So why don´t you write about THAT in your blog?

asked Charles from Houston (yay, another Texan on the road!!!) 2 nights ago in Fromista. Everyone talks about physical preparations, but no one considers the mental aspects of it until you are actually staring at a long, steep hill that separates you from the next town, a shower, a nap, & a good meal. Or a walk like today, 17.6 km of NOTHING, the end of which quickly becomes the March of the Damned...you´re only moving not because you can see the town & the end of the day´s trek ahead of you. You move because that´s all you can do & it takes a lot of mental gymnastics to keep you interested in staying in motion.

Back to Charles, we were all talking about was the things we tell ourselves while walking or the songs we sing in our heads, or blast on our iPods. Charles tells himself macho stuff. I can´t remember what it was, but it was pretty funny. Sarah from Seville via Newcastle sings "Everybody Dance Now" to get up the long, steep climbs. And of course, "SOLDIER ON!" which everyone pretty much tells themselves at some point of the day.

Me? Well, after the Barry Manilow incident, I´ve taken to playing my high school´s 2 fight songs. Yes, we have 2. Why? Because we are the Bulldogs, the Mighty Mighty Bulldogs, that´s why. Purple & Gold all the way & BTW, the absolute best McHi class ever was the Class of 1981!

Yesterday, I needed help for the last 6 kms into Carrion de los Condes, so out came the iPod & the fight songs were played over & over & over & over.....as I told my classmates, I had to fight fight fight for every step, not every yard, but I did manage to roll the Bears (our arch-rivals, boo hiss) in the sod in the sod every time. Made it to Carrion in (dum dum DUMMMMMM) 1 hour. With a heavy pack. And sore feet. And jelly legs. Bet I could have cleared 10 km in 90 minutes.....but will try that another day.

FYI, the M-C-H-I song is the Sousa march "National Emblem" & our other fight song is the fight song of Washington & Lee. Both available on iTunes.