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You’ll be fine. Start early, take it slowly, you’ve got all day. You can also break the day in half by booking at the Orisson refuge. It’s about 10km into the walk, the uphill bit. If your boots are well broken in you can avoid blisters with good socks and some anti friction balm. Stock up! Compeed makes the best balm and blister-bandages. I get them over there before I start the trail, as I can’t get them here in Canada.I read and become fearful of the first few days from St Pied de Porte. Several posts use descriptors such as "pain" "agony" "injuries". I am concerned that having injuries, serious blisters (even when following recommendations), overall exhaustion will last for days beyond the first week. I am as prepared as I can be. My question: is it awful to sometimes look for a bus or taxi rather than over-do and not enjoy the journey, the scenery and experience? I don't want or plan to be a wimp but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA. And I don't want the first days to set a negative tone in my heart and mind.
Maybe start in Roncesvalles or Pamplona?I read and become fearful of the first few days from St Pied de Porte. Several posts use descriptors such as "pain" "agony" "injuries". I am concerned that having injuries, serious blisters (even when following recommendations), overall exhaustion will last for days beyond the first week. I am as prepared as I can be. My question: is it awful to sometimes look for a bus or taxi rather than over-do and not enjoy the journey, the scenery and experience? I don't want or plan to be a wimp but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA. And I don't want the first days to set a negative tone in my heart and mind.
I read and become fearful of the first few days from St Pied de Porte. Several posts use descriptors such as "pain" "agony" "injuries". I am concerned that having injuries, serious blisters (even when following recommendations), overall exhaustion will last for days beyond the first week. I am as prepared as I can be. My question: is it awful to sometimes look for a bus or taxi rather than over-do and not enjoy the journey, the scenery and experience? I don't want or plan to be a wimp but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA. And I don't want the first days to set a negative tone in my heart and mind.
I read and become fearful of the first few days from St Pied de Porte. Several posts use descriptors such as "pain" "agony" "injuries". I am concerned that having injuries, serious blisters (even when following recommendations), overall exhaustion will last for days beyond the first week. I am as prepared as I can be. My question: is it awful to sometimes look for a bus or taxi rather than over-do and not enjoy the journey, the scenery and experience? I don't want or plan to be a wimp but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA. And I don't want the first days to set a negative tone in my heart and mind.
Thank you @davebugg - I'm not sure whether you are addressing this to me (as you replied to my post) or to the OP. If to me, I probably should have clarified that my reason for starting from Roncesvalles on subsequent Caminos was because to me it now feels the right place to start, not because I couldn't have walked from St Jean those other times. The first time, it was because I had realized my health situation would have made it unnecessarily difficult to attempt that walk. Not a question of fear or anxiety in my case, or doubt. But your advice is great, for those for whom this is the case, possibly including the OP, if they really want to walk that stage and are just having doubts. My point, and others', was simply that there are alternatives, and the experience of starting one's Camino elsewhere can be just as special.Bless your heart, Getting There. Do not allow fear or anxiety to dictate how you want to proceed. Lots of folks walk from St. Jean to Roncesvalles; some have their backpacks transported to help lighten their steps. Others only do half way to the Virgen de Orisson and then take a taxi back to St Jean for the night, and then taxi back to where they left off. Others stop at Orrison or Borda.
But if you want to try and see how it goes, here are some tips that may help.
--------------------------------
If a person has some level of cardio fitness, making it up a long uphill grade is a matter of pace, maintaining calorie intake, hydration, and utilizing meaningful breaks.
1. As you head uphill, adjust your pace to a comfortable level which you are able to maintain without needing to frequently stop and start. Frequent stops and starts adds to exhaustion. It doesn't matter if your pace is 4 miles per hour or 0.5 miles per hour. What matters is continuously walking between planned breaks.
Set a planned interval for a short and deliberate break -- say every 20 minutes, lasting for five minutes. Set your pace so that you can walk until reaching break time.
Setting your pace is a dynamic process, you need to adjust it as circumstances dictate. Please set your pace based on what you need, not on how you feel.
How do you maintain a pace at a set speed? My trick is to periodically check myself by silently humming a tune... the same tune.... which is easy to sync to each step I take. Don't laugh, but I use 'Hark The Herald Angles Sing'. It is NOT the speed of the tune that determines my pace, but my pace will determine the speed of the tune. Once that pace is determined, then you can use the speed of the tune to check yourself.
Some folks may view this as too formulaic or too rigid, but that is not the case. It is simply a tool to assist in understanding your body's rhythm while walking. The more familiar you become with your body's needs while hiking -- which happens as your experience grows -- the less need there is for such tricks like humming a tune.
As the grade uphill gets steeper and I need to slow, I don't necessarily slow how fast I take a step, I adjust the length of each step. In other words, in keeping time with my song, I might go from, say, 10 inches between one footstep to the next, to only 5 inches between steps. That will automatically slow how fast I am moving, and still keep me in step with my song.
Inexperienced folks will start out fast and try to maintain that pace because they are fresh, full of energy, and not at all tired. . .yet. They want to keep up with those in better shape. They are in a race for beds. They are worried about being caught in the rain. Whatever.
They will start to crump within a fairly short distance up the hill; and the crumping will become cumulative with each step, even if they slow down later, because they have burned through their energy producing stores with that initial fast pace. They not only will crump, but they are now going to stay in a state of depleted energy which only a very prolonged break can solve.
Start slower than what you feel is a normal pace for you. Let people pass you by, and see how that pace feels as you continue uphill. If you start feeling too out of breath, slow down. If your leg muscles start feeling too fatigued, slow down.
Also, keep the above tips and cautions in mind AFTER you take a break. You will feel refreshed and you will be tempted to start out faster than you should. RESIST that temptation.
2. At every short break time, eat something. Your stomach and GI tract can only process food at a specific rate of time, so you want to match your intake of food to that optimum time frame. Eating food at about the rate of 100 calorie increments every 20 to 30 minutes is a good time frame. A quarter of a Snicker bar and a bite of cheese, or a handful of trail mix, or a bit of bocadillo,or some Peanut M&Ms, or some energy gel with some nuts, etc. The idea is to replenish your energy producing stores that your muscles will need for the next 25 to 30 minutes.
In addition to hydrating during breaks, a good technique is to be sipping and drinking water while you are walking. You need to stay hydrated without overdoing water consumption.
3. If it starts to become very difficult to walk 20 minutes without stopping in between, then lengthen your break from 5 minutes to 8 minutes, or 10 minutes. Give your calorie intake a longer period to do its job, and for you to re-oxygenate and fuel your muscle cells. If you find that it fairly easy to walk 20 minutes before stopping, then add 5 more minutes to your walk time between breaks. Still fairly easy? Then keep adding 5 minutes to the interval before stopping. However, I would advise not going longer than 1 hour without taking a break. I usually break every 55 minutes or so.
4. It is understandable if you have some jitters about a physically demanding and prolonged walk up into the mountains or hills. Or even on less aggressive elevations.
