Day 3 - May 10th: Stress Test
Last night, Christina and I found a Thai spot in Barcelos – a nice break from the heavy, meat-and-fish-centric Portuguese dishes. Our room was above the main plaza, so with the windows open, we got the full Friday night soundtrack – motorcycles, trucks and loud pedestrians bouncing off the old stone walls. Not the best for sleep as Christina and I shared the multiple times we were both awakened.
We hit the trail a bit later than usual, around 10:15, but for good reason. My niece Sofia graduated today from university in Braga, a quick 30-minute drive from Barcelos. We surprised her before the ceremony, showing up in my run gear with flowers. She just laughed, "Uncle David, did you really run here?!" Portuguese graduations have a real Harry Potter/Hogwarts vibe with all the students walking around in black capes and having midnight serenades the night before, followed by a week of post-ceremony all-nighters outfitted in these costumes. Now that is a true endurance event!
Once I finally got moving, the sun ducked behind heavy clouds, and the rain came down hard. Within the first few kilometers, I ran into Shelby, an Arkansas native who spent seven years in sustainable finance in Dallas before heading to the Camino for an opportunity to reset. She spent 30 days traveling before we both ended up on Madiera crewing for family and friends running the Madeira Ultra Trail race. She was kind enough to speak on camera about her journey.
Further up the trail, I caught Micah from the day before. He’s on a tight timeline with a return flight looming, so he's hammering out big days. We walked together for a stretch before splitting off – probably for the last time. Bon Camino, Micah.
The rain didn’t let up. Trail turned into a sloppy mess. Took my first spill trying to cross a swollen stream. Stepped on a loose rock, slipped in slow motion, and ended up in a thorn patch, both feet soaked and worse, my foream landed on the rock I tried to step on. Jax just stared at me, like, "Really?"
Around kilometer 40, I ran into Miet, a Belgian social worker and mother of three. She’s out for a 10-day solo Camino, trying to reconnect with herself. Light pack, well-worn boots, and a vintage Nikon on a leather strap. Her husband and love of her life since 19 is a prosthetics engineer and fully supports her trip. Her energy and positivity were infectious as I said bon camino and left, my tank was full again.
The day ended a bit off-script. Christina and I missed signals, and I ended up pushing to 47 kilometers – longer than I planned for Jax and me. Feeling solid but definitely on alert for the fine line between a strong push and pushing too far. I learned the hard way in 2021 that a little too much can have disastrous consequences.
Thanks for the support.
Cheers,
David
