Puente la Reina to Estella / 14 miles
This was a good day. I was worried how my quad strain would do today, and tried to take it easy on the pace. Looking at my mileage splits, I still ended up averaging around a 20-22 minute mile – too fast. But, I took more breaks, drank more water, and stopped to take my boots off for 10 minutes halfway through, and the walking felt pretty solid. Following YouTube instructions, I taped up my quad with KT tape. I don’t know if it helped the muscle at all, but at the very least the tape is a good visual reminder to me to slow down.
It was a truly gorgeous day outside, full of sunshine. I walked through rolling hills full of agricultural fields and small vineyards. At one point, I walked past this “rest stop” that some kind people had built into the side of the trail, full of old chairs and tables. I let my feet air out here, and put a blister patch on a small blister that had been forming on the side of my right foot below my big toe. Good thing I did – by the time I got to Estella 8 miles later, the blister had ballooned to the size of a euro cent coin. Somehow, though, the blister didn’t bother me too much the rest of the way, and I had a lovely time just walking steadily and listening to the playlist my friends have made for me. And, as soon as I got to the hostel and cleaned up, I got horizontal for a few hours and napped – a delightful way to pass the afternoon! Lunch was a fabulous salad from the Casa Carmen; dinner was grocery store carbonara and protein pudding, plus half a baguette eaten in bed before falling asleep.
Allison Cowie 
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