Hello all,

I'm very inexperienced when it comes to hiking; for the most part, I run, bike, and swim for cardio. I go for a hike every now and then in the DC-Maryland-Virginia area, sometimes getting as far afield as Shenandoah National Park, where the most strenuous hike I've done is Old Rag. I'm looking for any (and lots of) general advice that more experienced hikers can give me on how to prepare, over a long period of time, to thru-hike the AT. I'm 28 years old, in pretty decent all-around shape (I exercise regularly even if I don't hike much), have always loved hiking, and anticipate having sufficient savings sometime in the next two or three years, and sufficient flexibility with my job, to devote five-to-seven months to a thru-hike. Where and how should I start transitioning into hiking more; what level of hiking shape are most people who succeed in completing a thru-hike in when they start the trail? How often (how many days) do really experienced hikers, the sorts of folks who complete a thru-hike, go for a hike in a typical week? What kind of mileage are they putting away per week before starting the trail?

Thanks for any and all advice, links, and help offered; happy trails to one and all!