Training

Since I don't plan to walk the Camino until the spring of 2014 I have a bit of time to get in better shape! To that end I have started a walking program not just to train for the Camino but the Camino is a good excuse to get moving so there you have it.

I basically started about 3 weeks ago by walking a bit more than 5 km on a trail at a local nature park I was just in my beaten up old runners but it went well even though the top of my foot ached a bit when done. The recovery was quick however and I was actually surprised at how well I took to walking that distance. I kinda figured I wouldn't actually handle it all that well and would consequently be bushed the rest of the day ... wrong on both counts.

I was so happy with how it went I started walking that distance every other day (weather permitting) and I went out and bought hiking boots. They were great!

Then on the weekend before last I walked 7+ km with my hubby. Got side tracked and had to bushwhack a bit but all in all another nice walk ... however ... after 7 km I did notice that even in my hiking boots the balls of my feet were burning when done and I started to get the feeling that maybe ... just maybe my toes were starting to come into contact with the front of my boot ... slight tenderness and I was curling my toes for the last couple km ... to help keep them from hitting the front of the boot.

After that I tried putting gel insets into the boot in place of the original insert ... bad idea ... foot trouble was worse ... even on my shorter 5 km walks, so I went back to the original inserts and that seemed to fix things ... for the shorter distances anyway.

Last weekend my daughter, husband and I went on another longish walk. Not on trails this time but on a paved path alongside the estuary in Courtenay. The walk in total was again about 7 km and I again started to notice difficulty in the final couple of kms ... then a toe on my right foot started hurting fairly intensely and I thought maybe it was from hitting the front of the boot ... but it wasn't a hard banging it was more of a gentle contact but I guess it added up. I put up with it for the rest of the walk but I was increasingly favouring that foot ...

When we finished our walk I tried to examine the foot but I couldn't quite determine WHICH toe was hurting ... no blisters ... no obvious sore spots on the toe ...I figured maybe I was over reacting. Later that night I accidentally bumped my toe ... WOW ... pain! So I took a second look and still couldn't see anything ... so I gently touched the toe NAILS ... second toe .. nail ... slightly discoloured  (grayish but barely perceptible) VERY sensitive to pressure ... thinking now ... I might lose the nail ... lesson learned.

The boots that I thought were so perfect were fitted to exactly fit my foot ... and they are very comfortable over short distances or around the house ... BUT when push comes to shove and the distances walked increased I am guessing my foot is maybe swelling? ... or something ... maybe it's just a constant small bump that gets exacerbated by constant gentle bumping over time ... I guess all the advice to buy a boot one size LARGER than you usually get .. is good advice, if you plan to walk longer distances in a hiking boot.

Back to the drawing board .... I am going to take it easy this week to let things heal and maybe save the toe nail ...  and before I walk over 5 km again I am going to either get new boots or better yet a new pair of hiking SHOES ... one size too large and try again. My husband has a pair of Keen shoes that I tried on the other day and even though his feet are quite a bit larger than mine his shoe was really comfortable on me .. no slipping ... although it was quite roomy in the toe box ... I am going to experiment with his shoes before I buy new ones of my own but I am hopeful that this is an experiment that is going to bear fruit :)

Beginnings - March 2012

I write this near the end of the month. A month that could well be a turning point in my life. A month that started of in much the same way as many other months but with a twist that I wasn't expecting.


Those kinds of twists can have many consequences, both good or bad ... in my case it was good ... or at least I think so ...


On a rather dull day. I think it was raining. I know I was bored. I decided to watch TV, something I rarely do. As I expected there was nothing good on ... undaunted I decided to check out Pay per View. Scrolled the listings .. nothing stood out so I started to check casting ... ok here was something interesting ... The Way starring Martin Sheen directed by Emillio Estevez ... small budget film, looks to be a drama set in Spain about a father on a journey somewhere for some reason ... he's wearing a backpack ...


Ok I think. I like Martin Sheen. He was terrific in West Wing and I love Europe so a travel movie might be nice ...  .... I click the "Buy Now" button and settle back to watch the film ...


It was a very good movie. Nothing goes BANG ... there are no special effects. It just a solid nicely woven story about a man on a personal journey of discovery after losing his son. It follows him on a trek across northern Spain on an ancient pilgrimage route from France to the ancient city of Santiago de Compostella. A 500 mile (800km) 5+ week walk through some of the most gorgeous landscapes in Europe. The scenery was predictably beautiful, but I expected that. What I didn't expect was how the movie would affect me ... AFTER it was done. Watch the trailer if you like:

After the movie was over I started to think about the Camino. The challenge of walking day after day 10, 15 20 km a day and often more. I didn't know if I could even walk more than 2 km in one go. The idea seemed romantic and adventurous but surely I could never do that ... or could I.

Three years ago I was extremely obese .... Off the scale obese, staring death in the face. Then, when I was least expecting it, my first life changing moment struck. Surfing the web one day I came across a calorie counting website called Livestrong. You can check it out if you like at livestrong.com but that's another story ... anyway, the time was right and over the course of the next year and a half I managed to drop 100+ pounds. That site literally saved my life. I had more or less resigned myself to my fate. I had all but given up, hopeless, not knowing how to change, lacking the will power as well. ... but somehow I did, and my life has taken an abrupt turn for the better and I could not be happier! I have maintained my weight loss for the last 2 years although I can't seem to lose anymore, now that I am post menopausal, but still, every day I get a little bit stronger and more active and you know what they say .... hope springs eternal :) I just need a little motivation to help kick things into a higher gear, cause I am pretty sure I can handle it.

Then like i said above, I watched "The Way" and my world was thrown into yet another tailspin ... what if ... what if I walked the Camino? Could I? I mean there were no rules ... I didn't HAVE to walk 30 km a day ... I could just walk 10 maybe 16 surely I could do that? I could walk 4-5 km/hour on the treadmill easy even if only for 30 minutes ... 16 would be just a 4 hour hike, if I could manage to walk for 4 hours! Could I? Surely I could do a 4 hour hike if I took it slow ... There are alburges in every little town and the towns were all relatively close together ... I wouldn't have to carry much, food was readily available in all the little cafes en route and there would be a bed each night. I'd get stronger the longer I walked ... maybe Peter could join me? This is something that's right up his alley, he'd love it ... he's retiring next summer ... we could go the spring after that ... May 2014 ...

A plan began to crystallize.

Life changing moments ... sometimes the trick is to recognize them ... the next trick is to allow yourself to embrace them.

Dare to Dream ... MY dream is to walk the Camino de Santigo from start to finish in May 2014 ... what's yours?