Am I being a bit of a light-weight?

[LesBrass]

My training has taken a bit of a back seat for the last couple of weeks - I'm not happy as my walk is getting closer and closer and I need to get out there but...

It's been raining and raining and raining!

I could get out there in my poncho and just walk but it's horrible out there.... and I sing and I dont want to risk a cold or chill... so I stay inside.

I know that I'll have to walk in the rain on the Camino... but if you were me what would you do?

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Maybe find a way to exercise indoors?

 

[Mark Lee]

My mama didn't raise no fool, and I stay out of the rain when I can. I only go out in it if I have to -work, military, duck hunting
Do leg strength exercises (squats, stretching, etc) indoors.

 

[LesBrass]

phew... glad that I'm not alone... but yes I should do some exercise instead... why didn't I think of that!

 

[Icacos]

phew... glad that I'm not alone... but yes I should do some exercise instead... why didn't I think of that!

If you could find a safe place indoors where you could go up and down some stairs, that could work too.

 

[dougfitz]

Beyond using the opportunity to test your raingear, find something else to do. But if you are worried about catching a cold, it's not the rain you need to avoid, but other people!

 

[curtc757]

I'd find a safe place to walk in that rain. If your gear gets wet and chafes it's better to find that out near home right? Walking in the rain can really be nice if you're warm enough and have a hat that protects your head, eyeglasses, and face.

 

[LesBrass]

Beyond using the opportunity to test your raingear, find something else to do. But if you are worried about catching a cold, it's not the rain you need to avoid, but other people!

Doug I do my very best to avoid people if there are bugs around... and thats not easy in France where everyone kisses you in greetings! I am prone to throat problems and I just do anything to avoid a sore throat... after this weekend I'm gig free for 2 weeks so I should get out there and test out the poncho!

in the meantime stairs are also a good idea!

 

[Metropolly]

If I were you I'd put the kettle on and stay indoors. Walking in the rain is bad enough on the Camino; when you're not even getting time off purgatory for it, why put yourself through it? If you have reasonable general fitness you don't need to worry about a couple of weeks' training loss. I've never trained, but I do live on the top floor of a five-storey block with no lift, and I found the mountains a doddle. Take the stairs whenever you can, and think of it as your replacement training

 

[annakappa]

Definately get out and walk. What better way to test your rainwear and waterproof ess of your boots! Anne

 

[annakappa]

Oh yes. Wrap a silk scarf around your neck! Anne

 

[gerardcarey]

My training has taken a bit of a back seat for the last couple of weeks - I'm not happy as my walk is getting closer and closer and I need to get out there but...

Backpacking exercises at the following web address.
Many suitable ones don't require expensive equipment.

http://www.hiking-tips-for-you.com/backpacking-training.html

Regds
Gerard

 

[koilife]

Backpacking exercises at the following web address.
Many suitable ones don't require expensive equipment.

http://www.hiking-tips-for-you.com/backpacking-training.html

Regds
Gerard

That's a great site, Gerard. Thanks much!

 

[Adhemar78]

My training has taken a bit of a back seat for the last couple of weeks - I'm not happy as my walk is getting closer and closer and I need to get out there but...

It's been raining and raining and raining!

I could get out there in my poncho and just walk but it's horrible out there.... and I sing and I dont want to risk a cold or chill... so I stay inside.

I know that I'll have to walk in the rain on the Camino... but if you were me what would you do?

I know how you feel, LesBrass. I am starting the Camino in about 16 weeks and I have only recently started to ramp up my own training, not least because I feel I need to lose some weight before I begin. I have been fortunate that, even though the weather has started getting colder here in Sydney over the last six weeks, it hasn't rained for more than two weeks, which has allowed me to do plenty of walking and drop a couple of kilos. I am not sure I would have been so keen if it was raining outside! I accept that I will need to walk during rainy days on the Camino but my preference is to deal with it then rather than now.

 

[naplesdon]

I work out every day for 3 hours at the spa Thalmar in Biarritz and learned last year that hours of time spent exercising in warm salt water was not the best thing to harden the soles of one's feet; I got several bad blisters on the bottom of my feet. I had grand plans to start walking 3 to 4 hours a day several weeks ago and then it started raining here day after day! I start walking tomorrow rain or shine but unfortunately the forecast here is for at least 10 more days and I plan to start 6 june form SJPdP.

