THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS

The countdown has begun, even though it is still 6 months before I leave for Spain.  So, what to do in the meantime?  Prepare.  One of the biggest issues for people that walk 500 miles across Spain is their feet. Blisters are the norm for many, as are shin splints, sore knees and backs.  Walking day after day for over 30 days will take a toll on you body no matter how much one prepares.  I hope to minimize these ailments by conditioning my body before I start walking.

I have been pretty active before starting my camino training, riding my bike, walking and hiking when there is somewhere to hike to.  I'm just getting started with my training and in goes something like this:

120 miles a week on my bike.  This usually consists of three rides a week on mostly flat terrain.  On occasion I ride a fourth day by riding to the USS Midway Museum where I volunteer a couple of days a week.  My walking includes carrying my backpack weighted with what I will be carrying in Spain.  8 miles a week, which I will increase over time.  The bike gives me the stamina I will need and the walks with the pack hopefully will prepare my feet and legs for what lies ahead.

People talk about the "Call of the Camio".  Those who have heard it will know exactly what I mean. It's a whisper at first, a fleeting thought which is easily dismissed.  But soon it is incessant.  It starts to fill you mind. Invariably conversation turns to it.  You read books about it, seek out other pilgrims.  You dare to call yourself a pilgrim.

There is a sense in which we are all pilgrims the moment we decide to leave behind a life of certainty and start a journey of discovery into the unknown.  One source describes a pilgrimage as "a journey or search of moral or spiritual significance".  I know that in the strictest sense it is a physical journey to a real place of significance, but I think that the journey starts long before your feet hit the dusty roads.  It starts inside your head.

I wish I had the talent to make a video like this one.  It was made by a woman who walked the Camino in 2005 and when I came across it, it hit home for me.  For me it says, "This is the reason I'm walking".  The music is, Time by Chantal Kreviazuk

I MUST BE GOING, I PURCHASED THE PLANE TICKETS

Well, I guess this means I'm really going to do it.  I've been watching the cost of airfare every week or so and hadn't looked for a while because we're currently traveling in the RV.  But two days ago I had an Internet connection and checked.  It had dropped $300.  Cathie and I talked and she has agreed to meet me in Madrid after I complete the Camino.  Unfortunately her ticket price did not come down, but the two different tickets at two different times would probably never be the same.

So, I leave on April 5th, Easter Sunday and fly to Madrid.  I will make my way to Saint Jean Pied de Port in Southern France where I will start walking.  I have given myself 39 days to complete the 500 miles, which should allow me some rest days along the way.  Then on May 18th I will meet Cathie in Madrid and we will spend 3 weeks in Spain and Southern France before making our way to Germany to visit friends.  Our return flight leaves from Mulhouse, France on June 8th.  Guess I better start training.

A DECISION MADE, A WALK POSTPONED

After giving it considerable thought and weighing the positives vs the negatives I've decided to postpone my Camino till next year.  I had intended on walking starting in May, but several things have led me to the decision to postpone for now.  My left shoulder is in pain most of the time.  I've been to the doctor who says it's bursitis and has given me an injection of cortisone.  I'm thankful that surgery is not needed.  I still have pain but not as severe and in a couple of months we'll see if another injection is necessary.

Another factor in my decision is that I've lost some of the drive that it takes to make such a trip.  After returning from a two month trip to Europe I was traveled out and I had no desire to head out for  a six week trip.  I figured that if I waited to make the decision the drive to go would return, but it hasn't.  Weighing on my mind is the nagging pain I'm experiencing.  I would hate to be mid Camino and have the pain get worse causing me to end my walk.  In an effort to get back in the zone, so to speak, I will began training for the Camino as though I was going in May, minus the backpack.  I am currently riding my bike about 140 miles a week and  along with some weight training I will start walking again.

So I will take care of my shoulder, do what the doctor says and hopes that the desire to walk returns.

SO, WHAT IS THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO?

The Camino de Santiago or The Way of Saint James, is a network of ancient pilgrimage paths though the Spanish, Portuguese and Continental European countryside, that end at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela, believed to be the burial site of the apostle St James the Greater who was martyred around 44AD.

The medieval Christian world had three major pilgrimage sites, Rome in the south, Jerusalem in the east and Santiago de Compostela in the west.  Between the 11th and 13th centuries, Santiago de Compostela was the most popular route.

The route has been walked by thousands of pilgrims and is often referred to as El Camino which literally means, The Way.  The first pilgrims were recorded around 950 AD and over the centuries accommodation, churches, roads and whole towns were built to cater to the growing number of pilgrims or peregrinos as they are known.  Pilgrims on the pilgrimage routes reached their peak numbers in the 12th century and continued at a lesser rate into the late 17th century.  From then on it was mostly devout Spaniard who undertook the pilgrimage, but the 1900's saw a revival in the Camino.  In 1937 Santiago (St James) was officially declared the patron saint of Spain and in 1987 the Camino was declared a World Heritage Site.

In 1986, 2491 pilgrims received the officIial certificate of completion - The Compostela.  Last year over 190.000 completed the Camino.  The most popular route, which starts at Se Jean Pied de Port (St John at the foot of the pass) in the French Pyrenees and ends at Santiago de Compostela, is known as the Camino Frances.  There are many other routes in Spain and 5 in France, all leading to Santiago.  The majority of those who complete the Camino  Frances start in the town of Sarria which is about 100 kilometers from Santiago.  Those who start here and finish are able to get their Compostela.  Others start a various towns and cities along the path and many take several years to complete the walk, walking during their vacations.

CAMINO de SANTIAGO



I've been considering walking the Camino Frances from St. Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain for sometime now.  A 500 mile pilgrim's route over the Pyrenees and across Northern Spain.  Most people who complete the trek accomplish the task in 30 to 35 days, carrying only the minimum on their back.  Staying in Albergues, (think hostels) in villages and towns along the way.  I've been reading about the Camino, also known as The Way, both in books and on-line and asking questions of those who have gone before me.

The plan thus far is to do it.  That I am sure of.  If everything goes according to plan I will go next year most likely in the fall.  Ok, so you ask, Why?  Well if you know me you know I like to hike and travel.  This way I'll be combining two of my passions.  Also, I like the challenge of the walk and meeting new people from different parts of the world and backgrounds appeals to me.  Last year almost 200,000 people completed the Camino so I'll have lots of company.  Many only walk the last 100 kilometers and others start at various places along the path.

As I prepare for my Camino I will be posting my progress and more information about the Camino.  I may start a new blog just for the Camino, but I haven't made a final decision about that.

Since have you asked, why in the world would I want to walk 500 miles across Spain?  Besides those reasons I stated above, this video I found on YouTube answers some of the deeper reasons as to why.  It was made by a man who along with his daughter walked the Camino in 2008.  Take 5 minutes and watch the video HERE