The calm before the storm

Hellllllooooo to my blog readership (all 8 of you). I'm currently taking my first true rest day (zero day in hiker speak) in Daleville, Virginia. Just outside Roanoke. I'm at mile 727 (about 1/3 of the way) and have been hiking for 45 days. It just truly hit me how much hiking I have to do if I want to finish in 100 days. By my math I'll have to average 26.4 miles a day, for 55 more days, to get to Mt. Katahdin in Maine by August 14th. It's gonna be really tough. I'm a bit intimidated to be honest, but I'll give'r my best shot.
The first few days after Bonnaroo were a little tough, getting back into the groove, and breaking in my new boots. It wasn't until yesterday that I finally got rolling again, and I wore my crocs all day so my blistered heels didn't hold me back. Yesterday was also my Birthday, yayyy so old! My mom and Connie came down for the weekend to meet up with us which is reaaally nice. I stayed 2 nights at a hotel and enjoyed a plethora of luxuries: comfy beds, restaurant food, pool, clean clothes, internet, watching a blue jays game and a movie, seeing my peeps, and some hard chillin. It's a bit eerie because it feels like the calm before the storm of exhaustion that will rage for the next 2 months. I wish I could divide this day and enjoy a bit of it everyday over the next 2 months. I really don't have time for any other slacker days. I'll barely have time for anything except good ole hiking. I'm still confident that this is what I want to do. A good example maybe is that I've never really got the people who do marathons just to finish and not worry about time. I'd rather see how fast I can go. I feed off the competitiveness. So I think I am definitely "hiking my own hike". Killer says she will try and hold on for as long as she can. Big props to her... she's given'r er real hard.
Here's some pics for ya'll!

Also thanks everybody for the birthday wishes!
That's all for now, l8ter!