 

[mspath]

All of us should just keep moving. Each time I garden on our sloping hillside, carry a load of groceries, stoop to make a bed, etc. I like to think that such effort will make it easier next time, ie late autumn 2014, to climb up the Ibaneta pass or trudge through the O Cebreiro snow.

At my age (75) what matters most is TO CONTINUE.

Carpe Diem,

Margaret Meredith

 

[Rambler]

Someone once said that exercise is like depositing money into your longevity account. Even if you do it little bits at a time when you can, it all adds up. That has made me change my mind about focusing so much on "going to the gym" daily and thinking more about using the stairs, walking to the office or lunch, etc. That won't be the basis for training for the Camino, but it helps add a few days to your life.
My poor wife; maybe there is a reason she always wants to take me to get ice cream...

Rambler

 

[OzAnnie]

LesBrass
I think you need to feel happy! Often taking the first steps is all it takes. I know the weather isn't calling you, but if you just throw on a jacket and try a walk around the block, you'll be happy with yourself! That's how the cycle starts. Then you'll decide to walk further as you'll find out you warm up when you walk and then you'll start to release those 'happy endorphins'. You'll be on a roll then!

Easy to say and type i realise that, but as Margaret puts it; Carpe Diem!

You can do it !
Buen camino

Annie

 

[Kanga]

.... but if you were me what would you do?

Hire a cross trainer. They are terrific for preparation. And, unlike stationary bikes and treadmills, they are very quiet - I put Camino videos on the TV and watch those as I sweat.

Although my husband does make rude remarks when I wear a pack.

 

[peregrina2000]

My training has taken a bit of a back seat for the last couple of weeks - I'm not happy as my walk is getting closer and closer and I need to get out there but...

It's been raining and raining and raining!

I could get out there in my poncho and just walk but it's horrible out there.... and I sing and I dont want to risk a cold or chill... so I stay inside.

I know that I'll have to walk in the rain on the Camino... but if you were me what would you do?

Hi, Les,
One of the things that always amazes my friends who don't walk the Camino is the standard response to the question -- what do you do in the rain? Well, duh, you walk! I know it seems daunting, but it's only water, and it's just a question of what the Spaniards call "mentalizarte." (getting prepared mentally). The worst part is the beginning, when you're getting wet, but once you're wet, you just get used to it and plow ahead. Any kind of physical activity is good training for walking the Camino, but the opportunity to get training and get prepared for wet days ahead at the same time is a great benefit, seems to me. I´ve gotten so used to walking in the rain, that I now have rain gear for my bike on my daily commute and nothing stops me except lightening or ice storms (another great unexpected benefit of the Camino in my life).

This is a bit off topic, but for anyone worried about walking in the rain, I have found that keeping warm is more important than keeping dry. I wear extra light lambswool gloves in the rain and it makes all the difference, since as you may know but I didn´t, wool doesn´t lose its insulating power when wet. It makes a huge difference in my body temperature to have warm hands and I can just keep chugging along in the rain with water streaming down my face, into my shoes, etc etc. Buen camino! Laurie

 

[Mr.Bill]

My training has taken a bit of a back seat for the last couple of weeks - I'm not happy as my walk is getting closer and closer and I need to get out there but...

It's been raining and raining and raining!

I could get out there in my poncho and just walk but it's horrible out there.... and I sing and I dont want to risk a cold or chill... so I stay inside.

I know that I'll have to walk in the rain on the Camino... but if you were me what would you do?

I live in Spain and it takes some fire under my legs to get me moving too, however, I am planning to go next year during March/April/May (if needed)... The math says even going as little as 10 kilometers a day, I would make 600 k in 60 days. Most people can do 20-30 a day without problem, but I want to take my time, so. I go for 10-15 kilometer walks 2 or 3 times a week and have over 10 months to prepare. You can do the same...take your time and get better prepared for next spring. Walk on pretty days and perhaps get a walking machine for in-door exercise, or join a gym that provides you an escape from the weather. Good luck with whatever you decide, but remember-the way is not to torture yourself, but to get closer to your real feelings.

