oztraveller
New Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- May 2017
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Would you at least have correctly fitted and broken in footwear? I've seen pilgrims half that age who had the wrong gear leave the Camino for foot problems.Has anyone older than 65 made a sudden spontaneously impulsive decision to walk the whole Camino de Santiago without any physical preparation in the way of walks, treks, carrying backpacks etc. How did you manage? My feeling is I'll get fitter and stronger along the way taking it easy in the first weeks.
I strongly suggest that you read many posts/threads here about various health problems, training/not training, equipment choices, etc., etc. If you're ready to stop when you should regardless of expense/inconvenience, then go ahead. I would absolutely not recommend taking off without a lot of training and research. If you were 30 or 40 years younger, the physical experience would very likely be very different. But you aren't.Has anyone older than 65 made a sudden spontaneously impulsive decision to walk the whole Camino de Santiago without any physical preparation in the way of walks, treks, carrying backpacks etc. How did you manage? My feeling is I'll get fitter and stronger along the way taking it easy in the first weeks.
I think you are very very wrong! (about that making you an outsider)I'm not conventionally religious. That makes me an outsider on this forum.
I think you are very very wrong!
My post is very specific with parameters and is unequivocally true based on those parameters. Unfortunately, people are afraid to address the truth in this regard because it might somehow spoil the Camino, whereas I am trying to be transparent so that people make informed decisions.
I think you are very very wrong! (about that making you an outsider)
My post is very specific with parameters and is unequivocally true based on those parameters. Unfortunately, people are afraid to address the truth in this regard because it might somehow spoil the Camino, whereas I am trying to be transparent so that people make informed decisions.
I like this. That means I just celebrated my "New 50th Birthday".65 is the new 50, as long as you are reasonably fit and use common sense, there isn't a reason why you shouldn't walk the Camino ;-) Over the years, I met plenty of pilgrims that were in their 80s and they were doing just fine. Buen Camino, SY
My post is very specific with parameters and is unequivocally true based on those parameters. Unfortunately, people are afraid to address the truth in this regard because it might somehow spoil the Camino, whereas I am trying to be transparent so that people make informed decisions.
Has anyone older than 65 made a sudden spontaneously impulsive decision to walk the whole Camino de Santiago without any physical preparation in the way of walks, treks, carrying backpacks etc. How did you manage? My feeling is I'll get fitter and stronger along the way taking it easy in the first weeks.
Nothing is unequivocally true apart of 1+1=2 and even that is open for discussions amongst mathematicians. Buen Camino, SY
If you were 30 or 40 years younger, the physical experience would very likely be very different. But you aren't.
Oddly enough, the people I have seen with the worst injuries i.e. unable to walk/carry on were young and fit ones
Wow, when I first looked at this thread this morning there were only a few replies and I thought I had better put something down to re-assure you that extensive training is not necessarily necessary. Remember that we are all different. Before my older brother (he was 67 at the time and still working) and I set off 18 months ago he was and still is a very active person. I on the other hand being only 65 and not working was and am still not a very active person. But I did buy a new (Odyssey 38) pack and a pair of Ecco sandals. I had a good pair of well worn in walking shoes and a smile on my face. I had never done any "serious" walking before and wanted to see what it was like. My brother and his wife had walked the CF the Autumn of 2014 and he wanted to do it again, but left me to make the arrangements for travel from Canada to Europe.
I kept meaning to go out and put some K's behind me as my brother recommended but somehow never quite achieved it. I decided we would start in Geneva in front of the UN, as that seemed appropriate for what was happening in the world then. My brother had only 3 weeks and I had 3 months with the idea that if I didn't take to walking I would go and visit relatives in the UK. As I said earlier, we are all different. My brothers hiking boots seemed to hurt - all of the time. My shoes and sandals which I switched from day to day - walk a day in shoes then walk a day in sandals - felt fine. Our first day was 24 kms and I was still smiling.
My brother wanted to go,go go and I traipsed along. Sometimes an hour or so behind him, more often together as he learned to move at my pace.
I eventually walked into Santiago 81 days after leaving Geneva and threw away my shoes but not the sandals - which I still wear nearly every day.
Take your time, stop for coffee (or a beer) often and enjoy.
Buen Camino
Ia am not "over 65", but near...
I think that for us, a general medical check up (includinga a dental) is more important than any physical preparation. We need to go to the Camino in our best possible health version; many days of continuous long walks put a lot of cumulative stress on the body.
