NICE BREAK

I've been with Steve the last few days, taking a rest and doing a little biking and running. I'm going to be doing more of that, even if it means doing less hiking, even if it means..... I don't get to Katahdin.

The reasons are:

• I really, really want to do the SavageMan Triathlon (link for info) back home in mid-September. So, I need to make sure I can bike and run the distances (swimming, well, I'll just sort of relax through that part.) There's never been a 60-yr-old female competing before. I've done this race before but not at age 60. Even so, I still hold the course record as the oldest female ever. 
• I'm losing weight too fast. I'm down 10 pounds after 200 miles. Ten pounds every 200 miles would be.... 50 pounds???? I'll settle for 25-30. New Jersey and New York are not as hard as PA, but NH and ME are rough. I need to back off on the hiking in order to be able to continue to hike.
• I miss my husband a lot.

Taking more days off the Trail for biking and running will keep me more rested, more fit, and better nourished. It will complicate the logistics for Steve and me.... he can't keep running me back and forth to the Trail when one or the other of us gets farther away. I may have to skip parts, and section-hike.

I was extremely discouraged the last few days I hiked. My pack was too heavy, there wasn't enough water, I felt sick, I was lonesome, I wanted my husband. Now that I've been with him a few days, rested up and rehydrated and eaten more, and gone biking and running, I feel I can go out there and hike again. I weeded out some things from my pack:

• rain pants (used once, don't like)
•  headnet for bugs (used once, don't like)
•  surplus ropes and straps (useless to carry things that "might come in handy")
•  switched to lighter rope and less of it for hanging my food bag
•  carrying less writing paper
•  switched from individual-serving Spam (4oz. each) to beef jerky for lunches 

 It all added up to several pounds. My base weight (everything except food and water) is now 17 pounds. Add 5 days of food and we're up to 23; a liter of water at a time = 25. (I had carried 3-4 liters on those hot, scarce-water days.)

Out again tomorrow!