 

[xin loi]

Walked 5 hours in rain today then it turned windy and cold. Not fun. Bring twice as much as you think you will need. Everyone laughs at the light weight backpackers and admire the Koreans who bring everything. They are warm in their down coats under big ponchos . Also a lot of Albergues have stopped giving out blankets and you do want a dry sleeping bag so test your wet weather bags to make sure yore bag is going to be dry. Bring gloves, long underwear, big travel towel. People are very cold this week who tried to bring nothing

 

[gnhale]

I would do a couple things 1) try out my rain gear. 2) do some video/other type of exercise. 3) celebrate the rain for all of is in drought!
Buen Camino
Georgia

My training has taken a bit of a back seat for the last couple of weeks - I'm not happy as my walk is getting closer and closer and I need to get out there but...

It's been raining and raining and raining!

I could get out there in my poncho and just walk but it's horrible out there.... and I sing and I dont want to risk a cold or chill... so I stay inside.

I know that I'll have to walk in the rain on the Camino... but if you were me what would you do?

 

[koilife]

I think experience, technique, and gear selection counts for a lot in this situation. One can still be warm and lightweight without doubling one's load.

I spent the better part of 10 days in cold/rainy weather last year at this time, and the temps rarely got above 40F/5C (if they did, it was later in the afternoon and we had already stopped for the day). The same selection of clothing and gear worked at over 90F/33C. Total packed clothing/insulation weight was under 2 kilos. My sleeping insulation was a 1/2 weight quilt, which was really only needed a handful of times when the night temp dipped in unheated albergues, and I simply wore the next day's clothes to bed for any supplemental insulation where needed. The only thing I really wished I had brought but didn't (oversight, not deliberate intent to save weight) was a pair of wool gloves (40g total).

Down underneath ponchos (or anything else) only insulates until the down gets damp and progressively loses its loft, either from spray/drip/direct exposure or sweat coupled with insufficient drying out over night. I would only recommend down gear for sleeping and evening attire, not for walking. Light, thin layers of wool and synthetics are very flexible in "shoulder season" weather. Arm and leg warmers are easy to add/remove on the go without having to head off to a bathroom for a clothing change. yadda, yadda, yadda.

 

[CaminoKris2013]

My training has taken a bit of a back seat for the last couple of weeks - I'm not happy as my walk is getting closer and closer and I need to get out there but...

It's been raining and raining and raining!

I could get out there in my poncho and just walk but it's horrible out there.... and I sing and I dont want to risk a cold or chill... so I stay inside.

I know that I'll have to walk in the rain on the Camino... but if you were me what would you do?

Good practice! I am on the Camino now and walked 4 hours in the rain. Won't say I also didn't feel chilled, etc., but don't expect that when you do the Camino on sunny days everyday! While I didn't enjoy falling in the mud, or going down hills with it so wet, never did I appreciate a hot shower more! I actually had a good day...walked the longest distance I ever walked (12.5 km), and the sense of accomplishment feels wonderful.


Sent from my iPhone using Camino de Santiago Forum

 

[LesBrass]

Thanks for so many great replies - It's actually been dry today but sadly I've had to work all day! but the good news is that it's meant to be rain free tomorrow and a bank holiday in France... so we're going on a family outing... I'm off walking on the Vezelay and husband and son are going to meet me halfway for lunch on their bikes... then OH will pick me up later in the afternoon... my plan tomorrow is to do my first 20km!! (well first in a good many years!)

I totally agree with everyone about keeping moving - I have been working on the garden a lot and I'm sure that's harder than walking - heavy clay when dry is like digging concrete and now it's like chocolate mouse

I'm pretty exhausted after our gigs too... Rock/Pop and 3 hours of high energy... we rehearse once or twice a week and that's usually 8 hours on my feet... and I can't help but dance when we're playing - I'm hoping this all helps with getting me ready

I really hope the rain has gone... I have been thinking of everyone out there walking over the last week or two... it has been torrential!

