Caution at the Start

I'm not on the trail yet.

I had intended to depart on my trip this morning.  The idea was to beat the crowd that will likely be starting this weekend, and stay ahead of that "bow wave" of hikers until they drop out and string out along the trail.  75% of those attempting this trek drop out, most in the first four weeks due to lack of preparedness and/or injury.  One should not underestimate the North Georgia mountains, Blood Mountain in particular.

The problem I've run into is a bum knee.  I actually have a collection of these, numbering exactly two at the moment.  One just needs to be stretched and merely grumbles at extensive use.  The other occasionally "pops" under heavy load and did so two weeks ago on a cold morning run when I went down hill too fast too early.  It would have healed by now, but to add injury to injury I caught the same knee on a stationary object while moving heavy things in the shop four days after the ill-fated run.  I'm pretty sure that I said "rats," "darn," and a few other words of about the same letter length.

The lump on my kneecap is steadily shrinking and an ice regimen is helping tremendously.  If I was starting out on level ground, I would have gone on schedule.  But there are two 2,000-foot climbs right off the bat, and the terrain gets no easier until I get on top of the ridges in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park a week into the hike.  My sole focus for the first two weeks on the trail is "don't get injured," because I'd rather be in the 25% that gets to northern Virginia than the 75% that does not.

So, a few more days of taking care of this injury and I'm on my way.  Rule number one in any kind of endurance effort is "Listen to your body."  Mine is saying "ouch," "give me another few days," and "what possessed you to knee a five-hundred-pound engine block, anyway?"  Okay, body.  I'm going to be demanding a lot of you, so I apologize and I'll do what you want.  Just hold together for another few months.

Words can't describe how much I'm itching to get going, though.  *itch* *itch*  I'll send up a flare when I get going, so keep one eye on the area around Amicalola Falls for the red glow.