Camino Unscathed

[capecorps]

Did anyone manage to walk the Camino without injury: not even a blister or hangover?

To what do you attribute your immunity?

 

[amorfati1]

Did anyone manage to walk the Camino without injury: not even a blister or hangover?

To what do you attribute your immunity?

not sure about immunity - rather presume it might have been a dose of old fashioned and sober common sense? dunno ....
and perhaps listening to some sage advise on this forum, for e.g. about blister prevention (the two-socks plus glide tips, etc) - and certainly knowing that even yummy vino - bianco o rosso - doesn't merit to endure a ghastly hang-over.
so, no injury, no blister, no hang-over. and no, i wasn't bliss-fully bored - the caminho was a full and rich 'dono' (gift) - a gift that keeps giving.
suppose i wasn't pushing myself or had anything to prove, or was in a rush. had no appointments to keep or to make. no camino-family to keep up with or to find.
just feeling soo grateful blessed that i was able to walk this camino - knowing that i am somewhat of a certified lounge-potato, i was truly amazed that it all unfolded ...
best wishes - bom caminho -

 

[PaddyCamino]

I hope to get away without any blisters as I do a lot of walking and never had much of a problem with this.
Saying that, only my first Camino coming up 13-Aug-2016 so I really don't no what to expect.
Regarding the hangovers, I can guarantee that I will be having more than a few!!

Bien Camino!!

 

[HeidiL]

Only had a blister once (too thick socks), I think nylons+wool socks have been my salvation.

No hangovers - possibly because I do my drinking at lunch and then walk until I'm sober again?

Since I START every Camino with injuries (arthrosis and chronic bursitis), all I know is that they don't get any worse while I'm walking, as long as I limit the number of steep hills.

 

[jsalt]

I think you would have to be like Bruce Willis in “Unbreakable” to walk the camino unscathed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unbreakable_(film)

 

[purplesage]

hHAHA. On my first camino, my feet looked like I had LEPROSY. Blisters, blood... u name it !!! It just got better ... I dont know how. Maybe I got smarter (OMG... did I say that??) and got good shoes and carried very little in a 35L backpack... Buen Camino, , Caesar

Did anyone manage to walk the Camino without injury: not even a blister or hangover?

To what do you attribute your immunity?

 

[JenCamino]

Funny to see this today, after a friend just asked me how I did it yesterday. I made it no blisters no injuries. I attribute it to research, equipment, trial runs, training.

I walked an average of 10-15km per day for a year. When I planned my Camino, most days were in that same range. So it was not a challenge, simply more of what i was used to. My longest days were 25km, same as at home. I trained by walking on both cement and on uneven trails. I tried to vary up my distances each day so that my body didn't get used to a set walk length and quit at that distance (eg 7km + 13km is better than 10km +10km). I did hill repeats (not enough, perhaps, as those hills were still hard on the Primitvo!). I did balance work by walking on logs at the beach.

I read up on websites on walking, running, and the military to see how they do it. Biggest tips, some of which I had already figured out myself, were to buy shoes one full size larger, avoid pedicures, keep toenails short, and wear nylon tights under socks (yep, military confirmed that last one!)

I learned a little trick of "sitting back" while going downhill, so the weight and force is in the heels, thighs and hips, not the knees and toes. Bigger muscles carry the load, knees don't go over the toes, and toes never hit the front of the shoe. I took many tiny steps instead of long strides (got that tip from the running community-- increases speed and reduces strain, both at once!).

I did trial runs with different shoes, socks, and pack weights. These all mattered at different walk lengths, frequencies, and temperatures. What worked for 5km didn't always work at 10km and so on; what worked in cold weather didn't always work in hot weather; what worked for a 25km day done once, didn't work when I tried two in a row.