Doubt may pierce your mind with a persistent whisper of "can I do this?" which forces one's mind and gut to focus on perceived inadequacies. Doubt doesn't wait for evidence of one's ability to perform, or to look at what actually will occur during your hike. Nope, all Doubt is concerned with, is making you feel inadequate and insecure.
So as you prepare for your Camino you can either let Doubt have its fun with you, or you can push Doubt to the background and tell it to, "Shut up; you just wait and see what I can do!!!".
I go through at least a portion of the above every time late winter eases into spring and I begin preparing for the coming backpacking season, especially for planned multi-week backpacking treks. I went through that for my first Camino in 2017. I am hearing those voices again this year as I am planning on a Camino this Fall.
I just simply respond to the question of 'Can I do this?', by answering "I am as prepared as I can be, I will be flexible to things happening around me, and regardless of what happens, life will continue on".
After all, I am not going into combat, or heading into a burning building; I am just going for a walk.
Thank you @davebugg - I'm not sure whether you are addressing this to me (as you replied to my post) or to the OP. If to me, I probably should have clarified that my reason for starting from Roncesvalles on subsequent Caminos was because to me it now feels the right place to start, not because I couldn't have walked from St Jean those other times. The first time, it was because I had realized my health situation would have made it unnecessarily difficult to attempt that walk. Not a question of fear or anxiety in my case, or doubt. But your advice is great, for those for whom this is the case, possibly including the OP, if they really want to walk that stage and are just having doubts. My point, and others', was simply that there are alternatives, and the experience of starting one's Camino elsewhere can be just as special.
I read and become fearful of the first few days from St Pied de Porte. Several posts use descriptors such as "pain" "agony" "injuries". I am concerned that having injuries, serious blisters (even when following recommendations), overall exhaustion will last for days beyond the first week. I am as prepared as I can be. My question: is it awful to sometimes look for a bus or taxi rather than over-do and not enjoy the journey, the scenery and experience? I don't want or plan to be a wimp but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA. And I don't want the first days to set a negative tone in my heart and mind.
Thank you, you brought me peace I your experience@SuziK Shortly before my first Camino I realized that neither I nor my mother, with whom I was walking, were fit enough for that first stage from St Jean Pied de Port. Both of us had been dealing with some health challenges, and despite training as much as possible I was worried. Then one day I suddenly thought, "You know, we could just start from Roncesvalles, lots do". As soon as that thought entered my head, it was like a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. I hadn't realized quite how worried I was. We had already booked everything up to St Jean, so we didn't change our travel plans but booked Express Bourricot to take us over to Roncesvalles. There is also a bus. We then stayed the night in Roncesvalles and attended the pilgrim's mass there, a lovely send-off at the start of our Camino. And we set off the next morning. Roncesvalles is a really special place, and it felt so right to be starting from there. We have done so three times now and would do so again. To me it feels like the start of the Camino Francés. And there are still plenty of hills to cross!
So as others have said, if you start slowly and gently and are reasonably fit you should be ok starting from St Jean, but if you are worried, don't feel you have to start walking from there. Roncesvalles is just as valid a starting point, and many do start there, especially Spanish people, as well as from Pamplona or further on. I would always recommend Roncesvalles as a beautiful starting point for the Camino Francés.
And no, there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a bus or taxi when you need to, except within the last 100km before Santiago - and you'll be a seasoned walker by then!
Whatever you decide - Buen Camino!
I can’t express how helpful this is. I will have to remind myself to tell Doubt to go away, I’ve got this.Bless your heart, SuziK. Do not allow fear or anxiety to dictate how you want to proceed. Lots of folks walk from St. Jean to Roncesvalles; some have their backpacks transported to help lighten their steps. Others only do half way to the Virgen de Orisson and then take a taxi back to St Jean for the night, and then taxi back to where they left off. Others stop at Orrison or Borda.
But if you want to try and see how it goes, here are some tips that may help.
--------------------------------
If a person has some level of cardio fitness, making it up a long uphill grade is a matter of pace, maintaining calorie intake, hydration, and utilizing meaningful breaks.
1. As you head uphill, adjust your pace to a comfortable level which you are able to maintain without needing to frequently stop and start. Frequent stops and starts adds to exhaustion. It doesn't matter if your pace is 4 miles per hour or 0.5 miles per hour. What matters is continuously walking between planned breaks.
Set a planned interval for a short and deliberate break -- say every 20 minutes, lasting for five minutes. Set your pace so that you can walk until reaching break time.
Setting your pace is a dynamic process, you need to adjust it as circumstances dictate. Please set your pace based on what you need, not on how you feel.
How do you maintain a pace at a set speed? My trick is to periodically check myself by silently humming a tune... the same tune.... which is easy to sync to each step I take. Don't laugh, but I use 'Hark The Herald Angles Sing'. It is NOT the speed of the tune that determines my pace, but my pace will determine the speed of the tune. Once that pace is determined, then you can use the speed of the tune to check yourself.
Some folks may view this as too formulaic or too rigid, but that is not the case. It is simply a tool to assist in understanding your body's rhythm while walking. The more familiar you become with your body's needs while hiking -- which happens as your experience grows -- the less need there is for such tricks like humming a tune.
As the grade uphill gets steeper and I need to slow, I don't necessarily slow how fast I take a step, I adjust the length of each step. In other words, in keeping time with my song, I might go from, say, 10 inches between one footstep to the next, to only 5 inches between steps. That will automatically slow how fast I am moving, and still keep me in step with my song.
Inexperienced folks will start out fast and try to maintain that pace because they are fresh, full of energy, and not at all tired. . .yet. They want to keep up with those in better shape. They are in a race for beds. They are worried about being caught in the rain. Whatever.
They will start to crump within a fairly short distance up the hill; and the crumping will become cumulative with each step, even if they slow down later, because they have burned through their energy producing stores with that initial fast pace. They not only will crump, but they are now going to stay in a state of depleted energy which only a very prolonged break can solve.
Start slower than what you feel is a normal pace for you. Let people pass you by, and see how that pace feels as you continue uphill. If you start feeling too out of breath, slow down. If your leg muscles start feeling too fatigued, slow down.
Also, keep the above tips and cautions in mind AFTER you take a break. You will feel refreshed and you will be tempted to start out faster than you should. RESIST that temptation.
2. At every short break time, eat something. Your stomach and GI tract can only process food at a specific rate of time, so you want to match your intake of food to that optimum time frame. Eating food at about the rate of 100 calorie increments every 20 to 30 minutes is a good time frame. A quarter of a Snicker bar and a bite of cheese, or a handful of trail mix, or a bit of bocadillo,or some Peanut M&Ms, or some energy gel with some nuts, etc. The idea is to replenish your energy producing stores that your muscles will need for the next 25 to 30 minutes.
In addition to hydrating during breaks, a good technique is to be sipping and drinking water while you are walking. You need to stay hydrated without overdoing water consumption.
