Day T ~24

So someone once mentioned I might like to try this weird thing called training before I started my Camino! I thought about if for a long long time, then I googled it, then I thought, yeah maybe I should give it a go! So, yesterday I went on my first training walk. Not bad considering I leave in 24 days. Call it stupidity, being obstinate, or just plain lazy, but at least no one can accuse me of being over prepared!

So yesterday all the stars were in alignment (in other words it wasn’t raining) and I was ready to go. The plan was simple, get some miles under my belt and try out my hiking gear, as I’m planning a change this time.

All started off according to plan. I left at 8am wearing my thin running jacket, a thin long sleeved top and a merino wool t shirt with running leggings and my Altra trail runners I used for my last Camino. I stopped at just over a mile, to pull my jacket off and tie it around my waist. I stopped after another half mile and took my long sleeved top off and tied that around my waist. I now looked as wide as I did tall and flapped my way onto further miles. Lesson learnt, I should remember less is more for me when I walk. But, I’m also the type that likes to be prepared for everything, hence why I had 3 layers in case I was cold, a rain jacket in case it was wet, and a Tilly hat in case my hair got wet, plus a buff in case any wind blew my hair into my eyes. Hang on, what did I say about not being over prepared??

So, the miles got done, with me listening to podcasts whilst my monkey brain chattered away. The plan was to meet my husband at the end of the walk to go for brunch, and this involved a change of clothes, which I had packed ready in a bag for him to bring. I had to rethink my clothing plans as I walked, as I was already melting, and the jeans, long sleeved top and trainers were not going to cut it. I sent some frantic what’s app messages requesting my Dr Marten sandals, a specific black and white dress, my leather jacket and wet wipes with deodorant.

The miles ticked by, with me walking on suburban roads, across road bridges, under an underpass, next to a dual carriageway, next to a canal, next to a dock and through a marina. I met Lyn at mile 8 and paused my watch and got changed in the car. Something obviously got lost in translation as I received my jeans, trainers, long sleeved top, dress, leather jacket plus denim jacket and 2 pairs of Dr Marten sandals. No wet wipes or deodorant though. I would look the part of a lady what brunches, but maybe not smell the part!

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I did a little change in the front of the car, (freezing mid way taking my sweaty sports bra off under my t shirt when a car pulled in right next to us) then it was time to restart the watch,and walk the rest of the way to the restaurant, right on the Swansea Bay seafront.

Brunch didn’t disappoint, but I guess no food or drink would disappoint after 9 miles! My toasted sourdough bacon sandwich with an iced Americano slipped down nicely. I then ended up doing circuits of Sainsbury’s with a severe case of Garminitis to stop my watch at exactly 10 miles.

So that’s it! Training completed! If only! It’s all very well doing it yesterday and feeling that almost pleasurable sort of smug achey feeling you get when you know you’ve worked your body and it has responded well. It’s all very different when you expect your body to do it day after day after day, and instead of relaxing in your hot tub and having a lovely little nap on the sofa you have to check in somewhere, wash your clothes, get some food and reorganise your kit before trying to sleep in a dormitory with up to maybe 50 different snorers.

So, the intention was to get back out today, but it’s been raining. All day. And I’m still in my Oodie. And it’s Bank Holiday….. you get the drift? Tomorrow is another day. And another day closer to my Camino. And another day of rain. And you are not supposed to start a sentence with and, but I’ve done it three times now, so there you go.

I’ve been thinking a lot about safety too this time. It’s usually the first thing anyone says to me when they find out I am doing the Camino on my own, “will you feel safe??” Last time the issue of safety hadn’t really raised its ugly head before I went. I had read enough blogs, books, Facebook groups etc to get a sense of feeling that all would be fine on the way. Luckily that was the case. In the three weeks I was on the trail I never once felt afraid, nervous or scared (apart from the one time I was spooked by a tile mural of a saint at 5.30 am in the morning! I felt comfortable sharing mixed sex dormitories. I felt safe walking on my own in the pitch dark with just a head torch for company. I felt safe walking for 2 days in the mountains with a man I’d just met when we didn’t speak each others languages. I felt safe meeting a fellow male hiker for dinner and drinks. I felt safe swapping phone numbers.

This time, however, I’m noticing more and more issues being reported on the Facebook groups. I read one report of a woman who took up the offer of a lift in a car when she was exhausted, only for the man to pull his trousers down and make advances towards her. I also read many reports of a seemingly friendly old man in one town who offers women Camino help and then gropes their breasts and punches their nipples. This man has apparently been reported to the police many times over the last few years but still appears to be active.

The path I am taking this time will be much less crowded than the Camino Frances last year, and I have to reassure myself that as long as I take all reasonable precautions I will be safe. I have an app on my phone I share with my daughter that pinpoints my location at any time. I record all my walks on my Garmin watch that I live track with my husband. I have the Alert Cop app on my phone whereI can report incidents or call for help from the police on my Camino. Most importantly though, I have to trust in my gut feeling and intuition. It is tempting to believe in the “rainbows and unicorns” of the fairy tales of the Camino, but this is real life. I wouldn’t get into a car with a stranger in my day to day life and shouldn’t on the Camino. Friendly old men and lecherous old men can look identical. I like to believe in the best of people, but have to keep a little bit of my brain on constant alert for danger. I consider myself very fortunate last time that I did not experience anything untoward, but remind myself also that this is the reality of the vast majority of women on the Camino. Last time I felt an almost dizzy sense of freedom on the trail, and connections with wonderful people. I met no one who gave me any cause for concern. Please let my next journey be the same.