Guess what I did this weekend? I took my little PJF Trail project out to an actual trail! I also surpassed the 80 mile point. 83.9 to be exact. I knocked out another four-mile walk today. Toward the end I debated lying down on a mattress someone had put out for the trash, but it was gross, so I didn’t.
I digress…So I walked outside on a real life trail Saturday, and it was everything I dreamed it could be, only with fewer bathrooms (yet another reason I think the actual PCT is not for me) and even more dogs. This was a gravel trail a couple miles from my house, and it had a dog park. I did not take my dogs, because walking them is a different kind of walking that involves a lot of pulling and more stress. I kind of wanted to go into the dog park and play with all the dogs though. I felt like that might be a bit like going to a playground with no kids and trying to play with all the children. Also, people. Though people with dogs are my favorite kind of people.
I did 2.6 miles on the trail, and it was completely pleasant. Nice fall day, not too hot, not too cold. Birds and squirrels and a lake. Hard to believe this is the girl who struggled to do 1.6 miles two months ago. I think I’m a bit addicted to the endorphins now. I crave my walk and look forward to it, even at the end of a long day. Sometimes about 10 minutes in, I struggle, but once I push past about 30 minutes, something kicks in, and I feel amazing, like I could go forever. Or at least for about four miles, until I come upon an old mattress by the road.
This trail had lots of trees and benches dedicated to various people, which was kind of cool. I felt like this one was particularly appropriate for my PJF Trail journey. It didn’t take nearly as much courage for me to start walking 1100 miles on my treadmill as it took Cheryl Strayed to start walking 1100 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail, but it still took a little.
Other things in life take courage too. If you understand how cameras work (and how short my arms are) you might have figured out I wasn’t alone on this trail. This was my first walk of this journey with another person. One small step for Janet, one giant leap for…Janet. Whatever. That’s a post for another day!
Go, Janet, go!! A four mile walk is really good! Gravel though…I always seem to trip and skin my knee or elbow. LOL