Tips for preparation? :)

[Nienke91]

Dear all,

YAY! I have booked my ticket to Biarritz, so I'll start 11th of April on my first Camino (Frances). My gear is ready-steady and I truly cannot wait.

Next to preparing to run 5km straight, I want to prepare walking/hiking. The Netherlands isn't very hilly, and I have no clue what's coming my way: can someone provide me good tips to prepare my camino? I'll have 5 weeks until departing

Oh by the way, I've bought Brierley's book on the Camino Frances.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The Netherlands isn't very hilly

Stairs. Find a building or subway with stairs, and walk them for fifteen minutes. Buen camino.

 

[koknesis]

Stairs. Find a building or subway with stairs, and walk them for fifteen minutes. Buen camino.

An excellent advice indeed! I would just add to put your backpack on with some load and wear the same shoes you will wear on camino. If considering poles, then some practice also would help.

 

[tomnorth]

Hmmm, five weeks eh? Make sure your shoes are comfortable and worn in. I highly recommend trekking poles. Search out videos on how to use them. Stairs would be good. Step ups and step downs to work the quads and glutes. Biking for some good cardio exercise.

 

[piggyhinton]

Dear all,

YAY! I have booked my ticket to Biarritz, so I'll start 11th of April on my first Camino (Frances). My gear is ready-steady and I truly cannot wait.

Next to preparing to run 5km straight, I want to prepare walking/hiking. The Netherlands isn't very hilly, and I have no clue what's coming my way: can someone provide me good tips to prepare my camino? I'll have 5 weeks until departing

Oh by the way, I've bought Brierley's book on the Camino Frances.

I found it very difficult to "train" for the Camino, as long as you are of good general fitness you should be fine, just don't go off in the first week like a scolded cat! - it's not a race! take your time with the big hills and just listen to your body, if you're out of breath, stop have a rest then carry on, I found the whole thing a mental challenge as much as a physical one, after 4 weeks, getting up, putting your boots on and doing another days walking takes a lot of mental fortitude! buen camino

 

[Patch]

my tip is start slow and get slower. Have a great Camino

 

[CdnDreamer]

Those of us from flat lands have to accept that we are slower on the hills. We cannot prepare for them. But you can prepare for walking with a backpack by increasing the weight you carry and the distance you walk over the next five weeks. Consider staying at Orisson the first night as the climb to that albergue is enough when you come from a flat area. It should take about 3 hours to walk to Orisson, but it took me 5 hours the first time. The next day is twice as far, but not as steep. Buen Camino!

 

[Mark Lee]

You will be fine.
Just do stretching, core and long walks. Do the walking in whatever shoes you plan on wearing so you will know how they work for you and if you need to change them.
When you start the Camino, know your limitations and don't overdo it the first week or so to stay healthy and let your body get in shape. It will.
The Brierley book is good and all you need.
ultreia

 

[Older Guy]

Dear all,

YAY! I have booked my ticket to Biarritz, so I'll start 11th of April on my first Camino (Frances). My gear is ready-steady and I truly cannot wait.

Next to preparing to run 5km straight, I want to prepare walking/hiking. The Netherlands isn't very hilly, and I have no clue what's coming my way: can someone provide me good tips to prepare my camino? I'll have 5 weeks until departing

Oh by the way, I've bought Brierley's book on the Camino Frances.

Since you are doing some running, I will assume you have been on some kind of training schedule.

In almost all of the running training schedules I have seen they have something called a "taper." It is the time that you decrease your exercise before a major race, so that you heal your body and are in the best possible shape. The Camino is an endurance event and you need to think of it just like any endurance training program that lasts for a month or so.

What that means is that each week you need some light exercise days and some complete or nearly complete rest days. It also means that you need to figure out ways to speed your recover after long hard workouts (hills, long distances or difficult trail surfaces). That might involve stretching, massage, protein shakes right after you finish your exercise, etc.

Running muscles and hiking muscles are a little different, but assuming you have been doing 5K's for a long time, you should probably do fine, if you take your time and don't over-push your body. Learn to listen to what your body tells you.

