Krista Catlady
Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- September (2018)
So I'm six weeks away from my big adventure. It's been a year long education in "all things Camino".
Books purchased, gear tested, flights arranged and training walks logged. Foundational to this important bucket list item has been my countless hours spent on this forum.
So imagine my surprise and concern last week after completing a 22km training walk (yes, I'm from Canada - km/miles) with my Camino buddy. We came out of the woods following a well groomed TransCanada Trail with me noticing (complaining) of red blotchy and itchy legs from the knees down.
Symptoms progressed, resulting in three days of looking like I'd been in a fight with a cat. Fun fact, the temperature was 29 degrees Celsius. (Double and add 32 for F -give or take).
Yes, we stopped for a break at the 2 hr mark and yes, we were well hydrated. We did also go off trail for a couple of pee breaks. Self diagnosis and agreement from others led me to believe I contracted Poison Oak or Poison Ivy.
Fast forward to this week, a 12k training walk in 27C temperatures and the same outcome. The trail was road and open pathways. No venturing into the deep woods.
The mind does nasty things to you when you let it. I'm thinking all kinds of negative thoughts like the training walks are only going to get more rigorous, maybe it's of flare up of my well controlled MS condition, what's the purpose of my regular exercise routine of practicing and teaching yoga if my body can't handle a walk in the park and most concerning, I'll be letting my partner down if i can't do this.
What to do, what to do? With furrowed brow, I typed in rash and hiking/walking into the Ivar Forum and low and behold, up popped a series of posts from others, complete with pictures to validate my experience. The concern (fear) of the unknown quickly melted away as I learned from others that it is likely one of two things - heat rash or exercise induced vasculitis.
Now the good news. I'm not gonna die! I know that heat is a trigger for MS symptoms. Yesterday's temperature was 24C and during my 12K walk, the heavens opened up and the rain came down. I happily finished with wet duds, a smile on my face and in my opinion, good looking legs again for a 56 year old! No welts, discolouration or hives. I will continue to watch how my body responds to the temperatures and increased daily distances as my training continues. I will also see my doctor if things progress.
My point in sharing all of this is that I've known since finding this forum that I would make a contribution in recognition of the value I place in it's many benefits in helping me prepare for my camino.
Yesterday's lesson in typing in those few words to see if others were experiencing similar issues was a great reminder to stop with the monkey mind, be grateful for this community and financially support the good work of Ivar and his team.
Money well spent, for sure!
Books purchased, gear tested, flights arranged and training walks logged. Foundational to this important bucket list item has been my countless hours spent on this forum.
So imagine my surprise and concern last week after completing a 22km training walk (yes, I'm from Canada - km/miles) with my Camino buddy. We came out of the woods following a well groomed TransCanada Trail with me noticing (complaining) of red blotchy and itchy legs from the knees down.
Symptoms progressed, resulting in three days of looking like I'd been in a fight with a cat. Fun fact, the temperature was 29 degrees Celsius. (Double and add 32 for F -give or take).
Yes, we stopped for a break at the 2 hr mark and yes, we were well hydrated. We did also go off trail for a couple of pee breaks. Self diagnosis and agreement from others led me to believe I contracted Poison Oak or Poison Ivy.
Fast forward to this week, a 12k training walk in 27C temperatures and the same outcome. The trail was road and open pathways. No venturing into the deep woods.
The mind does nasty things to you when you let it. I'm thinking all kinds of negative thoughts like the training walks are only going to get more rigorous, maybe it's of flare up of my well controlled MS condition, what's the purpose of my regular exercise routine of practicing and teaching yoga if my body can't handle a walk in the park and most concerning, I'll be letting my partner down if i can't do this.
What to do, what to do? With furrowed brow, I typed in rash and hiking/walking into the Ivar Forum and low and behold, up popped a series of posts from others, complete with pictures to validate my experience. The concern (fear) of the unknown quickly melted away as I learned from others that it is likely one of two things - heat rash or exercise induced vasculitis.
Now the good news. I'm not gonna die! I know that heat is a trigger for MS symptoms. Yesterday's temperature was 24C and during my 12K walk, the heavens opened up and the rain came down. I happily finished with wet duds, a smile on my face and in my opinion, good looking legs again for a 56 year old! No welts, discolouration or hives. I will continue to watch how my body responds to the temperatures and increased daily distances as my training continues. I will also see my doctor if things progress.
My point in sharing all of this is that I've known since finding this forum that I would make a contribution in recognition of the value I place in it's many benefits in helping me prepare for my camino.
Yesterday's lesson in typing in those few words to see if others were experiencing similar issues was a great reminder to stop with the monkey mind, be grateful for this community and financially support the good work of Ivar and his team.
Money well spent, for sure!