Hi friends,
Happy October! It’s finally starting to feel like fall here in East Tennessee. The crisp mornings and changing leaves have me looking forward to all the fun that comes with this time of year. Halloween and Thanksgiving will be here before we know it!
My First Ultramarathon!
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve probably seen snippets of my recent training. Earlier this year, I signed up for my first ultramarathon. Since we weren’t planning to thru-hike this year, I wanted a new goal to work toward, and this race seemed like the perfect challenge.
Training has been full of highs and lows, much like a thru-hike. I’ve had good days, tough days, and plenty of moments when simply showing up was an accomplishment in itself. I’m proud of the consistency I’ve built, and now all those hours and miles are about to pay off!
I’ll be running the Naturalist 50K trail race in Franklin, NC, THIS WEEKEND! The race is Saturday, October 3, and I’m equal parts excited and nervous to see how it goes.
If you think about it, send up a prayer, good vibes, or warm fuzzy thoughts as I take on this new adventure! You can always reply to this email to send me some encouragement. Your support means the world to me, and I’m so grateful to have you following along.
New Article for The Trek
When I’m not running, I’m still plugging away at articles for The Trek. One of my recent articles has gotten a lot of attention online, and I’d love to hear what you think!
Read it here: A Typical PCT Thru-Hike Cost $10,000 in 2025. Here’s How We Did It for Just $6,000 Each
I took a deep dive into our finances from our 2025 PCT thru-hike, breaking down our spending by category and sharing budgeting tips for future hikers. According to the 2025 PCT Hiker Survey, the average solo hiker spent around $10,000 on their thru-hike. We managed to hike the trail for about $6,000 each, or roughly $12,000 total for the two of us!
One of the biggest surprises? We spent $5,333.22 on town food compared to just $2,617.96 on trail food. Turns out, we really like to eat!
If you’re dreaming of a thru-hike of your own or just curious about what it costs to spend months on the trail, check out the full breakdown!
Free Yoga for Hikers
Looking for a little post-hike recovery or a way to unwind? I also offer free monthly virtual yoga practices through THRU-r. You can find the recordings on YouTube and practice whenever it works for you! Our next live class is Sunday, October 25th, at 7pm EST.
As always, thanks for being here and for helping keep Magic in the Mountains.
I’ll talk to you soon,
Magic ✨
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