For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
I was increasing the walk distance. Haven't gotten to 20km yet. Just concerned that's all.I hate walking in the rain and I do not train before my caminos. I don't think you need to walk every day in the run-up to your Camino in any case. Why not save your training walks for days when you can actually enjoy them?
I'm 4 weeks out from starting the camino.
Starting to up the training kilometres.
Weather forecast for next 2 weeks is heavy rain.
Any tips for alternative training or is it a case of just suck it up and put on the rain gear and get out?
Main concern is walking for 2 weeks in rain and getting sick just before I start.
You might get sick of the rain, but as @Rick M said you get sick from viruses, not rain.Main concern is walking for 2 weeks in rain and getting sick just before I start.
HiSorry if wrong place.
I'm 4 weeks out from starting the camino.
Starting to up the training kilometres.
Weather forecast for next 2 weeks is heavy rain.
Any tips for alternative training or is it a case of just suck it up and put on the rain gear and get out?
Main concern is walking for 2 weeks in rain and getting sick just before I start.
Thanks
Hi philo - so much depends on your current level of fitness. And surely even in Ireland you are going to have plenty of days in those 4 weeks where the rain is only light? You don't need to train every day, just accustom your body to a bit more strain by lifting your general level of stamina and core strength.I'm 4 weeks out from starting the camino.
Starting to up the training kilometres.
Weather forecast for next 2 weeks is heavy rain.
Any tips for alternative training or is it a case of just suck it up and put on the rain gear and get out?
Diane, rain or (even the thought of it) can make us unduly pessimistic. 10-12 days of consecutive rain in April would be some sort of a record. Thinking about the worst possible option is not really a good basis for changing your plans! And September, with the masses scrambling for beds, is that really a better alternative?I am watching the forecast because if it’s going to be raining for a number of days through the Pyrenees I may postpone my trip to September I don’t really want to . A few days of rain and some consecutive days is fine but I don’t want to go 10-12 days of rain straight like it’s been at home. I want to be able to enjoy the scenery.
You can use this opportunity to check out your rain gear, make sure everything works how you like it. Do the best you can with what you are working with weather-wise. No matter how much training you do or not, the Camino always teaches you something new.Sorry if wrong place.
I'm 4 weeks out from starting the camino.
Starting to up the training kilometres.
Weather forecast for next 2 weeks is heavy rain.
Any tips for alternative training or is it a case of just suck it up and put on the rain gear and get out?
Main concern is walking for 2 weeks in rain and getting sick just before I start.
Thanks
If one initially walks,, “slow” …with no rest days, and covers the camino in 29 days, one likely has a certain prior level of endurance, because most days one would be covering circa 30 km… congrats! But one shouldn’t assume others will make it without training . IMO the OP is rightly concerned and is asking for assistance. While some can just wing it and walk, we all know that there are many pilgrims who had to cut their caminos short because of initial blisters and lack of training.Training for me usually starts on day 1 on the camino.
Fitness is increasing every day.
I usually beginn with shorter distances the first days.
My first camino I started completely untrained as a couch potato.
It took me 29 days from SJPdP to Santiago.
Don‘t worry … you‘re gonna make it. Step by step.
There is a certain amount of skill in walking in rain. Practice while you are at home and can rejigger your setup with less hassle. Also this is your chance to see if your shoes will dump you on your behind if you walk on wet pavement. (Some do!) For alternatives, especially if you live in flatlands, you can do stairs laps.Sorry if wrong place.
I'm 4 weeks out from starting the camino.
Starting to up the training kilometres.
Weather forecast for next 2 weeks is heavy rain.
Any tips for alternative training or is it a case of just suck it up and put on the rain gear and get out?
Main concern is walking for 2 weeks in rain and getting sick just before I start.
Thanks
I second Rick M. The more preparation and training, the more enjoyable will be your Camino. No US Marine would go into battle, no marathon runner would enter the race, no football player would get into a tournament without prior training and prep. Do a few walks in the rain to test your gear, pack carrying capability, pack protection of contents and just to deal with mud and slippery trails in general. The more appropriately your gear is sized, adjusted and dialed in, the less discomfort you will have in the rain. I actually walked with a guy who preferred the rain! 'course, he was from Ireland. For me, I shorten my training hikes by increasing my pack weight well above what I will actually take on Camino x 2 or 3 times. In the month before, I will go out a few times a week with a 40 pound pack for 2 to 8 mile hikes (less time in the rain for your case). Indoor training for me year-round is gym, elliptical machine, calisthenics and stretching...and you can wear your pack during a lot of this. I just step it up prior to Camino. It motivates me to have peppy music playing. Mrs. Mattythedog likes those high energy exercise videos with kettlebells and yoga pads. I find treadmills and stationary bikes just too boring, but they are options.Sorry if wrong place.
