The best way to prepare to walk the Camino ...

[jayree]

... may be to start running, according to research described on this NYT blog

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/...contentCollection=Most Emailed&pgtype=article

 

[Deleted member 3000]

It is clear in the computer age that our only truths come from blogs and Wikipedia.


While I jest, I agree that staying in good shape is an excellent idea and good preparation for the Camino. Unfortunately, my body no longer makes a jogging movement. Skipping and hopscotch are also past memories. I have had to settle for weight control and walking.

 

[JohnMcM]

While I jest, I agree that staying in good shape is an excellent idea and good preparation for the Camino. Unfortunately, my body no longer makes a jogging movement. Skipping and hopscotch are also past memories. I have had to settle for weight control and walking.

Good. I am not alone then

 

[aname4me]

Everyone needs try to train by walking 10 or 15Km on flat city streets (because we like to build our Cities in flat land). These will help you train for (I am guessing) 60-70% of the Camino, but is not the part of the Camino that Pilgrims complain about, at the end of the day.

To be more prepared.....
You must seek out natural trails with both uphills and downhills. Even better if includes a few hills that requiring more then 10 minutes to accomplish.
You need to have some training in places where you have to watch your step and pick up your feet.
Several places on the Camino have loose rocks on a down hill slopes.

Thankfully we live in a city that offered all this type of terrain to train on.
We both finished the Camino with only a single minor blister each and no injuries.

A tip.... try training with your backpack packed with only Coke bottles filled with water.
We made our packs weight 12-15% of our body weight. While walking, if it becomes too heavy, just empty out some water.
When we actually started the Camino are packs didn't feel too heavy.

 

[Mark Lee]

On both Caminos I did see fellow peregrinos struggling who were badly overweight. Probably one of the best exercises consists of placing one's hands against the edge of the kitchen table and pushing backwards and away.

 

[peregrina2000]

The University in my town has a huge Kinesiology/Sports Fitness department, and I regularly read about studies like this. The bottom line in what I've read is that the most important thing for maintaining cardiovascular fitness is to make sure your workout always contains some exertion, some pushing beyond your comfort level. If you walk for an hour a day, but your pace drops as the years go on, your fitness level declines ... duh. That's why my daily routine is a boring repetitive hour on the elliptical -- I can make sure to set it at a level that will require exertion on my part.

I would also throw out that I don't necessarily agree that training with uphills and downhills is important. It's nice if you can do it, but I live in the flatlands and have walked caminos for 15 years without any hill training and (knock on wood) so far I've not had any muscular or cardio problems. Feet problems because of all the repetitive stress on the asphalt.... well, that's a different story.

 

[wayfarer]

... may be to start running, according to research described on this NYT blog

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/03/run-to-stay-young/?src=me&module=Ribbon&version=origin&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Most Emailed&pgtype=article

It never ceases to amaze me that "researchers" from some University or other come up with and give "official" credence to this information which was out there for a least ten years in the alternative health industry. I read about this in 2007 and downloaded a program called the PACE program which said pretty much the same thing. They claimed that the heart is like every other muscle in the body and therefore "suffers" from muscle memory so it is very important to change your exercise routine regularly otherwise the heart will get programmed to expect exertion and rest at the same places during your exercise routine. If you then change the routine the heart comes under unexpected stress and in the case of marathon runners etc can cause damage and even cardiac arrest. I still have this program on my computer if anyone wants to have a look PM me with an email address. Of course it does not have a "University Researchers" stamp of approval.
That was the great thing about the Camino, every day was different and the heart or indeed any other muscles did not get a chance to settle in to the same ole same ole.
Small extract:

Start Here:
The 10-Minute Program Chart
This program is simply alternating between periods of
exertion and recovery.
I refer to each period of exertion followed by recovery as one
set. I will be referring to these throughout the book. Now
let’s use this simple 10-minute program to get a better idea
of how it works.

Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
Exertion Recovery Exert. Rec. Exert. Rec. Exert. Rec. Exert. Rec.
1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min

 

[Ice]

I am a half-marathoner and was keeping a ten mile long run up until I left for my first camino...it did not save me. Although I had no hip or back pain or even feet pain (besides blisters of course), I made a huge mistake in Paris before my camino began. My mother wanted to see Europe as well, so she flew with me to Paris for some sight seeing before Spain. Of course, I carried her gynormous suitcase in addition to my pack, hurt my knee, and it didn't recover until two months later when I finally went home. I did finish; I just ate a lot of ibuprofen.

