Planning, planning, too much planning


I'm deeply enmeshed in trying to plan and schedule the very best Camino.  (That may be antithetical to the whole idea of the Camino, however.)

Two concerns:  Do I carry my backpack or have it transported?  And how far can I actually walk day after day?

Having my bag transported is an acceptance of age and impending disability.  I now have a spine doctor, foot doctor and knee doctor to address various aches and pains.  Perhaps 71 is too old to start this? They are all encouraging me to do this walk but suggested not carrying a back pack.  I'm listening.

 Meanwhile, I wear orthotics and clown shoes (aka Hokas) to address foot pain.  

  

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-hoka-went-from-clown-shoe-dominating-running-market-nguyen-lcowe

How I wished I had done this walk before I had to think all of these things.  But also, how grateful I am that I can still get to do this.

So, back to planning.

Going in May means I'll be starting out from a popular place at a popular time and so am advised to book lodging in advance.

The traditional pilgrim walks as far as she is able, with backpack and staff, and stops at the nearest albergue or hostel and spends the night in a bed or bunk in a communal dorm, shares a meal with other pilgrims, uses a sleeping back on the bunk and then heads out the next morning.  Rinse, lather, repeat.

Traditional pilgrim with pack and staff:

 

Modern pilgrim with pack and staff
 


I'm hoping to do a mix of private rooms in small hotels or casas rurales and shared rooms in albergues.  But sending bags ahead means I need to have a pretty good idea of where I'll end up each night.

So I'm trying not to be to ambitious, assuming I can just do more.

My plan is 10 miles or 16 kilometers each day.   Learning to think in kilometers would be helpful, of course.

20 kilometers is only 12.42 miles so I'm thinking that is doable. But doable day after day? Hmm.. not sure of that.

Planning continues.  And places are getting booked up.


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