Nervous first timer: Is mid May OK, and how fit do I have to

[abigirl007]

Is it very wet in May (wet boots !!), and is it better to start later in the month?
My main concern is how fit I should be ! I am 37 and I do little jogs about 4 times a week, but that is about it. Is it recommended to walk train as well ?
I heard that you have to carry a tent too, is that true ?

Any tips welcome.
Thank you !
Abigail

 

[Lydia Gillen]

Hi Abigail
May is a great time to do the Camino. Of course no one can guarantee fine weather so near the atlantic. Walking in May means that you avoid the heat of the summer. Everywhere is fresh after the winter and the wild flowers are a delight. Bring raingear. A long poncho is ideal. It will cover you and your rucksack. It is best to have a long one because when there is rain the wind is usually blowing from the west and the poncho can be blown up against you. I had only one all day wet. Other times it rained in the evening so I was indoors.
If you are jogging you are most probably quite fit. I was well in my 60's on my first camino so you will be grand. But it is a good idea to go out at least one day with your rucksack full just as you intend it on the camino then if there are any problems with it you can sort them out before you start.
I intend walking in May starting in Pamplona so maybe at some time our paths might cross.
Buen Camino
Lydia
P.S No need to carry a tent there are plenty of places to stay

 

[mikevasey]

Hi Abigail,
I took a tent last year when i walked from Santander and i only used it 3 times, and even then i could have had pilgrim accommodation if i wanted it. I wouldnt take one again on this route, because i feel its not necessary(for me anyway).
I was 42 and several stone when i started this walk, i had spent a month of walking 12km 2 or 3 times a week beforehand, and it was ok, you just need some basic fitness for the start so its not too much, and then you kind of gain extra walking fitness as you go along over the days and weeks. You dont have to be super fit just have the required fitness for what you think your first few days walking will be.
The weather for May, your guess is as good as mine. I set of on the 29th june if had gone three weeks earlier on the norte, then i would have been in the mother of rainy periods, people who set of in late May were really up against it. Ive read blogs for other years for the norte, and they all have different weather for the same periods, its so unpredictable. You might have no rain at all, if your lucky.

Have a good journey it is a very beautiful route.

mike

 

[abigirl007]

Hey guys
Thanks for the responses ! I am taking all the tips on board.
Cheers
A

 

[ria]

Hi Abigail,
I can confirm everything that was said before :
- don't bring a tent
- don't be worried about not being fit enough. i'm a jogger too, but not too fanatic, 45 years old and i didn't have any problems at all. after two weeks you will get really strong and doing much more kilometers than you ever expected of yourself. don't take too much stuff: hiking is much more fun without all the extra kilo's
- i was in july last year: the weather was wonderful all the time, but i heard it can be rainy
have fun in preparing,
ria

 

[Caminando]

You neednt be nervous - people have been walking this way for 1000+ years. Nor need you worry about fitness; this is an easy route except for distance. A few rest days if needed will fix that. You'll be fine. Wet boots? Every walker allows for wet boots! But do get back to the forum and tell us how you got on.

Re-read Lydia Gillen's post - it's a good one. Or, if you want reassurance from literary history, think of Chaucer's "Whanne that Aprille with his shourés shooté........men longen gonne on pilgrimage". So you're right on target with your spring camino!

There's only one area where I would suggest more research - you seem to be doing the Camino del Norte. I dont know the albergue situation there, and perhaps someone will comment on this. It might be that the Camino Francés is better served with albs, before the crowds of summer?

 

[Beverley]

Hi Ab
I did my first Camino though the Camino Frances when I was 62. I started on May first in St Jean. The first days are always difficult because of your additional weight of the pack and the distance. Weather is as unpridictable there as anywhere. Just be prepared for wet and cold at that time of year. You know you can always rest and you can alwys take transportation across the rough parts. I would not take a tent because it is only going to be useless. The albergues and hotels are pretty affordable so a tent is not necessary.
Fitness comes in all forms, the main one is stick-to-itness. If you are interested in doing your first camino then you have that already no doubt.
Have you considered the Camino Frances or the Camino Portuguese as your first one? The CP is a lovely 2 week walk from Porto (my new favorite city). I walked from Porto to Santi and back this last fall on my own at age 63. I will be doing the North this summer but I only have 3 - 4 weeks. Being a thrid timer, I now know I can take transport and still be a dedicated pilgrim
After Porto I came home and put together a Preperation Guide for planning camino walks. It won't be ready until March but if you are interested let me know. It will be in e-book format as well as hands on soft cover. It covers wht I think to be the most critical planning info but sure as heck doesn't cover it all.
Bien Camino whenever and where ever to go.

