Preparing to co-lead my 1st expedition

It was brought to my attention that I have just 14 days until I am scheduled to go on my first expedition with participants.

I should explain that my first backpacking trip in my entire life was in April (I think?), and due to lots of different things, I felt a little traumatized post-trip. This facilitator is feeling much better at this point, but that debrief was a pretty excruciating one to get through. Hiking on the AT with snow on the ground was very physically challenging for me. Since I left school in Baltimore, I drive everywhere except when I'm at work, I sold my 3 speed Schwinn Collegiate. My climbing punch pass ran out.

The most important thing that I learned on that trip right now is that I'm not in backpacking condition.

I just printed the trip plan, which is .5 mile the first day, 4 miles the second, and 2.4 miles the third (or opposite, two groups are going opposing directions.)

I'm not in backpacking condition yet. I also wasn't in condition last summer the first time I attempted to qualify for lifeguarding by attempting the 550. But today, after working at it a little, I can do my 550 (even though I hate it, the entire time) in under 40 minutes.

So, I have 5 days off till we take these 6th graders on-trail. (You can see in the upper left-hand corner my days off--the 30th, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 11th. You know, right next to the diagram of How To Solve Elephant's Graveyard.) The 4th is my last class in Baltimore to complete my BFA. Tomorrow I am planting my garden with my co-worker.

It is my goal to get in hiking with a loaded pack on as much as possible between now and the 12th, however I can do that and still feel rested and ready for my participants.

• On the 30th, when I have off, I will grab a pack from my friendly local Resource Coordinator and load it up with our super-non-ultralite gear, so that I can wear it hiking around property with my kids, and practice my packing and unpacking. I'll get help adjusting the base-model Leki poles I have borrowed to help save my genetically inferior knees and get used to using those.
• On the 3rd, I will hike the 2.4 mile section of the Appalachian Trail with a partially-loaded pack and poles.
  
• After work on the 2nd I will rock out a few/couple miles which include the .5 mile section that is the first/last day of the trip, again with a loaded pack.
• On the 11th, I'm going to hike the longest day we have on the AT, the 4 mile day, with a fully loaded pack.
• If I can get in an overnight on the AT with a co-worker on the end of any one of these days, I'll do that.
• As much as I can hike with my co-workers and get tips on my form, facilitating on backpacking expedition, etc., I will do that.
  

I'm going to be relying a lot on the expertise of others, but I want to feel confident in my own pace and form so I can help my co-workers take care of our participants. I don't want to feel like a participant on our trip. And I'd be crazy not to use my colleagues for all they are worth in order to condition myself over the next two weeks, whether that's rides to trail heads, as hiking partners, or general butt-kickers.

My work environment also creates a good opportunity in that I'm definitely in a place where moseying around property with a pack on won't look as strange as, say, moseying around downtown Baltimore with a pack on. It's something to think about, for sure.