Wish I Had More Time

[sta]

G'day from Sydney to all the Camino Community. I learnt about El Camino De Compestella a couple of weeks ago through a work friend who had just come back having done the last 300k from Leon to Santiago. Ever since I have been browsing the forum ( Camino Frances ) and now the easy work is done arriving SJPDP 12th october' 13. Due to work commitments I have to fly out from Santiago on the 4th november' 13. I have 21 days on the track. Any advise and guidance on how to maximise and accomplish this mad time frame will be highly regarded. I am in my mid fifties and above average fitness. I would desire to complete the pilgrimage hiking and reward myself by attending the mass at 12 noon @ CATHEDRAL SANTIAGO DE COMPESTELLA on the day I fly out.

 

[lettinggo]

Hola

Obviously it is good to have a plan for your Camino, as you will have to skip a part or parts of it, to be able to both start at Saint Jean and arrive in Santiago in 21 days.
Along the Camino Frances there are public busses or taxis which can transport you, so it will be easy for you to make the decision once you are on route.

I think the best advice right now is to wait making that decision.
Focus on arriving at Saint Jean, be in the now, experience what your friend has told you he felt.
Start slow, make your body adjust to the physical change from your daily life. After a week, I am certain the thoughts you are having now, will have been exchanged with other thoughts. One may be that you have experienced that the Camino provides. That simple life, walk, eat, talk, sleep is easy and rewarding.
As well as your body and mind has something to say about what you have begun.

Once you feel you need to jump ahead, to accomplish your goal, arriving in Santiago and getting a compostela, you just do that. An option could be to move ahead between Burgos and Leon, but maybe your camino will tell you otherwise.
As long as you walk the last 100 km., proved with a stamp/cello each day, you will be fine.

Buen Camino

Lettinggo

 

[kilgore]

Hello
There's a blog in spanish by a person who did the Camino in 21 days from Saint Jean Pied de Port.
http://elcaminodesantiago21.blogspot.com.es/2012/06/el-camino-de-santiago-en-21-etapas.html
It was in June 2012, when the days are longer but he always finished about 2 or 3 in the afternoon. I think that if you are above average fitness is doable.
Buen camino

 

[Kimmy]

I think Lettingo is giving you great advice. Start in SJPP, go with the flow and be in the now. Within a week or so you will feel what you want to do. Most probably you will change your mind if you start making plans for it now. Just start and see what comes to you. Buen Camino!

 

[sta]

Hola

Obviously it is good to have a plan for your Camino, as you will have to skip a part or parts of it, to be able to both start at Saint Jean and arrive in Santiago in 21 days.
Along the Camino Frances there are public busses or taxis which can transport you, so it will be easy for you to make the decision once you are on route.

I think the best advice right now is to wait making that decision.
Focus on arriving at Saint Jean, be in the now, experience what your friend has told you he felt.
Start slow, make your body adjust to the physical change from your daily life. After a week, I am certain the thoughts you are having now, will have been exchanged with other thoughts. One may be that you have experienced that the Camino provides. That simple life, walk, eat, talk, sleep is easy and rewarding.
As well as your body and mind has something to say about what you have begun.

Once you feel you need to jump ahead, to accomplish your goal, arriving in Santiago and getting a compostela, you just do that. An option could be to move ahead between Burgos and Leon, but maybe your camino will tell you otherwise.
As long as you walk the last 100 km., proved with a stamp/cello each day, you will be fine.

Buen Camino

Lettinggo

Hello Lettingo,

Thank you for the time, effort and the contingency plan available to me. Public transport between Burgos and Leon will be on the agenda should my body and mind falter within the first week. Physical and mental preparation has started in ernest and I look forward to taking my first step and step at a time.

Buen Camino

 

[sta]

Hello
There's a blog in spanish by a person who did the Camino in 21 days from Saint Jean Pied de Port.
http://elcaminodesantiago21.blogspot.com.es/2012/06/el-camino-de-santiago-en-21-etapas.html
It was in June 2012, when the days are longer but he always finished about 2 or 3 in the afternoon. I think that if you are above average fitness is doable.
Buen camino

Hello Kilgore,

This is encouraging.

Buen Camino

 

[sta]

I think Lettingo is giving you great advice. Start in SJPP, go with the flow and be in the now. Within a week or so you will feel what you want to do. Most probably you will change your mind if you start making plans for it now. Just start and see what comes to you. Buen Camino!

Hi Kimmy,

You are right, go with the flow and my body will tell me what to do. Buen Camino

 

[JabbaPapa]

The only time I did that in three weeks was after I already had four weeks of Camino from Paris under my belt ...

And I was 29.

But yeah, letting the Camino guide you is great advice !!