3. If it starts to become very difficult to walk 20 minutes without stopping in between, then lengthen your break from 5 minutes to 8 minutes, or 10 minutes. Give your calorie intake a longer period to do its job, and for you to re-oxygenate and fuel your muscle cells. If you find that it fairly easy to walk 20 minutes before stopping, then add 5 more minutes to your walk time between breaks. Still fairly easy? Then keep adding 5 minutes to the interval before stopping. However, I would advise not going longer than 1 hour without taking a break. I usually break every 55 minutes or so.
4. It is understandable if you have some jitters about a physically demanding and prolonged walk up into the mountains or hills. Or even on less aggressive elevations.
Doubt may pierce your mind with a persistent whisper of "can I do this?" which forces one's mind and gut to focus on perceived inadequacies. Doubt doesn't wait for evidence of one's ability to perform, or to look at what actually will occur during your hike. Nope, all Doubt is concerned with, is making you feel inadequate and insecure.
So as you prepare for your Camino you can either let Doubt have its fun with you, or you can push Doubt to the background and tell it to, "Shut up; you just wait and see what I can do!!!".
I go through at least a portion of the above every time late winter eases into spring and I begin preparing for the coming backpacking season, especially for planned multi-week backpacking treks. I went through that for my first Camino in 2017. I am hearing those voices again this year as I am planning on a Camino this Fall.
I just simply respond to the question of 'Can I do this?', by answering "I am as prepared as I can be, I will be flexible to things happening around me, and regardless of what happens, life will continue on".
After all, I am not going into combat, or heading into a burning building; I am just going for a walk.
Bless your heart, SuziK. Do not allow fear or anxiety to dictate how you want to proceed. Lots of folks walk from St. Jean to Roncesvalles; some have their backpacks transported to help lighten their steps. Others only do half way to the Virgen de Orisson and then take a taxi back to St Jean for the night, and then taxi back to where they left off. Others stop at Orrison or Borda.
But if you want to try and see how it goes, here are some tips that may help.
--------------------------------
If a person has some level of cardio fitness, making it up a long uphill grade is a matter of pace, maintaining calorie intake, hydration, and utilizing meaningful breaks.
1. As you head uphill, adjust your pace to a comfortable level which you are able to maintain without needing to frequently stop and start. Frequent stops and starts adds to exhaustion. It doesn't matter if your pace is 4 miles per hour or 0.5 miles per hour. What matters is continuously walking between planned breaks.
Set a planned interval for a short and deliberate break -- say every 20 minutes, lasting for five minutes. Set your pace so that you can walk until reaching break time.
Setting your pace is a dynamic process, you need to adjust it as circumstances dictate. Please set your pace based on what you need, not on how you feel.
How do you maintain a pace at a set speed? My trick is to periodically check myself by silently humming a tune... the same tune.... which is easy to sync to each step I take. Don't laugh, but I use 'Hark The Herald Angles Sing'. It is NOT the speed of the tune that determines my pace, but my pace will determine the speed of the tune. Once that pace is determined, then you can use the speed of the tune to check yourself.
Some folks may view this as too formulaic or too rigid, but that is not the case. It is simply a tool to assist in understanding your body's rhythm while walking. The more familiar you become with your body's needs while hiking -- which happens as your experience grows -- the less need there is for such tricks like humming a tune.
As the grade uphill gets steeper and I need to slow, I don't necessarily slow how fast I take a step, I adjust the length of each step. In other words, in keeping time with my song, I might go from, say, 10 inches between one footstep to the next, to only 5 inches between steps. That will automatically slow how fast I am moving, and still keep me in step with my song.
Inexperienced folks will start out fast and try to maintain that pace because they are fresh, full of energy, and not at all tired. . .yet. They want to keep up with those in better shape. They are in a race for beds. They are worried about being caught in the rain. Whatever.
They will start to crump within a fairly short distance up the hill; and the crumping will become cumulative with each step, even if they slow down later, because they have burned through their energy producing stores with that initial fast pace. They not only will crump, but they are now going to stay in a state of depleted energy which only a very prolonged break can solve.
Start slower than what you feel is a normal pace for you. Let people pass you by, and see how that pace feels as you continue uphill. If you start feeling too out of breath, slow down. If your leg muscles start feeling too fatigued, slow down.
Also, keep the above tips and cautions in mind AFTER you take a break. You will feel refreshed and you will be tempted to start out faster than you should. RESIST that temptation.
2. At every short break time, eat something. Your stomach and GI tract can only process food at a specific rate of time, so you want to match your intake of food to that optimum time frame. Eating food at about the rate of 100 calorie increments every 20 to 30 minutes is a good time frame. A quarter of a Snicker bar and a bite of cheese, or a handful of trail mix, or a bit of bocadillo,or some Peanut M&Ms, or some energy gel with some nuts, etc. The idea is to replenish your energy producing stores that your muscles will need for the next 25 to 30 minutes.
In addition to hydrating during breaks, a good technique is to be sipping and drinking water while you are walking. You need to stay hydrated without overdoing water consumption.
3. If it starts to become very difficult to walk 20 minutes without stopping in between, then lengthen your break from 5 minutes to 8 minutes, or 10 minutes. Give your calorie intake a longer period to do its job, and for you to re-oxygenate and fuel your muscle cells. If you find that it fairly easy to walk 20 minutes before stopping, then add 5 more minutes to your walk time between breaks. Still fairly easy? Then keep adding 5 minutes to the interval before stopping. However, I would advise not going longer than 1 hour without taking a break. I usually break every 55 minutes or so.
4. It is understandable if you have some jitters about a physically demanding and prolonged walk up into the mountains or hills. Or even on less aggressive elevations.
Doubt may pierce your mind with a persistent whisper of "can I do this?" which forces one's mind and gut to focus on perceived inadequacies. Doubt doesn't wait for evidence of one's ability to perform, or to look at what actually will occur during your hike. Nope, all Doubt is concerned with, is making you feel inadequate and insecure.
So as you prepare for your Camino you can either let Doubt have its fun with you, or you can push Doubt to the background and tell it to, "Shut up; you just wait and see what I can do!!!".
I go through at least a portion of the above every time late winter eases into spring and I begin preparing for the coming backpacking season, especially for planned multi-week backpacking treks. I went through that for my first Camino in 2017. I am hearing those voices again this year as I am planning on a Camino this Fall.
I just simply respond to the question of 'Can I do this?', by answering "I am as prepared as I can be, I will be flexible to things happening around me, and regardless of what happens, life will continue on".
After all, I am not going into combat, or heading into a burning building; I am just going for a walk.
In like to sing " Gonna be there, up and over! " before taking that very first purposeful ( I nearly said ""Manly""I can’t express how helpful this is. I will have to remind myself to tell Doubt to go away, I’ve got this.
I can appreciate Hark the Herald Angels… I have to practically sing the Bee Gee’s Stayin’ Alive aloud to maintain my rhythm for CPR certification.
It is good to take these considerations - but don't let them turn into fears of the Camino!I read and become fearful of the first few days from St Pied de Porte. Several posts use descriptors such as "pain" "agony" "injuries". I am concerned that having injuries, serious blisters (even when following recommendations), overall exhaustion will last for days beyond the first week. I am as prepared as I can be. My question: is it awful to sometimes look for a bus or taxi rather than over-do and not enjoy the journey, the scenery and experience? I don't want or plan to be a wimp but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA. And I don't want the first days to set a negative tone in my heart and mind.