I spent a LOT of time cutting down my pack weight, because my trial runs showed me that while I could carry 8.5 lb forever, anything over 10lb made me sore. (Note that that's far below the usual "10% of bodyweight" guideline for packs.) Even then, I didn't end up using everything I packed! If you want to see what I packed, check it out at http://foottoearth.blogspot.ca/2016/06/the-list.html?m=0 At the One Week Review and Two week Review, I go over what was most/least useful.

I hope this was helpful. Maybe I'll add this to my blog as well. Lol.

 

[Tincatinker]

To what do you attribute your immunity?

The Gods like Tinkers

 

[Rick M]

Funny to see this today, after a friend just asked me how I did it yesterday. I made it no blisters no injuries. I attribute it to research, equipment, trial runs, training.

I walked an average of 10-15km per day for a year. When I planned my Camino, most days were in that same range. So it was not a challenge, simply more of what i was used to. My longest days were 25km, same as at home. I trained by walking on both cement and on uneven trails. I tried to vary up my distances each day so that my body didn't get used to a set walk length and quit at that distance (eg 7km + 13km is better than 10km +10km). I did hill repeats (not enough, perhaps, as those hills were still hard on the Primitvo!). I did balance work by walking on logs at the beach.

I read up on websites on walking, running, and the military to see how they do it. Biggest tips, some of which I had already figured out myself, were to buy shoes one full size larger, avoid pedicures, keep toenails short, and wear nylon tights under socks (yep, military confirmed that last one!)

I learned a little trick of "sitting back" while going downhill, so the weight and force is in the heels, thighs and hips, not the knees and toes. Bigger muscles carry the load, knees don't go over the toes, and toes never hit the front of the shoe. I took many tiny steps instead of long strides (got that tip from the running community-- increases speed and reduces strain, both at once!).

I did trial runs with different shoes, socks, and pack weights. These all mattered at different walk lengths, frequencies, and temperatures. What worked for 5km didn't always work at 10km and so on; what worked in cold weather didn't always work in hot weather; what worked for a 25km day done once, didn't work when I tried two in a row.

I spent a LOT of time cutting down my pack weight, because my trial runs showed me that while I could carry 8.5 lb forever, anything over 10lb made me sore. (Note that that's far below the usual "10% of bodyweight" guideline for packs.) Even then, I didn't end up using everything I packed! If you want to see what I packed, check it out at http://foottoearth.blogspot.ca/2016/06/the-list.html?m=0 At the One Week Review and Two week Review, I go over what was most/least useful.

I hope this was helpful. Maybe I'll add this to my blog as well. Lol.

This is all good advice, although I didn't follow all of it, and I also had no injuries on the trail. My wife trained and prepared as I did, and she injured one of her knees on the downhill into Zubiri, but managed to recover from it and complete the trail.

There are two elements that gave me an injury free Camino. The first was training. We too walked for nearly a year before going. Distances started at 5K, and escalated to back-to-back 20+k days in the last two months. Rest days in between of course. The pack started at 2 Kilos, and gradually increased to 10 Kilos for the last three months. We live in a very hilly area, and did a lot of up and down, as well as stairs. We walked on uneven ground to build up the ankle and knee support muscles. I wore out two pairs of shoes training, and bought new ones a few weeks before we left so they would be well broken in. That was after trying, and returning, two pairs that did not fit just right. I learned that running shoes are better on the roads than gortex boots, and took both. I learned to change shoes in the middle of the day as conditions changed.

The second crucial element was good luck. I was lucky that the extensive training was even an option for me, most cannot commit the time. I did not slip on a flagstone section and hurt my back. I did not trip over a loose board on a bridge and pitch into the ground resulting in a bloody nose. I did not get a terrible cold (until I got home). I never got food poisoning. We never saw any bed bugs. All these happened to people I was traveling with, and there but by the grace of god go I.

What's the secret to an injury free Camino? Prepare as much as you can, and hope for the best!

 

[november_moon]

No real injuries for us either - a few blisters and we did pay the camino toenail tax, but nothing too bad. No hangovers because we know our limits. However, we did both catch the Camino Cough and dealt with head colds and I got some sort of stomach bug or food poisoning that took me out of commission for a couple days.