So here's my two cents: running is great, but mix it up with hiking with your pack and just walking on pavement (I'm glad I did). Try not to do anything stupid to your body before beginning. It didn't seem stupid at the time to help her with her case, but I can see now how much weight I put on my knees by doing it.

 

[cherrys]

I am not a runner, and have only for brief times in my life been one. Now that I am back from the camino, and try to walk into town (all paved roads), or around the local green space (slightly up and down paths through the woods) I walk probably 75-80% of the time, interspersed with short bits of running. Hopefully it all helps.

 

[november_moon]

I am not a runner either - I have just never been very successful at running or jogging. Even when I have been in very good shape, I was never much of a runner/jogger. Maybe it's my short legs - LOL - I don't know.

I agree with the others though that having good cardiovascular health, not being really overweight, and training by walking and hiking are all good to Camino success.

By the way - I recently read another article that said jogging is a quick way to age your body prematurely, so who knows. I say do what works for you.

 

[jpflavin1]

I agree with Falcon on the subject of running. My body is long past running any distance.

That said, there are three important things to address before walking a Camino, imo.

Your feet - Good shoes, well broken in. Walk at least 3 consecutive 20 km (12 mile) days so your feet get a sense of what is in store for them. Most of us will get great feedback from our feet after this type of activity and can start to sense the type of care they (our feet) will need during 5 weeks of 20+km days.

Back pack weight: Most of us do not carry 10 kg's or 22 lbs around daily on our back. Therefore, I would recommend exercising your core, back and shoulders. This walk is a journey which teaches you how to live minimally. Try to keep that thought in mind when developing that packing list.

Try not to plan too much: The Camino, imo, is an introspective journey that has something for each one of us. Let it be your guide. You do not have to keep up with someone else or walk a certain distance every day. These and other similar daily decisions often lead to injury or dissatisfaction. The Camino is mostly an individual activity (daily) with nightly (communal) options.

These are things I have learned in five Camino's. Others experiences, I imagine, will vary.

Just for the record, on my first Camino, I did none of the above.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[jmcarp]

A tip.... try training with your backpack packed with only Coke bottles filled with water.
We made our packs weight 12-15% of our body weight. While walking, if it becomes too heavy, just empty out some water. (Emphasis added)

Brilliant!

 

[NicoZ]

Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
Exertion Recovery Exert. Rec. Exert. Rec. Exert. Rec. Exert. Rec.
1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min 1 min

That's HIIT. Or at least one version. Became fashionable for very good reasons I guess in the 90s. Replacing LISS. LISS had become the in thing because of an obviously flawed study from I guess the 70s.

HIIT aka High Intensity Interval training

LISS Low Intensity steady state training.

 

[kellyz]

Joe makes an important comment about strength training. Though maybe not ideal, I think a person can condition on the Camino whereas too much long distance training before the Camino can break things down and set you up for injury. In my expert opinion as an English teacher , it's equally or more important to strengthen back, core, and muscles that support joints (esp. ankles, knees, and hips) to prevent injury from overuse.

 

[Rosefrombrisbane]

Joe makes an important comment about strength training. Though maybe not ideal, I think a person can condition on the Camino whereas too much long distance training before the Camino can break things down and set you up for injury. In my expert opinion as an English teacher , it's equally or more important to strengthen back, core, and muscles that support joints (esp. ankles, knees, and hips) to prevent injury from overuse.

Thanks for that....making my yoga classes sound very worthwhile!

 

[TheTinkerBell]

As with everything, it's different strokes for different folks.
Surprised that no-one has linked training the body with training the mind.
The Camino is tough, both mentally and physically. Some basic tai chi principles helped me conquer the days where physically I was struggling.
Simple things like breathing correctly are often overlooked.
I'd recommend anyone to read the book Chi Running and apply the basic principles in it to your walking, in your own way.

 

[trevorcc]

... may be to start running, according to research described on this NYT blog

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/03/run-to-stay-young/?src=me&module=Ribbon&version=origin&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Most Emailed&pgtype=article

I have walked the Camino twice in 12 months, my prep was to walk here and there not much even less second time around I am 65 overweight but I found more so called prepared walkers and hikers breaking down in the first week. I suggest that people should get their heads right and not fall for the movie or the guide books but give them selves a lot of time not to rush and walk at a slow pace to start with. Understand that getting up every day load a pack on your back and walk for weeks on end is hard, throw in hills crowded rooms getting use to a new culture.
Just walk take time smile and enjoy stop when tired or every 2 hours for 20 minutes take off shoes and laugh a lot.

 

[trevorcc]

I may go back but I am lucky and found peace and have no need to go back except I love the people the Camino and if I do go back I think I would stay and open up a house to welcome pilgrims.