My knees aren’t what they used to be, and my cardio fitness is definitely not what it should be. In walking around the U.K. on very steep hills I just use a 20-30 step strategy. Take 20 steps, pause for a count of 10, and then take the next 20 etc. So what if it’s slow, I still get to the top, and I find that in those pauses I see and appreciate much more of the scenery than those faster than me. I start next week from SJPP. It’s my first Camino so taking my time at about 12-15 miles a day. As long as I get to Santiago for my booked flight home in mid June that will be fine. Wave if you pass me on the trail!I read and become fearful of the first few days from St Pied de Porte. Several posts use descriptors such as "pain" "agony" "injuries". I am concerned that having injuries, serious blisters (even when following recommendations), overall exhaustion will last for days beyond the first week. I am as prepared as I can be. My question: is it awful to sometimes look for a bus or taxi rather than over-do and not enjoy the journey, the scenery and experience? I don't want or plan to be a wimp but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA. And I don't want the first days to set a negative tone in my heart and mind.
I second all the good advice from others. Another nice way to pace yourself is to enjoy the wonderful cities you will pass through. I highly recommend taking a full day or two in Pamplona, Leon and Burgos - beautiful cathedrals and museums. Get a private room to catch up on sleep and then enjoy the tapas/pintxos in the squareI haven’t read all the responses. I hope I’m not repeating what others have said too. You can chase down my current “live on the Camino” for my experience with overdoing it and regretting it. I also come from a pancake state. It’s taken me a few weeks to get over the embarrassment I feel at taking a bus or taxi. I think I’m over it now. Feeling like crap for almost 2 weeks robbed me of a lot of Camino joy. Now I look ahead, and if I need to take a bus or a cab I try to arrange it so that it’s part of the total walking distance for that day. That way I still get to see some of the section and I still walked.
You can message me if you like.
Start slowly with the plan of using a taxi on that first section. There will be taxi's going up and down all day. On many days those beautiful views we all hear about are obscured by mist.I read and become fearful of the first few days from St Pied de Porte. Several posts use descriptors such as "pain" "agony" "injuries". I am concerned that having injuries, serious blisters (even when following recommendations), overall exhaustion will last for days beyond the first week. I am as prepared as I can be. My question: is it awful to sometimes look for a bus or taxi rather than over-do and not enjoy the journey, the scenery and experience? I don't want or plan to be a wimp but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA. And I don't want the first days to set a negative tone in my heart and mind.
Skip it. It's not worth the possible pain. Often those beautiful views are obscured by mist. When I walked in 2018, no one ever asked where one started. The discussion was always about tomorrow.I read and become fearful of the first few days from St Pied de Porte. Several posts use descriptors such as "pain" "agony" "injuries". I am concerned that having injuries, serious blisters (even when following recommendations), overall exhaustion will last for days beyond the first week. I am as prepared as I can be. My question: is it awful to sometimes look for a bus or taxi rather than over-do and not enjoy the journey, the scenery and experience? I don't want or plan to be a wimp but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA. And I don't want the first days to set a negative tone in my heart and mind.
I had no idea what to expect on my first Camino...I started from SJPdP. It was very difficult. But, no amount of training in the Midwest (Indiana) could have prepared me. That being said, nothing, in my mind, will ever compare to those first few days of walking!!! So so beautiful. And definitely, if possible, reserve a bed at Orisson! Just go into it knowing you need to go slow...one foot in front of the other. You will not regret it! That is still the favorite part of all my Caminos! Good luck!I read and become fearful of the first few days from St Pied de Porte. Several posts use descriptors such as "pain" "agony" "injuries". I am concerned that having injuries, serious blisters (even when following recommendations), overall exhaustion will last for days beyond the first week. I am as prepared as I can be. My question: is it awful to sometimes look for a bus or taxi rather than over-do and not enjoy the journey, the scenery and experience? I don't want or plan to be a wimp but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA. And I don't want the first days to set a negative tone in my heart and mind.
I read and become fearful of the first few days from St Pied de Porte. Several posts use descriptors such as "pain" "agony" "injuries". I am concerned that having injuries, serious blisters (even when following recommendations), overall exhaustion will last for days beyond the first week. I am as prepared as I can be. My question: is it awful to sometimes look for a bus or taxi rather than over-do and not enjoy the journey, the scenery and experience? I don't want or plan to be a wimp but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA. And I don't want the first days to set a negative tone in my heart and mind.
I too live in a very flat area. Before doing the SJPDP-Roncesvalles stage, I was as concerned as you are about my ability to do that section without setting up injuries id then carry along the route. In preparation, I did do some trips to hillier areas, but not many and not regularly.I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA
I am from Oklahoma and I had the same concerns going into the first few days! However, I made it and I was not physically spent for the next few days, I was 69 yo when I walked the French way in 2019…I read and become fearful of the first few days from St Pied de Porte. Several posts use descriptors such as "pain" "agony" "injuries". I am concerned that having injuries, serious blisters (even when following recommendations), overall exhaustion will last for days beyond the first week. I am as prepared as I can be. My question: is it awful to sometimes look for a bus or taxi rather than over-do and not enjoy the journey, the scenery and experience? I don't want or plan to be a wimp but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA. And I don't want the first days to set a negative tone in my heart and mind.
Dave, I always enjoy your posts because I am always learning something new. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge!! AndreaBless your heart, SuziK. Do not allow fear or anxiety to dictate how you want to proceed. Lots of folks walk from St. Jean to Roncesvalles; some have their backpacks transported to help lighten their steps. Others only do half way to the Virgen de Orisson and then take a taxi back to St Jean for the night, and then taxi back to where they left off. Others stop at Orrison or Borda.
But if you want to try and see how it goes, here are some tips that may help.
--------------------------------
If a person has some level of cardio fitness, making it up a long uphill grade is a matter of pace, maintaining calorie intake, hydration, and utilizing meaningful breaks.
1. As you head uphill, adjust your pace to a comfortable level which you are able to maintain without needing to frequently stop and start. Frequent stops and starts adds to exhaustion. It doesn't matter if your pace is 4 miles per hour or 0.5 miles per hour. What matters is continuously walking between planned breaks.
Set a planned interval for a short and deliberate break -- say every 20 minutes, lasting for five minutes. Set your pace so that you can walk until reaching break time.
Setting your pace is a dynamic process, you need to adjust it as circumstances dictate. Please set your pace based on what you need, not on how you feel.
How do you maintain a pace at a set speed? My trick is to periodically check myself by silently humming a tune... the same tune.... which is easy to sync to each step I take. Don't laugh, but I use 'Hark The Herald Angles Sing'. It is NOT the speed of the tune that determines my pace, but my pace will determine the speed of the tune. Once that pace is determined, then you can use the speed of the tune to check yourself.
Some folks may view this as too formulaic or too rigid, but that is not the case. It is simply a tool to assist in understanding your body's rhythm while walking. The more familiar you become with your body's needs while hiking -- which happens as your experience grows -- the less need there is for such tricks like humming a tune.