 

[LTfit]

Hi Sta,
How exciting for you! I am also one of those who completed the Francés in three weeks, or in my case 20 days from SJPP to Santiago and 23 to Finisterre. Here is the link regarding my stages (scroll down after the alberge review to see daily km):
http://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/municipal-parroquial-auberge-review-july-2010.9169/

This was not my intention from the outset, indeed I thought that I would make to between León and Ponferrada but it just happened. I never planned a stage, just walked until I wanted to stop and had a wonderful Camino. I averaged 40 km a day but because I walked about 5-5,5 kph I had lots of time to stop for a café con leche, chat with fellow pilgrims and cafe/shop owners and still arrive at an albergue mid afternoon. No rush, that is just my natural walking tempo.

Looking back I believe that my experience might very well have turned out differently if I had made myself stick to a rigid schedule from the start. I had no particular plan except for waking up each morning and placing one foot in front of the other! This was July 2010 when I was 54 and have been back to walk parts of the Francés, the Via de la Plata and Sanabrés and volunteered 2x as a hospitalera. So I guess that you could say that I am hooked.

Here is something I wrote from the above thread which I believe still rings true to me:
How one walked in the past is no guarantee for the future. And what works for one may be torture for another.
How far to walk per day? Rest days or not? It is all so personal and you never really know how your body will stand up to the rigors of the Camino until you do it.

Happy planning and let me know if I can be of any help.
Cheers,
p.s. update to my comment in that thread regarding shoes: since last summer I have switched to Brooks running shoes and have not had 1 blister!

 

[julie]

It doesn't take long to work out what's right for you. There is really no way that you can tell that beforehand as no pilgrimage is the same as any other, even when it's done by the same person. You have a very tight schedule, just go with what feels right for you at the time and, if necessary, jump on the bus. That idea may become desirable at any time on your Camino so try not to set out with any preconceived plan. Let it all unfold in its own time.

We have an active pilgrim group in Sydney. Our next meeting is at noon Saturday 5 October (venue to be confirmed, I'll be posting a message on the Forum). In the meantime, if you think I can be of any help, please feel free to open a conversation and I'll send you my phone number.

 

[sta]

The only time I did that in three weeks was after I already had four weeks of Camino from Paris under my belt ...

And I was 29.

But yeah, letting the Camino guide you is great advice !!

Hi Jabba Papa,
Great to know that you achieved this time frame. I will take the advise to let the Camino guide mine. Thanks Buen Camino

 

[sta]

Hi Sta,
How exciting for you! I am also one of those who completed the Francés in three weeks, or in my case 20 days from SJPP to Santiago and 23 to Finisterre. Here is the link regarding my stages (scroll down after the alberge review to see daily km):
http://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/municipal-parroquial-auberge-review-july-2010.9169/

This was not my intention from the outset, indeed I thought that I would make to between León and Ponferrada but it just happened. I never planned a stage, just walked until I wanted to stop and had a wonderful Camino. I averaged 40 km a day but because I walked about 5-5,5 kph I had lots of time to stop for a café con leche, chat with fellow pilgrims and cafe/shop owners and still arrive at an albergue mid afternoon. No rush, that is just my natural walking tempo.

Looking back I believe that my experience might very well have turned out differently if I had made myself stick to a rigid schedule from the start. I had no particular plan except for waking up each morning and placing one foot in front of the other! This was July 2010 when I was 54 and have been back to walk parts of the Francés, the Via de la Plata and Sanabrés and volunteered 2x as a hospitalera. So I guess that you could say that I am hooked.

Here is something I wrote from the above thread which I believe still rings true to me:
How one walked in the past is no guarantee for the future. And what works for one may be torture for another.
How far to walk per day? Rest days or not? It is all so personal and you never really know how your body will stand up to the rigors of the Camino until you do it.

Happy planning and let me know if I can be of any help.
Cheers,
p.s. update to my comment in that thread regarding shoes: since last summer I have switched to Brooks running shoes and have not had 1 blister!

Hello Ltfit,

I am inspired and my spirit has lifted as I read your post. As I realize we are all different with our strength and weakness, I will follow the guidance of our members and take one step, one day at a time. Thank you for the link to your daily alberge listings, this will be a guideline tailormade to suit me. You have set a fine example for me to have time to live and share the Camino spirit with all I meet. CHEERS BUEN CAMINO

 

[sta]

It doesn't take long to work out what's right for you. There is really no way that you can tell that beforehand as no pilgrimage is the same as any other, even when it's done by the same person. You have a very tight schedule, just go with what feels right for you at the time and, if necessary, jump on the bus. That idea may become desirable at any time on your Camino so try not to set out with any preconceived plan. Let it all unfold in its own time.

We have an active pilgrim group in Sydney. Our next meeting is at noon Saturday 5 October (venue to be confirmed, I'll be posting a message on the Forum). In the meantime, if you think I can be of any help, please feel free to open a conversation and I'll send you my phone number.