 

[amorfati1]

As with everything, it's different strokes for different folks.
Surprised that no-one has linked training the body with training the mind.
The Camino is tough, both mentally and physically. Some basic tai chi principles helped me conquer the days where physically I was struggling.
Simple things like breathing correctly are often overlooked.
I'd recommend anyone to read the book Chi Running and apply the basic principles in it to your walking, in your own way.

Question/pregunta (and it might be worth another tread?!) - but your sentence brought something up I always wondered about:
'Training the mind for the camino.'
- what is this about? i am not feigning cluelessness, i simply do not comprehend. why is the camino tough mentally? what do you (and others) mean/intend to express when saying 'the camino is tough mentally' (i get the challenging physical part - spoken like the true lounge-potato that i am) but always wondered about the 'training the mind for the camino'. what - if at all - am i missing ? - thanks for your time - saluti -

 

[Wanderer64]

Call me crazy, but I propose that the best training for a long walk might be a lot of walking!

Running as training prior to my Camino would have surely put an end to my Camino before it even started. It would have destroyed what left I have of my knees.

Incidentally, didn't the guy who wrote the book on running (The Complete Book of Running, no less), Jim Fixx, die at a relatively young age while out on one of his daily runs? Just sayin'.

 

[Kanga]

I am mystified as to how running, walking, HIIT or LISS can help prepare for the following:

1. Drinking red wine from the fountain at Irache, at 9am.

2. Blood sausages.

3. The slipperiness of fresh cow dung.

4. Your first taste of old socks soaked in alcoholic cough mixture - otherwise known as Pacharan.

5. The smell of sweaty Lycra clad bike riders, and its close relation, the smell of silage.

6. Finding the doorknob to escape from dark toilets with timer light switches.

7. Being on the meseta during a full-on storm, with thunder and lightening strikes.

8. Intimacy with complete strangers.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

what do you mean/intend to express when saying 'the camino is tough mentally'

It is a function of one's reaction to stress and disappointment. Attitude is everything. If you begin by telling yourself that you are a failure if you do not walk 30km a day, then there can be two outcomes: success or failure. If you cast aside artificial criteria, then there is only one outcome: success. The mental training, then, is attitude control. When the physical part becomes tough, you remember your attitude. "I am here because I want to be, not because I have to be." Quit if you want; go if you want. That next step is the one and only thing you can control on the Camino. Take it, or not. It makes no difference. Life goes on regardless.

In a more extreme example, death does not cause grief. The knowledge of that death causes the grief. If you never knew that someone died, it is unlikely that you would grieve. The only cause of grief is mental; there is no objective cause. It is the same way with fear on the camino. Since bandits have been relegated to the past, as have been bears and wolves, the only fear is what the pilgrim brings with himself. Simply refuse to bring it. That is what I mean by the camino being tough mentally, attitude control.

 

[fernandezr]

It is clear in the computer age that our only truths come from blogs and Wikipedia.


While I jest, I agree that staying in good shape is an excellent idea and good preparation for the Camino. Unfortunately, my body no longer makes a jogging movement. Skipping and hopscotch are also past memories. I have had to settle for weight control and walking.

I am with you; at my age running it out of the question. Weight control and walking are more healthy anyway.

 

[koknesis]

I agree, it is all about the weight. When I left last June SJPP, my total weight with backpack was 10kg less than without it in January. I felt like I am flying. So, those of us who have something to loose, get rid of it!

 

[Richo]

I agree with Falcon on the subject of running. My body is long past running any distance.

That said, there are three important things to address before walking a Camino, imo.

Your feet - Good shoes, well broken in. Walk at least 3 consecutive 20 km days so your feet get a sense of what is in store for them. Most of us will get great feedback from our feet after this type of activity and can start to sense the type of care our they will need during 5 weeks of 20+km days.

Back pack weight: Most of us do not carry 10 kg's or 22 lbs around daily on our back. Therefore, I would recommend exercising your core, back and shoulders. This walk is a journey which teaches you how to live minimally. Try to keep that thought in mind when developing that packing list.

Try not to plan too much: The Camino, imo, is an introspective journey that has something for each one of us. Let it be your guide. You do not have to keep up with someone else or walk a certain distance every day. These and other similar daily decisions often lead to injury or dissatisfaction. The Camino is mostly an individual activity (daily) with nightly (communal) options.

These are things I have learned in five Camino's. Others experiences, I suggest, will vary.

Just for the record on my first Camino, I did none of the above.

Ultreya,
Joe

I agree with Falcon on the subject of running. My body is long past running any distance.

That said, there are three important things to address before walking a Camino, imo.