 

[Priscilla NC]

I also walked St. Jean to Santiago to Muxia to Finisterre unscathed. No blisters, pain, discomfort.

I have structural issues with my feet, so I went to a local pedorthist 3 months before my departure date. He fixed me up with the right shoes and orthotics. I then had 3 months to experiment with the shoes, socks, etc.

The shoes worked perfectly in my training, and I have a whole pile of socks that I bought to experiment with. What worked for me were Injinji toe sock liners and darn tough wool socks over. I live in the mountains and I trained on mountain trails plus on hilly back roads. I never met my personal training goals, but it was enough that I had no issues on the CF and I was confident in what worked for me and my feet.

I also read the book 'Fixing Your Feet' by John Vonhof. From that I used the product 'Blister Shield', a powder, I used no vaseline. My feet were always dry. I also used tape (surgical paper tape) on parts of my feet/toes that would get red from time to time.

I was worried about tendonitis or shin splints, so I had a pair of compression sleeves for my calves that went from ankle to knee. I wore these on days when I knew I'd be doing steep uphill/downhill.

Finally: I have had sciatica in the past, so I didn't want to stress my back. So I bought an ultralite pack (Z Pack Arc blast) that was 1 lb and was engineered perfectly for my size and body. Most of the time I didn't even feel my pack. I packed lite, and total weight was 12 lbs with water.

I think all of these together helped me to walk about 600 miles unscathed.

The hangover part? Though I drank wine and beer way beyond what I drink at home, I had none of these either. But a lot of people were praying for me too. I take whatever works.

 

[caminomino]

I arrived in Santiago pretty much unscathed (except for a tiny patch of sunburn on my shoulder), and that's mostly because I only started at Sarria. Kudos to those who started much farther!

Here are a couple of things that I did differently:

+ I wore boxing boots, unusual choice, but believe me the lightweight, breathable material, ankle support and flexible sole made it super comfortable - like I wasn't wearing shoes at all.

+ And mmm... I didn't carry my backpack... I have this foldable luggage cart. I strapped my backpack on it and dragged them all the way to Santiago. On the rocky path, I unassembled it and carried the backpack like everybody else.

No hangovers! Well, we all drink (who could resist the riojas and sangrias???), I didn't see a single drunken peregrino though! Hmmm must be the vitamin zzz

 

[Antonius Siemprecaminando]

I think you would have to be like Bruce Willis in “Unbreakable” to walk the camino unscathed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unbreakable_(film)

I am definitely not Bruce Willis in whatever role - but never had any problems with blisters and co.
As long as one does wear proper shoes and doesn't wear new socks from the equipment side there shouldn't appear any problems.
I've walked thousands of kilometers on various caminos in Spain and elsewhere - whenever I met people with blisters it was because they didn't have the appropriate equipment.
Another reason for blisters and other problems quite often is that people are thinking they have to do this walk (for whatever reason) but are mentally not really prepared for it. They are not ready to do such a long distance walk. And this fact their body simply shows them.
Buen camino!

 

[Melensdad]

...whenever I met people with blisters it was because they didn't have the appropriate equipment.
Another reason for blisters and other problems quite often is that people ... are mentally not really prepared for it...

I got 1 blister, but it never popped.

I also bruised the ball of my left foot while walking on rocks.

But basically unscathed. Good fitting walking shoes, good wool hiking socks. My hiking shoes were well worn in and probably 8 months old before I left for my Camino.

I too see people will the wrong equipment. Many had brand new shoes/boots that were not fitted or broken in. Many wore the wrong socks.

And yes, I agree again that many are not prepared for DAY AFTER DAY AFTER DAY of walking. We had our Goddaughter meet up with us in Sarria. She was excited to join us for the last 100km. She had reality slap her in the face when she realized we were walking for 5 to 7 hours each day, every day, with no shopping malls or air conditioning in sight.

