Hiking is great because it's a lifelong sport and you're outdoors, active, so whether you call that a sport or a hobby or a recreation, I think the wording - it's a great way to get exercise, and it can be as challenging as you want to make it. Votes: 7
Food is like a torture device because hiking 47 miles a day is hard enough. And then you're trying to get down 6,000 calories a day. Every hour, I needed a snack, every few hours I had to take in a meal and it's just not food, it's fuel. You're not enjoying it - you're seriously shoving it in your mouth and following it with water, juice or Gatorade. Votes: 4
I was surrounded by life and beauty. My soul was content, and my life felt full. Votes: 3
My motivation to keep hiking was rooted in the magnificent details of the Appalachian Mountains, and the more I poured myself out - the more energy I gave the trail - the more it gave me in return. Votes: 3
Something deep within me connected with hard work, nature and simplicity. Votes: 3
I would rather watch a sunset than TV. Votes: 3
Writing is one of the main ways that I process the experience. Votes: 3
I found things in the woods that I didn't know I was looking for"¦ and now I'll never be the same. Votes: 0
Part of the reason I fell in love with the trail is because it was so extremely difficult, more difficult than the marathons and Ironmans I'd competed in. Not just physically but emotionally it was a new challenge, as well. It really helped me to learn and grow in so many ways. Votes: 0
One of the best feelings I had growing up was being completely exhausted at the end of the day after playing outside all day. Votes: 0
I'd always had an interest of pushing my limits and was intrigued by endurance. Votes: 0
A lot of people talk about the trail healing them, but I feel like, the first time, it humbled me, which I probably needed. It was a completely new way to experience the world and my body. Votes: 0
Our bodies are made to move, and moving down the trail is one of the oldest, natural ways people have used their bodies. Votes: 0
I know that I was hiking at a very young age because I remember being convinced that it was the trees that were talking. Votes: 0
Going into the woods, you can go as fast or as slow as you want. It's restorative. Even when I was young, the wilderness offered not only adventure but also therapy and peace: a place to be alone with your thoughts. Votes: 0
One thing I think I've always felt about being in nature is that it's a very natural taste. Votes: 0