Shorter Stages

[dreemr]

I'm worried.

Doing my training I'm having a harder time of it than I thought.

Walking 10 miles (16k) kills me. Not physically so much as my feet. I do have trouble with my feet anyway but long distance is really painful. So I doubt going any longer is possible.

What I'm wondering is if there are places to stop along the way for the night when I can't go any longer. I'm not concerned with staying in just albergues, I'm concerned with reaching the end.

Mundicamino has an alternitive route starting in Ferrol and going to A Coruna and traveling from there. Would this be better to give me more choices to stop?

As always any help in deeply appreciated.
Bill

 

[KiwiNomad06]

Bill, I don't have info about the Ingles, but wonder if there is something else you can do to ease the feet- eg is your shoe/sock combo really satisfactory for long walks? Also, last time I walked I was introduced to a French cream to put on before the socks- performs same function as vaseline I think but not greasy- and it markedly reduced the friction I felt on the soles of my feet.
Margaret

 

[Kiwi-family]

Would you be able to walk the Frances? That has very frequent accomodation. We were considering the Ingles, but opted for the Frances for that exact reason.

 

[Kitsambler]

Let me suggest that you go see a podiatrist (foot specialist) posthaste. Something is not right, footwise. Orthotics or other structural changes might be just the thing you need. I was in considerable foot pain during my second walk, and the prescription orthotics from my podiatrist made for a pain-free third walk. Walking 10 miles is no reason for feet to hurt, so there's something else going on.

Just a thought.

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

Bill - both my children [now in their 50's!] have "Plantar fasciitis" and 7 miles is about their maximum. After that it gets very painful. They have found ways of overcoming the problem. Go and have a word with your doctor about it.
Distances above about six miles need to be worked at by regular training, building it up over a period of a few months to, maybe 12 or even 15 miles. That should be sufficient to tackle a camino!

Stephen
http://www.calig.co.uk/camino_de_santiago.htm

 

[TerryB]

Hi Bill,
Last Year we walked the Ingles in 9 days! The stages we took were:-
Ferrol to Naron - Naron to Pontedeume - Pontedeume to Mino - Mino to Betanzos - Betanzos to Casa Julia (stayed at Mesón do Vento) - Casa Julia to Mesón do Vento - Mesón do Vento to Calle de Poulo (stayed at Mesón do Vento)- Calle de Puolo to Sigueiro - Sigueiro to Santiago.
The good folk at Mesón Novo in Mesón do Vento picked us up in a car and took us back next day to the same place. They did of course charge us per kilometer!
Our blog is at:-
http://returntothecamino.blogspot.co.uk ... esults=500
And the Mesón Novo website is at :- http://mesonnovo.blogspot.co.uk/

If you need more details then please send us a P.M.

Blessings on your planning
Tio Tel

 

[soch]

I'm worried.

Doing my training I'm having a harder time of it than I thought.

Walking 10 miles (16k) kills me. Not physically so much as my feet. I do have trouble with my feet anyway but long distance is really painful. So I doubt going any longer is possible.

What I'm wondering is if there are places to stop along the way for the night when I can't go any longer. I'm not concerned with staying in just albergues, I'm concerned with reaching the end.

Mundicamino has an alternitive route starting in Ferrol and going to A Coruna and traveling from there. Would this be better to give me more choices to stop?

As always any help in deeply appreciated.
Bill

Bill (dreemr)

Pain is the body’s Early Warning System, trying to tell you something. Ignore at your peril. Plod purposely to foot specialist, soonest, ignore quacks en route, before things get worse__eg Plantar Fasciitis .
Buen Camino
soch

 

[Bozzie]

I'm worried.

Doing my training I'm having a harder time of it than I thought.

Walking 10 miles (16k) kills me. Not physically so much as my feet. I do have trouble with my feet anyway but long distance is really painful. So I doubt going any longer is possible.
Bill

Hola!
I'm wondering if you're boots are too small. It is advised to get a half size larger than normal because your feet will swell. Also, it is advised to stop each hour for 5-10 minutes and take a feet breather even if you don't think you need to. Having proper socks is also important...making sure they are not too thin...have some cushion to them.
As was aforementioned, go see about some orthotics, too. You certainly want a pleasant experience training as well as walking the caminio!
Buen camino,
Bozzie

 

[Tia Valeria]

Hola,
Just to add a little to Terry's post.

We walked slower than many folk, it suits me better. About 16kms is my preferred distance at about 4km max per hour. Then stop for the day. (We did three longer days on the Primitivo this year, but I would not have wanted to do 22/23kms each day.)

Too far, too fast can bruise the soles of your feet, especially if you do not have cushion soled outer socks. Too fast can also be bad for your joints.

As you will see if you read the blog link Terry gave we stayed in a mix of accomodation and managed quite happily. If we had not needed to go back to Mesón do Vento to pay the bill and pick up our washing we could have walked about 3kms further from Calle de Poulo and found a pension in Ordes.

Hopefully you will resolve the problem with your feet and enjoy the Inglés. I found the end of the Camino Francés, Palas de Rei into Santiago, as hard as either the Inglés or the Primitivo, but that is just my view of it.
Buen Camino

 

[Al the optimist]

Hi Bill
Some good advice above. I too am a newbie, walking the Ingles on the 1st of next month. I plan to take 6 days (Pontedeume,Betzanos,Bar Julia and car to/from Meson de Vento,Bruma,Siguero,Santiago)
I use a liner sock (with a puff of talc inside) and a merino wool outer sock. Have now completed nearly 300K without a blister! I am now walking 32K 3 times a week, but I do stop every hour and the last few K are done with frequent "rehydration stops" with a friend I meet after 20K. (I think some people call them "Pub Crawls"). The problem is it's on the flat. It will be interesting how I get on with the hills!!!

