Why the Camino? Why Not Hike Elsewhere?
I get asked the same question many times. In fact, almost everyone I talk to, asks me the same question, WHY? Why are you walking 800 Km, staying in hostels, and choosing to become a pilgrim?
Many folks know I have a ruptured disc in my back as well as a torn disc. I had scope surgery for a tear in my meniscus in both of my knees (still full of arthritic pain), and I had a stent placed in my heart five years ago after discovering I had  99% blockage in one artery. Despite all this,  I am still in relatively good health and these are complications that I refuse to have dictate how I live my life.
People from all over the world walk/hike El Camino de Santiago with issues much worse than mine. I have spent the last several years making so many excuses for not living a healthy lifestyle (mostly work) and now (upon retirement) it is time to take control and fulfil a goal I set for myself a long time ago.
Throughout our lives, we all go through various transitions. A transition is defined as “the period between the end of one life experience to the beginning of another new experience. When there is an end to something, on the other side is a new beginning. ” The time in between that change is a transition. How do we actually begin to start something new? When do we start that new beginning? How much time do we stay stuck in the transition phase?
I look at this adventure as a way to carry out something amazing, something spiritual, and something that will help me transition in retirement into the next stage of my life. As we undergo transitions in life, there is a risk of being caught in the zone from ending something to beginning something else (example: changing careers, loosing a loved one/pet, retiring, moving etc.).
I hope to gain control of the physical exercise that I once loved and have ignored for six years. I need to get healthy again. I want to have time to think seriously about what I want next. I set this a goal for myself many years ago.. I always carry out my goals, always!
My Training:
I have had to walk a lot to get started. Once, I felt comfortable walking a lot, I set a weekly schedule of distance walks and then started to do a few days in a row. I introduced hiking poles and looked for hills to practice on. Daily walking is great practice.
Over the last 3 days, I have walked 23 Km with my day pack loaded with some weight. My legs muscles are stiff, and SCREAMING in pain from being disturbed from weeks of sitting on a couch!
I am mixing walking with cycling at the gym. My next walk will include adding my poles and slowly increasing my distance. I will keep up with the cycling but only after 2, then 3, then 4 consecutive days of walking etc. By July 30th, I hope to be walking 20 plus Km per day, with my poles and backpack loaded with full weight! Once I carry out that goal, I will continue walking but adding some serious hill training. I truly hope this works. There are many theories to training. I am going at my pace, because walking/hiking El Camino de Santiago IS NOT A RACE!
This Week’s Training:
June 29th – 10.2 Km walk at a good pace. I loaded my day pack with weight. I needed to start with something on my back.
June 30th – LOTS of stretching!
July 1st – 13.36 Km walk.
This is my last training walk I completed 13.26 Km
July 2nd – 33 Km Cycle and a 5 Km walk – on equipment at the gym
Wish me luck, as I leave 7 weeks from today!
KEEP WALKING!
