Before embarking on a journey to Santiago we
usually feel a lot of excitement, but we also have many doubts and questions
that we want answers to. How do I reach my departure point? Which route should
I take? Carry my bag or send it to my next stop? Do I choose a more busy or a
more quiet route? Should I walk or go by bike? There is a lot of useful
information for pilgrims out there so here we try to condense some of the
answers and fill in your gaps in several posts.
Let's get started!
1. Preparing ourselves
for the walk
Walking the Camino is both physically and mentally
challenging. Most of us are not used to walking several tens of kilometers with
a backpack on our shoulders for many days in a row. This does not mean that we
should not or cannot do just that if we are not in our best shape to begin
with. It just means that we might want to train ourselves into longer walks
with a load, and the shoes! We are all different and it is of course up to each
and every one of us to decide whether we will train or not, with the bag or without
it.
Normally we would start taking short walks with
a light load, 4 times a week, around 2 months prior to departure. Try to
gradually increase both the length of the walk and load in your bag. This will also
help you know how much luggage you can carry without it being too demanding. The
most important thing with training is to achieve a constancy in time so that both
body and mind get used to the wear and tear of walking on a continuous basis. Beating
ourselves up the week before traveling will only have us starting the journey
with sore muscles and at risk of injury. So give yourself the time you need! Plan
ahead!
BUEN CAMINO!! ⧝
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