Time to start walKing

[sunflower]

Hi

I was wondering what time do people normally get up and start walking each day? How many hours of walking would there be on average each day?

Thanks
SF

[Covey]

I aim to stick my nose out of the albergue front door at first light. The actual position of the big and little hand on my watch face depends on the time of year I go as I either go in July or September. This year it is September. I get up about 30 minutes before I exit the door.

There are of course the anti-social buggers who are out of bed crashing around with their head torches on at 5am!! Having woken everyone up, they set off in the dark, and of course often get lost when they miss a yellow arrow on the side of a building. God knows what they do all day or where they get too, but I always seem to overtake them about lunchtime!! They mutter about missing the heat of the day, but all they do is annoy the hell out of the rest of us!!

I aim to finish walking around 2pm(ish), having walked at a steady constant pace, taken plenty of breaks when there is a bar to have a coffee or coke, and generally enjoyed myself.

Being an ex-soldier, I walk at the army's rhythm. Walk for 50 minutes, stop for 10, walk for 50, stop for 20 with my boots off to dry the feet, and repeat. The real trick is to walk at a steady constant pace. If you go rushing off then slow down then speed up etc etc, your body finds it more of an effort to deliver the energy to your legs that you need.

You should never drink more than half your water until you arrive at somewhere you can refill your water bottles from. Having checked that the water is potable, drink the rest of your water, and then refill your bottle/s. That way, should you arrive and find no water available, you still have half your water to cover you walking to the next water point!!

I aim to walk albergue to albergue for about 6-7 hours with at least 45 minutes for lunchtime, with boots off and maybe even a little siesta if the occasion demands.

[HuskyNerd]

Covey's the pro at this and his advice is always good. My routine is just a little different. As people start rustling around in the morning I pull my bag over my eyes and wait for the fuss to die down, believing that morning sleep is the best sleep of all. After everyone's left the dormitory I stumble out of bed, scare myself by looking in the mirror (which finally wakes me up), brush my teeth, pack my mochila, and leave the albergue about an hour behind everyone else. I hunt for a cafe where I find or don't find a chocolate croissant, which on the best of all possible mornings is eaten slowly after being dipped in a cafe con leche. I ask for a bocadilla con queso y tomate (no chorizo for this vegetarian) and start the walk with a happy tummy, walk steadily until lunch and -- surprise of surprises -- find last night's albergue crew at the lunch counter. I order a cervesa and catch up on the day's events with them. I walk a total of 5-6 hours and find an albergue by about 3:00 in the afternoon. Some of my fellow peregrinos from the previous day are already there -- snoozing in bed so they can wake up too early the next day, too. :-) The rest are doing their wash, tending their feet or visiting quietly while thinking about the best menu del peregrino at the local restaurant. Conversation often focuses on how good and cheap the red wine is and how we can't believe we can eat french fries and still lose weight. The days repeat themselves with the occasional new character tossed in from Brazil or South Africa or Korea or Sweden until it comes to a conclusion at the Plaza del Obradoiro and the pilgrim mass at Santiago.

Buen camino!

[Covey]

Ahhh........ This pulling the bag over your eyes time is no doubt when the young dream of those in the sports bra's!!

The older one gets, the more dangerous it gets to drink the ice cold cervesa at lunch cos the siesta might end up being longer than intended, and then you has to walk in the late afternoon sun, which always seems to be a lot hotter than the midday sun.

[Leslie]

In the mornings I was usually last out of the albergue, I would be woken and wander outside with my can of diet coke to have my morning cig - coke had to do instead of coffee. Then once things had started to clear inside I would pack and wander also to the nearest cafe for breakfast.

Most days I think I would stop at almost every cafe for a coffee during the morning and tea in the afternoon. I would reach the nights albergue somewhere between 3 and 6.

Now I thought I was relaxed about time until I met my other half on the Camino. She and her friend were often the last to reach albergues every day - they did enjoy themselves. Talking to everyone they met and singing as they walked along.

As for me Anna agrees with me that i was the grumpiest person she met on the Camino - I wasn't having such a great time in life the second time I walked - still wonder how she ended up with me...

[Covey]

I would have to admit that I am probably not the worlds happiest camper at 0630 in the morning. I am far more interested in tracking down the nearest bar selling hot chocolate so I can have my morning ciggy in peace. After that, I am in full Camino Grandfather mode!