The Way to a Wild Walk in the Woods

(No spoilers).

In the last week I have watched "The Way" and "Wild" while beginning the book by Bill Bryson, "A Walk in the Woods". Originally I had intended to wait until after the Colorado Trail to begin these books and movies so that my experience would not be tainted by what these true stories.

C&O Canal

After watching Wild, I set out on a six mile loop along the C&O canal that weaved in and out with the Billy Goat trail in tow with my pack full of rice, ten pounds of weight plus six liters of water. I did not enjoy it because it was hard work, and quite boring to do it alone. (David flew to Colorado on Tuesday to start preparations for our hike). So, I decided to pretend that I was Cheryl Strayed. I  figured if she could do 3000 miles of backpacking with a heavy uncomfortable pack by herself, I could probably handle six miles.

Wild (Redbox) is the true story of Cheryl Strayed who lost her way in drugs and affairs who decides to discover herself on the Pacific Crest Trail. She hiked a little before embarking on this journey and knows very little about backpacking at the start of the hike.

The Way (Amazon) is one man's pilgrimage on "The Way of St. John" trail in France for his son who died early on in his journey. The main character, Tom, has pretty much no experience hiking or backpacking.

A Walk in the Woods (Kindle) is about Bryson's experience to hike the entire Appalachian Trail with a long lost pal named Katz. Bryson has some experience and knowledge about the outdoors while Katz is both completely out of shape and unprepared for what to expect.

Here's my review on all three:

• Katz and Bryson are hilarious, and very entertaining. Bryson has a way with words that has me laughing out loud on numerous occasions. I cannot wait until the movie comes out in September of this year. 
• Wild lived a lifestyle and had challenges/hardships in her life that I cannot relate to. The actual film and story was a little too "R-rated" for my liking but I got the point anyway. I feel it demonstrated the monotony and day in/day out aspect of thru hiking well. Additionally, it addressed the challenges single attractive women who hike alone may have to deal with.
• The Way was relatively predictable and boring. The Way of St. John does not look like an a "trail" I would be interested in doing in my lifetime (flat, on roads, through small villages, not that pretty, staying in hostels vs camping, etc.). 

Here's what I've learned:

• If you don't train, don't prepare, and have no clue before setting out for a thru hike, chances are good you will someday have a movie made about you. 
• You're feet are going to hurt. Bad. You might lose your boots or toenails.  
• The unexpected stuff that cannot be anticipated might just be the highlight of your journey. 
• You will get cold, and probably encounter snow. Might as well plan on it.
• Care packages are like striking gold, and stuff like Snapple and Little Debby snacks are what backpackers dream about at night. 

Most importantly, I've learned not to stress the training too much. I think its good to be prepared, and I feel ready, but at the same time, perhaps the first few days on the trail is all the training you really need. Thoughts?