As the grade uphill gets steeper and I need to slow, I don't necessarily slow how fast I take a step, I adjust the length of each step. In other words, in keeping time with my song, I might go from, say, 10 inches between one footstep to the next, to only 5 inches between steps. That will automatically slow how fast I am moving, and still keep me in step with my song.
Inexperienced folks will start out fast and try to maintain that pace because they are fresh, full of energy, and not at all tired. . .yet. They want to keep up with those in better shape. They are in a race for beds. They are worried about being caught in the rain. Whatever.
They will start to crump within a fairly short distance up the hill; and the crumping will become cumulative with each step, even if they slow down later, because they have burned through their energy producing stores with that initial fast pace. They not only will crump, but they are now going to stay in a state of depleted energy which only a very prolonged break can solve.
Start slower than what you feel is a normal pace for you. Let people pass you by, and see how that pace feels as you continue uphill. If you start feeling too out of breath, slow down. If your leg muscles start feeling too fatigued, slow down.
Also, keep the above tips and cautions in mind AFTER you take a break. You will feel refreshed and you will be tempted to start out faster than you should. RESIST that temptation.
2. At every short break time, eat something. Your stomach and GI tract can only process food at a specific rate of time, so you want to match your intake of food to that optimum time frame. Eating food at about the rate of 100 calorie increments every 20 to 30 minutes is a good time frame. A quarter of a Snicker bar and a bite of cheese, or a handful of trail mix, or a bit of bocadillo,or some Peanut M&Ms, or some energy gel with some nuts, etc. The idea is to replenish your energy producing stores that your muscles will need for the next 25 to 30 minutes.
In addition to hydrating during breaks, a good technique is to be sipping and drinking water while you are walking. You need to stay hydrated without overdoing water consumption.
3. If it starts to become very difficult to walk 20 minutes without stopping in between, then lengthen your break from 5 minutes to 8 minutes, or 10 minutes. Give your calorie intake a longer period to do its job, and for you to re-oxygenate and fuel your muscle cells. If you find that it fairly easy to walk 20 minutes before stopping, then add 5 more minutes to your walk time between breaks. Still fairly easy? Then keep adding 5 minutes to the interval before stopping. However, I would advise not going longer than 1 hour without taking a break. I usually break every 55 minutes or so.
4. It is understandable if you have some jitters about a physically demanding and prolonged walk up into the mountains or hills. Or even on less aggressive elevations.
Doubt may pierce your mind with a persistent whisper of "can I do this?" which forces one's mind and gut to focus on perceived inadequacies. Doubt doesn't wait for evidence of one's ability to perform, or to look at what actually will occur during your hike. Nope, all Doubt is concerned with, is making you feel inadequate and insecure.
So as you prepare for your Camino you can either let Doubt have its fun with you, or you can push Doubt to the background and tell it to, "Shut up; you just wait and see what I can do!!!".
I go through at least a portion of the above every time late winter eases into spring and I begin preparing for the coming backpacking season, especially for planned multi-week backpacking treks. I went through that for my first Camino in 2017. I am hearing those voices again this year as I am planning on a Camino this Fall.
I just simply respond to the question of 'Can I do this?', by answering "I am as prepared as I can be, I will be flexible to things happening around me, and regardless of what happens, life will continue on".
After all, I am not going into combat, or heading into a burning building; I am just going for a walk.
Lots of good advice here to which I'll add one thing. Be gentle with your body, especially in the first week. If you get to Logroño without injury, you are probably good to go all the way to SdC.I read and become fearful of the first few days from St Pied de Porte. Several posts use descriptors such as "pain" "agony" "injuries". I am concerned that having injuries, serious blisters (even when following recommendations), overall exhaustion will last for days beyond the first week. I am as prepared as I can be. My question: is it awful to sometimes look for a bus or taxi rather than over-do and not enjoy the journey, the scenery and experience? I don't want or plan to be a wimp but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA. And I don't want the first days to set a negative tone in my heart and mind.
Thanks, watched the video however it only shows 2 exercises. Do you remember what the 3rd is??I too live in a very flat area. Before doing the SJPDP-Roncesvalles stage, I was as concerned as you are about my ability to do that section without setting up injuries id then carry along the route. In preparation, I did do some trips to hillier areas, but not many and not regularly.
I hit upon some articles by a runner called David Roche, who wins trail running races in mountainous areas despite himself living in a flat part of the US. He also coaches. His secret seems to be three key exercises that target the muscles you use on hills. The original article I read is now behind a paywall, but since then, he’s condensed that 5-minute workout into a 3-minute one. There’s a video. It’s really easy, and I do recommend at least giving it a look. I think it helped me. (I ended up being one of those who got to Orisson by 9am, when it was still in cloud, and I really wouldn’t have known what to do with a full day there! I loved the walk that day).
3-Minute Mountain Legs
Looking to strength train for trail running? Try David Roche's 3-minute easy routine for Mountain Legswww.trailrunnermag.com
Ah! He’s summarised the original ones and cut out the forward lunge. I’ve found his YouTube channel and there are in fact four videos there, from his original five-minute workout. They’re at the bottom of the list here, with him in the neon green top and matching shorts. I’ll attach a screenshot too for clarity.Thanks, watched the video however it only shows 2 exercises. Do you remember what the 3rd is??
This is one of the best responses! Thank you! This is what I needed to read today buen camino!Bless your heart, SuziK. Do not allow fear or anxiety to dictate how you want to proceed. Lots of folks walk from St. Jean to Roncesvalles; some have their backpacks transported to help lighten their steps. Others only do half way to the Virgen de Orisson and then take a taxi back to St Jean for the night, and then taxi back to where they left off. Others stop at Orrison or Borda.
But if you want to try and see how it goes, here are some tips that may help.
--------------------------------
If a person has some level of cardio fitness, making it up a long uphill grade is a matter of pace, maintaining calorie intake, hydration, and utilizing meaningful breaks.
1. As you head uphill, adjust your pace to a comfortable level which you are able to maintain without needing to frequently stop and start. Frequent stops and starts adds to exhaustion. It doesn't matter if your pace is 4 miles per hour or 0.5 miles per hour. What matters is continuously walking between planned breaks.
Set a planned interval for a short and deliberate break -- say every 20 minutes, lasting for five minutes. Set your pace so that you can walk until reaching break time.
Setting your pace is a dynamic process, you need to adjust it as circumstances dictate. Please set your pace based on what you need, not on how you feel.
How do you maintain a pace at a set speed? My trick is to periodically check myself by silently humming a tune... the same tune.... which is easy to sync to each step I take. Don't laugh, but I use 'Hark The Herald Angles Sing'. It is NOT the speed of the tune that determines my pace, but my pace will determine the speed of the tune. Once that pace is determined, then you can use the speed of the tune to check yourself.
Some folks may view this as too formulaic or too rigid, but that is not the case. It is simply a tool to assist in understanding your body's rhythm while walking. The more familiar you become with your body's needs while hiking -- which happens as your experience grows -- the less need there is for such tricks like humming a tune.
