I wanted to give an update on overall progress. I've chosen today to provide the summary because it coincides with some time I'll be off trail for an event in Philadelphia.
Updates to the blog will resume when I restart hiking in about four days.
So far I've completed about one quarter of the hike (shown in blue). My legs feel pretty good, but my feet could be in better shape.
Switching shoes helped. Now I have a better idea of what I'm looking for, but there is room for improvement. It's possible I will change shoes again soon. I'm lucky that these performance shoe companies provide generous return policies. Getting dialed in would be an expensive undertaking otherwise!
That said, I've made a lot of progress and feel pretty good about the day to day hiking. This first section spoiled me with lots of opportunities to eat food I didn't have to carry. When I get further along this won't be the case, so I'll have to bring more calories (and thus more weight) with me.
My body is changing: my legs grow stronger while my upper body shrinks. Every day is leg day. I've got tan lines where my clothes end, even at my hands. This is inevitable when you wear the same thing every day.
I'm having fun, meeting great people, and challenging myself. Can't wait to see what the rest of the trail brings.