Are you okay?

Today I realized that folks have stopped asking, "Are you okay?", as they catch me on the trail. I start early and walk slower than almost everybody. The camino day is planned around one's pace. Many young fit folks can average 5 km per hour on mixed terrain carrying a pack. I am pretty good on the flat but when the trail heads uphill I slow considerably. In the early days, folks would greet me in the universal manner, BUEN CAMINO, immediately followed by expressions of concern. Probably their concerns were related to my snail pace, my dripping brow, my heaving breaths or all of the above.

Here are Edwin from El Salvador and Grace from Ireland. I met them the first day...19 days ago and had not seen them since until last night. Grace stayed with me that first scary day and talked me up a steep hill with "let's just take 25 little steps and then take a little rest.". She would count and then tell me about herself during recovery times. Edwin rescued me on the steep, rocky descent. I was struggling to hold my balance when he simply handed me one of his walking poles. He showed me how to use it and then went on ahead. I found him later enjoying a cool drink and airing his feet and returned his pole.

Last night I accompanied them to church in Astorga. I was delighted to see them and they were generous with their positive feedback about my newly-acquired fitness.

Today my trail left the flat meseta and headed up hill. I was hoping for 26 km but settled for 22. I am trying to make the challenge real but reasonable. I am trying to keep myself in the zone of proximal development, hill-climbing wise.

Meanwhile I am pleased to report that the final countdown has begun in my mind. Of the 707 km of my camino, only 240 remain. I think that 9, 10, or possibly 11 days should do it.

My lungs and heart and butt muscles anticipate the up hill challenges ahead.