Bev from Canada

 

[MermaidLilli]

Don't worry about the camino del Norte being your first. It is a wonderful route! I went early May and had overcast and mildly rainy days then after the first week it barely got wet again. No guarantees how it will be. A good poncho will be enough. There are many many albergues along the route. I never was without a bed.
Enjoy
Lillian

 

[JoyAnderson]

Lillian, your comment about weather and albergues on the Del Notre, made my heart take flight. Those were the words I have been waiting and hoping to hear, that has put the almost final stamp on the arrangement. Joy

 

[abigirl007]

Everything I want to hear !!
Thanks for all the positive feedback, much appreciated.

 

[Kitsambler]

I think one of your basic questions is whether jogging is adequate training.

Jogging is great for cardio health and stamina. Two additional areas that help for the camino, that are not addressed by jogging, are: feet and back. Depending on your current daily activities, your feet may not be accustomed to being stood on all day, much less walked on. And your back most likely is not accustomed to toting the weight of a rucksack, even a moderate 7 kg one. So you may want to consider adding training walks (with boots and rucksack load) and core strengthening (abdomen and back) to your current regimen. Even a little bit of work on those areas will help.

That being said, the first few weeks of your walk will be your real training. So plan your daily distances on the conservative side at first, so you can work your way into your more-capable self.

It's ok to be a little nervous -- that will motivate you to do your adequate preparation and research. We are all nervous on our first Camino. Just don't let your nerves be an obstacle to opening the door and beginning your journey!

 

[lindamac]

I walked the Frances way in Oct. and as a sports trainer will just make a comment on the difference between jogging and walking fitness. The main strength in your legs for walking needs to be your hamstring, each walk stride you take creates what is termed 'foot strike', this creates a shock wave which travels up the hamstring tendon. When you jog or run, you land further forward on your foot and so create less foot strike, thus, less strength creation in the hamstring. So definitely try to get more walking training in, and core strength training. Within two weeks of the Camino you will be fairly fit anyway, so go, enjoy, Ultreia!

 

[muppet]

Hi Abigail,

A basic level of fitness beforehand is handy and I would recommend trying to get a bit of walking practise in three to four weeks before leaving. If you can manage 10-20kms per day every other day in the final week before you leave then you'll already have a level to start a Camino. After that you're fitness will increase during the Camino.

In the beginning take it easy and walk shorter distances until you get fitter and know the state of play both fitness and equipmentwise. Practising beforehand is also vital to walk in your shoes and socks and toughen your feet up. Also think about taking poles if you're planning to do the whole distance to save your knees and ankles.

I want to try and do the del Norte and/or Primitivo this year either in MAy, June or July depending on work commitments and finances...

Good luck!

Muppet

 

[Anniesantiago]

Most people I met along the Camino did absolutely no training.

Just go at your own pace, listen to your body, start out slow and walk shorter stages, gradually working your way up.

What broke more people that I met (rather than no training) was 1) carrying too much weight, 2) having ill-fitting boots or shoes and 3) insisting on walking when they were injured.

 

[Caminando]

I think one of your basic questions is whether jogging is adequate training.

Jogging is great for cardio health and stamina. Two additional areas that help for the camino, that are not addressed by jogging, are: feet and back. Depending on your current daily activities, your feet may not be accustomed to being stood on all day, much less walked on. And your back most likely is not accustomed to toting the weight of a rucksack, even a moderate 7 kg one. So you may want to consider adding training walks (with boots and rucksack load) and core strengthening (abdomen and back) to your current regimen. Even a little bit of work on those areas will help.