 

[Montana Jayne]

Ditto Priscilla NC's advice about paying attention to any issues with your feet. I had had slight a foot problem in the past. I mean really slight, so slight I hardly remembered it. I wish I had gone to a podiatrist for inserts before the CF. I developed plantar fasciitis by Castrojeriz that became a big problem. All of the advice on this thread is excellent! Have a wonderful camino!

 

[notion900]

I had a tiny blister but it had gone after a few days. My knees ached but then I got poles. Arrived in tip top condition. My mum could not believe my perfect feet when I got back.

How? Not rushing, and especially not walking with people faster than me. Being flexible - taking long and short days as needed. Light pack - 8kg. Taking care of my feet with pumice and moisturiser. Being careful in the sun. Drinking lots of water. Being happy.

 

[JenCamino]

I wore out two pairs of shoes training, and bought new ones a few weeks before we left so they would be well broken in. That was after trying, and returning, two pairs that did not fit just right.

Me too! Returned one pair that didn't work, wore out two pair of the ones that did work, got three weeks into a third pair (identical to the previous two), then a week before leaving, I switched to the fourth (identical) pair that I would Camino in. (I saved the third pair for when I got back, as my Camino pair were wearing through in the toes by the time I was done!)

Generally, walking an average of 10-15km per day, I go through four pairs of runners per year. Part of me feels this is insanely expensive, thinking back to when I used to wear the same pair of runners for years, but then I remembered how I used to have a lot more problems too (blisters, sore knees and hips, sore back, etc). So I've decided it's worth the investment and treat it like it's a gym membership cost. Heeheehee.

 

[JenCamino]

Not rushing, and especially not walking with people faster than me. Being flexible - taking long and short days as needed.

Yes! The importance of going at your own pace and taking as many rest periods as needed. Big keys.

 

[Lisa HS]

Much of what folks have been saying here applies to me, but here is my complete list. I don't know which (if not all) these things did the trick, but I was uninjured throughout. Tired, yes. Sore, yes. But not in pain.
1) train like the dickens. In the shoes & socks I wore on Camino (Merrell Grassbow Air Low Hiking Shoes, Wrightsock Lightweight Double Layer socks - from REI - plus smartwool socks for rainy days). averaged 7.5 miles/day over about 4 months. Did as many hills as I could manage, but sometimes it was just walks around town.
*2) gave myself plenty of time for the trip. Did not have to "make it in 30 days" as is very common
3) Did not have to walk too far each day (see #2). My average was 17.5 km. Most people go further, but this is what was comfortable for me to remain uninjured.
4) Booked into private albergues (and a few casa rurals & hostels) 1 day ahead. I know that lots of folks like to wing-it and decide where to stop on the fly. I preferred to know where I was going to stay when I started out that morning. I usually booked for the next day during my late morning break.
5) stopped frequently. 2-3 times a day, for coffee, orange juice, 2nd breakfast, etc. This gave my legs/knees/feet chance to rest. I did this every day, even when I felt like I could walk further, I took the opportunity to have a rest stop. And I could stop whenever I wanted since I wasn't worried about getting a bed for the night (because, see #4)
6) shipped my pack ahead from time to time. I did this when I had a really long day (22+ km), a steep day up or down (first 2 days to Roncesvalles, heading up to O Cebreiro, heading down to El Acebo, etc.). Saved my knees, that's for sure.

My trip was this year, Mid April to mid June. re: *2) I was lucky and had 2 months to devote to this adventure, I realize that many people do not. I would encourage those who have less time to consider doing the trip in 2 parts. Go as far as you can (with days that are not too long for you) in whatever time you have, then home and come back next year (or a few years from now) for the last part. When you rush, you miss so much AND I met MANY people who were injured because they felt like they had to do their 25 - 30 km days (or more) to meet their schedule. This is just my take on it. Your mileage may vary.