First Day is For Learning

I started the day walking with Heidi. We talked some, got to know each other, our reasons for walking, etc. It was nice and a good distraction.

We parted company at the second pit stop. Because of all the issues with my feet, I needed to stop for 5-10 min at the pit stops and she wanted to keep moving.

Walking on my own was great. I could walk at my own pace. I could stop and take pics when I wanted to without feeling like I was holding someone back. When I wanted company, there were always others around to chat with. It was the way to go.

I hadn’t expected it to be so hot. True, the temp wasn’t that high, or so I’m told. But we spent most of the day walking a rec trail along the coast and there was zero shade. I was careful with sunscreen. The view was breathtaking. I love the ocean so this part was a special treat for me.

I won’t lie to you. It was tough, tougher than I expected. Dave and I have hiked 10-12 miles before. I’ve even put that much on my pedometer per day for 3 days in a row. But this was different. I don’t know if it was the lack of shelter from the sun or walking mostly on cement or the terrain. All I know is that by lunchtime I was beat.

I sat down on the grass and got rid of my pack. I pulled off my shoes and just sat there for a bit. I turned on the phone and sent a few texts. Then I put more Glide on my feet, put on a pair of clean socks and my shoes, grabbed a few snacks and was on my way.

By mid afternoon I started getting cramps in my calves. At first they were infrequent and a good stretch would get rid of them. But they got worse. About half a mile from the pit stop, I got a charlie horse like I’ve never had before. The muscle in my left calf was as hard as my shinbone. Someone saw my distress and stopped to help. She was able to massage the muscle and get it to relax. I limped the final half mile to the pit stop, stopping about every 30 steps or so to stretch my calves. I went straight to the medical tent.