Thanks, I do have good footwear and have done a reasonable amount of research about foot problems.Would you at least have correctly fitted and broken in footwear? I've seen pilgrims half that age who had the wrong gear leave the Camino for foot problems.
Thanks OTH86, you've said exactly what I want to hear. I have 3 months so don't need to rush@oztraveller, In a couple of days I will turn 72, and started my Camino in St Jean on the 29th - on the spur of the moment. This year I decided I NEEDED another walk sooner than expected - Thus I'm in rather poor shape Also, had a back injury 6 months ago, so haven't carried a pack of any kind for that long. But I have done the Camino before, so know what to expect! I sent almost 2 lbs ahead this morning from the correos to get my pack weight down. I'm taking my time, resting more often than in the past, and THINK I'm feeling stronger day by day - as you suspect. Yes, if you start from St Jean, it's going to be very difficult, then it will be really difficult, then it be just difficult, and eventually it will get a bit easier. But GO SLOWLY, don't compare yourself to others who are passing you by, rest often, drink lots of water, eat frequently and healthily, and keep your pack weight below the recommended level! If you feel pain anywhere, stop and attend to it or have it attended to right away - pharmacies are a great place to start!! They have great experience attending to pains on the Camino, and can refer you if necessary. DO check out the other postings as above, and enjoy it all!
Buen Camino!
Terry
Thanks Mike, I have 3 months so don't need to rush and I've done lots of research. I think I'll be fine taking it slow but not too slow to miss out on albergue accommodations. I have an affinity with many things you say.I was 71 when I walked the Camino Frances earlier this year. I've written many posts about my experience. I solved some problems before and some after I walked the 800kms. I believe strongly in caution, or to put it geekishly, prudent risk management. At my age my approach turned out to be a wise choice. For me.
Also, I'm not conventionally religious. That makes me an outsider on this forum. I explore this world and the world of the mind/'soul' as best I can. I have faith in my brain such as it is, and whatever choices I'm equipped to make and so I try to be as well informed and prepared as I can be. There are many wise people on this forum whose experience has benefitted me. And there are a few rash ones who don't use a language that I speak. Sorry if that sounds pompous but I'm trying to be clear.
I want to walk a lot more - in Italy, Portugal, in Palestine and hopefully further afield. I don't seek contentment and so I don't intend to stick with the familiar. A hunter for truth and beauty can never be content, it seems to me. I can't afford to be reckless if I want to remain active and vigorous into my 80's. My own doctor doesn't believe I'm my age, so something's working for me.
Buen Camino, - Mike
Thank you vgen5122 taking care of my feet and walking the tortoise walk will be my priorityI am over 65 and I walked the Camino in 2013. I found that your shoes are very, very, very important. I am not really a walker although when I knew that we were going on the Camino I did start to walk. I walked at the neighborhood park for about 30 mins, three times a week. I did this for about a month before our trip.
What I learned walking the Camino: I am a turtle of a walker. Meaning I walk slow. Almost everybody passed me, probably even the wild life too.
The very first challenge was going up the Pyrenees. Little did I know that going down would be more challenging that going up.
Going down the Pyrenees my feet started to swell. I mistakenly brought hiking shoes that were just my size and less than a quarter of an inch of room. When you go down the Pyrenees your feet are tested. Your feet, due to the rocks are moved every way imaginable. It is very, very important to buy shoes that are comfortable and are 1/2inch to 1 inch bigger than your normal size. Also in my opinion it is very important that your shoes have a thick or hard sole so that you don't feel the rocks beneath your feet. I like to ware tennis shoes because they are light, rather than hiking boots. For my next Camino I am choosing a Hoka shoes. Also another thing is to wear the shoes before your trip and break them in.
Last tip: Buy good hiking poles. They are so helpful and won't stress out your joints as much. This was just my experience and I hope I was able to provide some information to you. Buen Camino.
But have you added "walking" to your daily to-do list for whatever time you have left? Have you walked extensively in sandals before? Are you planning to go soon? (Just asking since I wouldn't choose sandals for walking in October-November in northern Spain.)have decided to add walking sandals to my list
Thanks C clearly, I walk/jog 5km occasionally and often feel I could go further for longer. I haven't walked in walking sandals before but think interchanging my footwear will help my feet. My desision was sudden to do Camino but plan to go next spring. The next few months in OZ during summer even into April can be unbearably hot in SA so I won't be out walking or carrying a backpack & walking a treadmill at the gym is too boring for me.But have you added "walking" to your daily to-do list for whatever time you have left? Have you walked extensively in sandals before? Are you planning to go soon? (Just asking since I wouldn't choose sandals for walking in October-November in northern Spain.)
