A nice easy walking day as the path climbed out of the city and back up onto the Meseta. 

Most of today’s route was through open country – scrub brush, range land and few towns. A really lovely isolated stretch of the Camino. Blooming lavender scented the air, the birds sang and I rejoiced that I was out walking again. Out walking in the WIDE OPEN SPACES!

 

 

  

  

  

One of the reasons people have gotten into trouble on the Camino is that they haven’t walked at their own pace.  It’s so easy to start rushing — to try and keep up with the people out in front or to stay on a guidebook schedule. 

  

And one of the hazards in walking with others is the tendency to keep walking when really the thing to do is stop and deal with the task at hand — the kink in the sock trying to start a blister, the empty water bottle needing a fill and the desire for silence when there’s chatter all around.

 

 

  

 

 

My preferred pace has always been a negative split. I love to take my time in the mornings to look around the towns, greet the resident perros and, of course, have uno más café con leche. 

By midday I’m ready to put my head down and just go. But my goal is always to arrive at my destination with enough energy to enjoy what ever else the day holds (usually laundry) and I try to resist the urge to let my adrenaline dictate how fast I go each day.

 

 

Besides, it’s been my observation on bike rides, on hikes, in classrooms and now, on the Camino, that the back of the pack has more fun.

As I thought about all this today a terrible thing happened. This got stuck in my head and wouldn’t leave–

🎶  Because you know I’m all about that pace, ’bout that pace, no trouble

I’m all about that pace, ’bout that pace, no trouble…🎶

I’m sorry but I had to share.