PART TWO - Camino planning/training
I quickly became obsessed with all things camino. Ask anyone, especially my husband. Or look at my REI and Amazon purchases... and returns.
I began reading a lot of camino books that I downloaded from Amazon's Kindle Unlimited and realized that I needed to find the appropriate footwear and clothing first. We would be carrying all of our clothing on our back - basically two outfits (one to wear while the other was being washed). First on the list to confirm was a good fit for the journey was my shoes. As I said, I purchased boots over Christmas at REI. One of the advantages of buying from REI is that you can test out your equipment and if it doesn't work out you can return anytime, up to a year, no questions asked. Perfect!
I bought the Oboz - a low-top hiker that was non-waterproof in a 1/2 size larger as recommended. After the Christmas family hike at Sope Creek I decided that the Oboz felt a little too heavy for my liking. So I started wearing my old Timberland hikers. They felt light and comfortable but they didn't have much of a tread on them. But as you can see an advantage to that is they don't get caked with mud. I'll continue to research shoes/boots.
I didn't start my training until January and because it was winter, although a southern winter, I was going to be doing my training in temperatures around 40 so I wore layers. I wore an Ice Breaker t-shirt, an Ice Breaker breathable jacket under a lightweight Eddie Bauer down jacket. On my legs I wore Cuddl Duds leggings and I was perfectly warm. I really enjoyed walking in the cool fresh air.
Turns out, I like the Ice Breaker merino wool items. It really is true that it absorbs odor. After wearing this t-shirt on numerous walks the shirt still did not smell (which will be helpful on the Camino where you can't necessarily wash every day.) It's expensive, but it became my t-shirt of choice and I only needed one.
My first, longish, walk was about 5 miles. After about 2.5 miles I stopped for breakfast at an authentic french cafe, Cafe Vendome, in my local town of Sandy Springs. Seems like a common way of walking based on what I had been reading - to have a light breakfast of coffee and OJ with a slice of toast and then stop at the first town, which generally is about 3 miles in, for a more substantial breakfast.
So this is what became routine for me. And I was very much enjoying these weekend urban walks of mine.
I began reading a lot of camino books that I downloaded from Amazon's Kindle Unlimited and realized that I needed to find the appropriate footwear and clothing first. We would be carrying all of our clothing on our back - basically two outfits (one to wear while the other was being washed). First on the list to confirm was a good fit for the journey was my shoes. As I said, I purchased boots over Christmas at REI. One of the advantages of buying from REI is that you can test out your equipment and if it doesn't work out you can return anytime, up to a year, no questions asked. Perfect!
I bought the Oboz - a low-top hiker that was non-waterproof in a 1/2 size larger as recommended. After the Christmas family hike at Sope Creek I decided that the Oboz felt a little too heavy for my liking. So I started wearing my old Timberland hikers. They felt light and comfortable but they didn't have much of a tread on them. But as you can see an advantage to that is they don't get caked with mud. I'll continue to research shoes/boots.
For now I would wear my Timberland hikers with the Cool Mesh Double Layer Wright socks my husband got me for Christmas. The double layer feature helps to prevent friction and as a results helps to prevent blisters - one of the greatest fears of walking for miles and miles, day after day.
I didn't start my training until January and because it was winter, although a southern winter, I was going to be doing my training in temperatures around 40 so I wore layers. I wore an Ice Breaker t-shirt, an Ice Breaker breathable jacket under a lightweight Eddie Bauer down jacket. On my legs I wore Cuddl Duds leggings and I was perfectly warm. I really enjoyed walking in the cool fresh air.
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| Looks like I'm in Paris doesn't it? |
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