4th training walk — 21. July 2015

I wake up before the alarm goes off at 6am. It’s only just getting light outside and the air is already hot. I feel a little pressured this morning because we need to be back home at 8.45am to see the guys next door off before they leave and make sure the cleaner lady can get access to the main house at 9am.

So without delay I’m up, dressed and ready to roll. John prepares a quick breakfast of fromage blanc, banana and maple syrup and I quickly feed the cats and Charlie.

We have to sneak away from them so the cats don’t follow us, which is always a challenge. Even so we lock the little one in the shed she could easily hop out the back, circle around the house and follow us. So we need to sneak away, fast and quietly. Here goes super stealth mode!

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It’s now 6.50am and we often glance behind us as we power walk down the main road to escape unseen. Gee, when did I subscribe to that crazy behaviour? I feel like I’m on the run.

Lucky for us (+ the cats) we get away and soon enough we can slow down the pace a little. Good job too because I wouldn’t last a round, let alone 800km at that pace. Although they say you get fitter with practice I have yet to experience that for real.

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7.30am — It’s crazy hot already and I’m struggling. I also feel a massive urge to do a #2. Here we go again!

But with no privacy in sight I trundle on. This isn’t fun though. I’m in agony and I wonder how I will manage with my “issues” when we walk the Camino? I guess if others can do this and manage (or do they?), I can too. So I power on, hoping to suppress that damn urge.

8.07am — Well THIS has become unbearable and as we approach a small forest I can no longer hold (or trust my sphincter to do the right thing). So I thrust my backpack into John’s hands, snatch some paper tissue from my pack and squat behind a small tree (as if that will stop my bum from being seen if someone came by right now).

But I am beyond the point of caring. I just need to do this. NOW.

And I’ll be bugged but it works. Yay! I feel such a relief. In fact it wasn’t all that bad, even so my squat technique leaves a lot to be desired.

Woo-freaking-hoo for my solved poo problem.

Doing a little happy dance with John (outside the strike zone, of course).

I walk home with a bounce in my step.

We arrive home just in the nick of time at 8.50am. Today’s walk was hard because of the “issue” that solved itself. Maybe uncomfortable is a better description.

I carried my backpack for the first time too, with about 90% of my gear. The load feels manageable. But ask me again after a few days on the Camino.