deficit of nearly 2,000 calories a day and in five days I can feel my belt loosen up a bit, and my t-shirt hang just a bit better. Walking ~60 miles in 5 days is a great start to getting back to where I want to be.

- I'm reminded of how important just moving around a lot is for our mental and emotional health. For anyone out there struggling with anxiety, depression, or something related I hope you supplement your medication and therapy with exercise and physical activity. While I can't speak to mental health issues on a personal level I can tell you my self-talk and thinking has taken on a positive aspect, and from what I've read a lot of people who navigate mental health issues really benefit from movement. It's hard, moving around, but it pays off at night when you go to bed happy.

- Holy “F” there's a lot of morbidly obese people in Waynesboro. 25 years ago doctors were warning us about an oncoming obesity epidemic. It's “F” ing here. I don't know how this gets solved, but I'm seeing too many waddling buttcracks and waist-level teats around here. This is going to get an OOM more expensive pretty soon to treat.

- Maryland was beautiful. We hitched a ride into Boonesboro and a local gave us a tour of the Antietam cemetary and battlefield. I'm humbled by some of the kindnesses shown us by locals over the last five days. Salt of the earth, and I'll pay their goodness forward in real life. Not on the Internet, though. Imma continue to be a dick on the Internet. :D

- Doc

[_Jersey Girl]

Holy cats! I'm so happy that you posted about the trip!

Taking a rest day in Waynesboro. Some quick thoughts on this thing I'm doing:

- Three years later I've found that aging has gifted me the ability to calm the “F” down about logging miles. My first time around in 2015 my wife and I didn't take a rest day until 30 days in and it caused major issues for me about a month later. We're averaging 10-12 miles a day versus 15-20 right out of the gate. It's a big difference for our feet, knees, and connective tissues. Still, though. It's tough!

I think aging forces you to learn to be reasonable, be more present, and enjoy the experience. I know this has been true for me. It doesn't have to be a race. Why make the journey if you don't take time to appreciate it? Plus if you guys are taking breaks, you are ensuring that you'll meet your goal for Maine over the long run. I mean, long hike. ;-)

- Anyone who believes losing weight isn't directly tied to burning more calories than you take in is crazy. I've ran a deficit of nearly 2,000 calories a day and in five days I can feel my belt loosen up a bit, and my t-shirt hang just a bit better. Walking ~60 miles in 5 days is a great start to getting back to where I want to be.

60 miles in 5 days...AHmazing! I can't even imagine it!

- I'm reminded of how important just moving around a lot is for our mental and emotional health. For anyone out there struggling with anxiety, depression, or something related I hope you supplement your medication and therapy with exercise and physical activity. While I can't speak to mental health issues on a personal level I can tell you my self-talk and thinking has taken on a positive aspect, and from what I've read a lot of people who navigate mental health issues really benefit from movement. It's hard, moving around, but it pays off at night when you go to bed happy.

There are two reasons that I envy what you guys are doing. One is all the beautiful natural places you'll pass through, the woods and all. The other is exactly what you said about improved mental health and self talk. I've come to realize that since last June when my heart flipped out, that my inner dialogue has started to change and I am pushing back at it. It's not a huge mess of negative, but I recognize that it's changed somewhat. I push back at it by challenging myself--so kind of like what you guys are doing.

Being outdoors, stripping "living" down to the basics, and relying on your body as your primary means of autonomy, is like Miracle Gro for personal growth, self confidence, and a sense of self satisfaction.

- Holy “F” there's a lot of morbidly obese people in Waynesboro. 25 years ago doctors were warning us about an oncoming obesity epidemic. It's “F” ing here. I don't know how this gets solved, but I'm seeing too many waddling buttcracks and waist-level teats around here. This is going to get an OOM more expensive pretty soon to treat.

At the end of a very long and hot day at Universal/Orlando last December, we were waiting in a long line of hot/sweaty people waiting for hotel buses to pick us up. When I looked back over the line of people I noticed how horribly obese so many of them were. One morbidly obese man and his morbidly obese wife, were stuffing donuts in their faces while standing in line!

Think too many Americans are anesthetizing themselves with food. It's the one legal and socially l acceptable drug you can get in every single state, easily accessible--it's everywhere!

- Maryland was beautiful. We hitched a ride into Boonesboro and a local gave us a tour of the Antietam cemetary and battlefield. I'm humbled by some of the kindnesses shown us by locals over the last five days.

I can picture the simplicity of this experience in my mind. Stopping along the way just to see something new and a stranger lending a hand by giving you a friendly ride. Folks back East aren't all jerks. ;-)

Salt of the earth, and I'll pay their goodness forward in real life. Not on the Internet, though. Imma continue to be a dick on the Internet. :D

- Doc

Well that's the best part of you being here!

I'm a little concerned that when you guys return back home, you'll search for that cabin in the woods and go compeletly off grid.

Nah, I bet you'll take your lessons learned and transfer them into your life with the backyard chickens.

Please, please, if you have time, will you tell me your impressions of what you see in Jersey? It's not going to be the Newark or Shore that I write about. You know, there's a highway I take up North Jersey that runs through an urban area and if you follow it, you run out of that area and suddenly realize that everything about the landscape has changed to rocky cliffs and woods. That's like where you are headed.

And the sight of the Delaware River while driving the winding road alongside it is one of my favorite sights on earth.

Enjoy every mile you make together!

[_Jersey Girl]

Questions when and if you have time to answer.

Are you overnighting in the shelters or are you tenting, or both?

How are you getting food? Are you cooking or doing dry food packs? Are there water pumps along the way? Near the shelters or what?

As the days turn more hot and humid, will you switch to night hiking?