Your feet - Good shoes, well broken in. Walk at least 3 consecutive 20 km days so your feet get a sense of what is in store for them. Most of us will get great feedback from our feet after this type of activity and can start to sense the type of care our they will need during 5 weeks of 20+km days.

Back pack weight: Most of us do not carry 10 kg's or 22 lbs around daily on our back. Therefore, I would recommend exercising your core, back and shoulders. This walk is a journey which teaches you how to live minimally. Try to keep that thought in mind when developing that packing list.

Try not to plan too much: The Camino, imo, is an introspective journey that has something for each one of us. Let it be your guide. You do not have to keep up with someone else or walk a certain distance every day. These and other similar daily decisions often lead to injury or dissatisfaction. The Camino is mostly an individual activity (daily) with nightly (communal) options.

These are things I have learned in five Camino's. Others experiences, I suggest, will vary.

Just for the record on my first Camino, I did none of the above.

Ultreya,
Joe

I agree, I didn't train my core and upper body enough for the CF this year and had a lot of back pain. Ended up having to send my pack ahead most days. For the VDLP next year I will be training with yoga and pilates.
Richo.

 

[trevorcc]

Question/pregunta (and it might be worth another tread?!) - but your sentence brought something up I always wondered about:
'Training the mind for the camino.'
- what is this about? i am not feigning cluelessness, i simply do not comprehend. why is the camino tough mentally? what do you (and others) mean/intend to express when saying 'the camino is tough mentally' (i get the challenging physical part - spoken like the true lounge-potato that i am) but always wondered about the 'training the mind for the camino'. what - if at all - am i missing ? - thanks for your time - saluti -

I was once told that to clear your mind of anticipation and then walk with a clear and open mind, well after 50 years of working and afew more we are all taught to expect, want and challenge ourselves to compete in both the world and business. To change those patterns of a life time to truly expect nothing, is mentally challenging then to over come the day daily climbs and the heavy work load is hard both physically but mentaly as when the body grows weary and it is the mind that shows the true strength to go on to be patient and smile when you hurt. The second time I walked the Camino the mental exhaution I felt go over the trails where I was ill (that put me within 24 hours of death at the hospital in Santiago) and to meet and greet those that helped me was not physical but pure mental strain on my whole being, maybe thats what people mean as it was it was to me to deal with myself internally. hope this helps.

 

[november_moon]

Talking about mental toughness, we had a couple cruddy days on the Camino that required some mental toughness.

We got up early one morning to be at the Iron Cross at sunrise. We were walking in June, so sunrise is early. Because of this, we skipped breakfast. And, due to an oversight on our part, we didn't have any more snacks in our packs. And as it happened, there aren't any towns for quite a while. Bad planning on our part. It was a rather challenging leg - so plenty of hiking up hill + no food = bad combo. We also had blisters, so our feet weren't very happy. It was just shaping up to be a cruddy day.

At a peak of the mountain, we stopped for a break. When we picked up our packs to continue after our break, we realized that a metal rivet on my husband's pack snapped so that his pack strap was no longer attached - we were on top of a mountain, many km from the nearest town, no civilization in sight, and we have a broken pack. When you are tired and hungry, everything is frustrating beyond belief and problem-solving capabilities are diminished. Throwing the pack off the top of the mountain seemed as good a solution as any at that point. After some time spent growling, swearing under our breath, and wondering why we came on this stupid Camino anyway, we found some stuff in our packs to fix the broken strap, so that was fine.

Still grumpy and hungry though, we made our way down the mountain on the other side. This is a steep decent and requires some concentration. I looked up to enjoy the view, took a wrong step, slipped, and slid several yards down the trail on my bum. Really? F, F, F, F, F. I tore my pants, skinned my elbow, and twisted my ankle. Argh. At that point, I felt like curling up in a ball by the side of the trail, but we continued on - what else is there to do?

We made our way down to the next town and at least got some lunch. We felt better after the food (and cafe con leche) but were still just grumpy. After lunch, we soldiered on. We walked through some beautiful places, but we didn't care. We were just 100% done with that day. It was 1 foot in front of the other, just keep walking. So we walked and walked and walked. Finally that day was over.

The next day, I woke up bruised and sore from my trip down the hill on my bum. My ankle wasn't great either. We started walking and every step just hurt. Fortunately the day's walk was mostly flat. I made a go of it, but at lunch we decided that we would take a taxi to the next town where we wanted to stay - we thought about stopping where we were, but we knew that a town about 10km away was really nice and if we were going to have to recuperate somewhere, we wanted a nice place. We made a hotel reservation in that town and called a taxi to take us there. We rested up in that town and tended to various injuries.

