Training for the Camino

I have been been training for my Spanish camino by taking walks of 5 to 7 miles every other or every third day. Initially, I thought I would walk along the country roads in our area, but walking on asphalt and dodging cars or in rough ditches was not much fun.

Since we live on the north bank of Cache Creek, I started walking up and downstream taking various routes on both sides. I walk on either the top of the levee which is smooth gravel or the dirt toe road, depending on the shade, the neighboring dogs, or just when I want a change of scenery. The creek has been dry since May, so I have one good crossing on the creek bottom, plus a few bridges up and downstream.

The bottom photo is a view from east of our place. Our walnut trees are the green trees on the right, the toe road and the creek to the left. The top photo is about 1 1/2 miles downstream on the south side of the creek. The shade that those black walnuts provide is welcome when walking in the summer heat.

For the past few months, I have been walking with a loaded pack of about 25 lbs., which is the maximum weight that I want to carry in Spain. I find that I can cover about 3 to 3 1/4 miles per hour and do the entire walk without stopping for rests. As you can see, the terrain is relatively flat, which will not be the case in Spain.

Next post, I will leave you with more information on the Camino Santiago and why I want to do it.