Day 5. Freedom Church, Crawfordsville to Stidham United Methodist Church, West Lafayette : Humility

Friday, August 18

Walk: 13 miles

Bike: 28 miles

Ox Cart: 0 (woo hoo!)

Didn't get any numbers but it was definitely cooler and less humid!

Maybe it was the nicer weather, maybe it was having that 20-mile rest yesterday, but I felt strong walking. I was mostly among the middlers, but a couple times found that I powered up to the front. Until I got told that the lead car wanted me to slow down. Foolish, yes, to admit that I felt confused and ashamed, as though I'd committed some flaming faux pas. I didn't understand and didn't want to be a trouble-maker; I slipped to nearly the back of the pack, hugging the white line. As with any group of people, there is some drama. I don't want to be the cause of any; I try to stay invisible. I'd unintentionally broken out of stealth mode and hoped this would put me back in it.

Meanwhile, Jim was still struggling, on and off the ox cart. His feet...there are healing blisters, developing ones, full-blown ones, and hot spots. The Prompt Team is vigilant in caring for him. They've drained the worst to alleviate the pressure (he had his big-boy pants on--some anticipatory grimaces, but not one single whimper. Remind me to tell you the lap dance story. 😉), wrapped toes and feet with all sorts of fancy bandaging and what-not. And this morning, he wore the new socks. Yet, he developed a new blister.

He did discover that jogging helped, although I forget the explanation. So when he was off the ox cart, he'd jog to the lead car then walk, eventually falling back to ox cart. When he is participating, he's giving it all he's got. Which is why I'm so grateful there are biking portions--that's when he gets to have fun, off his feet and on the Trail. I'll be sorry that, when the other pilgrims start joining us, the biking stops.

On one of his paths from the front backward, he told me that Prompt people check on him whenever he gets on the ox cart. They have now decided to take him shoe shopping. They really want him to ditch the boots. He doesn't want to break in new shoes but, by now, he's willing to try anything for some relief.

Biking went well. In the first mile or so, there was the fairly steep hill I'd been told about. Along with several others, I walked my bike up. Shortly after was the "medium" hill, which I attempted and took! The rest of the course was fairly flat, with some undulations. Now and again, an incline slowed me down; however, on flat terrain again, I gained back the ground. Jim, of course, flew most of the way. 😄

By the way, forgot to mention that, after the first biking stretch, I asked a Blue Shirt if Rick, our bike handler, had a bell or horn. She agreed that one or the other on my bike would be to the benefit of everyone's safety. And my bell works like a dream, with such a cheerful, tinkling sound, it's been accepted well.