Starting in St. Jean

Carrie,

You are as normal as anyone that wants to walk 800 km, sleep cheek by jowl next to strangers (though many will become friends), get wet, get cold, get hot...get fed up but press on...just to see old cathedrals, peasant churches, statues of the Virgin, Crosses, bridges, swollen rivers and streams and sheep. You'll eat fantastic meals...while at some point...any meal will seem fantastic.

You should book ahead when possible in SJPDP and some of the larger cities if you choose not to stay in an albergue/refugio.

Read the many threads on accommodation and what may be ahead. In that this will be a Holy Year...the Spanish G'ovt may be putting up tent cities.

Buen Camino,
Arn

Carrie, book a bed ahead at the albergue Esprit du Chemin in St Jean. http://www.espritduchemin.org/ They allow bookings for people coming from afar to start their walk.
If you are puffing up the stairs, you might want to book a night at Orisson on the way up to the pass.
http://www.refuge-orisson.com/ refuge.orisson@wanadoo.fr
Both places will book up quickly so don't leave it too late.

Hi Carrie,
Don't worry you may be 'huffing up the stairs' before you go but you won't be when you get back that's for sure :lol:
No matter how fit you become before your journey take is gently for the first ten days. If you haven't been able to keep to your intended training plan (we tried to keep to ours....but didn't ) just use that 1st two weeks a period of 'on the road' training. Sils suggestion of breaking the first stage from SJPP to Roncevalles into two stages with overnight at Orisson would be perfect and it's a lovely place.
I don't know why but I was breathless at the start of everyday so I learned to keep the chest and waist bands of my pack a little loose for the 1st hour or so of walking until I 'warmed up' and then adjusted the bands. This process reminded me of a recalcitrant pony who used 'blow up' to prevent his girth being pulled tight enough when I was putting his saddle on. My solution was to give Toby a sharp knee in the stomach so that he exhaled (who wouldn't) and then I'd pull the girth up a notch or two....I'm really glad my walking partner never tried out this technique with me!
Nell