I decided to go back to walking to work. I genuinely missed it. I started April 1st, though getting out the door in time was challenging, it's much darker and cooler since the day-light-saving switch and I'm struggling to get up.

This time around it's more like remembering walking the A.T., I have Dean Koontz audio-books to listen to, which puts me back on the trail in the audible sense. I'm using blue-tooth headphone that cover the ears, unlike the isolating headphone I used on the trail.

As my job contract is now extended out until the end of May, I'm planning to walk to work until then, then perhaps do sections c/d of the southern California section of the PCT, starting May 30th.

It was strange not to have to spend 1.5+ hours walking to work on Monday, though at the end of the week I was missing that. So, instead, and because it's a new month, I'm riding myself to work. I had this brilliant idea that doing a monthly rotation of exercising would fit into my personality better than most things that I've tried and ran out of steam on. Month of March is 'Ride to Work Month'. Month of April is yet to be decided. I'm assuming I'll be out of work (respectfully released from the 'cube farm') by then and that will have a dramatic impact to how I approach what I do going forward. So, hiking 500+ miles of the PCT is officially off the table for April. I'm very much struggling with doing my homework, too many papers to write and very little motivation - far to captivated by watching the stock market. Not to mention telling myself I really don't need an iPad. Don't I?

Another distraction came this week - table tennis. We have a large backyard and it's going to be fun times trying to improve my game.

Well back to writing up an evaluation on choosing the best business entity for a sole proprietor to progress his business to. Hmm, I'll soon be him, with no business but plenty more dreams to fulfill.

So that was 228 miles in a month. A small accomplishment achieved - walking to work for a month. Starting Monday I'll be back riding to work.

Another week of walking to work and back complete. Though Monday was a holiday, so really only 4 days (or 48 miles). Right knee is giving great pain when I get to stand up after a while sitting. Progress towards completing school work isn't going as well. Not sure if I can take off for a couple of weeks on the trail, unless I pull out some all nighters and stop walking to work and instead spend that time in the library.

Well after last week, I feel my legs needed some recovery. Feeling a little stiff but otherwise I'm able to walk. Really only went a couple of relatively short bike rides. Felt like I did have a little more oomph in the legs, but maybe that's just my overly active imagination(or wishfulness).
I'm looking forward to hitting the footpath tomorrow, hoping the weather will be a little kinder, or maybe not (I did have fun in the rain).
Currently I'm a little concerned over the amount of snow I could be hitting on the PCT.

My training plan got off to a great start this week. I walked to work everyday, 12 miles round trip. About half that of a normal day on the A.T. but not bad. From 0 to 60 miles in a week. Friday was drenching but invigorating, at least there was a hot shower at each end. I'll do this until the last day of work, whenever that rolls around.

So, the PCT plan at the moment is to do the first 555 miles. Campo to Tehachapi. 30 miles per day would get me there in 19 days. That seems aggressive, but the P.C.T. is not like the A.T. and with 2 months to train it could be achieved.

Well it sure was good to get the first short term goal achieved. I've always wanted to say I've walked to work for an entire week, but never managed to do it. It actually feels the right thing to do, even in drenching rain. It's no A.T. but it's the same feeling of accomplishment, joy and pain you have each day on the trail.

I could go on about how thru-hiking the A.T. changes your view on life, but I think it really only shows you how to enjoy something as simple as walking. It's good to be reminded and be able to incorporate that into normal daily life.

Oh I've decided to become a high performance individual. Haven't quite figured out the path for that yet, but I'm going to have fun getting there.

Well despite my lack of updates on this site, I have been thinking of when and how to hike the Pacific Crest trail. I might just find myself out of a job again. I'm thinking that might be as soon as April 1st, 2010. Rather than get overly worried about being unemployed again, why not turn it around and get excited about the opportunity that it might open up. Though I'm not planning a thru-hike (girlfriend would kill me) - this idea is to do a couple of weeks - starting the first Friday after the 1st. I really have no idea when my contract would be ended but I'm hoping I have at least 60 days to get prepared.

So the preparation begins tomorrow. I'm starting off by running to work each day next week. Round trip is 13 miles. Depending on how that works out, I may alternate each week by running or riding to work. Thinking back about how horrible the first 2 weeks of the A.T. was on my feet and legs, I want to get more conditioned, so I can go further faster if I find myself on the P.C.T this year.

I also need to complete all my school work by then. I've been a bad student of late, but this exciting goal may get me back on track. I have created a research paper on why the A.T. is harder than the P.C.T. - refer to the attached PDF if you are interested.

Of course, this great plan goes out the window if I find myself remaining employed. Continue reading "PCT April 1st?"

Arrived in San Diego on Sunday afternoon my 60th day after leaving Banff, Canada. I'm done, totally done. No more miles to do. No more adventures (for this year at least). No more. The final mileage was 3,549 miles (5,711 km).

Unlike when I came back from the A.T. I'm fully adjusted to being back and facing the realities of that. However, the stomach has yet to get use to real food, but Mum 'I'm eating my veggies again'.

I'll be doing some more updates over the coming weeks, between finding employment. Including uploading some short video clips, updating the actual route I took, equipment reviews and reflections. I'm also planning on a complete reorganization of the sites navigation, once I have the final content in place for both of the completed tasks.

If you have any ideas on what I could do to keep the site going, I'd love to hear them. For now it's on to getting a job, but I've just hiked and biked over 5,000 miles. I know I will always get to where I'm heading for, so long as I know the direction to take.

Oh, it appears that I've skipped over a few States (New Mexico and Arizona). Well I'm on the rush to get home by the weekend. I have a gourmet meal waiting for me that I remind myself of when I'm eating my hundredth granola bar or downing yet another hand full of trail mix.

I should be dipping my bicycle in the Pacific sometime over the weekend and then it's officially over. To be honest about it, I'll be very relieved. I've not taken too many photos but have done a video which I thought might have been my final record of what happens when you get lost in the desert.

Crossing into California didn't have the same excitment of crossing into Maine but the highway signs all tell me how few miles I have to Los Angeles. After covering over 3,000 so far, a few hundred don't seem so bad now.

Well must go do another 20 to get to Palo Verde County Park. The rumor is that it is full of rattle snakes, but after taking warnings from people on the A.T. about these sorts of things, I doubt that I'll see or hear anything but rustling leaves (assuming there are any trees there).

This is a nice town. Spent the night about 12 miles out, so I'm here to resupply, check email and do an update. Going to do a mere 30 miles after this. All of it up hill to Marshall Pass for some 'primitive camping'. Weather hasn't been too bad since Steamboat. Though it seems there is a thunder storm everyday in the afternoon. Most of the time I get lucky and it's all noise and a light-show in the distance. Yesterday started off well. A short climb over Boreas Pass then downhill, but about 11am the winds picked up and I was slogging for the rest of the day. Had a sore throat after getting to camp, from all that screaming I did at Yaponcha (Wind God).

Trying to keep the food supply low, lots of hills coming up. Longest one is after Del Norte (in about 2 days), 23 miles of pure hill. It's the 'New Hampshire' of the Great Divide. I have been oversupplying and feeling the trailer drag on me.

I should be in New Mexico by the end of the week. Going to have to consider carrying more water as there was spots of contaminated surface water around Cuba. I think the first really major town is Grants, which I'm hoping to make for the 1st.