- Time of past OR future Camino
- Inglès April 2023
Primitivo July 2023
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Being motivated about the next Camino is never an issue, I think about the Camino with longing every day .Ok, it's winter, and it looks like it's going to be a long, cold one. There's already a thin layer of snow outside. Well, it was snow, it's now just ice - and it's as slippery as an ice rink too, just a heck of a lot rougher. Which makes going for any kind of walk doubly hard. Let alone a proper hike.
I actively dislike swimming in indoor swimming pools - although I love a good spa or sauna ! But the latter don't exactly help my fitness. I had a very brief trial at the local gymnasium in my early twenties - I gave my membership up to a friend. There's no way I'm going back - there's nothing so ridiculous to me as walking on a treadmill when I can walk on a beautiful path. Or even in the concrete jungle for that matter, traffic fumes and all. Nothing against those of you who love it - it's just one of my personal quirks.
I can -and do - sit for hours reading, sometimes followed by a YouTube video or two, and of course (far too much!) time here on the forum. I also spend significant time researching and planning my next trip.
All of which I enjoy.
But none of which helps me stay motivated between now and my next Camino.
So, fellow pilgrims, how do you stay motivated?
Walk a trail or two in Aotearoa New ZealandOk, it's winter, and it looks like it's going to be a long, cold one. There's already a thin layer of snow outside. Well, it was snow, it's now just ice - and it's as slippery as an ice rink too, just a heck of a lot rougher. Which makes going for any kind of walk doubly hard. Let alone a proper hike.
I actively dislike swimming in indoor swimming pools - although I love a good spa or sauna ! But the latter don't exactly help my fitness. I had a very brief trial at the local gymnasium in my early twenties - I gave my membership up to a friend. There's no way I'm going back - there's nothing so ridiculous to me as walking on a treadmill when I can walk on a beautiful path. Or even in the concrete jungle for that matter, traffic fumes and all. Nothing against those of you who love it - it's just one of my personal quirks.
I can -and do - sit for hours reading, sometimes followed by a YouTube video or two, and of course (far too much!) time here on the forum. I also spend significant time researching and planning my next trip.
All of which I enjoy.
But none of which helps me stay motivated between now and my next Camino.
So, fellow pilgrims, how do you stay motivated?
That's me to the core. I'm definitely motivated to walk the next Camino - it's the between Caminos that is problematic! In winter, doing more than just walking around the block for a little fresh air (especially with all the ice outside) interests me not at all. Sporty I am not!I am always motivated to walk another Camino. Motivation to do "sports" inbetween Caminos is something completely different, though. I've never been a sportive person so that's really not something that comes naturally to me!
Funny, isn't it? Walking a several thousand km route, "hell yes!", but a run around the block? "Oh god, please no... ".
I mainly use the time inbetween Caminos to research potential new routes ect. I have endless motivation for that!
Hikes over several days also help - I find it much easier to find motivation to walk from A-B over several days than walk in circles at home or go running around the block or swimming in a pool. Walks over several days (away from home, even if not far away), for me, are fine no matter what the weather is like. Sadly I rarely find the opportunity to walk more than two days in a row. Which is frustrating when you prefer to walk for several months...
Good thing is that on really long distance walks you get fit over time. Not really a need to train before. I can start full couch potato and probably will still make it over the pyrenees again, alive and happy. At least I hope so!
I'd love to! Home, sweet home! I've just been watching some YouTube videos on the TA. I'm so, so envious.....Walk a trail or two in Aotearoa New Zealandor (very) second choice a trail in Oz
Mmm. But that's your training regime. What actually gets you out the door each morning? Or is it that, simply knowing that you have another camino yet to walk, you don't need any further motivation?Five to six kilometer walks every morning 5-6 days a week. Sometimes with a weighted vest.
Pushups and yoga stretches.
I'd love to! Home, sweet home! I've just been watching some YouTube videos on the TA. I'm so, so envious.....
But I'm stuck here in Germany. There's a damn good reason I call myself expatkiwi!
So, fellow pilgrims, how do you stay motivated?
That is so me. I ride my bike 12km to my gardens, work a bit, walk completely different trails before riding home. All while listening to podcasts … I only listen to podcasts when I walk and garden.I am fortunate to live in an area that does not have severe winters, so I can generally walk outside all year. We have discussed this before, when I've mentioned that my newfound love of podcasts and audiobooks (using bone-conduction headphones) keeps me very motivated to walk. I only allow myself to listen while I am walking or gardening!
