Feeling the Virginia Blues
A lot of Appalachian Trail thru-hikers will talk about the “Virginia Blues”. It’s the longest state section of the trail by far. You’re at a point where the novelty you felt at the beginning of your hike has worn off, but you’re not even close to being halfway through. You’re in the thick of it with a long way to go. It can also feel like the state that never ends, giving the illusion that you’re not making progress.
I’m feeling my own version of the Virginia Blues, in this case, the post-Virginia Blues. I really enjoyed my time out there. I felt like myself. I loved the freedom I felt in putting one foot in front of the other, I loved not having to really think about anything except the basics (eat, sleep, hike). I loved letting my mind wander, I loved getting to see friends and family. I love moving all day, I love being outside, plus I was getting some of the best sleep I’ve had in a while.
It started as an FKT attempt but I caught some kind of head cold and wasn’t feeling well just three days in. Mostly congestion, and I felt extremely fatigued and achey, but I was also doing a physically strenuous thing, so who’s to say if those things were a result of being sick? Did getting sick push me over the edge, or did I push myself over the edge, making myself susceptible to being sick? All I know is that I didn’t feel right. Maybe I could have pushed through it, but I’m not interested in hiking mega miles when I’m unwell. So that was that!
I got some proper rest with help from my dear friends that live close to the trail, and made the most of my time by continuing to hike north, skipping some sections here and there so that I could meet my family in time up in the Shenandoahs.
Going on long hikes feels a bit like my own version of Neverland, a place to retreat from the everyday with its own set of adventures, characters, quests. The beginning of every journey feels like starting a new book. What’s going to happen? Who will I meet? What obstacles will I face? What will I learn?
I’m still reflecting on this trip and the past year or so. With my running and hiking endeavors, the formula "work hard = great result” has generally been how it’s worked out for me in the past. But lately I’ve felt like for the amount of work I’ve been putting in, I’m not getting the same return that I used to. I’m not so much speaking about the Virginia trip, as it actually went better than expected until getting sick. But more-so with the marathon I ran last month and the couple races I ran before that. I think it’s the feeling of not living up to what I believe is my potential, despite doing things “right”, or at least, doing what worked in the past. It might be that what worked in the past doesn’t work for me now, so something needs to change. It might be that grad school is taking more of a physical toll than I am realizing, or maybe there are physical changes happening as I age, though I am by no means old (or at least not that old) at 38. So, I don’t know!
But anyway, I’m happy to be back, and I’m actually heading out again soon for a trip to Japan to run the Okushinano 100K. I have a lot to look forward to this summer, including quality time at home while not being overwhelmed with course work, but for whatever reason I am just feeling a bit glum. It might simply be the post-trail let down. Lots of high highs while I was out there, and now home just processing.
Immediately upon returning I made a video of all the gear I took with me on this trip. Partially because I thought it would be fun to share and I thought people might be curious, and partially because it is very important to make notes about everything I brought.
I also documented the trip taking a bunch of videos throughout, similar to how I documented the Swiss Via Alpina last summer. I’m working on compiling those now, and released “Day One” yesterday. Similarly, it’s fun to share these, and it also benefits me to look back and get an idea of what I was thinking and how I was feeling, and what led me to make the decisions I did in the moment. Every hike is a learning experience!
I picked up some little souvenirs from Virginia that I’ll mail out to supporting members shortly. If your address has changed recently, please let me know. You can also update your address on the new member portal on my website. I emailed instructions to current members how to sign up with your existing membership. If you would like to become a new supporting member of this newsletter, head to the member portal link to join! Huge thanks to all those that support! ‘Til next week!
💫