That being said, the first few weeks of your walk will be your real training. So plan your daily distances on the conservative side at first, so you can work your way into your more-capable self.

It's ok to be a little nervous -- that will motivate you to do your adequate preparation and research. We are all nervous on our first Camino. Just don't let your nerves be an obstacle to opening the door and beginning your journey!

Hi Kit

Actually, if the main weight of the rucsac is taken by your back then it is very badly adjusted; I think there is a misunderstanding here.

The weight of the sac is properly taken by the hips, through correct use of the waistbelt.

 

[Caminando]

Most people I met along the Camino did absolutely no training.

Just go at your own pace, listen to your body, start out slow and walk shorter stages, gradually working your way up.

What broke more people that I met (rather than no training) was 1) carrying too much weight, 2) having ill-fitting boots or shoes and 3) insisting on walking when they were injured.

I fully agree with this practical advice.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

There is a "walk of shame" not witnessed by most pilgrims. It is at the train station at St.-Jean-Pied-de-Port. When I finished the walk from Le Puy, there were a dozen or so pilgrims waiting with me for the train to Bayonne. They all were limping, and most wore zoris to avoid pressure on their blisters. They were the pilgrims who headed up the mountains, but had to quit on the first day. Most of them probably did absolutely no training. Their boots hanging from their packs generally looked new-out-of-the-box.

Most people I met along the Camino did absolutely no training.

This is true within the constraint of artistic license. I met almost no one who did absolutely no training (they probably were all back at the train station), but met very few that did extensive training. Regular walks, some including a backpack, and all including the footwear to be worn, were typical. You would find it useful to go to the gym, maybe work with a personal trainer, for general strength. A backpack finds muscles you do not use every day, so it would be good to have good general muscle tone to help with all the surprises your body will have for you.

Walking 20-25 km per day for a month is not easy, but it is within the capability of many more people than think they can do it. But do not make the task more difficult than it needs to be by being a couch potato right up to departure. Give yourself a break, and settle for discomfort over misery.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Walking 20-25 km per day for a month is not easy, but it is within the capability of many more people than think they can do it. But do not make the task more difficult than it needs to be by being a couch potato right up to departure. Give yourself a break, and settle for discomfort over misery.

I would have to agree with this. I guess I never considered getting up off the couch to be "training." :lol:

 

[Kitsambler]

Actually, if the main weight of the rucsac is taken by your back then it is very badly adjusted; I think there is a misunderstanding here.

The weight of the sac is properly taken by the hips, through correct use of the waistbelt.

Hi Cam,
Thanks, but there's no misunderstanding on this end. Actually, one doesn't exercise the back with the intent of holding up the rucksack. There is a significant difference between the structural function of the skeleton and the mechanical function of the muscles. The power for the legs comes from the trunk (belly and back) to a significant extent. So, actually, these areas are certainly candidates for inclusion in a preparatory training program.

I would second falcon's observations. Most of us Americans have very sedentary days: even if we get to the gym for an hour every day, we spend most of the rest of the day sitting. So our backs, bellies, and feet really need more preparation to overcome this.

 

[Caminando]

And your back most likely is not accustomed to toting the weight of a rucksack, even a moderate 7 kg one.

Hi Kit
This is the bit of your post I referred to.
I took it to mean that you said that your back must become used to taking the weight of your rucsac, so you must exercise it.
I'm suggesting that it's your hips via the waistbelt which take the weight, not your back.

 

[nellpilgrim]

Hi Nervous first timer,
I can't tell you not to be nervous because I was a nervous first, second and third timer. The fact is I'm a little nervous at the start of everyday on each Camino. Ironically the only thing that's guaranteed to get rid of those nerves is.......just starting to walk (slowly) :lol: As for your physical preparations do what makes you feel good and builds your confidence if you can.... and don't feel too bad if you can't do all you planned.
No matter how carefully I prepare and plan for them my caminos continue to sabotage my best 'managerial' efforts and deliver rewarding but different 'outcomes' from the ones I might have expected/planned. It seems on each journey I have to rediscover that this is one of the joys and challenges of pilgrimage
Enjoy.