IMHO you really should train a bit more. 5 km is nothing on the Camino. I didn't train hard-core, but I did walk between 8 to 20 km every day in the couple of months before my Camino. I only walked with a not quite fully loaded backpack a few of those days. And I walked about 17 km for 7 consecutive days to see how my feet would hold up with the daily pounding. As I live in a hilly area, my training did include plenty of uphill walking. I think that my training helped me walk injury free, and looking forward to each day.Thanks C clearly, I walk/jog 5km occasionally and often feel I could go further for longer. I haven't walked in walking sandals before but think interchanging my footwear will help my feet. My desision was sudden to do Camino but plan to go next spring. The next few months in OZ during summer even into April can be unbearably hot in SA so I won't be out walking or carrying a backpack & walking a treadmill at the gym is too boring for me.
Thanks heaps JennyH94 for all your suggestions and advice. I will check out Bystander's proposed walking schedule. I wish him well. Those km are close to what I want to achieve around the start so I've taken a screen shot of your postHi oztraveller -
Here are a couple of suggestions to add to the mix of terrific responses you've received so far.
First suggestion ...
As you've got several months before you go, how about checking out your local pilgrim group/camino support group in Adelaide? The meetings give all who attend an opportunity to ask questions, receive GREAT tips on "everything Camino" and are great fun. If you check out the Australian Friends of the Camino website (afotc.org) or email them at info@afotc.org, they'll be able to give you details of the meetings which I understand are regularly held in the Rosefield Uniting Church Hall in Highgate. I'm a member of Pilgrims in Sydney and our meetings are full of wonderful advice and a huge amount of sharing between new and returned pilgrims plus a ton of laughter. I'm sure the Adelaide peregrinos would be exactly the same!
Second suggestion ...
Bystander, who's been a member of the Camino Forum since 2008, last June shared a list of the distances on the Camino Frances that he intends to walk next year. You can see from the list that if you follow these distances you'll ease yourself into the first stage of the Camino ... they're very manageable distances.
Here's Bystander's post:
" I have been held back from starting my camino by illness.....,,,,,whilst, now recovering, complications have followed and 2017 will, hopefully, be my camino year.
But for some time my proposed walking schedule for the first ten days, to avoid injury and to build up stamina, has been as below. You will see it is only after Puenta la Reina that I would crank up the daily distances. Also bear in mind I will have no time restrictions.
SJPdP – Valcarlos - 12km
Valcarlos - Roncevalles - 13
Roncevalles – Viskarret, Corazon Puro - 10
Viskarret - Akerreta - 17
Akerreta - Pamplona - 15
Rest day in Pamplona
Pamplona – Zariquiegui - 14
Pamplona – Uterga - 14
Zariquiegui - Puenta la Reina - 16
Puenta la Reina – Estella - 22 "
As you have plenty of time, these distances might work well for you.
One more thing ... buy an Aussie flag cloth badge and also a Camino Forum cloth badge for your pack - they're fantastic conversation openers! Forum members are everywhere, as are us Aussies!!!
Buen Camino oztraveller!
Cheers - Jenny
Thank you vgen5122 taking care of my feet and walking the tortoise walk will be my priority
Thanks vgen5122 I think 1st stop in Orrisson sounds great or any place nearby. Thanks for advice if I get a sore back, hopefully my pack will be light enough to not cause problemsJust a few last suggestions. Stop and stay in Orrisson. It a great place to stop after your first day. Otherwise be prepared to walk up to 25km on the first day fr. ST. Jean Pied de Port to Roncesvalles. A lot of people may disagree with me, but if your backpack starts hurting your back you may want to call for the services of (I am not sure of the correct name) Jocan(?)it is a backpack taxi. They will deliver your backpack to the next town where you are staying or to a pick up point in that town. Buen Camino.
The thing is that there really isn't much else "nearby". If you want to stay at Orisson, make a reservation.Thanks vgen5122 I think 1st stop in Orrisson sounds great or any place nearby. Thanks for advice if I get a sore back, hopefully my pack will be light enough to not cause problems
Has anyone older than 65 made a sudden spontaneously impulsive decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago and onto Finisterre) without any physical preparation in the way of walks, treks, carrying backpacks etc. How did you manage? My feeling is I'll get fitter and stronger along the way taking it easy in the first weeks.
