How to prepare for a flip-flop with experienced hikers

[littlewing]

I'll be graduating in mid-May and am going to be jumping on the trail with two friends (I'm a girl- both friends are guys) that are already hiking NOBO from Springer. I'm running on the assumption that they will be somewhere between Damascus and Shenandoah NP when I graduate, so I'd be heading north from there.
That being the case, they are going to be in WAY better shape than me. I'm training now and am planning on running 30 miles/week at least between now and then and doing weekend hikes with my pack fully loaded, but I am still going to be pretty pathetic compared to them.

They have already agreed to take it slow with me for the first week or two, but is there anything I should expect? I've done some hiking on the VA section of the trail (max of a 5-day trip), but still feel like I will be a burden to these two guys that are going to already have a system going.

Anything I should do between now and then to prepare or not slow them down as much?

Thanks!

[Lyle]

It will probably take you a week or two to get up to speed so you can keep up fairly consistently. They may need to slow down a bit. In order to help even things out initially, they could split up some of your gear for the first week or so. This will allow you to better match their speed, so that they can stay with their trail friends. Other option is for them to slow down a bit, then catch up to their old friends in a couple of weeks.

It'll work out.

Regarding what to do, if you are in reasonable shape, just keep doing what you can and don't sweat it. hiking with a pack is by far the best way to prepare to hike with a pack.

[Dogwood]

....still feel like I will be a burden to these two guys that are going to already have a system going.

Anything I should do between now and then to prepare or not slow them down as much?

Get yourself in as good a shape as you can pre trail. You are already doing some things to do that. This not only includes physical shape but having a strong mental aspect for thru-hiking. Without sounding overly sexist forego the perfume, twice a day showers, curling irons, make-up, etc prehike. HAPPILY, take walks in the rain while wearing your loaded pack pre hike. Wear it around for several hrs in the heat of the day, HAPPILY, pre hike.

Get your own thru-hiking system already started pre trail by familiarizing yourself with your gear, like cooking with your trail cook system, eating your trail food, setting up your shelter pre hike over and over, sleeping in your bag/quilt pre hike OUTSIDE, wearing your rain jacket/rain gear pre hike, wearing your trail apparel pre hike, walking around for a day at a time pre hike while wearing your loaded pack, learn how you will organize yourself when on trail pre hike, practice packing up your gear pre hike, seek repetion and familiarity with gear/trail life etc pre hike. Shakedown hikes are great for doing these things even if only overnighters.

Possibly start hiking a bit earlier in the morning, maybe as much as an hr in advance of when they typically start hiking. Agree on or have some idea how far they and you, if separated will go each day in advance.

Go lighter wt then them.

Go faster than them. When you feel ready keep pace with them. Who knows, maybe you'll be faster than the males at the get go! Not uncommon! Maybe, it will be you who has to take it easy on them!

Have a AWESOME EMPOWERING POSITIVE APPRECIATIVE ATTITUDE PRE HIKE. If you don't already have one work on getting one pre hike. Be flexible and adptable. Know this too going in. NOT EVERYONE were meant to hike together for all sorts of possible reasons. Keep the BIG picture in focus. YOU are here to do YOUR AT THRU-HIKE. They may be your friends. You may be there friend. If all of you find it's just too hard to compromise your own individual thru-hikes be prepared for going solo. Might seem sad to you even thinking of that possibility but if you REALLY REALLY want to thru-hike the AT that's something one might have to do - go solo meeting and making new friends along the way.

[Cookerhiker]

A big advantage you have is living near the Trail. Train & practice as much as you can on the AT and the SNP side trails.

And here's the best training route of all as the time draws near: drive down to Rt. 56, take a right up to the Trail junction, and hike up The Priest with a loaded pack. It's a 3,100' ascent in only 4.3 miles. Do that a few times and you'll hang right with them.

[littlewing]

Thanks everyone. I'm so, so excited to do the hike for my own reasons (in addition to being with my friends) and I definitely understand the "hike your own hike" mentality. I think I'll be okay not being attached at the hip- might just need some companionship early on!

I agree that being so close to the trail is an advantage...I'm going to make it a point to make several trips to the Priest, Crabtree, Old Rag, and any other long day hikes I can find in the area before I leave to get really comfortable with my gear.