I'm 4 weeks out from starting the camino.
Starting to up the training kilometres.
Weather forecast for next 2 weeks is heavy rain.
Any tips for alternative training or is it a case of just suck it up and put on the rain gear and get out?
Main concern is walking for 2 weeks in rain and getting sick just before I start.
Thanks
I think that your baseline fitness level, and whether you do a lot of walking in your daily life makes the difference.There are plenty of pilgrims who don't bother with any prep and do the camino. Some do OK.
Sorry if wrong place.
I'm 4 weeks out from starting the camino.
Starting to up the training kilometres.
Weather forecast for next 2 weeks is heavy rain.
Any tips for alternative training or is it a case of just suck it up and put on the rain gear and get out?
Main concern is walking for 2 weeks in rain and getting sick just before I start.
Thanks
Camino walking video? Any suggestions.Use a treadmill set to the highest incline it is able to reach. Put on a Camino walking video. Put on your backpack. Start.
Stairs
Bleachers
Stair stepper at gym
Do knee bends (if able without the pack) using a table chair to hold to for balance.
Use the time in the rain to test out rain gear.
I just read through the comments and want to give a nod to the encouragement to find ways to train, even in the rain. I have been sucking it up and using rain gear and have been able to get up to 20 km a couple times. It is satisfying. My camino starts at the end of May so I hope there will be few rainy days but I know that I will be ready if there are.Sorry if wrong place.
I'm 4 weeks out from starting the camino.
Starting to up the training kilometres.
Weather forecast for next 2 weeks is heavy rain.
Any tips for alternative training or is it a case of just suck it up and put on the rain gear and get out?
Main concern is walking for 2 weeks in rain and getting sick just before I start.
Thanks
You got snow this year, Rick! I hope you had all seasons on your car, mitts, hat, and a scarf!And now for the counter opinion.......
The weather forecast is what it is. I walk all winter in a place that is famous for soggy winters. I put on my rain gear. I get wet. Viruses make you sick, not rain. The old saying is you can never be too rich, too thin, or too well prepared to walk Camino. That said, I don't walk when its bucketing, but when it lightens up, I find that I can dodge the rain drops sufficiently. Try and get some reps in while you are in the zone. It's going to rain on Camino too.........
Is that what that was? I remember suffering some sort of problem with my eyes that made the ground seem to turn white just before Christmas. It lasted for almost 10 days! The doctor said there was nothing wrong with me, and it would pass. He was right. By New years, my vision returned to normal, and the ground was green again.You got snow this year, Rick! I hope you had all seasons on your car, mitts, hat, and a scarf!
We here on PEI are in a three day snow plonk--good for the snowshoeing!
Very, very unlikely on the Camino -- and as for training at home in those conditions, well OK, but don't be a masochist, and just take in your pack the bare minimum for it to have enough weight to settle down.Main concern is walking for 2 weeks in rain
Unnecessary, and you can actually injure yourself during prep by doing that.At least I walk with my backpack full
Beer works, but if you want something that you can dump to drop some pack weight, bring bottles of water. If it starts feeling too heavy you can dump the water out. Probably safer than imbibing too many beers.Very, very unlikely on the Camino -- and as for training at home in those conditions, well OK, but don't be a masochist, and just take in your pack the bare minimum for it to have enough weight to settle down.
I take beers personally, but whatever floats your boat.
Or, heaven forbid, pouring the beer outBeer works, but if you want something that you can dump to drop some pack weight, bring bottles of water. If it starts feeling too heavy you can dump the water out. Probably safer than imbibing too many beers.
I wouldn't recommend that - I'm not a monster!Or, heaven forbid, pouring the beer out
Try mall walking, esp in the morning. Usually they open about 30 Mm b4 stores open. I heard it is fun, you start seeing the same people, and you can sit down for coffee afterward.Sorry if wrong place.
I'm 4 weeks out from starting the camino.
Starting to up the training kilometres.
Weather forecast for next 2 weeks is heavy rain.
Any tips for alternative training or is it a case of just suck it up and put on the rain gear and get out?
