I've heard it all:
"That's crazy"
"That's such a long way to walk"
"How long will THAT take?"
"Where will you sleep?"
"Is it safe?"
Well, many of you who know me well know that I AM crazy, eccentric, etc. No getting around that one.
It will take about 31 days to walk the entire route. Just me, God, my backpack, and my hiking boots, walking through the Pyrenees mountains, over the flat Meseta, and through towns like Burgos, Pamplona, and Leon.
There are hostels called albergues just for the pilgrims all along the way, run by volunteers. You need a "Credential" to stay there. A Credential is something like a passport. You get it at the start of your walk and have it stamped at each stop. It gets turned in at the Pilgrims Office in Santiago for your Compostela, or certificate. Albergues run about 5-10 Euros each night. Depending on which albergue I choose to stay at every night and how far I want or can walk each day, I will be walking anywhere from 9-23 miles daily.
An average of 100,000 Pilgrims walk or bike the Camino each year, so the locals are very used to it. It is very safe. Crime is low. Advice is to use common sense and be aware of your surroundings- the same as if you were at home walking down the street or on a path.
Training is just walking for right now. As time gets closer I will be adding miles, backpack weight and variances in terrain. Rounding out training is pilates, which will create a strong core so there's less of a chance of back problems and injury. 500 miles, while hard, won't be as difficult as it would be without all this.
Goal for this month: walk at least 15 miles a week, with 10 being in one day, starting to use a light pack.
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