It's a good joke too.This is the absolute truth for me too.
They push themselves too hard and injure themselves the first day over the Pyrenees in many cases.
There's a joke about a young bull and an old bull, but it's off-color so I won't post it.
But I'm laughing as I think about it.
they have a system that transports your back pack ...we used that system...one thing that will help the most is start stretching every part of your body, we didnt do that and that brought us to a halt on day 4, I sure started stretching after that, two days down and I was good to go...We were 66 then...Has anyone older than 65 made a sudden spontaneously impulsive decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago and onto Finisterre) without any physical preparation in the way of walks, treks, carrying backpacks etc. How did you manage? My feeling is I'll get fitter and stronger along the way taking it easy in the first weeks.
You can spend the first night at Orisson, but even with that overnight stop, the distance from Orisson to Roncesvalles is one of the longest without any place to rest, eat (other than the food truck), use the bathroom, etc., and it's one of the most physically difficult stages of the Camino Frances, so it's hard to "take it easy" in the beginning. If you start at Roncesvalles, as many, especially Spaniards do, you will have lots more opportunity to take it easy in the beginning. Or, I have heard it suggested that you start on the trail earlier in France, to start getting your body used to the walk.Has anyone older than 65 made a sudden spontaneously impulsive decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago and onto Finisterre) without any physical preparation in the way of walks, treks, carrying backpacks etc. How did you manage? My feeling is I'll get fitter and stronger along the way taking it easy in the first weeks.
Has anyone older than 65 made a sudden spontaneously impulsive decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago and onto Finisterre) without any physical preparation ....
Has anyone older than 65 made a sudden spontaneously impulsive decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago and onto Finisterre) without any physical preparation in the way of walks, treks, carrying backpacks etc. How did you manage? My feeling is I'll get fitter and stronger along the way taking it easy in the first weeks.
I think you stand a good chance of enjoying the hard slog as long as you are reasonably active, pack light and just do one day at a time,Has anyone older than 65 made a sudden spontaneously impulsive decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago and onto Finisterre) without any physical preparation in the way of walks, treks, carrying backpacks etc. How did you manage? My feeling is I'll get fitter and stronger along the way taking it easy in the first weeks.
I think it depends on your exercise 'history'. If you are generally an active person, with some recent history of walking (doesn't have to be much, 45 min, about 5 days a week) then yes, go for it, but if you are getting up off the couch after years of inactivity, then don't rush into it, get some basic fitness first. Do some walking, climb steps. Fill a backpack and try it out. Breaking in a sturdy part of boots or off road runners would be good also. Travel light. Take your time. I do believe you can increase your fitness as you go along. The start of the Camino is rough though, from Roncesvalles to Pamplona, it's up and down on a rough pathway. Good luck !Has anyone older than 65 made a sudden spontaneously impulsive decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago and onto Finisterre) without any physical preparation in the way of walks, treks, carrying backpacks etc. How did you manage? My feeling is I'll get fitter and stronger along the way taking it easy in the first weeks.
Has anyone older than 65 made a sudden spontaneously impulsive decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago and onto Finisterre) without any physical preparation in the way of walks, treks, carrying backpacks etc. How did you manage? My feeling is I'll get fitter and stronger along the way taking it easy in the first weeks.
Hi oztraveller - you're right about SA having extremes of temperatures ... it would definitely make training during the summer months difficult unless you're up at the crack of dawn and out walking then, and that would only be on the milder days. Try and do some walking on those milder days if your schedule allows it.Thanks C clearly, I walk/jog 5km occasionally and often feel I could go further for longer. I haven't walked in walking sandals before but think interchanging my footwear will help my feet. My desision was sudden to do Camino but plan to go next spring. The next few months in OZ during summer even into April can be unbearably hot in SA so I won't be out walking or carrying a backpack & walking a treadmill at the gym is too boring for me.
Actually I was somemonths younger than 65 when I did the Pamplona - SdC last year (started from Le Puy-en Velay two years before that). My job makes me move a lot, an d I very seldom feel like walking/traing when I get home. But I made both seasons in good shape (stronger when I finished than when I started, of course). I was not tempted to send my pack along, as I carried all of it in a pack that never was heavier than 9 kg.Has anyone older than 65 made a sudden spontaneously impulsive decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago and onto Finisterre) without any physical preparation in the way of walks, treks, carrying backpacks etc. How did you manage? My feeling is I'll get fitter and stronger along the way taking it easy in the first weeks.
