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Feb 16, 2015 : JUMP! Appalachian Trail

How an Athlete Prepares for the AT

Physical preparation  for a thru hike on the AT is important both for good results and to prevent injuries.  In my last post, you found a large number of hikes that would be excellent hiking-specific preparation.  In the next few posts,  you will see my physical preparations for a thru hike on the AT.   You will discover my training during the few weeks prior to departing from Springer Mountain, Georgia.  I plan to start hiking on March 18.

Feb 15. Thirty minutes of yoga practice in the morning. A 3 hour drive to Mount Rainier, and above, a 4.5 mile hike on Rampart Ridge Trail with 1000 feet of elevation gain.

Feb 15. Thirty minutes of yoga practice in the morning. A 3 hour drive to Mount Rainier, and above, a 4.5 mile hike on Rampart Ridge Trail with 1000 feet of elevation gain.

Feb 16. Snow shoeing from Paradise Visitors Center at Mount Rainier National Park to Panorama Point. An elevation gain of 1,600 feet and one difficult long steep section of icy 30 degree slope.

Feb 16. Snow shoeing from Paradise Visitors Center at Mount Rainier National Park to Panorama Point. An elevation gain of 1,600 feet and one difficult long steep section of an icy 30 degree slope.  Stretching after the snowshoeing.

 

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JUMP!
Feb 16th : JUMP!
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JUMP!'s Bio

Hi! I’m Robert. During an adventure and travel filled life, I have found junctions where Shangri-La, Heaven, Nirvana, and Utopia meet. This is where time stops. It is where the brain blossoms so that the mental, emotional, and physical unify. The universe collapses to finite space and the burdensome manifestations of existentialism cease. I anticipate entering more on the AT in 2015. My hope is for all of you to find similar junctions in your lives. They are not physical locations....... Recently, I entered another while surrounded by the Gulf of Thailand. There was nothing possible to do but run long distances on soft pure white sand, swim endlessly in the warmth of the sea, and contemplate the myriad forms of life’s complexities...... Due to political controversies, my Peace Corps work in the small Muslim country of Azerbaijan, which is in the middle of a very rough neighborhood, ended early and abruptly. I find myself homeless, carless, and jobless. Some would say clueless!. Ironically, an unfortunate situation provides me the perfect opportunity to hike the AT...... Consider this a friendly invitation to follow my hike and read my blog “Mingechevir to Mount Katahdin.” It has two objectives. The first is to help me wrap my head around the verbal, cultural, interpersonal, economic, and political enigmas of my Peace Corps adventure. Second, is to provide a structured writing platform where I can utilize the AT as a vehicle to learn, understand, and to communicate critical aspects of our lives and how to discover mind expanding junctions. I start hiking March 18.

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