I am "fortunate" to live in an area with a relatively high mean age (no, not Florida- it's cold where we are too!) and there is a good community centre that offers a lot of classes from Spin to Yoga and lots in between. Some of them attract more seniors and others are a bit of a mix. I never saw myself enjoying it either but now, like you, wanting to stay fit, I have been trying out different things and have assembled a list as long as my arm (well, not quiteOk, it's winter, and it looks like it's going to be a long, cold one. There's already a thin layer of snow outside. Well, it was snow, it's now just ice - and it's as slippery as an ice rink too, just a heck of a lot rougher. Which makes going for any kind of walk doubly hard. Let alone a proper hike.
I actively dislike swimming in indoor swimming pools - although I love a good spa or sauna ! But the latter don't exactly help my fitness. I had a very brief trial at the local gymnasium in my early twenties - I gave my membership up to a friend. There's no way I'm going back - there's nothing so ridiculous to me as walking on a treadmill when I can walk on a beautiful path. Or even in the concrete jungle for that matter, traffic fumes and all. Nothing against those of you who love it - it's just one of my personal quirks.
I can -and do - sit for hours reading, sometimes followed by a YouTube video or two, and of course (far too much!) time here on the forum. I also spend significant time researching and planning my next trip.
All of which I enjoy.
But none of which helps me stay motivated between now and my next Camino.
So, fellow pilgrims, how do you stay motivated?
Caminos aside, overall health, well being and longevity is what motivates me out the door and walking as well as working out and not eating garbage foods anymore. Being able to walk the Camino with minimal difficulty is a bonus. That's why I always comment on here that equipment choices etc should always take a backseat to fitness and body weight, conditioning etc before one embarks on walking the Camino. It just makes the walk so much more enjoyable and one can focus on so many other things besides sheer exhaustion and possible injury.Mmm. But that's your training regime. What actually gets you out the door each morning? Or is it that, simply knowing that you have another camino yet to walk, you don't need any further motivation?
RJM- I completely agree.Caminos aside, overall health, well being and longevity is what motivates me out the door and walking as well as working out and not eating garbage foods anymore. Being able to walk the Camino with minimal difficulty is a bonus. That's why I always comment on here that equipment choices etc should always take a backseat to fitness and body weight, conditioning etc before one embarks on walking the Camino. It just makes the walk so much more enjoyable and one can focus on so many other things besides sheer exhaustion and possible injury.
Also my job gets me out the door every morning and sometimes nights.
Tom- your post is beautiful and heart-rending. Your positivity is inspiring.My circumstances are a little different. This year (2023), I had to cancel all European Camino plans, walking and volunteering, to remain home to be my wife's caregiver.
During this interregnum, I increased the daly time I spent trying to help others on this Forum. I talk about the Camino whenever someone wants to listen. On the few times I am able to attend Mass personally, the priest usually starts introducing me to the HIspanic congregation as "Don Tomás," after Mass. This, from my volunteer activities at Santiago, the honors I have been blessed to receive, and the book I wrote.
Also, it helps me practice my nascent Spanish. FYI - I also continue to practice my Spanish for at least one-hour daily using Duolingo.com. I have been doing it for over 2100 days without a break. I can hold child-like conversations with my simple grammar and limited vocabulary. But, as I live in an area with a lot of Latino folks, every bit helps. In fact, I am using Spanish more here, in Northern Virginia, than I did living recently in South Florida for seven years.
My wife's illness and my response to it IS my current Camino. I have been on it since early this past April. This journey will likely last another six-months or so - if we are blessed so as to be fortunate and my wife's reconstructive surgery is successful. At its essence any life challenge or obstacle can be your personal journey or Camino.
At present, the only time I get to leave the home is a daily trip to my local gym for an hour or so, followed by local errands on the roundabout way home. This, at least gets me out among other people.
Then, I have a group of Camino friends that I commiserate with via e-mail and text. They help keep me centered, and focused on what truly matters. I can lean on them when times get tough, as they "get it."
The sole aspect of being in the "off-season" that bothers me is that I am not walking. However, I am hoping for an improvement in my wife's condition that will allow me to be away from her bedside for more than 90 minutes or so. I now live back where I used to live when I first practiced and trained for my earliest Caminos. Here, in northern Virginia, we have rolling hills, with mostly paved walking surfaces.
As was the case ten years ago, my plan is to load a rucksack with suitable weight to simulate my live load, lace up comfortable shoes and walk someplace. I used to have a five mile out and five mile back route that got me to a Starbucks (my cafe stop). I also had several 5 - 8 mile loops. I need to re-walk these to reestablish the distances.
Part of my personal problem is that walking just to walk, bores me to tears. I think others have expressed similar sentiments above. I must have a destination - a shop, cafe, or landmark. That is one reason why the Camino is so good. Every day has a destination.
This is how I keep my sanity.