Brilliant suggestions Jenny. Thank youHi oztraveller - you're right about SA having extremes of temperatures ... it would definitely make training during the summer months difficult unless you're up at the crack of dawn and out walking then, and that would only be on the milder days. Try and do some walking on those milder days if your schedule allows it.
A couple of things I thought of as I was out walking this morning is that if you're near a beach or have access to a pool, whether it be a council-run one, one at a leisure centre or perhaps a friend's or a neighbour's pool (you might even own one yourself - wonderful if you do), is that treading water in deep water is a fantastic exercise. It not only strengthens your legs, it strengthens your whole core. The exercise is even better if you fold your arms close to your body and rely on the fast movement of your legs to keep you buoyant - imagine running in the water. This exercise, and some general swimming will help keep you fit and strong over the hot months ahead, plus it's so refreshing - having a swim's fantastic.
The other thing I thought of, during the summer, and indeed until you leave for the Camino, is that you could wear your loaded pack in the house when you're doing the housework - gradually add more gear into the pack over time to increase it's weight to the approximate amount you'll be taking on the Camino. It's an opportunity to wear the pack, feel how it works for you, make adjustments etc. over time, so by the time you go on the Camino it will work well for you.
Buen Camino with your training -
Cheers - Jenny
My pleasure oztraveller -Brilliant suggestions Jenny. Thank you
If you plan to take two days to cross the Pyrenees you could walk the valcarlos route which starts out (and stays) less steep, and breaks the distance into two roughly equal parts. Or you could take the Napoleon route, which is more steep and is especially so the first day; this breaks the days into a short first (8km) and a long second day. You could reserve a room ahead of time on either of these routes so you could walk at a slow pace.Thank you everyone. I didn't expect such a huge response & I appreciate and take it all on board. It sounds like the walk to Roncesvalles is toughest. I'm a slower walker & I wonder if any older citizens walked too slow to the next town missing out on getting a bed and had to stay outside somewhere on a bedroll, which I wouldn't mind, but I've read it's unacceptable in Spain.
Has anyone older than 65 made a sudden spontaneously impulsive decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago and onto Finisterre) without any physical preparation in the way of walks, treks, carrying backpacks etc. How did you manage? My feeling is I'll get fitter and stronger along the way taking it easy in the first weeks.
A profile of the two routes going from St. Jean Pied de Port to Roncevalles.If you plan to take two days to cross the Pyrenees you could walk the valcarlos route which starts out (and stays) less steep, and breaks the distance into two roughly equal parts. Or you could take the Napoleon route, which is more steep and is especially so the first day; this breaks the days into a short first (8km) and a long second day.
Thanks very much, I have my heart set on the Napoleon route.A profile of the two routes going from St. Jean Pied de Port to Roncevalles.
It is still a work in progress.
Lodging is available at St. Jean Pied de Port and Roncevalles of course but also at Honto, Orrison and Valcarlos.
View attachment 29552
Yes I made that decision in 2010 at the age of 70 to walk from Le Puy to Santiago a distance of 1000 miles. I carried a backpack that was too heavy at 12kg plus food and water. Near Lectoure I slipped a disk and was looked after by Veronique in her Gite until I was able to be repatriated home . But after an operation on my back I returned to Veroniques Gite less than 12 months after my operation and completed my pilgrimage to Santiago and Finestere. Since then I have walked a Camino every year plus I walked the European Peace Walk 3 times, the Via Francigena twice from San Gimignano and the via Francisco once from Gubbio.Has anyone older than 65 made a sudden spontaneously impulsive decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago and onto Finisterre) without any physical preparation in the way of walks, treks, carrying backpacks etc. How did you manage? My feeling is I'll get fitter and stronger along the way taking it easy in the first weeks.
And on the camino it's not only the daily distance, it's the impact of repetitive and unaccustomed stress on your body day after day.
You may then want to schedule some more time and money for a few days stay in St. Jean to wait out any bad weather.I have my heart set on the Napoleon route.
