C605

I’m in Logrono. Everything they say about the Camino is true. It’s magical. I have encountered people that we walk together for an hour and share more about ourselves than we would in a decade of friendship. I have walked alone for hours without seeing anyone.

I said I finally learned how to walk. I think it’s like this. The only real injuries I’ve suffered from are twisted ankles (no broken bones, no ACL). So without realizing it I learned to guard against a twisted ankle with every step I take, so I never fully released the ankle to let it roll like it’s supposed to. In my everyday walking I could get away with it, because I wasn’t putting enough demand on my body for it to cause issues. But when I left Pamplona after a rest day, within 1/2 a kilometer my achilles was really starting to burn. I’m thinking tendinitis, I am in trouble, the walk is over, I am going to need medical care. Then a small voice said maybe you aren’t walking right. I started to consciously release my foot so it could roll forward. Almost immediately the pain started to dissipate.

Yesterday I walked 28 km, and there was a decent amount of up and down. It was my fourth day in a row of more than 20 kilometers. It wasn’t bad. So there it is, unconsciously trying to avoid pain led to maladaptive behavior. Is that a fucking metaphor for life, or what?

I miss you darling.