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You may find that it gets tougher for as much as the first two weeks. Your electrolytes are probably low, and blood sugar altered. Your joints and muscles are tired and inflamed. All these will get worse for a week or two. Then conditioning will kick in, and it will become easier!Many a camino has been dashed on the rocks of expectations. You may be headed straight for the reef. It is not easy walking even 12 miles per day, day after day. Fifteen to seventeen? That is a pretty high bar for defining success. I have three French walks and five Spain walks, and won't even lace on my boots to try a 30 km day. I just look for the halfway mark, or start looking for a taxi.
As Annie says, start slowly and let your endurance build. Do not be reluctant to take a rest day. It will have amazing restorative powers. Do not let a planned schedule get in the way of what you actually do. If you fall behind a time schedule for a returning flight, take buses, trains, and taxis.
There are no objective standards for a successful Camino, not even getting the Compostela. Don't let artificial standards become obstacles to a successful Camino. You really do get to lower your standard any time you want, though you might need to have walked the Camino to understand that. If you set the standard low enough, you cannot fail. I am sorry if that is too anti-competitive, but I am pretty certain it is true!
gregdedman said:To tell you everything Johnny would simply be giving all the good stuff away!
The single most important part of the Camino is the part you are going through right now, we have it easy, pretty much, in our safe, comfortable lot in life and you set out on the Camino for a reason and i'm sure it wasn't just to go for a walk hey?
The lessons you are learning about yourself right now are paramount to the rest of your life. If you think about it, walking is the most natural thing we as humans can do, we've all been doing it since we were a year old, but now, we are re-evaluating what has become instinct. Every painful step now forces us to examine the tiny little problems in our feet, legs, back and most importantly our head. It is making you concentrate totally on the task in hand something that at home, maybe you don't do often enough.
The simpliest things become important. How to shed some excess weight from your pack, how important it is to stop for a breather and spot an incredible bird in the tree or to look back and get a whole new perspective on where you are and how far you have come, literally and indeed metaphorically.
There is a simple art to walking and the Camino at the moment it is completely re-writing your programming....which is exactly what you are there to do maybe, right?!
Seriously though Johnny, from one guy to another. There is no option to give up just because its hard, ok, so do what you need to do each day to get you to the next and once that daily habit becomes natural, then you'll start to fly.
Not a single pilgrim who ever walked didn't feel what you are feeling now, if the forums banged on about the pain, the length, the tears, the terrain, the snorers, the annoyances, the blisters, the occasional rude barman, the cold showers, the queues for a bed....etc etc etc then would anyone go?!...probably, yes because we would all say again and again, more than anything, it was so totally, utterly and completely worth it.
Nandy61 said:the advice of the 83 year old Italian fella I walked the Camino with. As we'd pass him on the tough uphills, he'd smile at us and say: Piano, piano!
johnnyman said:managed nearly 20 kilometers before stopping to let the feet rest a bit. ...
johnnyman said:golfnman13.blog.com
pal said:johnnyman said:managed nearly 20 kilometers before stopping to let the feet rest a bit. ...
And already you're ignoring the advice of many to stop every couple of hours or so to air the feet....
Haha it'll probably pour with rain tomorrow- your feet will get drenched- and it will be impossible to sit down and relax and change into dry socks. :shock: We are here to make your life harder!johnnyman said:You´re right! Today, I stopped, took off shoes and socks, massaged the feet, put on clean and dry socks, took off again. It was nice. I recommend it, and plan to do it every day from now on ... and gimme a break, it´s hard to remember everything!!!
johnnyman said:Check out my blog, if you wish
golfnman13.blog.com
Br. David said:Well now, pilgrim :wink: what would be your forum reply now to a nervous 'about to be' ?? :lol:
(well done by the way :!: )
johnnyman said:They didn´t swing the incense burner at the mass today, either. And to think how bad I had to pee for 45 minutes ...
We did!Y'all didn´t tell me
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