I’ve had a few. Reality set in as I prepared for this adventure of a lifetime. What was I thinking? Walk 500 miles through a famous mountain pass in the Pyrenees, across a large swath of high plateau, over trails near a mile high, steep ascents and steeper descents? It was something I felt totally unprepared for. What would it feel like to get up every morning for almost 5 weeks, put on the hiking boots and walk – 14, 16, 20 miles every day? Would I know something about my abilities after 100 miles?

I took that 100 miles as the first test, actually extending it to 125 miles, the distance from San Antonio to my home town of Victoria, Texas. But the longest distance I had ever gone on foot was 31 miles in the several ultra-marathons I’ve run. 100, 125, 500! Those distances are a far cry from anything before.

It rained all day that first stage in the Pyrenees. By the third day I had blisters on my feet. My sister Kay asked: “You aren’t going to quit, are you?” No, I replied, as much out of pride as knowing. I got lost two days in a row, coming out of Pamplona and the following day. I was falling off my schedule. But by the second week, I found my confidence, something which I had totally lacked since announcing my intention to walk the Camino de Santiago.

Over the past 5 weeks I have faced challenges and kept going. The final 3 or 4 miles of every day is always a challenge, even in this final stage. I look at the daily mileages and try to prepare mentally for the day – 19 miles, tough day ahead. At mile 15 I’m wondering if I have the reserve I need. 14 miles? Same thing. At mile 11 I’m thinking: shouldn’t I be there by now?

Today I see on the mileage that I have a bit over 12 miles to go. How will it feel at mile 10? Will I wonder if it’s time to quit? Will I get another second wind when I see the Santiago Cathedral in the distance? I’m about to go out and see. Stage 33 of 33 begins in a few minutes when I hit “post” on this addition to my ill-kept blog. All things considered, I hope the next post will be postmarked Santiago, fin del Camino de Santiago.