Ponderings at 15% Completion

I'm sitting under the care of my awesome wife in Erwin, Tennessee with ice on my right shin and behind my left knee.  It was uncomfortable this morning descending down into the Nolichucky River valley from the No Business Knob shelter where I stayed last night. I put in a 21 mile day yesterday in order to get myself in position to meet Anne a little before noon.


Tom with "Diesel" (VT) and "Dundee" (CT)
in Front of Uncle Johny's Hostel in Erwin

I'm able to keep the left knee pain tolerable with the aid of a brace and regular doses of ibuprofen.  Several wise folks including my doctor have suggested I switch to Aleve, as it might be easier on my stomach and it only requires dosing every 12 hours - so I am making that switch.  The right shin started hurting yesterday and was pretty uncomfortable this morning.  I am hoping that my Tiger Balm and ice treatment, along with a good night's sleep and a Salonpas patch on each spot, will have me feeling better by tomorrow, but I'm going to let the body decide tomorrow if another day of rest is needed.
I find myself going at a faster rate than most people my age and not able to keep up with the young guns... to some extent still looking for the rhythm that is right for me.  I don't plan to do any more 20+ mile days until I get into the more gently rolling hills of Virginia.  One advantage of going at my own pace is that I have the opportunity to meet awesome new people over time.
Anne was a little bit worried about the fact that I have lost 7 pounds since our last get-together at Fontana Dam a couple of weeks ago.  To try to alleviate her concerns we went immediately to an all-you-can-eat pizza place and I gorged myself.  Three and a half hours later we went out to dinner - spare ribs for the appetizer and a pad thai.  In just a bit, before laying down for sleep, I am going to eat a monster piece of chocolate cake that we brought back.
My lack of connectivity has been a bit of a frustration.  My cell phone plan does not include roaming, which makes a huge difference in the mountains.  Thanks, Anne, for keeping everyone generally abreast of my whereabouts and happenings.  Tomorrow morning I plan to go back to her posts and add some photos and anecdotes.