The third week of training went very well. I got in almost 35 miles, mostly on the treadmill at 6.5% incline and wearing a backpack. Even got in a few miles on a trail! This is well ahead of my schedule but I want to make sure that this is really an adventure and not an ordeal!
I just made a Facebook Post so if you discovered my blog from there, WELCOME! And thanks for your interest. I’m delighted to share this adventure with you.
While many call this period “training” I’ve come to think of more as “practicing”. I’m learning how I react to walking up hill, what it’s like to carry a backpack, the feel of new shoes. Legs definitely react differently. I’m glad I’m practicing. These aren’t things you want to discover in the middle of nowhere!
I like that the training/practice period starts in Lent. Somehow seems right. And purple is the color of the season and of the Alzheimer’s Association. Here are two of my primary pieces of equipment: The shoes I intend to wear and the backpack with my essentials.
Completed the 2nd week of training. Week 1 included almost 6 hours on the treadmill for a total of 21 miles – about half of which was done while wearing a 9 lb. backpack. Week 2 was a little more distance and time, about 6 1/2 hours and over 22 miles, all with the backpack. I also got in a few yoga classes! My treadmill is set at 6.5% incline to help prepare me for one of my biggest physical worries. The first day from St. Jean to Roncesvalles is 15.6 miles but it’s also an ascent of 4,500 feet. Got to be ready to walk up hill!
My adventure on the Comino de Santiago starts twelve weeks from TODAY. That means that training starts TODAY. Thanks to CaminoForums.com, I am able to draw from others that have made the pilgrimage to develop a 12 week training program for me. This week consists of some one hour walks on the treadmill (since the weather is bleak). Mainly I want to break in my new shoes and discover how I react to walking and to my equipment.
People ask why I’m doing the Camino. Quite frankly, I’m still developing the answer to that. There are many reasons and I may not know the primary one ’til it’s over!
Beginning May 11, 2015, I am walking the Camino de Santiago from Saint Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago, Spain – a 500 mile adventure! People ask why I’m doing this Pilgrimage. Quite frankly, I’m still developing the answer to that. There are many reasons and I may not know the primary one ’til it’s over! But I do know that an important reason is to remember my sister-in-law and mother-in-law by raising awareness and funds for the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association. If so inclined, please click the yellow DONATE NOW button to support this cause – a penny a mile, a dime a mile, a dollar a mile, any donation is greatly appreciated.
I intend to chronicle my adventure here. Please check back regularly or enter your email address in the Follow My Blog via Email box to get updates on my physical and reflective experience. Keep me in your prayers. You will be in mine.
Tom on the Camino 