3 Reasons why I am thru-hiking the PCT in 2018

The countdown has begun!  In less than 9 months I will be setting foot on the PCT and beginning an adventure of a lifetime.  To thru-hike the PCT is something I’ve dreamed about for years.  And I finally am at a point where it is happening, still hard to believe it!  Below are the top 3 reasons why I’m thru-hiking (SOBO) the PCT in 2018.

Life after student debt

For the last 10 years I’ve been paying off my student loans from law school.  The final payment is projected to be made April 20, 2018.  To celebrate this momentous achievement, I’m taking a leave of absence from work and hiking the PCT.  What better way to celebrate being free then to tromp around the woods?

A physical challenge like no others

The summer after my first year of law school I signed up for my first marathon.  The marathon took place in Bar Harbor, Maine in October, 2006.  I spent the summer and fall training and running my buns off (literally!).  It was one of the hardest physical challenges I had done at that point in my life.  I struggled, there were tears and sore limbs but I did it!  I ran through the finish line and began a life long love of pushing the envelope on what I believe my body’s limits are.

Since that first marathon, I’ve ran 11 more marathons, 2 50K’s (a 3rd is happening in a few weeks, eek!), countless half marathons, a half-ironman and trail ran the Tahoe Rim Trail (200ish miles with all the detours and extra miles running out each day) over 2 summers.  Not to mention countless mountain summits and backpacking trips in New England, Arizona, the Sierra’s and the California coast.

Clearly, when I look back at the last decade, I continued pushing the boundaries of what my body is capable of.  And the beautiful thing is, I know I’m not even come close to hitting my own limits!  I’m beyond excited to see how well my body performs for months on end while hiking in all sorts of terrain.

The Epic Adventure

Finally, and most importantly, I am thru-hiking the PCT because I am always looking for a new adventure and this one promises to be epic!  Months on end of hiking 20+ miles a day, instagram-worthy views on a daily basis, meeting incredible people and finding out if I can really eat an entire pizza to myself…what more can a person ask for out of an adventure?

Let the training begin!

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Comments 3

  • Brandon Chase : Nov 4th

    I ran the MDI Marathon as my first, too (in 2014)! I grew up in the next town over. Good luck with your thru-hike!

    Reply
    • Kelli : Nov 8th

      Isn’t Mt Desert marathon gorgeous??? Still one of the prettiest marathons I’ve ever ran in. Thanks for wishing me good luck, I’m gonna need it!

      Reply
  • Kevin : Dec 20th

    SOBO uh? None of those trails up north from the 2017 fires will be repaired when you start. Many will be by time the NOBO’s get there.

    Reply

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