|
What is the Camino?Welcome to my story about walking the Camino de Santiago. My sister and I plan to walk from Saint Jean Pied-de-Port to Santiago in April-May 2023. It will be the most challenging thing either of us has ever done. And maybe the most fun. Or not. Either way, it will be a memorable adventure, and I hope you follow along with us as we train, test our gear and get prepared. Buen Camino!
|
Training GroundI’ll admit that I'm a nerd, and I like to be prepared. So for this momentous undertaking of walking 482 miles in 40 days, that means training. My training plan was laid out in an Excel spreadsheet months ago, with daily logs and monthly goals. It keeps me on track. While I haven't quite hit the 12 miles per day average that I will need to do, I am walking EVERY DAY and feeling strong.
To be honest, every day is a bit different in how I feel - both physically and emotionally. Can I really do this? On a good day, I think, yea I've got this. I can walk 12 miles in a day. Especially when that's my only job. No work or cooking or laundry or errands or pet care. On the Camino, my only job will be to walk. On other days, I feel like I am not ready, not strong enough, not cut out for this kind of thing. But I figure the only way I'll find out is to just try it. One foot in front of the other! My training paths vary - some rocky or sandy trails, some roads, some paved paths. Uphill and downhill and flat. All over Santa Cruz County. I am developing a deeper appreciation for the natural beauty of my home town, finding new little alleyways and lesser known hiking trails and seeing a wide variety of plant and animal life. And I love seeing all the different houses and landscapes and neighborhoods - wondering what daily life is like behind every fence or front door. The training is definitely part of the journey! |
Seabright Beach - a favorite walking spot.
|