The Way

[heyjude]

I so want to see The Way, but we don't even have a movie theatre in our town. I was even willing to travel to Victoria, BC, but it's already gone. I can pre-order it from Amazon, but it won't even be released until Feb 21. Doing Camino Frances end of Apr/all of May. How will I ever wait? I can think of nothing else.

[ken huocj]

Walk the Camino before seeing "the Way".
Which route are you following? Buen Camino

[heyjude]

Walk the Camino before seeing "the Way".
Which route are you following? Buen Camino

We're doing the Camino Frances. How much training did you do before going?

[ken huocj]

We're doing the Camino Frances. How much training did you do before going?

on and off 6 months, but two months before i increased my distance from 5 to 15kms during the month before, i was up to 25 kns and managed two long walks over weekends of 30 and 50kms. Get three pairs of merino hiking socks, change every hour with a 10 minute rest and airing of feet, with the two used, they can be washed and the third will be dry for next day. A good rubbing with Vaseline after shower at the end of the day, kept skin sofy and i was lucky, no blisters. buen Canino

[heyjude]

on and off 6 months, but two months before i increased my distance from 5 to 15kms during the month before, i was up to 25 kns and managed two long walks over weekends of 30 and 50kms. Get three pairs of merino hiking socks, change every hour with a 10 minute rest and airing of feet, with the two used, they can be washed and the third will be dry for next day. A good rubbing with Vaseline after shower at the end of the day, kept skin sofy and i was lucky, no blisters. buen Canino

Wow! That's a lot of training. I'd better get moving.

[Lipka149]

Wow! That's a lot of training. I'd better get moving.

Ha !

Well, in counterpoint, I hitched up my shorts a month before and hit the road for 10 miles in tennis shoes and no pack to see if I could just walk 10 miles. Took 6 hours, one rest stop (2 beers) and I had nary a blister but lost a toenail. After that, I rested.

Hint: DRINK NO BEER UNTIL YOU STOP.

IMHO, physical training is highly over rated.

There are, of course, important considerations to take into account before starting your Camino, heyjude. "Training" is not one of them. I have seen some of the best trained Peregrinos fall because of injury that no training could account for. The best approach I have heard of (and the one I can attest to from experience) is to prepare intelligently and then listen to what your body is telling you.

Perhaps the best advice is to "prepare" rather than "train". Understand that this is an experience requiring mental strength. No matter how well prepared you are physically, you will eventually face a "wall" that demands a mental push. If you are open to it, it can even present an emotional ... super physical ... spiritual push. The point being ... you cannot really train for the Camino. All you can do is get your ducks in a row and allow the Camino to ... to ... to ... <sigh> ... train you.

Prepare well, my Brother (Sister), and if you don't get it all right, and suffer pain because of it, remember that your shared experience will help someone else. Let us agonize and share together !

Buen Camino !

[heyjude]

Thanks, Alan. I'm getting my ducks in a row!
Judy

[unadara]

Hi
There is a lot of advice on this forum re training. I may be in Lipka's camp (hope that's ok)!. We were very fit!. My feet swelled up with very high temps (unusual for Sep/Oct). My husbands knee gave trouble and we got shin splints/tendonitis. I now know to drink more isotonic drinks, all the eroskis have own brand, but common brands are in all vending machines, you can also carry "salts"?. BUT we walked the 800kms+ in 31 days and enjoyed it "spiritually and emotionally". So read and prepare and be prepared for the unexpected! really! it is not a walk you can "train" for. It is a life changing experience.
And the getting excited bit was so good....

[Leslie]

I would go with the idea of some training before going, it would be good to at least walk a good bit in the shoes or boots you will be using, however...

On my first Camino I was very surprised at myself for being able to keep walking when I was in so much pain with my feet - to give you and idea I had to cut my heal skin off one night with scissors - now that was because I had blisters that had healed on my feet to hard skin before I set out on the Camino - once there because of crap boots I got blisters under the hard skin. It wasn't fun - but again amazed that I continued rather than setting out to rest on a beach somewhere in Spain.

The second time I walked, I had to be taken from an albergue one night by ambulance to the hospital I was in so much pain. At the hospital they discovered I had two hernias - great. They gave me loads of pain killers and I walked for another two weeks and they were not painless either.

I find sometimes in life that I can just do more than I think.

[heyjude]

Thanks, Leslie & Unadara:
Leslie - I'm amazed you kept going ... considering! I'll definitely buy my boots early and wear them in.

