Injury!
The blister had come up the day before. After walking 10 miles this morning the pain intensified. As an old hand in managing foot blisters I was well aware that they could end the race for even the best athletes. Calm, in pan, and with a plan I decided to leave the road and drive 80 miles to Watson Lake. Fortunately, I found a store and bought two pairs of walking shoes. The new shows would take the pressure off of the blister. As insurance I cut out part of the toe area of the new shoes to further reduce the irritation. No, I wasn’t ready to quit! It required the rest of the day to return to where I had left of on the road but was confident I would overcome the injury.
Dennis, the owner of the Rancheria Motel told me a Japanese man pulling a supply cart had come along the road in the dead of winter He was headed on foot and alone to Siberia. “A woman pulling a smaller cart which also served as her bed also came through last year. Then she left to run in the Boston Marathon.”
I was impressed by these tough barons of the road. I continued on my journey doing it my way.