ysabelthepilgrim
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- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Portuguese
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There is an oft used saying "the Camino will provide" - well all I can say is that in your case it provided in Spades. Hopefully you will be able to continue in a couple of days. I support your angel's comments - don't push yourself beyond the normal. For others with foot problems - stop every two/three hours; take off footwear and socks and let the feet cool down. Buen Camino.Hello everyone
Today was very difficult for me on day 4 of the Portuguese Coastal. Today’s walk was unbelievably beautiful as we took the Literal, however I have been having problems all day with feet soreness.
We were about 4km away from Caminha when the pain started to become excruciating and I knew it wasn’t right for me to continue walking with it. I tried to use the Uber app on my phone but it told me that Uber was unavailable in my area. It all became too much for me and I was in so much pain I just sat on the side of the road and cried while my dad tried to find another way to get to Caminha.
I felt completely broken until a British man on a bicycle came up to us and told us that we were right by a metro station and that the next train to Caminha was soon. He also told us some great words of advice, that it’s stupid to push yourself too hard, and to have a rest day tomorrow. My dad and I are also British and we were totally astonished because the odds of a Brit in such a small Portuguese village finding us at this low point of our journey is so small. Also for him to tell us exactly what we needed to do just felt like we are being guided on our journey.
Dear Camino Angel, I told you “thank you”but I don’t think that fully expressed my gratitude.
I have been struggling with motivation, but every Bom Caminho, smile or hello from fellow pilgrims and people on the street gives me a burst of energy that makes me think, “I can do this.”
Thank you to everyone I have met so far in this journey, I will see you all soon, but for now I will rest.
Ysabel
I second letting the feet cool down, and I recommend not just taking off socks and shoes but also soaking them in cool water when possible. I actually carry a collapsible basin on Camino that I use as a foot bath, but streams and lavadouros (traditional places for doing laundry) also provide good foot bathing opportunities, and on the coastal you have the ocean too.There is an oft used saying "the Camino will provide" - well all I can say is that in your case it provided in Spades. Hopefully you will be able to continue in a couple of days. I support your angel's comments - don't push yourself beyond the normal. For others with foot problems - stop every two/three hours; take off footwear and socks and let the feet cool down. Buen Camino.
Ysabel,Hello everyone
Today was very difficult for me on day 4 of the Portuguese Coastal. Today’s walk was unbelievably beautiful as we took the Literal, however I have been having problems all day with feet soreness.
We were about 4km away from Caminha when the pain started to become excruciating and I knew it wasn’t right for me to continue walking with it. I tried to use the Uber app on my phone but it told me that Uber was unavailable in my area. It all became too much for me and I was in so much pain I just sat on the side of the road and cried while my dad tried to find another way to get to Caminha.
I felt completely broken until a British man on a bicycle came up to us and told us that we were right by a metro station and that the next train to Caminha was soon. He also told us some great words of advice, that it’s stupid to push yourself too hard, and to have a rest day tomorrow. My dad and I are also British and we were totally astonished because the odds of a Brit in such a small Portuguese village finding us at this low point of our journey is so small. Also for him to tell us exactly what we needed to do just felt like we are being guided on our journey.
Dear Camino Angel, I told you “thank you”but I don’t think that fully expressed my gratitude.
I have been struggling with motivation, but every Bom Caminho, smile or hello from fellow pilgrims and people on the street gives me a burst of energy that makes me think, “I can do this.”
Thank you to everyone I have met so far in this journey, I will see you all soon, but for now I will rest.
Ysabel
Last year, I injured my foot and had the good fortune of meeting a woman named Camino (her real name) from Vigo. Camino, who walked the Camino about ten years ago, now dedicates her time to helping pilgrims in difficulty. She drives along the camino and, stops at pubs or other stops along the way, looking for people who need help. For a few nights in a row, she drove me from one place to another so I could be with my walking partner at night. She was also helping a pilgrim from Mallorca at the time; I remember that she drove him to the airport as he was too injured to go on. This year, I returned to the camino and we arranged to meet in Redecilla. Along with a few other hiking partners gathered along the way, we stayed in the same hostels (she explained her mission to the hosts and they always welcomed her). In the morning, those of us who were "pilgrims" walked to our next destination while Camino found others to help, sometimes loading their bikes in her van. We enjoyed her company in the evenings and her tales of whom she had been able to help that day, sometimes loading a cyclist's bike into the back of her van. Yes, there are a few camino angels along the way...Hello everyone
Today was very difficult for me on day 4 of the Portuguese Coastal. Today’s walk was unbelievably beautiful as we took the Literal, however I have been having problems all day with feet soreness.
We were about 4km away from Caminha when the pain started to become excruciating and I knew it wasn’t right for me to continue walking with it. I tried to use the Uber app on my phone but it told me that Uber was unavailable in my area. It all became too much for me and I was in so much pain I just sat on the side of the road and cried while my dad tried to find another way to get to Caminha.
I felt completely broken until a British man on a bicycle came up to us and told us that we were right by a metro station and that the next train to Caminha was soon. He also told us some great words of advice, that it’s stupid to push yourself too hard, and to have a rest day tomorrow. My dad and I are also British and we were totally astonished because the odds of a Brit in such a small Portuguese village finding us at this low point of our journey is so small. Also for him to tell us exactly what we needed to do just felt like we are being guided on our journey.
Dear Camino Angel, I told you “thank you”but I don’t think that fully expressed my gratitude.
I have been struggling with motivation, but every Bom Caminho, smile or hello from fellow pilgrims and people on the street gives me a burst of energy that makes me think, “I can do this.”
Thank you to everyone I have met so far in this journey, I will see you all soon, but for now I will rest.
Ysabel
I also second the "no shower"in the morning. Usual practice was to shower and wash clothes at the end of the day's walk. Walk around in my Keens sandels so that the feet and the boots had a rest from each other. CheersI will be a bit contrarian here. I never took a shower in the morning and made every effort to keep my feet dry. Feet will absorb enormous amounts of water. I used merino wool socks and I massaged and used - excuse me but I used vics vaporub to massage. The reason I did this was that it acts as an anti fungicide. Really doing a deep massage was very important for me. Emphasizing the calve muscle also.
Good luck
When I couldn't take another step after the 1st 2 days of the Norte. My Angel was a wonderful family walking together. The dad would take all their back packs to their next destination each morning. Then he ran back to meet them on the camino everyday. ( Marathon runner).I also second the "no shower"in the morning. Usual practice was to shower and wash clothes at the end of the day's walk. Walk around in my Keens sandels so that the feet and the boots had a rest from each other. Cheers
This is superb advice, another variation I have done on this (on the advice of a physiotherapist) is to go into a supermarket half way (or at one third intervals on a long day) and buy a bag of ice (plentiful and cheap) and a strong carrier bag and add some water and make an ice bath for your feet. Bathe and rest your feet for as long as you can and then dry off and put on a fresh pair of socks. It's like starting afresh. I also repeat the ice bath at the end of the dayI second letting the feet cool down, and I recommend not just taking off socks and shoes but also soaking them in cool water when possible. I actually carry a collapsible basin on Camino that I use as a foot bath, but streams and lavadouros (traditional places for doing laundry) also provide good foot bathing opportunities, and on the coastal you have the ocean too.
That level of pain suggests you are dealing with plantar fascitis or some other condition, not just typical soreness. Please see a podiatrist when you can; you may need personalized insoles.
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