Day 1 - May 8th: Showtime!
Morning of the launch, and it’s a beautiful day. Like every day, Jax got his 6:30am walk, took care of business, and then went right back to lounging—completely unaware that today was different. The start of something big.
I’m not nervous. It’s surreal, but muted compared to the raw nerves of my U.S. crossing in 2021. I’ve trained, but I feel undertrained. With that comes a certain awareness—knowing the real challenge lies in the unknowns that can’t be prepared for. So why worry?
At 8am, we set off. No crowd this time—just Monica, Christina, and Yash. Yash flew in to run the first leg with me and Jax, a 15-mile stretch from my place in Vila Nova de Gaia to Vilarinho. We left from where the Atlantic meets the Douro River and touched the ocean before heading east along the Douro into Porto, stopping at the cathedral that marks the Camino’s twin trailheads: the Coastal and Central Routes. I ran the Coastal with my Ultra Gang two years ago and remember how stunning it was from the first steps—boardwalks, beaches, sea breeze. But this time I’m taking the Central Route to explore something new.
Christina picked up the rental SUV we’ll use over the next four months, though we hit our first snag right away—she couldn’t use my credit card. We jumped into a Pet Uber to meet her at Hertz where I authorized the charge and then she took us back to the spot we left where I resumed the run minus Yash, who had already put in 12 miles—more than he’s run in a year.
Terrain today was unfortunately all pavement. We spent the day weaving through Porto’s suburbs, dodging traffic and working our way outward. Not glamorous, but the weather was ideal—cloudy, breezy, mid-70s—and we crossed paths with a few pilgrims along the way, a reminder of the brotherhood/sisterhood zone we’ve just stepped into for the next 100 days.
Food was not an issue as we passed numerous cafes along the route finding one to have a lunch which was cafe con leite, pizza, cod fish balls, corn muffin and a sweet croissant. Jax got at least half of an order that was way to ambitious!
On the day, Jax was a total champ. Over 20 miles and still like the Energizer Bunny, that is until we stopped and he passed out. He, like me, will definitely need a few days to settle in.ll need a few days to settle into the pace, but he’s off to a solid start.
Today’s goals were simple: ease into the mileage, test gear, and start locking in the daily rhythm that will define this journey. Check, check, and check.
Christina brought me back to my apartment tonight for one last sleep in my own bed. Tomorrow, it’s official—99 more days on the road, sleeping wherever the trail leads.
Thanks for the support.
Cheers,
David