Buen Camino
Allan

 

[tyrrek]

Hi!

Yes, I'd second Terry and Tia's suggestions. That sounds like a good plan and staying in Meson do Vento 3 nights would be good - you'll be made to feel very welcome there.

I broke 'stage 2' in Mino because I'd been weakened by a bug and stayed in the hotel near the beach. It was more expensive than I would have liked but it was one of those moments where you think 'what's another 20 Euros extra between friends as long as I get a good night's sleep?'. On leaving the next morning I noticed there was a little pension just up the road from the hotel, which would probably have been cheaper. I'm afraid I can't remember its name and have no idea of how good it is.

If you get a taxi number at each place you stay you will never be stuck as long as you can get yourself to the next hamlet or main road etc. so they can find where you are to pick you up.

Buen Camino!

 

[lhebgen]

Hello! I just returned from completing the Camino Frances and had similar problems with my feet. Because of the pain, I was only able to do half the walk, taking days off when I needed to and busing to the next town. Things I wish I would have done prior to leaving:

1. Gone to a foot doctor and gotten orthotics custom made to my feet.
2. Trained with the orthotics so my feet were used to them. I did purchase "inserts" along the way, however, since they changed how I walked, I then developed blisters on day 13.
3. Purchased shoes one size bigger. It is really amazing how your feet swell and change while you are walking. If they are too big at first, wear 2 pairs of socks.

I hope this helps and allos you to have a pain free walk.

Buen Camino!

 

[ouroboros]

I second the advice to work with your feet and get orthotics.

Myself, I can't afford a podiatrist, but I was getting worried:
After 3 - 5 mile hikes, my left little toes were numb, the balls of the feet
burning. Upon examination, I also have scar tissue on the plantar tendon,
which is called plantar fibroma, not plantar fascitis, but if aggravated will
bring me similar grief. On top of that, my hips hurt every time I hauled my
pack.
There were three issues that needed to be addressed:
1. My boots were too small. I needed to move from women's to men's boots,
from a size 10 women, to an 11 men's! My feet now look like small SUVs!
2. My left foot is 1/2 wider than the right, width E! Also I supinate on the left
foot causing additional numbness in the left foot. I got a Keen Targhee boot
which has the widest toe box available.

I got Aertrex Lynco insoles with a super high orthotic arch support.
New larger, wider boots, with orthotics seem to have solved the problem
with the feet.

3. My hips were suffering from the wrong frame size in my back pack.
I needed a smaller frame, which I now have. Spent 4 hours at REI getting
all this straightened out.

I hiked over 9 miles yesterday with the pack without any problems, no residual pains.
I am very relieved. At one point, I took out the orthotics on the hike and the numbness
problem returned immediately. Proof positive that orthotics can work miracles.
Mine were store bought on-line for $40 US, no podiatrist, just a lot of researching
my problem on the internets.

Of course see a podiatrist if you can afford to, or need to, but keep in mind that
there are great mass-produced orthotics out there at much lower cost.

Buen Camino!

 

[dreemr]

Thank you, thank you and thank you!

First to Terry and Tia, I am now releived that I can break up my stages to make them more manageble for me. I wanted to stay at Meson do Vento anyway after reading so many wonderful things about them. I'll probably stay long enough to be part of the family.

And to everybody else, I guess I need to see a podiatrist asap. However I did do this a couple of years ago with no satisfaction but I'll try again. Playing WebMD my symptoms resemble Mortons Neuroma but I'll let the doctor diagnose.

This is a tremendous relief for me so my deepest thanks.

It is heartwarming to have so many people come to my rescue.
Bill

I always believe the difference between an ordeal and an adventure is...attitude!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

my symptoms resemble Mortons Neuroma

I have that in both feet, but it is a numbness, not pain. It always feels like my socks are bunched, so detecting friction points for a blister is tricky. Pain sounds more like plantar fasciitis. See the doctor for a real diagnosis.

 

[RestlessInMissouri]

Thank you, thank you and thank you!

First to Terry and Tia, I am now releived that I can break up my stages to make them more manageble for me. I wanted to stay at Meson do Vento anyway after reading so many wonderful things about them. I'll probably stay long enough to be part of the family.

And to everybody else, I guess I need to see a podiatrist asap. However I did do this a couple of years ago with no satisfaction but I'll try again. Playing WebMD my symptoms resemble Mortons Neuroma but I'll let the doctor diagnose.

This is a tremendous relief for me so my deepest thanks.

It is heartwarming to have so many people come to my rescue.
Bill

I always believe the difference between an ordeal and an adventure is...attitude!

Re. Morton's Neuroma. Just had foot surgery for this condition. I am 6 weeks post surgery and while the foot is better I'm still far from 100%. If you're going to have surgery i would leave plenty of time between that and walking the Camino. Hoping to start hiking training late September. Right now all I can manage us cycling. Good luck! Hope everything works out for you.

 

[Riba]

Hello Bill

I walked the Camino Frances in 2005 with my daughter.

Prior to the Walk, I was having problems with my feet. I don't know if it was plantar fasciitis but every morning when I got out of bed, the bottom of my feet hurt. I happened across an article which told me that before I got out of bed in the morning, I should say the alphabet and move my feet accordingly (make the shape of each letter with my feet). It was a miracle!! Before that, I would try to massage my own feet to no avail. Anyways, try it. You have nothing to lose.

Fran

 

[bklyntraveller]

I had a similar problem resolved by using a tennis ball. Roll it under
Your feet every time you get up before putting weight on them.
Thank God for creative physical therapists.
Bklyntraveller