[unadara]

Hi again
As this thread is named The Way, we did notice that in the movie no one suffered! no blisters, no foot clinics night or morning, in reality we saw it all! Hubbie did not really get blisters but did suffer other pains. I am with Leslie in having no idea how I kept walking! I had treatment for a few "minor blisters" in the camino ambulance, BUT they discovered an infection in my foot, gave me an injection (that had me screaming the roof down) and I got out and walked on another 10kms, that night I was sick/sick/sick and got up and walked 20kms the next day, then I took 2 days rest in Leon (I cried getting on the bus, but hubbie wanted to walk on). So to emphasis these are not the cherished memories of the Camino, the privileged feeling you get to walk where "millions" have walked, to walk "The Way". I did get all the advice I needed here and in other threads I pass on the wisdom of the camino ambulance men NO COMPEED ever...white bandages/betadine etc, sticky tape on rolls, check other threads, but they available in all farmacias and advice given there too...

[heyjude]

Oh, my gosh! So much pain ... and yet you went on, as Leslie did! You would think these stories would make me want to cancel my plans, but that's not the case at all. Despite knowing that I'm likely to face "something unpleasant", I still want to do it. It must have something to do with the desire to break through my normal boundaries, both physical and emotional.

[Lipka149]

The Way was released in the US today. My wonderful wife just went out and bought it for us ! Can't wait to watch it !

[heyjude]

And my good husband rented The Way for us to watch tonight - exactly eight weeks before we leave for the Camino. We'll watch it as soon as we get home from our Spanish lesson. All things Camino in our house!

[Lipka149]

heyjude.

Pretty good, eh ?

[heyjude]

Beautiful! I loved it. And soon I'll be there.
Quick question: Seems to be a lot of drinking going on. We're taking our 14 yo grandson - will he be welcome in the bars? For Coca Cola or milk, of course.
Judy

[Lipka149]

Quick question: Seems to be a lot of drinking going on. We're taking our 14 yo grandson - will he be welcome in the bars? For Coca Cola or milk, of course.

Oh yes ! I'm sure he will be more than welcome.

Wine and beer were staples along the Way. From what I saw, they were enjoyed in moderation. The word "bar" is something of a misnomer. They are really more of a restaurant.

Drugs were never in evidence.

[heyjude]

Thanks, Alan. His parents will be pleased.
Judy

[SusanUSA]

I walked the Camino in 2011 and I just watched The Way last night - it's now available on movie channels.

It was great to see the amazing sights and I recognized many of the places along the Camino. And while some of the experiences are common (people do become friends on the Camino and the people living along the Way are very friendly), I felt the depiction was over-the-top as it relates to the experiences of the four people walking.

There is beer and wine on the Camino, but drunkenness is not common. I walked for 500 miles over 36 days and only saw one drunk person (and that was in St. Jean). Foraging food from farmers . . . never saw it. Crazy albergue hosts . . . never saw it . . . stress and unkindness . . . rare and actually from one young man with "issues." The chance of dropping a backpack into a river . . . never saw it and having to sleep along a river to dry ones clothes after such an event . . . very unlikely. Also, there is some theft, so watching your belongings is important, but even theft is very rare.

But the landscapes - yes! And seeing them again brought me to tears. And while the personalities in the film were extreme (as were their actions) - there is a truth in strangers becoming bonded friends. That does happen on the Camino, it's just that people aren't so angry, stressed and in-your-face.

The Camino is a lovely experience where the people watch out for each other. Those living on the Way really do look out of the Pilgrims. And the Pilgrims look out for each other, also. I miss it and plan to walk it again as soon as I can.

"Why would you want to walk it again?"

"Because I did it the first time."

Buen Camino

[Lipka149]

The Camino is a lovely experience where the people watch out for each other. Those living on the Way really do look out of the Pilgrims. And the Pilgrims look out for each other, also. I miss it and plan to walk it again as soon as I can.

Hi Susan -

Yes, I agree with the above. I think it captures both the essence of the Camino and what the movie was trying to depict. Movies, of course, take artistic licence with the truth, but despite its dramatic descriptions, it's pretty close. Yes again, especially the scenery.

Going back again ... hmmm ... I'm not sure I understand why walking the Camino once is a reason for going back again. I know that many would agree that it is ... but this answer is too vague for my sense of curiosity. May I ask you why once is not enough ? Your answer in the above quote sheds some light on the why ... but I suspect there is more. Please ... would you tell us ?