How can I prepare my body, mind and soul so my time walking the Camino solo will be a fulfilling experience? How does anyone prepare for the Camino and the continual walking day after day in any and all elements Mother Nature might throw my way. And most importantly, how does this Person with Parkinson prepare after knowing some of the intimate encounters one can have with fatigue, blisters, tendinitis and generally dealing with a degenerative neurological disease while wandering the well trodden path across northern Spain..
About 20 some years ago Charlie and I were day hiking towards the Ingraham glacier on Mt, Rainier when we met up with a group of climbers, the youngest age 65, resting at their base camp before their summit attempt that night. I was particularly interested in visiting with the sole woman in the group about her training. She commented that the best way to train is by " doing it". She walked several miles each day near her home. On weekends she hiked steeper and longer trails and practiced technical skills as the terrain provided. "No crosstraining? Weights? Swimming? Cardio?" I inquired. "I just walk" came the answer from this experienced climber.
Walking the Camino with "the Family" taught me that practice was needed in some specialized skills and techniques. I will be "cross training" for Camino 2. Primary focus has been tilt the wine glass slowly towards the person pouring and smile longingly for a refill. Secondary focus is clanging a full beer mug in a toast to today's walk with cheers around the table and not a drop spilled. Pack on, Pack off, Pack on Pack off. Squat, pee, wipe. (Especially challenging for me). Pillow throwing and charge cord danging to wake neighboring snorers. The list can be extensive!
This weeks schedule was:
Day 1. 4 hours guitar playing. One beer
Day 2. One hour horse riding 1hour stretching. One wine
Day 3. Six miles walking 2 beers
Day 4 10 miles bike ride 2 whines
As you can see, if I continue on at this pace I will be a pickled pilgrim by April 26.
I should stick to the basics and walk daily with my loaded pack and take extensive hikes on the weekends. The wise woman climber had it right "train by doing it".
The Physical and Occupational Therapist I saw at Oregon Health and Sciences University taught me that also. Its easy to let sympathetic friends, family members and caregivers take care of all the household chores when you are stiff, tremoring or too fatigued to do it. Yet, if as a Person with Parkinson's, if you let them do it, you are going to lose it. Keep moving through those activities of daily living. Good advice for me, for everyone.
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