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> Dear Heather,<BR>
> Cannot help with an answer to your question but do hope you will think of<BR>
> taking at the least one day to relax and unwind from your travel to the start<BR>
> of your pilgrimage.<BR>
> <BR>
> It is so stressful travelling that not taking time to be still for a little<BR>
> time before continuing can spoil the rest of your journey.<BR>
> <BR>
> I wish you every blessing and may the trail be good to you.<BR>
> Howard<BR>
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Heather,<BR>
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I want to second Howard's good advice and add to it that I think one reason I had such severe problems with blisters my first time on the camino was that I started walking while still jet-lagged including feet still somewhat outsized from sitting up on the plane from San Francisco to Spain. My boots fit fine at home and in my regular walking in them ahead of time.<BR>
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Additionally this last time, I took to sleeping with my feet elevated (just putting my pack on the foot of my sleep bag, and that seemed to decrease the ongoing effects of more hours walking than most of us are used to day after day. <BR>
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All of this is from someone who exercises daily and doesn't ordinarily have circulation problems. But I've become convinced that very long plane flights and walking several hours each day put different kinds of strain on our return circulation from the extremities. Paying attention to that seemed to make an incredible difference to me the second time on the Camino.<BR>
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love,<BR>
donald <BR>
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