Tag Archives: training for the camino

5 Final Preparation Activities for The Camino de Santiago

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Camino de SantiagoThere are less than 7 weeks before Marta and I leave for our Camino de Santiago adventure.  What remains are these 5 short term (2 month), final preparation activities that I thought might be fun to share with you.

1.      Detailed planning of the route and sight-seeing activities.  Marta and I will each plan half the trip.  I have created a spreadsheet which includes:

  • Preferred route each day
  • Preparations for that day’s hike
  • Key points of interest (historical, cultural, geographical)
  • Where we will be staying
  • Recommendations for breakfast, lunch and dinner
  • Journaling area to capture the days insights and adventures

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How to Get Happy, Strong and Healthy Feet for the Camino

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how to build up your feet for the CaminoFor the next few blogs I am going to discuss how to get happy, strong and healthy feet for the Camino (Felices, sanos y fuertes pies en el Camino). It’s very important to get your feet strong, stretched and ready to walk the long distances along the Way of St James to Santiago de Compostella.

The function and anatomy of our feet is complex:

1)  The feet are our connection with the Earth forming a weight bearing foundation for our body. The feet balance weight distribution and alignment with the body that lines up over them.

2)  The feet and toes bear and propel body weight during movement.  The feet balance the body during movement and changes in body position. The feet enable mobility, direction and balance. The toes help with balance and propulsion during movement.

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Answering Questions About Training for and Walking the Camino

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click image to enlarge

click image to enlarge

In a previous blog post, I received some great questions about training for and walking the Camino de Santiago. Here are answers to 2 of those questions.

Question:   Would you ever during a walk, not make it to a village before dark?
Answer:  I would never recommend not making it a village before dark, unless that is part of your plan to camp out and you have the requisite gear.  Here is a link to a global sunrise, sunset time website.  You can choose your location, and print a summary for the year.  For the months of June and July In Santiago de Compostela the sun rises around 7 am and sets around 10 pm.  Our plan is to start early each morning.  This means being on the road by 7 am walking an average of 20 km’s per day.

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10 Question Survey – Assessing Physical Fitness Readiness for Walking the Camino

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Camino Readiness Survey

As we prepare to walk the Camino de Santiago, for most of us that means starting an exercise program.  It is tough to choose and plan the exact program that will motivate us and gets the results we need to accomplish our fitness goals.   We first need to understand what our fitness goals are and what is the fitness mindset and mental toughness required to commit to our goals.  Our bodies may be ready to start exercising but our minds are what we need to work on when it comes with keeping to an exercise routine. So I thought it might be helpful to provide this quick 10 question survey to help you assess your physical fitness readiness for walking the Camino.

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Welcome to Train for the Camino de Santiago

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Camino de Santiago

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Everyone has their own reasons for walking the Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of St. James.  It is a popular pilgrimage route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostelo in Galicia Spain where the sacred remains of the Apostle St James (the Greater) are purported to be buried.  The earliest visits to the shrine for St James are recorded in the 9th century and non-stop over the ages the pilgrims kept coming and their origins expanded to include many countries around the world.   Today over 100,000 pilgrims annually walk the Way of St James, varying in their distances walked and their reasons for walking. Continue reading →