@Thornley: the "you" in my previous message was a generic you, it was not addressed to you personally. I understand that one can do short days and find accommodation every 10 km, more or less, in Spain. I also understand that people have set their hearts on walking the Napoleon route and wanting to do the "whole" camino from SJPP to Santiago and beyond to Muxia. I know that one gets fitter day by day. In addition, I have the suspicion that those who give up by the time they reach Logroño don't post much on this forum. I believe - but I can't really back it up, other than personal experience - that many of us totally underestimate the lasting beneficial effects of walking either daily or for long periods in previous years which allows us to start without prior training.
I think one can choose to train, or not. But we must be brutally honest about our abilities and the route we want to take. If they do not match something must be adjusted: a different route, bag transport, taxi, or training. If I came up to someone who walked at most to the corner to pick up mail and said "hey, strap on some shoes, lets go do a 10k, or a half, or a marathon"--they would say "are you crazy?"...and if I said, 'no, it's a piece of cake, the first 18 km are all up hill, pretty steep really, but we'll be carrying some weights in a pack" they would call to have me committed. Pushing the envelope is one thing, but ignoring our limits is another. I'm all for everyone enjoying an injury free camino, all the way to SdC, which requires the right footwear and at least some planning, if not training.
mixed company forum so I'd rather hope no one doesLet's see who states what they are
in the army [ 50 yrs ago] we were told the ****six P's would hold us in good stead then and in future years.
mixed company forum so I'd rather hope no one does
mixed company forum so I'd rather hope no one does
Could this refer to the Australian Army medical corp's motto: Proctologists Probing Privates Poorly Prevents Performanc
You may then want to schedule some more time and money for a few days stay in St. Jean to wait out any bad weather.
Apologies if it came across that way.This assessment of my comments in this thread surprises me.
Also, I'm not conventionally religious. That makes me an outsider on this forum.
So that must mean that 80 is the new 60??65 is the new 50, as long as you are reasonably fit and use common sense, there isn't a reason why you shouldn't walk the Camino ;-) Over the years, I met plenty of pilgrims that were in their 80s and they were doing just fine. Buen Camino, SY
Has anyone older than 65 made a sudden spontaneously impulsive decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago and onto Finisterre) without any physical preparation in the way of walks, treks, carrying backpacks etc. How did you manage? My feeling is I'll get fitter and stronger along the way taking it easy in the first weeks.
10 minutes break per hour
long lunch
-really small distances to start
Wow! You are an inspiration movinmaggieOztraveler, it was one year ago this week I walked into Santiago for my 80th birthday. I see you are scheduled for 2017. You can do this..... without overdoing the training. Let common sense prevail and stay within your comfort level. That doesn't mean to say you cannot stretch the trainin every so slowly. So many take the first couple of days much to fast. Slowly, slowly.
I will walk in Scotland this coming Spring and return to the Camino in 2018.....wish you early Buen Camino.
Go for itHas anyone older than 65 made a sudden spontaneously impulsive decision to walk the Camino de Santiago (St Jean Pied de Port to Santiago and onto Finisterre) without any physical preparation in the way of walks, treks, carrying backpacks etc. How did you manage? My feeling is I'll get fitter and stronger along the way taking it easy in the first weeks.
Thanks MechEngr, reaching Orisson is my plan, but if I don't get there maybe nap under a tree. I'll be taking it slow in the beginning with maybe 7 kg pack and taking super care of my feet. I really want to walk the whole distance. I hope I'm lucky like you with the weatherHi Oztraveler! I walked from St. Jean to Burgos departing on 9/25/14 when I was 67. Then returned to walk from Burgos to SdC departing 4/17/15 when I was 68. My 10kg backpack was 13 percent of my weight. I did no extra training to supplement my normal every-other-day 2-mile run. I got lucky with cool, dry weather for both sections. I stayed at Orisson, and highly recommend it. My legs were tired only after the first three hilly days. In 2013 as a test of my endurance and shoe fit, I hiked, but without a backpack, 70 miles one week in the mountains east of Salt Lake City, Utah, the year before going to St. Jean (and before deciding to do the CF). On that trip I took photos of my feet where the blisters had occurred. Every morning on the Camino I taped those 5 toes, and had no blister problems. In summary, if you have the strength to walk up to Orisson on the first day, and have a plan to prevent blisters, I think you will enjoy the scenery, food and wine, the Spanish, and fellow pilgrims.
Thanks fasert, my thought exactly.Go for it
I'm 15 years younger and have gone ill prepared twice as far as training and being overweight. However I did heed advice on footwear socks and pack weight. Take it slow and fitness will come!
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