be INSPIRED

if you haven't been following along at home, you may not have realized that i am on the board for a really cool non-profit ultrarunning club, Ultrarunning Matters, Inc. we produce 3 races, (most importantly mine ;-)), and are a supportive camaraderie for people who like to run really really far and are tired of being labeled "crazy". anyhow, one of the coolest things i get to do for UM is to do interviews. when it began i figured i'd just go around interviewing our more dynamic or interesting club members, until another board member suggested we try to branch out. i was dubious, and didn't think anyone would want to talk to me. but the old adage that shy people starve is true. so far most people we've asked, have said yes.

my newest interview was with jennifer pharr-davis. this summer she became the record holder for the fastest thru-hike of the appalachian trail. not the fastest woman, mind you (she already had that record), but the fastest overall. she completed the 2,175 mile journey in 46 days and 11 hours, averaging 47 miles/day. yes, i know it boggles the mind. the fact that she has gone on this same journey 2 other times is almost more unbelievable.

Jen, her husband Brew, David Horton and Warren Dyole (who has logged 34,000 miles on the AT)

i got the itch to interview her after i finished reading her memoir, Becoming Odyssa. it tells the story of her first thru-hike in 2005, as a recent college grad with no long distance backpacking experience. armed with a mop handle as a hiking stick, no water filtration, and an old, ill fitting pack she completed the journey. while trail journals abound, they are often marked by poor writing (just because you can hike, does not mean you are a captivating story teller), bad grammar and just plain old monotony ('today i went here and did this. i got to eat a cheeseburger. i did my laundry, blah blah blah').

but pharr-davis' book is very different: deeply personal, heart rending, captivating (i finished in 2 days... i couldn't put it down), and inspiring. it is not only the best trail journal i've ever read but it is just a great book. not just for nature lovers and athletes, but a book for anyone who's had a dream or calling. only 1 out of 10 people who attempt a thru-hike, make it to the end. of those, how many of them can write like this? but the writing is nothing without the spirit to back it up, and pharr-davis' humanity and vulnerability leap off the page at you. you want to know her, you want to be like her... you want to hike with her.

i must warn you, if you aim to read this book, you will want to set out on a hike of your own. the interview i did with her is a taste of her as a person and the promise of the adventure waiting for you if you pick up Becoming Odyssa. I strongly recommend that all of you find yourself a copy, but most especially the ladies.
i am extremely blessed to introduce you to jen pharr-davis. you can read our interview on UM's homepage, here. you can visit her business, Blue Ridge Hiking Company to purchase books and check out her speaking schedule, or find out more about jen on her blog.

my thru-hike lies on a distant horizon, but i have had a full circle moment in becoming acquainted with pharr-davis. the thought of an AT thru-hike first occurred to me as i watched the movie The Runner, about david horton's quest to set the record on the PCT. imagine my surprise when i read in Becoming Odyssa how jen ran into david during her first hike, as he trained for his PCT record attempt. it was a full circle moment for me, that confirmed the call i feel. one day i'll complete my own AT thru-hike, God willing. i hope that i have the same curious spirit, courage and strength that pharr-davis displayed.