Preparation is half the fun..............

Once the idea of hiking the NCT really took hold I became obsessed. Single-minded may be a nicer way of saying it but that is not really the way my personality works.

I am a chronic insomniac. I have been for years. I am extremely jealous of all of you that seem to "sleep" on command.

Often I use insomnia to my advantage. I have read countless books, watched a plethora of movies, studied the bible and written timely letters to friends who needed encouragement. The Internet, email, and now this blog will help kill the time during the wee hours of the night.

Many late nights have been spent researching the NCT. The North Country Trail Association websites have many hits in the middle of the night.

Luckily for me, I function well on very little sleep. It takes days before it becomes obvious that sleep deprivation is affecting my performance. From time to time I get a good nights sleep and it feels like a very special present every time.

Preparation Begins:

I started out with a bang: I studied the Internet sites, I began a walking regimen, I purchased a good pair of hiking boots and I became obsessed with giving this a real opportunity to come to fruition.

Besides the research and purchasing the proper equipment, the real challenge was getting in shape. I determined that 10 miles per day was the minimum for a successful hike. This is mainly based on being somewhere by the end of the hiking day that would allow for adequate sleeping arrangements. Even at 10 miles a day it looked like I would have to camp in small woods and behind foreclosed empty homes to keep going.

I am not a big fan of trespassing and encounters with angry homeowners or farmers.

I suspected that being stranded as dark is quickly approaching, on foot in the middle of nowhere is not a good thing. I also have some experience with unhappy farmers when you just show up in the middle of the night. I am not a fan of aggressive country dogs.

The other physical challenge is that not only is a minimum of 10 miles necessary for reasonable accommodations but I would also have to carry nearly 50 lbs of equipment in my backpack.

I had no idea if 50 lbs. and 10 miles was even possible for me. I am a short, stocky, okay fat, little man and this seemed like a tough road.

I do not know if my friends and family would agree but I think that one of my best attributes is that I am so committed (stubborn) to the tasks I take on. If I decided to do something in my life I almost always have done it.

I quietly began to prepare myself. I wasn't ready to tell anyone what I was planning to do. But with 2010 now at hand it seemed time to make a resolution and get in shape.

I am 5'6" tall and 5' wide. I weighed 206 lbs. Some of that bulk is old muscle and a lot of it is new fat. I clearly needed to lose about 40 lbs.

During the month of December 09, treadmill training began.

Two miles per day caused sore arches, bad ankles and other small injury. I bought a good brand of hiking boots and was able to move it up to 4 miles a day.

I was now starting outside training walks as well. I took two of my 3 year old buddies from my wife's daycare and did a 4 mile hike. The boys loved it. I took 2 of the 9 year old girls a week later and the dynamics weren't quite as good. I did the hike several times alone.

Brianna, the love of my life, is my oldest daugter Cyndee's oldest daughter. She likes what I like and has always hung out with her "Pepa" whenever we are together.
We have planted gardens, played video games, rough housed, walked the Mackinac Bridge and too many other activities to mention them all.

Did I mention? She also likes to harass, tease and abuse me as well. We are buddies.

It was time for a challenge. I needed to find out how far I could go. I took Brianna to Indian Springs Metro Park on a cold, wintry and windy day.

They have an eight mile round trip all purpose path there and I felt I could now go this far. It really was a good hike. We saw several white tail deer, wild turkey, squirrels and many birds. Not bad for a winter hike. We stopped and had lunch. Brianna was loving it with excited 9 year old enthusiasm.

At about the 6 mile mark I was nearing the end of my endurance. Brianna was enjoying my discomfort. Teasing me became her number one job for the rest of the adventure.

She began to pick up long sticks. I intuitively new I was in trouble. Well intuitively is the wrong word. Brianna made it quite clear that I was in trouble. She wasn't even beginning to get tired and I was on my last leg.

Adrenaline is an amazing thing. Brianna, with a little too much delight, began to prod the "old man" as she was now calling me. She would swat me with a switch every time I slowed down and yell "get going old man". She definitely kept me going.

Eventually, my car was in sight and I new I would finish the eight miles. Besides, the only way out would have been to call Diane to come get her wimpy old man. Brianna would have harassed me for years, so with proper dignity I made it to the finish line. Brianna was so strong as we finished the 8 miles she than chose to run up and down a very large and steep hill twice just to rub it in. Kids, don't you just love em?