As the grade uphill gets steeper and I need to slow, I don't necessarily slow how fast I take a step, I adjust the length of each step. In other words, in keeping time with my song, I might go from, say, 10 inches between one footstep to the next, to only 5 inches between steps. That will automatically slow how fast I am moving, and still keep me in step with my song.
Inexperienced folks will start out fast and try to maintain that pace because they are fresh, full of energy, and not at all tired. . .yet. They want to keep up with those in better shape. They are in a race for beds. They are worried about being caught in the rain. Whatever.
They will start to crump within a fairly short distance up the hill; and the crumping will become cumulative with each step, even if they slow down later, because they have burned through their energy producing stores with that initial fast pace. They not only will crump, but they are now going to stay in a state of depleted energy which only a very prolonged break can solve.
Start slower than what you feel is a normal pace for you. Let people pass you by, and see how that pace feels as you continue uphill. If you start feeling too out of breath, slow down. If your leg muscles start feeling too fatigued, slow down.
Also, keep the above tips and cautions in mind AFTER you take a break. You will feel refreshed and you will be tempted to start out faster than you should. RESIST that temptation.
2. At every short break time, eat something. Your stomach and GI tract can only process food at a specific rate of time, so you want to match your intake of food to that optimum time frame. Eating food at about the rate of 100 calorie increments every 20 to 30 minutes is a good time frame. A quarter of a Snicker bar and a bite of cheese, or a handful of trail mix, or a bit of bocadillo,or some Peanut M&Ms, or some energy gel with some nuts, etc. The idea is to replenish your energy producing stores that your muscles will need for the next 25 to 30 minutes.
In addition to hydrating during breaks, a good technique is to be sipping and drinking water while you are walking. You need to stay hydrated without overdoing water consumption.
3. If it starts to become very difficult to walk 20 minutes without stopping in between, then lengthen your break from 5 minutes to 8 minutes, or 10 minutes. Give your calorie intake a longer period to do its job, and for you to re-oxygenate and fuel your muscle cells. If you find that it fairly easy to walk 20 minutes before stopping, then add 5 more minutes to your walk time between breaks. Still fairly easy? Then keep adding 5 minutes to the interval before stopping. However, I would advise not going longer than 1 hour without taking a break. I usually break every 55 minutes or so.
4. It is understandable if you have some jitters about a physically demanding and prolonged walk up into the mountains or hills. Or even on less aggressive elevations.
Doubt may pierce your mind with a persistent whisper of "can I do this?" which forces one's mind and gut to focus on perceived inadequacies. Doubt doesn't wait for evidence of one's ability to perform, or to look at what actually will occur during your hike. Nope, all Doubt is concerned with, is making you feel inadequate and insecure.
So as you prepare for your Camino you can either let Doubt have its fun with you, or you can push Doubt to the background and tell it to, "Shut up; you just wait and see what I can do!!!".
I go through at least a portion of the above every time late winter eases into spring and I begin preparing for the coming backpacking season, especially for planned multi-week backpacking treks. I went through that for my first Camino in 2017. I am hearing those voices again this year as I am planning on a Camino this Fall.
I just simply respond to the question of 'Can I do this?', by answering "I am as prepared as I can be, I will be flexible to things happening around me, and regardless of what happens, life will continue on".
After all, I am not going into combat, or heading into a burning building; I am just going for a walk.
Hey fellow Hoosier!I had no idea what to expect on my first Camino...I started from SJPdP. It was very difficult. But, no amount of training in the Midwest (Indiana) could have prepared me. That being said, nothing, in my mind, will ever compare to those first few days of walking!!! So so beautiful. And definitely, if possible, reserve a bed at Orisson! Just go into it knowing you need to go slow...one foot in front of the other. You will not regret it! That is still the favorite part of all my Caminos! Good luck!
This is wonderful and good advice. Thank you.Bless your heart, SuziK. Do not allow fear or anxiety to dictate how you want to proceed. Lots of folks walk from St. Jean to Roncesvalles; some have their backpacks transported to help lighten their steps. Others only do half way to the Virgen de Orisson and then take a taxi back to St Jean for the night, and then taxi back to where they left off. Others stop at Orrison or Borda.
But if you want to try and see how it goes, here are some tips that may help.
--------------------------------
If a person has some level of cardio fitness, making it up a long uphill grade is a matter of pace, maintaining calorie intake, hydration, and utilizing meaningful breaks.
1. As you head uphill, adjust your pace to a comfortable level which you are able to maintain without needing to frequently stop and start. Frequent stops and starts adds to exhaustion. It doesn't matter if your pace is 4 miles per hour or 0.5 miles per hour. What matters is continuously walking between planned breaks.
Set a planned interval for a short and deliberate break -- say every 20 minutes, lasting for five minutes. Set your pace so that you can walk until reaching break time.
Setting your pace is a dynamic process, you need to adjust it as circumstances dictate. Please set your pace based on what you need, not on how you feel.
How do you maintain a pace at a set speed? My trick is to periodically check myself by silently humming a tune... the same tune.... which is easy to sync to each step I take. Don't laugh, but I use 'Hark The Herald Angles Sing'. It is NOT the speed of the tune that determines my pace, but my pace will determine the speed of the tune. Once that pace is determined, then you can use the speed of the tune to check yourself.
Some folks may view this as too formulaic or too rigid, but that is not the case. It is simply a tool to assist in understanding your body's rhythm while walking. The more familiar you become with your body's needs while hiking -- which happens as your experience grows -- the less need there is for such tricks like humming a tune.
As the grade uphill gets steeper and I need to slow, I don't necessarily slow how fast I take a step, I adjust the length of each step. In other words, in keeping time with my song, I might go from, say, 10 inches between one footstep to the next, to only 5 inches between steps. That will automatically slow how fast I am moving, and still keep me in step with my song.
Inexperienced folks will start out fast and try to maintain that pace because they are fresh, full of energy, and not at all tired. . .yet. They want to keep up with those in better shape. They are in a race for beds. They are worried about being caught in the rain. Whatever.
They will start to crump within a fairly short distance up the hill; and the crumping will become cumulative with each step, even if they slow down later, because they have burned through their energy producing stores with that initial fast pace. They not only will crump, but they are now going to stay in a state of depleted energy which only a very prolonged break can solve.
Start slower than what you feel is a normal pace for you. Let people pass you by, and see how that pace feels as you continue uphill. If you start feeling too out of breath, slow down. If your leg muscles start feeling too fatigued, slow down.
Also, keep the above tips and cautions in mind AFTER you take a break. You will feel refreshed and you will be tempted to start out faster than you should. RESIST that temptation.
2. At every short break time, eat something. Your stomach and GI tract can only process food at a specific rate of time, so you want to match your intake of food to that optimum time frame. Eating food at about the rate of 100 calorie increments every 20 to 30 minutes is a good time frame. A quarter of a Snicker bar and a bite of cheese, or a handful of trail mix, or a bit of bocadillo,or some Peanut M&Ms, or some energy gel with some nuts, etc. The idea is to replenish your energy producing stores that your muscles will need for the next 25 to 30 minutes.
