Camino Unscathed

After two people asked me this question within 24 hours, I thought it might be worth a blog post.

I made it through the Camino Primitvo (~350km) with no blisters no injuries. I attribute it to research, equipment, trial runs, training.

I walked an average of 10-15km per day for a year. When I planned my Camino, most days were in that same range. So it was not a challenge, simply more of what i was used to.  My longest days were 25km, same as at home.

I trained by walking on both cement and on uneven trails. I tried to vary up my distances each day so that my body didn't get used to a set walk length and quit at that distance (eg 7km + 13km is better than 10km +10km).  I did hill repeats (not enough, perhaps, as those hills were still hard on the Primitvo!). I did balance work by walking on logs at the beach.

I read up on websites on walking, running, and the military to see how they do it.  Biggest tips, some of which I had already figured out myself, were to buy shoes one full size larger, avoid pedicures, keep toenails short, and wear nylon tights under socks (yep, military confirmed that last one!)

I learned a little trick of "sitting back" while going downhill, so the weight and force is in the heels, thighs and hips, not the knees and toes. Bigger muscles carry the load, knees don't go over the toes, and toes never hit the front of the shoe.  I took many tiny steps instead of long strides (got that tip from the running community-- increases speed and reduces strain, both at once!).

Speaking of running tips, an oldie but goodie is to generally make sure your hips are over your knees are over your feet when you are walking. This is especially key for women, who tend to swing their hips when walking, and step as if on a tightrope. Your sexy come-hither walk will not help you for long distance trekking!  Lol. This one helped me a LOT when I first started training.

I did trial runs with different shoes, socks, and pack weights. These all mattered at different walk lengths, frequencies, and temperatures. What worked for 5km didn't always work at 10km and so on; what worked in cold weather didn't always work in hot weather; what worked for a 25km day done once, didn't work when I tried two in a row.

So sure, I got a few blisters WHILE TRAINING, but because I was only training, I could take a rest day, let them heal, and in the end, they toughened up my feet for the real thing and gave me a lesson about my equipment choices.  I did read about further "toughening up the feet" by walking barefoot on gravel (I only did a little of that) or by rubbing vinegars and acids onto them (which I didn't do).

I spent a LOT of time cutting down my pack weight, because my trial runs showed me that while I could carry 8.5 lb forever, anything over 10lb made me sore. (Note that that's far below the usual "10% of bodyweight" guideline for packs.) Even then, I didn't end up using everything I packed!   If you are new to my blog and you want to see what I packed, check it out at http://foottoearth.blogspot.ca/2016/06/the-list.html?m=0  At the One Week Review and Two week Review, I go over what was most/least useful.

In a slightly different vein, it was important to stay hydrated and wear suntan lotion (reapplying often). My umbrella helped for that too. I saw a lot of people with bad sunburn, which is a different kind of "injury," and a couple fighting heat exhaustion, which is actually dangerous.  Hydration is important not just for skin, but also for keeping a clear head and holding your "form" while exercising. Injuries often result from being overly tired and slouching in the wrong ways, meaning each step is not properly supported. If one is not focused/attentive, one makes errors in judgement over where to step, and if the step is also not supported by the body, one can lose balance, strain, or fall.  I made sure to both drink a lot of water, and stop and rest when tired, instead of "pushing through," no matter how tempting that could be.  ;) I think it's tempting for pilgrims to drink coffee in the morning, put their water bottle in their pack, where it is not very accessible, have a cold beer (or two!) at their break/lunch, then drink wine at night. Not a good recipe as you're sweating through 35°C+ heat on 8km long hills... water water and more water.

Hope this helped, and please feel free to share your top tips in the comments!