PCT: Conditioning

I am a believer that the real conditioning, especially the feet, takes place in the first few weeks. This does require some patience and maybe some pain tolerance and first aid skills.

Having said that, I don’t want to get blown away or completely demoralized on the first good, uphill push. For day hikes, I am graced with access to a variety of trails of 6-15 mile lengths and good elevation gain. I am trying to do 2-3 hikes per week.

As with prep for the AZT last year, I’m also working on core strengthening including swimming, weight/exercise workouts, and bike rides. Not to mention almost daily 3-4 mile walks with our lab.

We have a screech owl re-visiting us from last year – no taller but about twice as wide!