Today we hiked part of the Appalachian Trail at Clark’s Ferry (in Pennsylvania). It was a grueling hike, partially because it was long (we hiked for about 6 hours altogether) and partially because there is a 1000-foot rise in the first mile. Things have been busy lately, and I was feeling exhausted before I even left the house today. There were a couple points during the hike where I thought I might not have the strength to keep lifting my feet. Today was the first time that the hike gave my mental game such a challenge.
Our hike leaders and mentors remind us when things get tough that this mental “game” is important, and I love that they relate it to the experience of people with cancer. Dealing with a cancer diagnosis and treatment is a huge strain on a person’s mental game, and it’s the kind of battle that you can’t decide to quit. This hike was a little bit similar – I suppose I could have refused to go any further, but I still would have had to hike that distance back to the parking area.
Today’s hike really made me question my own mettle. Would I have the courage to deal with a serious illness? I started realizing that for me courage falters more when it comes to things that are unfamiliar to me or that I don’t know much about. Being out in the wilderness is definitely a little bit foreign to me, and it was harder than usual to feel confident and keep myself going.
Afterwards, when I had fought through the exhaustion, I felt really good about the experience. I’m not suggesting that it’s healthy for people to push themselves past their physical limits. I was never in actual physical danger. But the mental challenge ended up being a great experience, and a reminder that I sometimes need to be pushed outside of my comfort zone in order to grow as an individual.
