There are a couple more books you would want in your library. Both of these cover from basic to very extreme. Skim it all for a good read.
Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills Probably the 'go to book' for most techniques and things to consider. Many consider it the 'bible' for backpacking.
The Mountaineering Handbook, Craig Connally ISBN 0-07-143010-5 It is a good companion to Freedom of the Hills. Connally puts forth a good, reasonable approach to getting ready for and doing any kind of hike. You will save more than the price of the book just on gear, clothing and time it takes to get ready for a hike. It is nicely organized so you can just read a chapter at a time in any order.
All of these would be at REI.
If you take back packing trips (and hikes) on the east side, you will be at high altitude quickly...perhaps from the start. Don't let your enthusiasm get away from you. Take if very slowly to start - you have all day and you have your house on your back. You can stay almost anyplace when you have to. Just follow the open fire rules.
By slow, it could be that you will be making head way at just over a 1.5 miles per hour. That will still get you to most first camp spots before evening, even if you don't start until noon. Many more seasoned hikers plan on 10 mile days. Even that at a slow tread is less than 7 hours. Get up early - don't waste sunshine. Practice how to pack, eat, cleanup and be on the trail quickly. Take a leisurely lunch. Snack on hi energy stuff all day long and make an early day of it at camp so you can explore a bit. The plan is to beat any thundershowers in the early afternoon and to get over any passes and exposed parts early.
I leave how far we go up to my wife. Near the end of the planned day, she usually adds an hour or so more because she doesn't want to do the next day's hard part early in the morning, or she wants to make it to a better spot to camp, or she is just putting miles in the bank. Or just because she knows she has more energy than I do left over and wants to rub it in that women are the stronger gender.
Work on the step-breath method. Inhale as the right foot is moved forward, exhale when the left one is moved forward. If you need more air, take smaller steps. Any forward motion is good. This will reduce the number of breaks you take during the day - and speed you along with a lot less wear and tear on your body. But don't forget the breaks. This is supposed to be fun too, ya know?
If you manage your respiration, you manage your heart rate. You want to compromise on a rate that will allow you to continue forward progress but not leave you gasping and your heart trying to strip a gear. You still might not be able to talk a lot on trail, other than to grunt out an UH HUH or UH UH. Monosyllables between pants work too... such as: look, water, food, slower, help, rest, stop, dying.
To reduce the use of the last two, you should plan on being fit. The best conditioning is a mixture of gym work pumping iron (check with a trainer on what to do - you can get gyms for $1 a day and no long term contract if you shop around), and jogging. Sorry, but you just have to get the feet and leg bones and tendons used to being abused. Here is a good plan:
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and look at the "jog/walk program" under CARDIO. But first read about reducing injury while jogging. Moderation as in all things is the key.