Anyway - I'm hoping the weather is improving... but if not I'll take your advice and put the rain gear on and get out there as you say... seize the day !

Many thanks for the words of wisdom and encouragement

 

[Metropolly]

I have been thinking of everyone out there walking over the last week or two... it has been torrential!

Not as bad - nowhere NEAR as bad - as last year! I actually grew gills, and swam most of the way to Santiago. St James wouldn't let that happen twice, surely?

 

[woodswoman]

My training has taken a bit of a back seat for the last couple of weeks - I'm not happy as my walk is getting closer and closer and I need to get out there but...

It's been raining and raining and raining!

I could get out there in my poncho and just walk but it's horrible out there.... and I sing and I dont want to risk a cold or chill... so I stay inside.

I know that I'll have to walk in the rain on the Camino... but if you were me what would you do?

I walked the Frances last September/October 2013, and I too had a training setback before I left for Spain. Walking in 100 degrees in Colorado wasn't my cup of tea. So I did what I could for months, actually for a year, but slowed way down in the two months before I flew to France, and began my Camino from SJPP on September 1. I met a woman from Maryland after about a week of walking, and I said I should have trained more. She said she was on her third Camino, and that in her opinion, you can never do enough training. She said something I had heard before: " The Camino trains you." And while I thought I would die of heat stroke or squashed by my too heavy backpack, I did neither. By the time I got to O'Cebreiro, a "hill" that everyone I knew had thought was so difficult, it didn't seem difficult at all. I discovered that I got stronger and stronger each day, way more than I had ever imagined.

Fortunately, I only had 1-1/2 days of rain, but people who began a week later dealt with hail over the Pyrenees, adobe-like mud on the Meseta, etc. It will be what it will be, and I wish you Buen Camino. No matter what, it will be an experience you will find hard to explain and impossible to forget.

 

[Sraaen]

Relax. It will work out. My "training" was the first couple of days walking. Granted I'm a lazy, disorganized pilgrim but the aesthetically beautiful shock of leaving the soft cocoon of my easy, predictable life in NYC totally obscured the aches and pains of being physically unprepared.

The well-prepared people seemed a little sanctimonious to the majority of us who planned but failed to "train".

Stories of aches and pains were the shared experiences that made so many of us kindred spirits.

Remember. On the Camino you'll walk, think, talk, eat, drink and whine.

That's what it's all about. Just one person's view of course.

Relax.

 

[LesBrass]

Srean.. I think you're my kind of pilgrim

The sun is shining and I'm off for a very long walk!

Happy Thursday every one!

 

[Kanga]

Relax. It will work out. My "training" was the first couple of days walking. Granted I'm a lazy, disorganized pilgrim but the aesthetically beautiful shock of leaving the soft cocoon of my easy, predictable life in NYC totally obscured the aches and pains of being physically unprepared.

The well-prepared people seemed a little sanctimonious to the majority of us who planned but failed to "train".

Stories of aches and pains were the shared experiences that made so many of us kindred spirits.

Remember. On the Camino you'll walk, think, talk, eat, drink and whine.

That's what it's all about. Just one person's view of course.

Relax.

Yep, my kind of pilgrim. I believe mental preparation is the most important thing. So I start with a few good books about walking the Camino, trawl a few websites to find photos of the latest rainwear, check out the long range weather forecasts for Northern Spain and Southern France, try a few new tapas recipes, share a good bottle of Rioja, and make sure I pack plenty of analgesics. Easy!

 

[Tia Valeria]

On the Camino we walk in the rain, our gear has been tested previously and we don't see the need to walk in the rain here at home. The only exception might be if we couldn't walk at all for a week, but usually we do get a reasonable day. So our attitude is that we may well get enough rain to walk in on the Camino without having to do it here.

 

[LesBrass]

well the good news is that the sun shined all day and I had a great walk... sadly I got a bit lost and missed a marker so I never ended up where I wanted... but at least I knew where I was. Instead of walking the vezeley down towards the very pretty village of Sourzac I ended up on a main road walking for a few km until my husband came and got me... next time I'll get it right... i did managed a reasonable 14km and feeling ok