Long-Range Planning

[rglongpre]

Hi - I know that this is a bit early, but I am excited. My wife has decided to do the Camino Frances with me in the fall of 2014. I walked about a third of the via podiensis (Le Puy route) alone last fall and intend to finish the rest of this later this year. This was the longest stretch of being away from my wife. It will be her gift to me and to herself.

cheers - Robert

 

[MM4214]

Hi Robert

I am also a long-range planner! I intend to walk the Camino Frances in May 2013 with my best friend - our men folk will be cheering from the side-lines in Australia but will meet us at the end for a European holiday.
I am loving all the info on the forum. We are trialling equipment already and reading books by previous pilgrims. We are also in training mode, walking around our neighbourhoods at each end of Australia- longest stretch so far is 21km, but that will improve as the year progresses.
I am a firm believer in the fact that a holiday begins in the planning stages and hence I love this phase of my journey.

Enjoy this pre-stage!
Michelle.

 

[MM4214]

Sorry Robert.
I meant to say that we will be on our Camino in May 2014 not in 2013.

Michelle:grin:

 

[godslamb]

I thought I was the only long range planner! So glad to find out otherwise. My friend and and I already have a plan about tickets and I am working on a schedule for our May 2014 trip. Getting trained is our big thing right now! This has been the most exciting thing I have done on a long time!

 

[rglongpre]

Hi Robert

I am also a long-range planner! I intend to walk the Camino Frances in May 2014.

I am a firm believer in the fact that a holiday begins in the planning stages and hence I love this phase of my journey.

Enjoy this pre-stage!
Michelle.

Yes the planning and training process releases all sorts of physical and psychic energy. For the pas three months I have been walking about three to four hours a day on average, with my wife. I am sure that "we" will be more than ready when the day we board our plane for our Camino together arrives.

Buen Camino

 

[rglongpre]

I thought I was the only long range planner! So glad to find out otherwise. My friend and and I already have a plan about tickets and I am working on a schedule for our May 2014 trip. Getting trained is our big thing right now! This has been the most exciting thing I have done on a long time!

Isn't it strange how "excited" one becomes when an "idea" such as the Camino catches us? Finally we realise that we truly are on a journey and that the journey is already in process. Thanks for the response.

Buen Camino!

 

[MM4214]

Wow Robert- you are already on 3 to 4 hrs walking per day!!! Good on you! I get out twice a week for 3-4 hrs which I am happy with at the moment but will increase the days and distance as the year goes on. I already got my first blister which I "treated" by applying micropore over it and leaving it- it worked well.
Godslamb- you are the first people that I know that will be walking same time as us! That is so cool. Hope to see you on "the way". :grin:

 

[godslamb]

Wow Robert- you are already on 3 to 4 hrs walking per day!!! Good on you! I get out twice a week for 3-4 hrs which I am happy with at the moment but will increase the days and distance as the year goes on. I already got my first blister which I "treated" by applying micropore over it and leaving it- it worked well.

That is some serious training already! Michelle-Sorry to hear that you already had gotten a blister; surely your feet will get used to all the walking before you go. I have only gone hiking a few times--only once with the boots that I plan on using--I haven't gotten a blister yet, even after a solid 7 mile hike that included some big inclines. Crossing my fingers that this is a good sign for the trip

Godslamb- you are the first people that I know that will be walking same time as us! That is so cool. Hope to see you on "the way". :grin:

I hope so! I plan on going late May. This is when I my school year ends (I'm a teacher) which gives me as much time as I need Hopefully it's the same for you. Would love to have a "familiar face" when I arrive! :wink:

 

[Choweth]

I plan on traveling March 2014 once I finish my Associates

 

[MM4214]

Godslamb- We are planning on starting around the 15th-18th May, depending on flights etc which ww will be booking at the end of the year or whenever there is a sale before then.
I was oddly OK with having a blister as I wanted to trial various products before I go. That's not saying I was happy with it but I tell you, I was pleased the micropore worked well and that was with walking 16km on a hot day.
I hope we see you on the path as well. Just look for a couple of middle-aged but bubbly Aussie girls who will always pleased to stop and have a chat. :grin:

 

[rglongpre]

When I walked last autumn I averaged about 25 km each day from Le Puy to Figeac - the hilly, mountainous part of the France section. I was satisfied with the pace, about 4.5 km/hr but not with my feet as I began with blisters (new shoes - I should have known better) that never went away because of the pace and the constant climbing and descents on the trails. Walking on pavement (yes, there are country highways that get used from time to time).

