Well since I stopped drinking on 9/6/13 I have now lost 8 pounds, or 25% of my goal of 30. Along the way I had to tweak my plan a little and, about a week or so ago, I also decided to eliminate refined sugars and flour from my diet. For me that mostly means no bread, pastries, pasta or fried food. I didn't eliminate all carbs or all sugar so I still eat things like potatoes and fruit.
On the walking side I just haven't had the time to schedule another long journey since my 12.5 mi PB (personal best) but I have been keeping up with my 5 mi/day average. I found that walking the golf course while carrying my clubs is the equivalent of walking 5 miles with a backpack.
I have been reading a book lately, which is supposedly the most popular Camino guide in the US, called "A Pilgrims Guide To The Camino de Santiago: The Way of St. James" by John Brierley. This book is so comprehensive and informative it is amazing. It is like having the experienced author by your side for the entire 500 mile journey.
I also found a website with tips on how to prepare physically for this undertaking. Basically they said to start training a few weeks in advance. Go for a 30 minute walk a few times for the first week; the second and third weeks try to walk regularly every day and try to do 6 or so miles a couple of times per week, and you should be good to good to go. Really? After that brief introduction I am now ready to walk 15-18 miles a day for 30 days in a row? Really?
So, anyway, if you want to lose considerable weight just stop drinking, eating refined sugars or flour, and walk 5 miles a day and voilá!
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
Maybe I've already had a miracle
Many people walk El Camino for religious or spiritual purposes. This weekend I did a 9 mile moderate walk, after which some of my left toes were killing me both from a physical and emotional point of view. The physical part is easy to explain, my feet hurt to the point where I could barely walk around the house. The emotional part was because I was afraid I might not be able to complete this adventure at all. So, on to the Internet. I think I found my problem. Yesterday things were a lot better. Today the symptoms were almost gone so I was able to do a brisk 5 mile jaunt with no after effects. I really didn't do anything to cure this but the problem seems to have gone away. Perhaps I have experienced a miracle already!!!
BTW I gave away my Oboz shoes to a friend with narrower feet.
BTW I gave away my Oboz shoes to a friend with narrower feet.
Thursday, September 5, 2013
So why would I do this? In case you are wondering...
My wife, Becky, got very upset with me the other night because she felt I was harboring too much venom about certain issues in my life. I am not talking about a lot of stuff here, but enough to be annoying to my loved ones. These are not even issues that most of my friends or family would even know about but Becky has a different perspective on me cuz she is stuck with me every day and every night.
Back in the 70's I bought a 70 acre island off of the coast of Maine. I spent the month of August 1974, when I was only 29 years old, living on this island in a tent. Some friends came to camp with me for some of that time. At other times I was alone. During that time I had very limited contact with the outside world. When I left that island (called Halifax Island, Jonesport, Me) I felt so relieved I couldn't believe it. I spent a month with most day to day sounds and experiences missing. For example, when I came ashore I learned that Richard Nixon had resigned as President and one of my friends said to me that it was very likely I was the last college educated man in America to learn that news. That was an amazing life experience.
So, I have decided to use my pilgrimage to Spain as an opportunity to relive my time on my island and let the venom in my life go. I also would like to lose some weight and improve my physical conditioning.
Back in the 70's I bought a 70 acre island off of the coast of Maine. I spent the month of August 1974, when I was only 29 years old, living on this island in a tent. Some friends came to camp with me for some of that time. At other times I was alone. During that time I had very limited contact with the outside world. When I left that island (called Halifax Island, Jonesport, Me) I felt so relieved I couldn't believe it. I spent a month with most day to day sounds and experiences missing. For example, when I came ashore I learned that Richard Nixon had resigned as President and one of my friends said to me that it was very likely I was the last college educated man in America to learn that news. That was an amazing life experience.
So, I have decided to use my pilgrimage to Spain as an opportunity to relive my time on my island and let the venom in my life go. I also would like to lose some weight and improve my physical conditioning.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
A little more about shoes....