In addition to hydrating during breaks, a good technique is to be sipping and drinking water while you are walking. You need to stay hydrated without overdoing water consumption.
3. If it starts to become very difficult to walk 20 minutes without stopping in between, then lengthen your break from 5 minutes to 8 minutes, or 10 minutes. Give your calorie intake a longer period to do its job, and for you to re-oxygenate and fuel your muscle cells. If you find that it fairly easy to walk 20 minutes before stopping, then add 5 more minutes to your walk time between breaks. Still fairly easy? Then keep adding 5 minutes to the interval before stopping. However, I would advise not going longer than 1 hour without taking a break. I usually break every 55 minutes or so.
4. It is understandable if you have some jitters about a physically demanding and prolonged walk up into the mountains or hills. Or even on less aggressive elevations.
Doubt may pierce your mind with a persistent whisper of "can I do this?" which forces one's mind and gut to focus on perceived inadequacies. Doubt doesn't wait for evidence of one's ability to perform, or to look at what actually will occur during your hike. Nope, all Doubt is concerned with, is making you feel inadequate and insecure.
So as you prepare for your Camino you can either let Doubt have its fun with you, or you can push Doubt to the background and tell it to, "Shut up; you just wait and see what I can do!!!".
I go through at least a portion of the above every time late winter eases into spring and I begin preparing for the coming backpacking season, especially for planned multi-week backpacking treks. I went through that for my first Camino in 2017. I am hearing those voices again this year as I am planning on a Camino this Fall.
I just simply respond to the question of 'Can I do this?', by answering "I am as prepared as I can be, I will be flexible to things happening around me, and regardless of what happens, life will continue on".
After all, I am not going into combat, or heading into a burning building; I am just going for a walk.
Bless I had to take a week off at Leon because of a calf injury , not too sure how that came about , so went back to the UK, with prices cheap and only being a couple of hours I returned last Thursday and dome 100km in the past 4 days .. yes take it easy pending how long you have given yourself as the camino is a long trail and everyone has experienced some form of pain so if you not got a first aid kit get one with pain killers , blister patches and even some cream for your leg muscles , though prices are three or four times the price as in the UK.I read and become fearful of the first few days from St Pied de Porte. Several posts use descriptors such as "pain" "agony" "injuries". I am concerned that having injuries, serious blisters (even when following recommendations), overall exhaustion will last for days beyond the first week. I am as prepared as I can be. My question: is it awful to sometimes look for a bus or taxi rather than over-do and not enjoy the journey, the scenery and experience? I don't want or plan to be a wimp but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA. And I don't want the first days to set a negative tone in my heart and mind.
Thank you! It is helpful to hear from people who understand!@SuziK Shortly before my first Camino I realized that neither I nor my mother, with whom I was walking, were fit enough for that first stage from St Jean Pied de Port. Both of us had been dealing with some health challenges, and despite training as much as possible I was worried. Then one day I suddenly thought, "You know, we could just start from Roncesvalles, lots do". As soon as that thought entered my head, it was like a huge weight lifted from my shoulders. I hadn't realized quite how worried I was. We had already booked everything up to St Jean, so we didn't change our travel plans but booked Express Bourricot to take us over to Roncesvalles. There is also a bus. We then stayed the night in Roncesvalles and attended the pilgrim's mass there, a lovely send-off at the start of our Camino. And we set off the next morning. Roncesvalles is a really special place, and it felt so right to be starting from there. We have done so three times now and would do so again. To me it feels like the start of the Camino Francés. And there are still plenty of hills to cross!
So as others have said, if you start slowly and gently and are reasonably fit you should be ok starting from St Jean, but if you are worried, don't feel you have to start walking from there. Roncesvalles is just as valid a starting point, and many do start there, especially Spanish people, as well as from Pamplona or further on. I would always recommend Roncesvalles as a beautiful starting point for the Camino Francés.
And no, there is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a bus or taxi when you need to, except within the last 100km before Santiago - and you'll be a seasoned walker by then!
Whatever you decide - Buen Camino!
ThanksAh! He’s summarised the original ones and cut out the forward lunge. I’ve found his YouTube channel and there are in fact four videos there, from his original five-minute workout. They’re at the bottom of the list here, with him in the neon green top and matching shorts. I’ll attach a screenshot too for clarity.
Thank you - your experience is helpful, I need to remember to find joy in each moment.Wow, such good advice above!
My 2 cents. Jitters are super normal and I think made worse by overthinking. You sound really prepared prepared so try focus on other things than the fear. You’re going to be more than fine, you’re going on a beautiful walk!
The only reason I didn’t hop back on the train at St Jean was because I had spent a fortune on my bag and shoes and I had rented out my flat.
I started off alone but a chatty French pilgrim caught me up. I was so busy trying to remember pasé composé that I forgot that I was unfit and terrified and next minute I was at the little caravan thing half way up. Rewarded myself with some tea and a chocolate and the rest of the day was fine.
Try focus on the fun bits, the beauty and have some treats as motivation. And if it’s too much, split the route, take a bus, send your bag ahead, have a rest day. It’s your Camino and you can do it however works for you.
Hope you have a fantastic time! I’m jealous. Don’t let fear spoil it for you. Buen Camino y animo
Love this! So helpful and practical. Thank you @davebuggBless your heart, SuziK. Do not allow fear or anxiety to dictate how you want to proceed. Lots of folks walk from St. Jean to Roncesvalles; some have their backpacks transported to help lighten their steps. Others only do half way to the Virgen de Orisson and then take a taxi back to St Jean for the night, and then taxi back to where they left off. Others stop at Orrison or Borda.
But if you want to try and see how it goes, here are some tips that may help.
--------------------------------
If a person has some level of cardio fitness, making it up a long uphill grade is a matter of pace, maintaining calorie intake, hydration, and utilizing meaningful breaks.
1. As you head uphill, adjust your pace to a comfortable level which you are able to maintain without needing to frequently stop and start. Frequent stops and starts adds to exhaustion. It doesn't matter if your pace is 4 miles per hour or 0.5 miles per hour. What matters is continuously walking between planned breaks.
Set a planned interval for a short and deliberate break -- say every 20 minutes, lasting for five minutes. Set your pace so that you can walk until reaching break time.
Setting your pace is a dynamic process, you need to adjust it as circumstances dictate. Please set your pace based on what you need, not on how you feel.
How do you maintain a pace at a set speed? My trick is to periodically check myself by silently humming a tune... the same tune.... which is easy to sync to each step I take. Don't laugh, but I use 'Hark The Herald Angles Sing'. It is NOT the speed of the tune that determines my pace, but my pace will determine the speed of the tune. Once that pace is determined, then you can use the speed of the tune to check yourself.
Some folks may view this as too formulaic or too rigid, but that is not the case. It is simply a tool to assist in understanding your body's rhythm while walking. The more familiar you become with your body's needs while hiking -- which happens as your experience grows -- the less need there is for such tricks like humming a tune.