Hope this helps the discussion.
Tom
Wherever you live, there are caminos...ways to get from here to there...and back. After our first camino, I joined the American Pilgrims on the Camino. We hike together regularly and for those of us who have walked caminos, it's great fun discussing our experiences. And those who walk with us who are wannabe peregrinos learn so much. I contrast that with talking with relatives and friends about our experiences. Their attention span is measured in seconds.Ok, it's winter, and it looks like it's going to be a long, cold one. There's already a thin layer of snow outside. Well, it was snow, it's now just ice - and it's as slippery as an ice rink too, just a heck of a lot rougher. Which makes going for any kind of walk doubly hard. Let alone a proper hike.
I actively dislike swimming in indoor swimming pools - although I love a good spa or sauna ! But the latter don't exactly help my fitness. I had a very brief trial at the local gymnasium in my early twenties - I gave my membership up to a friend. There's no way I'm going back - there's nothing so ridiculous to me as walking on a treadmill when I can walk on a beautiful path. Or even in the concrete jungle for that matter, traffic fumes and all. Nothing against those of you who love it - it's just one of my personal quirks.
I can -and do - sit for hours reading, sometimes followed by a YouTube video or two, and of course (far too much!) time here on the forum. I also spend significant time researching and planning my next trip.
All of which I enjoy.
But none of which helps me stay motivated between now and my next Camino.
So, fellow pilgrims, how do you stay motivated?
First, a possible suggestion to stay active--IF you have an indoor shopping mall, I have heard from a few people that they go there in the morning (getting inside 1/2 hour from opening is sometimes possible also) and do laps in the mall. This sounds very interesting to me but alas, I don't have a mall close to me.Ok, it's winter, and it looks like it's going to be a long, cold one. There's already a thin layer of snow outside. Well, it was snow, it's now just ice - and it's as slippery as an ice rink too, just a heck of a lot rougher. Which makes going for any kind of walk doubly hard. Let alone a proper hike.
I actively dislike swimming in indoor swimming pools - although I love a good spa or sauna ! But the latter don't exactly help my fitness. I had a very brief trial at the local gymnasium in my early twenties - I gave my membership up to a friend. There's no way I'm going back - there's nothing so ridiculous to me as walking on a treadmill when I can walk on a beautiful path. Or even in the concrete jungle for that matter, traffic fumes and all. Nothing against those of you who love it - it's just one of my personal quirks.
I can -and do - sit for hours reading, sometimes followed by a YouTube video or two, and of course (far too much!) time here on the forum. I also spend significant time researching and planning my next trip.
All of which I enjoy.
But none of which helps me stay motivated between now and my next Camino.
So, fellow pilgrims, how do you stay motivated?
Paul, you're right I wouldn't have.Did you give up when the weather was bad on the Camino? If no, then why give up now?
Do what you can even if it means walking around a parking lot plowed of snow. On days of really bad weather walk around inside a mall or maybe the staircase inside a tall building.
-Paul
Oooh, the BK Lee videos are GOLD! Thank you for the reference!For now, I walk to work and home again as long as the Wyoming weather is cooperative. Phil walks with me and in the afternoon, I give him a call when I am ready to come home and he walks to meet me halfway so we can walk back home together. When the weather is bad or it is just too cold, I go to the gym before work and walk around the indoor track stopping at intervals every other lap to do sets of other exercises such as squats, weights, etc. On the weekends, we put on our snowshoes and head to the nearby Snowy Range mountains for at least one afternoon per weekend of some kind of hiking/snowshoeing. When I retire in May, I'll have to get a new routine as we are moving to a different part of the country to be near family. We probably won't be back in Spain together until January or February of 2025.
During Covid, I walked on my home treadmill watching YouTube videos on my Kindle by BK Leeabout his Camino journey. Almost no talking, he just walks and I walked along with him seeing familiar places. Sometimes he would take a wrong turn or get lost and you could hear the heavy sigh as he back tracked. He could not hear my warnings and we both went the wrong way together. Anyway, it kept me moving on the treadmill when I could have been bored and depressed and it reminded me of the Camino.
I walked my first camino at age 50. At that time I was moderately active, but I did a lot of training to “get in shape.” About 8 months after my first camino, I started training for my second. Same thing after my second. Then I had an aha! moment. Why not just maintain my level of fitness, it would be a lot easier. Since I live in a pretty couch potato country, it was not so hard to make easy changes that would result in increased physical activity. Stop driving to work - ride the bike. Run errands on the bike. Stop taking the escalator or the elevator — climb the stairs. Get out every day, rain or shine, just like on the camino. I also have a daily elliptical workout, which I am now so addicted to I have a hard time on vacations with no fitness center!Mmm. But that's your training regime. What actually gets you out the door each morning? Or is it that, simply knowing that you have another camino yet to walk, you don't need any further motivation?
