OK, It wasn’t the 20km walk on Friday that did me in. I think it must have been the slight – ever so slight – addition of some weight to my backpack. I’m not sure what the culprit was this time. It might have been a 200g T-shirt – old but in the Camino colours, so I thought “Why not?” Why not indeed!
It was just a 10kms walk, but by the end my right shin was tender. By 7:00pm it was full blown shin splits. I could barely move. I though meh, I’ve been there before, it will pass. Yes, and pass it did, so I set out for a shorter walk, without my pack, after a day of rest. It was sore at first, but then it eased until the last 2 kms of a 7kms walk. I was in agony!!
I limped home and pictured myself on the Camino laid up in some hostel, not able to move. Pain has a way of humbling you. Maybe the best laid schemes of mice and pilgrims, often do go awry, leaving us to hobble out our pain in foreign fields.
I stayed home the next day. Well I had to. I couldn’t move. It snowed – good timing, I couldn’t have walked anyway. I was productive, though. I downloaded several apps to my phone. Everyone has them, but this was a huge learning curve for me. I got – Facebook, What’sApp, a WP-editing app, my e-mail – I know who doesn’t have their email on their phone – Well maybe it was because I have three email addresses. I ask you, at 79 who needs three email addresses? Obviously I do.
I was still in pain most of the day. But by 5:00pm, I could move a bit without wincing. I made dinner. In fact, I made two dinners – left overs – the story of my life. The pain was easing. I worked some more on my websites – again who at 79 needs four websites? Even if it takes six hours, the joy of figuring out a way to edit an author’s by-line to a post makes for a good night’s sleep.
Buen Camino