Day 4 - AM - Pamplona to Puente la Reina

I left earlier today before 7 am so I wouldn't be so late arriving at my albergue. I was about half way there at 10:00 am. I had a bathroom and snack break just before tackling the summit and took another 2 breaks that day.

This was a day where I was really questioning if I needed a break day after pushing myself so hard on the first day. My right knee really started to hurt just walking on the flat pavement put of town and I just wanted to burst into tears. I didn't know how I would make it through the day - especially with a very big uphill and downhill part. The last few days have been full of similar misgivings since hiking was very painful - it has been a truly humbling experience. I remember my 2023 camino being almost injury free with no rest days. I walked very quickly and often was one of the first to arrive at the albergue.

I had to remind myself this was not a fair comparison. I had trained for 1-2 weeks before that 2023 camino while staying in Newfoundland and I had broken up the most difficult first stage into 2 days. This time I had no training, went from being a couch potato to being an ouch potato, and did the first stage in 1 day. All I wanted was to be able to walk pain free and enjoy my surroundings without being plagued with pain. I wondered if I should take a break day after today...

I decided to just power through the day and leave off a decision until the next morning when I'd have a chance to take full inventory of how my body was feeling. After all I had survived the past few days even though I had wanted to give up many times. Miraculously, eventually the limping gave way to quicker and steadier steps and the pain subsidied. On the most difficult terrain, my legs fully cooperated and confidently carried me up and down the mountain with much more ease than I expected. It seems I had gotten my wish and found some reserves of strength I didn't know I had.

Once I arrived at my albergue, I learned there was another Canadian staying there which was nice. Den and Dan reached out to find out where I was staying because the municipale albergue smelled terrible and there was onle 1 or 2 bathrooms for 60 people. They were ecstatic to learn mine still had space. Once they arrived, we headed out to dinner with some other people in our albergue and had great meal and sleep that night.Baca lagi