We can't go over it. We can't go under it. We can't go around it. We'll have to go through it."
I was not looking forward to 7+ mile stretch on Highway 101. I checked the maps knowing I would not find an alternate path. I knew the only way was through. I would need a full tank of will power.
In the book Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, the author talks about will power. From the research shared, I learned that a possible theory regarding will power is that it's like a muscle that we develop. Will power also is finite. We use it up like a resource and then it needs time to rebuild.
The guidebook had this 7 mile stretch of highway at the end of the day. I knew I would be too, tired to do it. The asphalt would be baking hot and the sun high in the sky. Not to mention being emotionally spent to deal with all the cars and potential hazards of highway walking.
I decided this stretch was best completed first thing in the morning. The will power is full. The asphalt and temperatures are cool. The sun is hidden behind the inversion layer. The body and mind are fresh for the challenge. I guess you could say, I walked smarter not harder.
This strategy worked. We both met the challenge of the long highway walking with a determined resolve. We did not just pilgrim. It felt like we soldiered through it. We kept up a swift and alert pace. We did not stop for breaks. We just got through this section as safely and quickly as we could. It took us just under three hours to walk the 7.5 miles of highway 101.
I guess the lesson here is to know thyself. Know what you can do and know how your body works for optimum results.
If I had tried to just follow the guidebook I would have been miserable. I would have increased my risk of injury. I would not be being true to myself, my needs, my abilities. It's a very difficult thing to know thyself. Just another benefit of pilgrimage: time to know thyself.
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