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Reflections on Pacing
On the Continental Divide Trail Pacing is really important. Every racer knows that if you leave the starting block too fast you are apt to be dragging before the race is over. It is the same with hiking. There are so many things to pace out here. The obvious one is your daily mileage. Too
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Boredom
As a child, I was bored in school. I always finished my work ahead of the other kids and then usually, out of boredom, I got into trouble. I fidgeted and talked to other kids who were still working. I was thought of as an unruly child. Thank God for my fifth-grade teacher, the only
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How to Sense a Coming Storm
I have seen animals go silent just before the earth started to shake. They sensed the tremors coming. In some parts of the world, people maintain the instinct to feel an impending earthquake or tsunami. I believe that we are all born with a wealth of protective instinct and that most of us become disconnected
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The Loneliness of Small Talk
This kind man stopped and chatted with me in the Great Basin. We shared real connection. He introduced me to his son and gave me his work gloves to protect my blistered hands when I was walking on crutches. If I had just said “Oh I’m fine” when he asked, this connection would not have
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On Banishing Regrets
Hiking helps me put my “mistakes” and decisions into perspective. I used to sometimes stop somewhere for the night only to regret the next day that I hadn’t walked just a mile further to a more lovely camp spot. I agonized over which route to take, not wanting to miss the “better” of my choices.
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Trail Wisdom: Coping With the Ups and Downs
I stand on the top of a mountain feeling satisfied that my aging body made the climb. I eventually pull myself away from the views and make my way down. Sometimes I lose as much as 4,000 feet in elevation, and while I am going down I see the next monolith I will have to
The Mary Badass
A Ruminating Blog About Personal Healing, Adventure and Day to Day Life
The Mary Badass 