I have always walked lots since I gave up road racing about 15 years ago (a marathoner in my youth). However, walking in September 2014 with my wife from SJPP to Santiago will be done at a more relaxed pace, likely somewhere between 16 to 20 km/day.

For the walk from Figeac to SJPP later this year, I hope to start without blisters as the shoes are now well broken in.

Buen Camino!

 

[bklyntraveller]

I walked the Camino Frances last year in two parts. I started in SJPdP the last week in April and walked for three weeks until mid-MAY. I'm considerably slower than you but meet many more pilgrims than you did. I had no blisters but had wornin boots and used Body Glide on my feet. I also stopped every two hours and took off my boots and socks-Never a blister in sight. When I returned in the Fall to complete my Camino I ignored that rule about stopping every two hours to air my feet and got blisters! Go figure...

 

[Mysticl]

I had hoped to go in May 2014 (I actually want to go NOW but it's not in the cards) but might have to push that back until the fall of 2014 instead. My hubby was supposed to retire this year, enabling us to take unlimited time in the spring to do the Camino but he was offered the chance to put off retirement until next summer (2014) so a spring fling might be hard to manage. While I had hoped to go when everything was greening up after winter with an entire spring and summer ahead of me to walk heedless of time passing, I have also heard that fall is nice and perhaps less rainy. The only thing that bothers me is that I will be snail walking and the coming of winter will be very much on my mind as I creep along ... not sure how I feel about that ... however the option of waiting yet ANOTHER year is just too much for me to bear ... still undecided ...

 

[Kiwi-family]

Mysticl
Fall/Autumn is a wonderful time to walk. The blackberry bushes are laden, wild grapes beg to be sampled, there are melons to purchase.....it can still get hot, but not debilitatingly so.
We walked in September, and would not have minded being a bit later in order to see the trees turn golden.

 

[rglongpre]

I agree, Kiwi, autumn is a great time. The paths are still busy, but not too busy. If anything, the season adds to the contemplative aspect of being on a pilgrimage. Thanks.

 

[rglongpre]

I had hoped to go in May 2014 (I actually want to go NOW but it's not in the cards) but might have to push that back until the fall of 2014 instead. My hubby was supposed to retire this year, enabling us to take unlimited time in the spring to do the Camino but he was offered the chance to put off retirement until next summer (2014) so a spring fling might be hard to manage. While I had hoped to go when everything was greening up after winter with an entire spring and summer ahead of me to walk heedless of time passing, I have also heard that fall is nice and perhaps less rainy. The only thing that bothers me is that I will be snail walking and the coming of winter will be very much on my mind as I creep along ... not sure how I feel about that ... however the option of waiting yet ANOTHER year is just too much for me to bear ... still undecided ...

Retirement isn't easy, especially if one is in good health both physically and mentally. I understand why your husband put off retirement. When I retired from being a school principal, I headed off to teach at a university for another four years. Having walked in the autumn, I can affirm that it is an incredible time to walk because of the weather and the atmosphere created by most walkers being "older."

Buen Camino!

 

[Mysticl]

You guys are making an autumn walk more and more appealing with every post. While I really wanted a spring trek I am reconsidering my `wants`now ... The picture painted by your words make a fall start sounds very very appealing indeed ... in fact the only thing that is still bothering me is the possibility of an early onset of winter if I REALLY snail walk it ... meaning 2+ months to finish, which could possibly butt up against winter depending on how early in the fall we are able to walk ... I don`t think I would want to walk in November so the only way a fall walk works is if I can be assured of a mid to late august start which I suppose is actually a possibility, although no final end date for my hubby`s retirement is set, at the moment sometime in the summer is what I last heard ... walking through October would be fine I think ... and I AM pretty sure it is going to take me longer than most to finish so I need to be prepared The idea that fall is when there might be more mature walkers does sound appealing, although my husband and I are perhaps younger in temperament than some others our age and while I enjoy the energy and exuberance of youth, walking with other folks with creeky joints ( so we can share sob stories about getting old and our madness at walking the Camino ... hehe) and the wisdom and calm acceptance of life`s curve balls that age can bring also has it`s appeal

If I had my druthers I`d still opt for a spring start because it comes SOONER and I am itching to go but waiting a couple more months won`t kill me. (I hope) ... I am looking at a fall start a lot more positively now ... in fact I think either start is tied for appeal in my mind ... I guess I`ll let the chips fall where they may and be happy with either option.