As the grade uphill gets steeper and I need to slow, I don't necessarily slow how fast I take a step, I adjust the length of each step. In other words, in keeping time with my song, I might go from, say, 10 inches between one footstep to the next, to only 5 inches between steps. That will automatically slow how fast I am moving, and still keep me in step with my song.
Inexperienced folks will start out fast and try to maintain that pace because they are fresh, full of energy, and not at all tired. . .yet. They want to keep up with those in better shape. They are in a race for beds. They are worried about being caught in the rain. Whatever.
They will start to crump within a fairly short distance up the hill; and the crumping will become cumulative with each step, even if they slow down later, because they have burned through their energy producing stores with that initial fast pace. They not only will crump, but they are now going to stay in a state of depleted energy which only a very prolonged break can solve.
Start slower than what you feel is a normal pace for you. Let people pass you by, and see how that pace feels as you continue uphill. If you start feeling too out of breath, slow down. If your leg muscles start feeling too fatigued, slow down.
Also, keep the above tips and cautions in mind AFTER you take a break. You will feel refreshed and you will be tempted to start out faster than you should. RESIST that temptation.
2. At every short break time, eat something. Your stomach and GI tract can only process food at a specific rate of time, so you want to match your intake of food to that optimum time frame. Eating food at about the rate of 100 calorie increments every 20 to 30 minutes is a good time frame. A quarter of a Snicker bar and a bite of cheese, or a handful of trail mix, or a bit of bocadillo,or some Peanut M&Ms, or some energy gel with some nuts, etc. The idea is to replenish your energy producing stores that your muscles will need for the next 25 to 30 minutes.
In addition to hydrating during breaks, a good technique is to be sipping and drinking water while you are walking. You need to stay hydrated without overdoing water consumption.
3. If it starts to become very difficult to walk 20 minutes without stopping in between, then lengthen your break from 5 minutes to 8 minutes, or 10 minutes. Give your calorie intake a longer period to do its job, and for you to re-oxygenate and fuel your muscle cells. If you find that it fairly easy to walk 20 minutes before stopping, then add 5 more minutes to your walk time between breaks. Still fairly easy? Then keep adding 5 minutes to the interval before stopping. However, I would advise not going longer than 1 hour without taking a break. I usually break every 55 minutes or so.
4. It is understandable if you have some jitters about a physically demanding and prolonged walk up into the mountains or hills. Or even on less aggressive elevations.
Doubt may pierce your mind with a persistent whisper of "can I do this?" which forces one's mind and gut to focus on perceived inadequacies. Doubt doesn't wait for evidence of one's ability to perform, or to look at what actually will occur during your hike. Nope, all Doubt is concerned with, is making you feel inadequate and insecure.
So as you prepare for your Camino you can either let Doubt have its fun with you, or you can push Doubt to the background and tell it to, "Shut up; you just wait and see what I can do!!!".
I go through at least a portion of the above every time late winter eases into spring and I begin preparing for the coming backpacking season, especially for planned multi-week backpacking treks. I went through that for my first Camino in 2017. I am hearing those voices again this year as I am planning on a Camino this Fall.
I just simply respond to the question of 'Can I do this?', by answering "I am as prepared as I can be, I will be flexible to things happening around me, and regardless of what happens, life will continue on".
After all, I am not going into combat, or heading into a burning building; I am just going for a walk.
It is not awful to use other transport. I thought about it this way.... if an early Pilgrim was offered a donkey ride, do you think they would have said "No thanks. I am a pilgrim" ??I read and become fearful of the first few days from St Pied de Porte. Several posts use descriptors such as "pain" "agony" "injuries". I am concerned that having injuries, serious blisters (even when following recommendations), overall exhaustion will last for days beyond the first week. I am as prepared as I can be. My question: is it awful to sometimes look for a bus or taxi rather than over-do and not enjoy the journey, the scenery and experience? I don't want or plan to be a wimp but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA. And I don't want the first days to set a negative tone in my heart and mind.
Thank you. I just got here and start today. Like you at some point I gave myself an ok to take taxi or bus if needed, especially first few days since all the walking in Ohio is flat. Your tale of permission is reassuring- I was telling myself it’s ok, maturity means it is my journey and I’m not proving I can climb mountains. I’m here after 8 years of caring for my mom with Alzheimer’s, she died last November. Just to be in peace, hoping to rediscover myself now that not a caregiver and not a daughter.I had a few panic attacks last summer in the weeks leading up to flying out. Was this really what I wanted to do or was it something I had convinced myself I wanted to do? I had wanted to walk Camino for more than 20 years and it was finally happening!!! Terrifying!
It all worked out. I stupidly did not give myself a couple of days to get over the jet lag so I was very tired after flying in from North America the day before heading up the mountain from SJPdP. But, I had sensibly given myself permission before getting on the plane to bail at Orisson if I needed to. I did need to, I was too tired to eat and therefore too tired to walk. I ended up taking two taxis on my Camino and I do not feel badly about it. It's a very long walk, every single day. I loved every minute of it and learned over the month how to pace myself and when to just sit down by the side of the trail, take my shoes and socks off and just relax for 15 minutes.
Everyone will tell you to listen to your body. It's annoyingly correct. It's your Camino and you can do it.
MilenaS,In 2016 I used the services of Express bourricot to drive me up to Croix Thibault. That way I did not have most of the ascend, but I got the experience of crossing the Pyrenees. I also used the way to the right down to Roncevalles - the one that is a little bit longer but not that steep. This worked well for me, and mad the start a good one. Bringing me back for more!
Buen Camino!
Edited to add: the camino gave me the confidence that I now know I can get up almost any hill (not including climbing) if i just take it my own pace and my own time. I have become a hiker
MilenaS,
That confidence which you now feel will endure. If as you wrote you do
"take it my own pace and my own time" many of the problems of ordinary life will be much easier.
I read and become fearful of the first few days from St Pied de Porte. Several posts use descriptors such as "pain" "agony" "injuries". I am concerned that having injuries, serious blisters (even when following recommendations), overall exhaustion will last for days beyond the first week. I am as prepared as I can be. My question: is it awful to sometimes look for a bus or taxi rather than over-do and not enjoy the journey, the scenery and experience? I don't want or plan to be a wimp but I am afraid I am not strong enough to do the uphill/downhill since I have only been able to shape-up in very flat mid-Ohio, USA. And I don't want the first days to set a negative tone in my heart and mind.
I hope you are doing will after your first week! You can do it. Every region on Camino is so incredibly beautiful and everyone is more kind and helpful than I ever imagined possible. It is the perfect place to heal your soul. Buen Camino!Thank you. I just got here and start today. Like you at some point I gave myself an ok to take taxi or bus if needed, especially first few days since all the walking in Ohio is flat. Your tale of permission is reassuring- I was telling myself it’s ok, maturity means it is my journey and I’m not proving I can climb mountains. I’m here after 8 years of caring for my mom with Alzheimer’s, she died last November. Just to be in peace, hoping to rediscover myself now that not a caregiver and not a daughter.
Thank you for your thoughts
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