The next day, we continued on, almost as brand new people. That day was absolutely fabulous. I don't know what happened to our string of bad luck, but it was done. We pressed though it and came out the other side.

 

[peregrina2000]

I agree, I didn't train my core and upper body enough for the CF this year and had a lot of back pain. Ended up having to send my pack ahead most days. For the VDLP next year I will be training with yoga and pilates.
Richo.

Hi, Richo, you might want to have someone look at your pack. If it's working right, it should be transferring the weight of your pack to your hips, and it shouldn't put any weight on your back or cause you any back pain. I have chronic lower back pain and the most pain free time of my year is on my Camino, when I'm carrying 20 pounds in my ancient and dearly beloved mountainsmith Ghost pack. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Richo]

Hi, Richo, you might want to have someone look at your pack. If it's working right, it should be transferring the weight of your pack to your hips, and it shouldn't put any weight on your back or cause you any back pain. I have chronic lower back pain and the most pain free time of my year is on my Camino, when I'm carrying 20 pounds in my ancient and dearly beloved mountainsmith Ghost pack. Buen camino, Laurie

Tks Laurie, yes part of the problem was the cheap backpack I bought right before leaving for the camino. Next time I'm getting a better brand which will be fitted properly! (still doing the pilates

 

[Betty Bauer]

why is the camino tough mentally?

I have not walked the Camino yet, but several years ago I set a goal to try and walk everyday during times when I had the opportunity (i.e. Summer) in anticipation that as soon as I started walking the Camino, getting up everyday to walk would feel strange and I would probably have one or two bad days (not referring to injuries, though they would make it harder) just telling myself that this everyday walking was actually okay ... I call it, "my psychological training."
I am also somewhat concerned about straining or ripping something minor (but not, when it happens ...) in my ankles or feet, and the goal helps for that too.

 

[amorfati1]

I was once told that to clear your mind of anticipation and then walk with a clear and open mind, well after 50 years of working and afew more we are all taught to expect, want and challenge ourselves to compete in both the world and business. To change those patterns of a life time to truly expect nothing, is mentally challenging then to over come the day daily climbs and the heavy work load is hard both physically but mentaly as when the body grows weary and it is the mind that shows the true strength to go on to be patient and smile when you hurt. The second time I walked the Camino the mental exhaution I felt go over the trails where I was ill (that put me within 24 hours of death at the hospital in Santiago) and to meet and greet those that helped me was not physical but pure mental strain on my whole being, maybe thats what people mean as it was it was to me to deal with myself internally. hope this helps.

thank you for taking the time to respond to my question - helped me to understand a bit why people call it mentally challenging. for e.g. i realized that i have quite a different approach.
("we are all taught to expect, want and challenge ourselves to compete in both the world and business.") -well, seems i snoozed through that lesson.
i do not walk through life and business world in the 'i compete against you' - stance. but i now realize that so many people who i have observed on the camino exhibited that trait...which is a rather foreign one to me, especially on a pilgrimage. at one point i told myself "well, the ones who stress in the office, are probably the ones who stress on the camino' - that's at least my bias.
so yes, your response did 'click' something into place for me, something that had baffled me. thanks for this!

 

[amorfati1]

It is a function of one's reaction to stress and disappointment. Attitude is everything. If you begin by telling yourself that you are a failure if you do not walk 30km a day, then there can be two outcomes: success or failure. If you cast aside artificial criteria, then there is only one outcome: success. The mental training, then, is attitude control. When the physical part becomes tough, you remember your attitude. "I am here because I want to be, not because I have to be." Quit if you want; go if you want. That next step is the one and only thing you can control on the Camino. Take it, or not. It makes no difference. Life goes on regardless.

In a more extreme example, death does not cause grief. The knowledge of that death causes the grief. If you never knew that someone died, it is unlikely that you would grieve. The only cause of grief is mental; there is no objective cause. It is the same way with fear on the camino. Since bandits have been relegated to the past, as have been bears and wolves, the only fear is what the pilgrim brings with himself. Simply refuse to bring it. That is what I mean by the camino being tough mentally, attitude control.

quite agree*** - thank you for your response. seems indeed the the 'expectation' bug is as pesky as those 'bed bugs'.
perhaps, i also wondered, the aspect of mentally tough/challenging is connected with the clash of an idealized image of oneself, ones capacities with a reality of other limitations. -
thanks again, best wishes!


***: except for: "The only cause of grief is mental; there is no objective cause" i believed/experienced that grief/sorrow due to death of a being i loved/cherished is experienced on other levels as well, not just mental.