Hello Julie,

Thank you for your advise and I will let it unfold within my schedule comforting to know I can jump on to the bus when required. Here we live in the same city I am stumped that we have a active pilgrim group. I look forward to your posting. Buen Camino

 

[pepe molina]

Hola

Obviously it is good to have a plan for your Camino, as you will have to skip a part or parts of it, to be able to both start at Saint Jean and arrive in Santiago in 21 days.
Along the Camino Frances there are public busses or taxis which can transport you, so it will be easy for you to make the decision once you are on route.

I think the best advice right now is to wait making that decision.
Focus on arriving at Saint Jean, be in the now, experience what your friend has told you he felt.
Start slow, make your body adjust to the physical change from your daily life. After a week, I am certain the thoughts you are having now, will have been exchanged with other thoughts. One may be that you have experienced that the Camino provides. That simple life, walk, eat, talk, sleep is easy and rewarding.
As well as your body and mind has something to say about what you have begun.

Once you feel you need to jump ahead, to accomplish your goal, arriving in Santiago and getting a compostela, you just do that. An option could be to move ahead between Burgos and Leon, but maybe your camino will tell you otherwise.
As long as you walk the last 100 km., proved with a stamp/cello each day, you will be fine.

Buen Camino

Lettinggo

Hi Lettinggo, I've noticed that you have red my blog. Thanks for it. Sorry about my poor english. If you're interested on doing the camino in less days, I can colaborate with my short experience (I only did it once). The most remarking things when I did it were as follow:

• Only had 3 weeks to do it.
• I wanted to do the Camino Francés, because a very special attraction.
• I used only my feet to do it and my sources (small backpack and nothing else... no buses, no transport of material other than myself, it was like a promise)

After finishing it, I can say that its hard (but no much if you are well prepared, I trained 6 months before, but I used to do long distance running from many years). In my opinion its a good idea only if you have not much time, and specially in my case, I live in Brazil, and its so difficult to do half camino one year, and half camino the next year... for me, almost impossible. If you have time enough, do it in the "normal" way... 31 to 33 days.
Thank you in advance for your patience to read my blog, and if you have some help, I will be proud to be usefull to us.

Buen Camino
Pepe Molina

 

[Kathy F.]

Stop to smell the roses, talk to fellow pilgrims, take advantage of unanticipated circumstances.
Part of your decision depends on your purpose for walking. A pilgrimage? Then walk slower and ponder along the way. A walking holiday? Then your focus is to get your Compostella.
If you can't do all you hope in one trip, I think experience (and so many members of this forum) shows that you will return to finish, no matter how far-fetched and impossible that idea may seem right now.
I like the advice of others on this question - let the Camino be your guide. I gave up planning by day two and just let the Camino do its thing. Worked out well.

 

[Thornley]

Stop to smell the roses, talk to fellow pilgrims, take advantage of unanticipated circumstances.
Part of your decision depends on your purpose for walking. A pilgrimage? Then walk slower and ponder along the way. A walking holiday? Then your focus is to get your Compostella.
If you can't do all you hope in one trip, I think experience (and so many members of this forum) shows that you will return to finish, no matter how far-fetched and impossible that idea may seem right now.
I like the advice of others on this question - let the Camino be your guide. I gave up planning by day two and just let the Camino do its thing. Worked out well.

 

[whariwharangi]

If you are "fit" then you also have a reasonable idea of your limitations .... how far can you walk in a day and how many days can you maintain that pace.

Distance from SJPdP to Santiago is about 800km. So doing that in 20 days (plus 4 hours) means 40km per day.

I suppose its doable in 20 days by some people, but what would be the point? Its not intended to be an endurance contest.

Brierly (the guide) recommends a minimum of 35 days.

I'd suggest that if you are fixed on finishing in Santiago that you start somewhere closer to Santiago. I'd suggest working on the basis of 20km per day ... which would give a starting point at Carrion de los Condes (414 km).

Further, since you are travelling a long way ... I'd suggest its a once in a lifetime trip and that you make the minimum 35 days available ... tell the boss to give you the time needed.

I would suggest that your current plan is not reasonable.

 

[Thornley]

What wonderful advice from Whariwharangi .

Get extra leave from the boss or accumulate it and have a proper holiday mate or commence , get to Leon [ if you are lucky] and come home.
You will return as Julie said.
It will take you a day to get over the jet lag , believe me i know and there is no way out of this.
You will require a pension on the first night.
You will have no camino mates [ not that they are required] as most will only walk 20-30km a day , thus any friendships formed on the days walk is just that ....a days friendship.
You loose 2 days on the return trip and take a day and a half getting there...........not worth it mate.
The camino DOES NOT commence in St J or finish in Santiago
There is a wonderful ancient drawing on a restr. wall next to the Parador on Santa Domingo and only ONE of these two towns features.

Give it some serious thought