Main concern is walking for 2 weeks in rain and getting sick just before I start.
Thanks
I'm sorry to hear that, Rick; I hope your better half (which half, I ask and wonder!?) took her snowshoes with her when visiting the east coast! Newfoundland (and Labrador) gets the worst of the weather, I think, especially hurricanes and snowstorms. Today here on this island, we're at a positively tropical 1°C! I think I'm seeing palm trees growing out of the snow on the ground! Only another 6-7 weeks left until mud season starts here on PEI, woohoo!Is that what that was? I remember suffering some sort of problem with my eyes that made the ground seem to turn white just before Christmas. It lasted for almost 10 days! The doctor said there was nothing wrong with me, and it would pass. He was right. By New years, my vision returned to normal, and the ground was green again.
It's possible that the condition is contagious though. My better half is visiting family on The Rock this week, and reported a similar condition started afflicting her yesterday........
I was increasing the walk distance. Haven't gotten to 20km yet. Just concerned that's all.
in a way, the Camino provides its own training as you're walking it
The old saying is you can never be too rich, too thin, or too well prepared to walk Camino
ensuring that you are fit for the task, especially carrying weight that is not a usual thing.
The more preparation and training, the more enjoyable will be your Camino.
There are plenty of pilgrims who don't bother with any prep and do the camino. Some do OK. I meet a lot of them with blisters and ... recovering for days in a village.
@philo, kia ora (greetings, good health)I am now 63 and better prepared than I was at 52 years.
The rain itself will not make you sick, it is the people. So, stay away from people who cough or look like they have some cold or flu symptoms.Sorry if wrong place.
I'm 4 weeks out from starting the camino.
Starting to up the training kilometres.
Weather forecast for next 2 weeks is heavy rain.
Any tips for alternative training or is it a case of just suck it up and put on the rain gear and get out?
Main concern is walking for 2 weeks in rain and getting sick just before I start.
Thanks
I liked your post so thank you.Just a note about the utility of pre-training for a Camino, and honestly evaluating personal fitness. A particularly memorable time on one of my Pilgrimages was a time I and my son Caleb departed from St Jean Pied de Port.
After a short refreshment break at Orison, my son and I were about a kilometer up the road when we came upon two young women stopped alongside. One was crumped and sitting, sobbing, while her friend was standing and looking a bit helpless. We stopped and I knelt next to the crying woman asking if she were injured.
Her reply was in heavily accented English broken up between sobs, "Why do people say just anyone can do this?" I patted her shoulder and asked her friend what happened.
She said that they were both not fit for this kind of walking and began struggling when a ways out of St Jean. They had managed to make it to Orisson and had rested a while and were not sure if they should continue. A few other pilgrims told them that the rest of the way was not as hard from Orisson, so the two young women decided to keep going.
Obviously, they didn't make it very far before one had reached a limit. I asked them if they knew whether or not they wanted to continue or if they wanted to return to St Jean. The woman who was sitting was quick to say that she was done. I asked if they wanted to have Caleb and I help them back to Orrison to see if transport back to St Jean could be arranged, to which a grateful "yes" was given.
Caleb stayed with our backpacks, and I took the pack (gads, it was heavy) from the crying woman. Her friend carried hers and we started down to Orrison. Along the way, I told them to rest for the night before deciding to give up their pilgrimage. I explained that it was fine if they wanted to taxi or bus to Roncesvalles and start from there, but to get a good night's rest before deciding anything.
After we reached Orrison, the friend was able to talk to one of the staff there, so I left.
I have never started a season of wilderness backpacking or a Camino without a decent level of pre-training. How much pre-training? To a level where I know that I can enjoy my first steps of an anticipated hiking trip or Camino. That does not mean being in ultra-fit shape, but it does mean that I want to be able to enjoy my time walking from the very beginning, and be in a mental fog of huffing and puffing. . . . I want to enjoy the sights and sounds externally from myself, not having my mind focused on how miserable I feel.
YMMV.
On The Rock, so I've heard, there are beverages that may cause visions of white stuff. But I've only lived in Ontario so no real experience.Is that what that was? I remember suffering some sort of problem with my eyes that made the ground seem to turn white just before Christmas. It lasted for almost 10 days! The doctor said there was nothing wrong with me, and it would pass. He was right. By New years, my vision returned to normal, and the ground was green again.
It's possible that the condition is contagious though. My better half is visiting family on The Rock this week, and reported a similar condition started afflicting her yesterday........
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?