bosco500, This is a great forum for the technical aspects of touring in all of the activitie's various forms. We sometimes overlook the rider, but there are ways to become accustomed to the extra weight.
I like the idea of buying four 10 lb. dumbells to simulate loaded touring weight and then riding that weight whenever I can. You can also distribute the weight fore and aft, which I think is good for the bike, but also you may have a preference to the difference in bike handling. I find that the second day is the most difficult, usually for the first ten miles or so.
Brad