Everyday is a new day. Today was a heck of a lot better than yesterday.  Thank goodness.

The good news first.  I actually journeyed 50 miles today!  That is the first time I have done it on this trip.  And I don’t feel too bad. Not great, but not as tired and beat as yesterday.

What changed? How did I do it?

I implemented some of the options that I outlined in my blog yesterday.

First, I got up at 5:30 and took off at 6 AM in darkness. A full 90 minutes earlier than previous days.

Second, the weather provided a cloud cover for most of the morning and the last few hours of the afternoon. That helped with the heat.

Third, I stayed on paved roads 80% of the time, versus previously it’s been 80% of the time on the walking path.

Fourth, I ate a lot more calories.  I had an orange at 6 am. Then stopped at 9 am for toast and hot tea. Then at 11am for a tuna fish sandwich.  Then at 1 pm for yogurt, a peach, power aide, and a fruit juice.   And an apple at 5 pm.

Finally, I took a lot more scheduled breaks. A half hour break at 9 and 11. And then a full 90 minutes at 1pm, which included laying on the ground in a town park and falling asleep.

For the bad news…

The afternoon was a little bit of a struggle.  There is a reason why the Spanish take siestas.  More about that in a future blog.

It was a lo..ooong day. I got off the bike at 5 pm.  11 hours from start to finish.  However, that includes three significant breaks totaling 2.5 hours.

Still… I feel much more positive and feel better physically today than I did yesterday.

Four days on El Camino does not make a pattern. Yet, if you are following my posts, the first day was bad, the second day was good, the third day was bad, and the fourth day was good.  But, hey, who’s counting?

We will see what tomorrow brings.