When I am not on one of the Camino trails, I do what I call iFIT Camino. I have a treadmill with a 22-inch monitor. I have an iFIT individual membership for around $15 per month. I can creat a Googlemap-based trail. I can program one of my favorite trails or a trail that I have not walked yet but wonder about. This is how I found out how beautiful and tranquil the Camino Lebaniego was. I walked the whole Camino de la Plata on iFIT. They also have hundreds (if not thoursands) of famous trails in five continents such as Mt. Everest camps, etc. You never have to wonder about the road not taken because you can always go back and try as many trail variations as you like. You can also venture into the villages you simply passed through but never had enough energy or time to expore. You can walk anyhwhere in the world where Googlemap has an access, all in your climate-controlled comfortable home. Smaple trails below:Ok, it's winter, and it looks like it's going to be a long, cold one. There's already a thin layer of snow outside. Well, it was snow, it's now just ice - and it's as slippery as an ice rink too, just a heck of a lot rougher. Which makes going for any kind of walk doubly hard. Let alone a proper hike.
I actively dislike swimming in indoor swimming pools - although I love a good spa or sauna ! But the latter don't exactly help my fitness. I had a very brief trial at the local gymnasium in my early twenties - I gave my membership up to a friend. There's no way I'm going back - there's nothing so ridiculous to me as walking on a treadmill when I can walk on a beautiful path. Or even in the concrete jungle for that matter, traffic fumes and all. Nothing against those of you who love it - it's just one of my personal quirks.
I can -and do - sit for hours reading, sometimes followed by a YouTube video or two, and of course (far too much!) time here on the forum. I also spend significant time researching and planning my next trip.
All of which I enjoy.
But none of which helps me stay motivated between now and my next Camino.
So, fellow pilgrims, how do you stay motivated?
I’ll bet you can find something like what my kids bought me last year.it's now just ice - and it's as slippery as an ice rink too, just a heck of a lot rougher. Which makes going for any kind of walk doubly hard.
Yaktrax are ice cleats (but not for climbing), similar concept as snow chains for cars, inexpensive, and easy to put on. I got the basic kind with steel coils and they are perfect for my use, but I think they also have a heavier duty model that has actual metal chains.@leichecerca, some excellent suggestions, thank you very much. I read the comment from peregrina before yours, interesting to see that she echoes your idea on ice cleats. I'd previously just thought that those were for people that go climbing. Which model do you use?
I hadn't thought of the gloves with inserts for hand warmers, I didn't even know they were available. Unfortunately I've only just bought a new pair of gloves but I'll see how I go.
@peregrina2000, Which of these did they give you ( the link just opens the website), and how would you rate them?
Re: both your comments about clothing- I've got that covered. And if it was a German that told you 'there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing" I bet they were quoting a Norwegian! It's a very famous saying in Norway.
Hardly surprising - if anyone knows how to get out and enjoy themselves in the winter regardless of the weather it's the Norwegians !
I've been looking at this bicycle trail in NZ. I've been wondering if there are towns close enough to walk the entire trail. We love New Zealand.Walk a trail or two in Aotearoa New Zealandor (very) second choice a trail in Oz
Ummm - which trail? Do you mean the Otago rail trail? If so while there aren't necessarily towns along the way there are generally accommodation providers that will pick you up/drop you back off along the way. There are some really short sections which you can of course combine with the next one, I think only one is over 25 kms.I've been looking at this bicycle trail in NZ. I've been wondering if there are towns close enough to walk the entire trail. We love New Zealand.
Which of these did they give you ( the link just opens the website), and how would you rate them?
I wear Yaktrax when walking to work in slick or snowy days
I have to back you up on that coming from a Norwegian first. I live in Germany and the first time I heard that quote it came from a Norwegian.@leichecerca, some excellent suggestions, thank you very much. I read the comment from peregrina before yours, interesting to see that she echoes your idea on ice cleats. I'd previously just thought that those were for people that go climbing. Which model do you use?
I hadn't thought of the gloves with inserts for hand warmers, I didn't even know they were available. Unfortunately I've only just bought a new pair of gloves but I'll see how I go.
@peregrina2000, Which of these did they give you ( the link just opens the website), and how would you rate them?
Re: both your comments about clothing- I've got that covered. And if it was a German that told you 'there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing" I bet they were quoting a Norwegian! It's a very famous saying in Norway.
Hardly surprising - if anyone knows how to get out and enjoy themselves in the winter regardless of the weather it's the Norwegians !
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