 

[MTtoCamino]

My belief is if you can run a 10k you will do fine, If you can it is just walking with your full pack to get use to the weight, test your shoes, test your rain gear, & fine tune the fit & balance of your pack. After that the fun adventures begin. You will be a human sculpture on your return

 

[naplesdon]

Break-in your hiking shoes/boots, for sure. Wear silk liners with Merino wool socks and make sure to use Vaseline or similar product on your feet every time you change your socks. Make sure your footwear is sized sufficiently to keep your toes from getting hammered by the end of your boot.
I like the feel of Vicks on my feet at the end of a long day.
Nothing will prepare for the hills, really. I spin mostly for my daily exercise and the muscles I use are completely different that the one for walking which I am learning from this past week as I prepare my dodgy foot for my next Camino while I'm staying in Moratino walking the dogs with Paddy for several hours every morning.

 

[PilgrimPillar]

Since you now got 5 weeks until departure I strongly recommend daily walks. In my opinion, the focus is not total km or lenght of walk timewise. Just use your feet whenever possible during your everyday life

It may sound contradictory but there is so many types of reflections you get for free by doing this. Your body will also give different types of signals for you to validate whats ahead.

When motivated, do some trips of more distance. Try to sence how long you can walk without a need for any special break/rest. My experience from homesoil is that my daily distance on the camino was twice the one from home without stopping. A good way not to go over limits, especially at start.

((Getting someone to adjust quality insoles to you specifically is also something of great benefit. Worth some euros))

Go for it!

Buen camino.

 

[Anniesantiago]

You'll be fine, as long as your shoes are well-broken in, wide enough, with a large enough toe-box.
Most people train ON the Camino.
Just start out slow, split the stage from SJPP to Roncesvalles into two days, and pick up speed as you go.

 

[Deleted member 56069]

Sounds like you are probably fitter than most of us!

Also, exercises that help build up core strength are useful as the stress of walking each day is not just your legs knees and hips.

Take a set of trekking poles, they are very helpful on hills up and down and to help pick your way through wet or muddy stretches.

As others have said, pace yourself.The first couple of days out of Saint Jean are among the toughest of the whole route and even fit people can get caught by over doing it in the early stages.

You will find after 10 days, you will feel less strain as long as you have not over done it in the early days.

 

[Lance Chambers]

Am 67 yo and have done a short (Sarria - Santiago) and a long (SJPdP - Santiago). Do not exercise and did no prep for either of the hikes and had no problems other than the Pyrenees and the worst part was walking down the 'other' side. Also, I have low lung capacity and puff and pant a lot but that didn't make anything harder. Buen Camino. You'll love every second.

 

[Siom]

Include squats in your training to train the quadriceps. Other than that, take it easy during the start as you are embarking on a long walk with a heavy pack behind you everyday for the next xx days and you want to finish in SdC and not mid way.

 

[Nienke91]

Okay, so I truly wanted to try all of your advices. I've actually stopped jogging (I just don't like exercise). Every day I look at the stairs in the appartement building and think: hmmm.. shall I try them out for 15 minutes? And then just do it for 3 minutes. I have tried the trekking poles. Don't understand how they work. Watched a YouTube Tutorial today, hurray.

Hahaha. I don't know, I think I'll just focus on mental preparation. I do wear my walking shoes (which are second-hand) every day. I've also got free sandals (great health care in NL) that are made especially for my feet, hurray (my bf thinks they are awful).

And! Today it's sunny in the Netherlands. I am gonna walk to my parents in law and back (approx. 3 hours). Should be fun
My training is... uh... no training I guess I still think about all of your advice though.

Sometimes I paint. And sometimes I read a bit of Brierley's book.

Haha, I'm the worst in preparation...

 

[MTtoCamino]

Okay, so I truly wanted to try all of your advices. I've actually stopped jogging (I just don't like exercise). Every day I look at the stairs in the appartement building and think: hmmm.. shall I try them out for 15 minutes? And then just do it for 3 minutes. I have tried the trekking poles. Don't understand how they work. Watched a YouTube Tutorial today, hurray.

Hahaha. I don't know, I think I'll just focus on mental preparation. I do wear my walking shoes (which are second-hand) every day. I've also got free sandals (great health care in NL) that are made especially for my feet, hurray (my bf thinks they are awful).

And! Today it's sunny in the Netherlands. I am gonna walk to my parents in law and back (approx. 3 hours). Should be fun
My training is... uh... no training I guess I still think about all of your advice though.

Sometimes I paint. And sometimes I read a bit of Brierley's book.

Haha, I'm the worst in preparation...

Well as long as you have no need to keep up with say some very fun people you like. You will be fine.