Or save two days by getting the bus straight from Leon to Astorga. You could also skip the walk from Ages (or thereabouts) into Burgos.
I also loved the meseta, it reminded me of parts of Australia, just needed a few eucalypts and some kangaroos bounding about!
Also I don't consider it cheating to take a bus once in a while. It's a personal choice. This year I'm walking from Lourdes to Pamplona, then Leon to Santiago. My flights are booked, as are hotels in France as I'm having a 'holiday' before I start walking. However, I've just realised that I've only 18 days to walk between Leon and Santiago and, since I'm a slow walker, that's really pushing it. So, I've no doubt that I'll be hopping on a bus somewhere along the way - and with no regrets about doing so.
Trudy