This is what I posted on Facebook …
Start of day 5… we head into Spain today.
Love these double swing seats overlooking the ocean, such a great idea.
Day 5: Dedicating today to the stubborn goat (me) and thrill of it taking 5
minutes to change countries (so Australian).
An easier day of 13.86km.
Quite flat compared to other days.
Just as I was becoming an expert in ordering coffee, sparkling water and
Portuguese tarts in Portuguese for two, we are now in Spain!
Another day of gorgeous sunshine.
Stopped and bought a pair of hiking / walking sandals which have given me
some relief for the last 3-4km.
It’s an hour later here, so a quick rest, shower then off to explore the village.
Thanks for all the kind messages. I really appreciate it. I’ve had a few leaky eye
moments regretting yesterday but I need to leave that behind.
Day 6 is dedicated to the patron saint of metrology!
Our itinerary listed 12km.
Apple Maps listed 16 or 18km depending on choice.
We actually walked 18.27km.
I was so looking forward to a shorter, 12km day! But we did it!
We’re saying hello to lots of people on the way, and receiving so many well
wishes. Hardly anyone ignores you. It’s quite lovely and welcoming.
Big thanks to the hubster* for his patience as I stop, take shoes off, put shoes
on, swap shoes, swap shoes again!
We are being spoilt with amazing weather and views.
There are two leadership lessons I gained from these days:
1. Gratitude
The outpouring of love and kindness from friends and family on Facebook from
me sharing my previous day’s ‘fail’ and frustration was so heartwarming and
humbling.
Say thank you!
I don’t think this needs too much explaining – we need to remember to thank
those who support us. It’s that simple!
2. Your team is as fast as your slowest
My walking at home in preparation for the camino was averaging about
5km/hour (3.1 miles/hour). On the camino we slowed down to 4km/hour (2.485
miles/hour). While some of the slowing down was pure tourist driven – ooh, look
at that – ooh, let’s see what this is – a significant reason was because of me.
We had strategies for me making the distance each day with enough rests but
the reality is, we simply had to go slower than we anticipated. We were
planning based on an unknown – something we had not done before.
I have plantar fasciitis, achilles tendinitis, and bone spurs in both feet. Blisters
were not the issue, still hadn’t got any … yet.
As a leader, a balance of patience and pump is essential. Your job is to rally the
team and keep them moving forward while also being mindful and observant of
those who run at a different pace. Seek to understand what that pace is all
about and learn to meet them where their at while also keep them moving
forward.
Who do you need to thank today?
Who needs more of your patience?
Who needs you to pump them up and get them going?
I’d love to know your thoughts
I appreciate you
*Hubster is my nickname for my husband.
