I don't mean to prosthelytize, but having converted at least a half dozen on the Vdlp to the wonders of ice and cold, it seemed like a worthy pitch to make here.
When you stop for a rest, take off your boots and socks. It cools your feet and lets them shrink back down. On my first Camino, I never took off my boots mid-day because of the fear that I wouldn't be able to get my feet back in the boot. That's not what happens, just try it.
Even better than taking off your boots is soaking your feet in a stream, river, or fountain. Short soaks of 5-10 minutes do wonders. Several formerly skeptical people told me they will always think of me when they find a stream on a hike.
Icing at the end of the day is great for prevention and for easing soreness. Shin pains (tendonitis?) are eased immensely with a bag of ice for 10-15 minutes, but don't overdo it. One French woman told me it had been the miracle cure for her shins. This is such a commonly used treatment among athletes here in the US but seems rare in Europe (at least among the people I met).
I find that bartenders are almost always more than happy to give you ice. I carry a plastic grocery bag in my fanny pack and just ask them for some hielo, explaining that it's for my feet. In the best of times, I take the ice outside to a nice table in the shade and enjoy a beer, trying to find a spot where the melting ice will not run under everyone's table. But if it's bad weather, it means being a bit more creative with where to use the ice, since it inevitably will drip.
Buen camino a todos, Laurie
When you stop for a rest, take off your boots and socks. It cools your feet and lets them shrink back down. On my first Camino, I never took off my boots mid-day because of the fear that I wouldn't be able to get my feet back in the boot. That's not what happens, just try it.
Even better than taking off your boots is soaking your feet in a stream, river, or fountain. Short soaks of 5-10 minutes do wonders. Several formerly skeptical people told me they will always think of me when they find a stream on a hike.
Icing at the end of the day is great for prevention and for easing soreness. Shin pains (tendonitis?) are eased immensely with a bag of ice for 10-15 minutes, but don't overdo it. One French woman told me it had been the miracle cure for her shins. This is such a commonly used treatment among athletes here in the US but seems rare in Europe (at least among the people I met).
I find that bartenders are almost always more than happy to give you ice. I carry a plastic grocery bag in my fanny pack and just ask them for some hielo, explaining that it's for my feet. In the best of times, I take the ice outside to a nice table in the shade and enjoy a beer, trying to find a spot where the melting ice will not run under everyone's table. But if it's bad weather, it means being a bit more creative with where to use the ice, since it inevitably will drip.
Buen camino a todos, Laurie