Small details make a difference...

After having walked four hours on Friday, I decided to take it a bit easy yesterday Saturday, and walk only two hours. I took the usual time to rub talcum powder on my feet, and put on the two layers of socks, and then the boots. Usually, I insert small heel pads, made of some "elasthene" matter, but I decided I'd do without.

Off I went. After less than one hour's walking, my right foot's ankle started to hurt, and the pain kept increasing. Upon taking off my boots and checking on the matter, it looks like the tendon there is quite painful. Tendinitis? So, I completed my walk and went straight home. Put an ice pack on the painful area, and later a "Voltapatch Tissugel" sticky patch, containing diclofenac anti-inflammatory drugs. And take two diclofenac pills after each meal. And decided to make today, Sunday, into a rest day. With ice pack, patch and pills.
We'll check on the situation Monday. Hopefully it's not too bad, because tendinitis spells major trouble: it's impossible to walk hundreds of kilometers with an inflamed tendon. And the usual medical advice is: rest!