I used to run a lot, but those days are over for me. However I remembered, when I did run, my favorite sneakers were New Balance 852's because they have a wide toe box. I am not exactly sure how one measures a wide toe box but, nevertheless, I needed comfortable shoes so I went to a local Olympia Sports shop and asked this 20 year old kid, who knew nothing about long distance walking, el Camino de Santiago or even Spain for that matter about wide toe box sneakers. Yes sir we have the 608's. I bought them, he gave me 20% off. So far I have done about 20 miles with my new sneakers and my feet feel great. Some folks have asked me what the bad shoes were and they are called Oboz. I would highly recommend Oboz if you don't plan to leave your house or just want to walk up and down a ramp in a shopping center. Otherwise look at something else.
I also bought a bunch of microfiber shirts and athletic pants. They wick away the moisture, have an expandable waistband and can be rinsed clean in the shower and will dry overnight. I still need to arrive at an opinion about socks. Cotton, wool, microfiber or a blend, below the ankle, above the ankle. Why is everything so complicated?
I just read a book called the Sieve of Angkar about a woman named Sovannara Ky who survived the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia back in the mid 70's. I met her at a party in Mexico last February before I had read her book about her 4 years of absolute misery in Cambodia followed by her emigration to the US. They call her Ra for short. Given what she went thru I say to myself, every time I go to an EMS or Olympia Sports store and become frustrated with sock choices, "What would Ra do?"
I also bought a bunch of microfiber shirts and athletic pants. They wick away the moisture, have an expandable waistband and can be rinsed clean in the shower and will dry overnight. I still need to arrive at an opinion about socks. Cotton, wool, microfiber or a blend, below the ankle, above the ankle. Why is everything so complicated?
I just read a book called the Sieve of Angkar about a woman named Sovannara Ky who survived the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia back in the mid 70's. I met her at a party in Mexico last February before I had read her book about her 4 years of absolute misery in Cambodia followed by her emigration to the US. They call her Ra for short. Given what she went thru I say to myself, every time I go to an EMS or Olympia Sports store and become frustrated with sock choices, "What would Ra do?"
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Sneakers and shoes
In the process of reading about how one prepares to walk a long way one frequent recommendation was to go to a store like EMS, find someone who knows a lot about footwear, and follow their advice. So, I go to a local EMS store and ask the right question. What luck! An ultra marathoner works there so I am now in good hands. I explain my situation and quest and ask his advice.
He showed me a bunch of shoes, bent them a few times, talked about shoe breathing and asked me to walk up and down a ramp. "how do they feel?" Well, after walking a about 30 feet, on a ramp, in a store, in a shopping center I said "they feel OK" Well there ya go. If you want to walk around your house for a week or so to see if you like them, and you don't, you can bring them back.
But if you walk outside the shoes are yours. Well I tried walking around the house for a few days and, as stimulating as that was, I decided to take a 6 mile walk outside. The shoes are now mine. My feet were killing me. Within no time I had developed big blisters on both of my little toes and I had this terrible "hot spot" along the base of my toes.
I spent that afternoon learning about blisters, whether to pop them or not, sweaty feet, the different types of socks, mole skin, hot spots, shoe fitting, etc etc. I chose not to pop the blisters but gave them a few days to heal themselves and develop a tougher underskin. That worked. The bottoms of my small toes are now like rawhide.
I concluded that my feet needed to be both stronger and tougher. Becoming stronger by walking a lot. Becoming tougher by developing blisters and letting them heal. Then, as I am coming home one night, my grandson, who basically lives barefoot in the summer, came running, full speed, up to meet me across a gravel driveway, then a bunch of pea stone, then hot blacktop. No shoes. Aha! I don't have to develop blisters I can just start going barefoot whenever I can. So that's what I have been doing for the last ten days or so and it seems to be helping. My driveway is 500 feet long to the mailbox. The first time I tried it barefoot it took me 15 minutes roundtrip. I would say I can do it now in under 5 after only 10 days.
My wife came home one day and caught me walking barefoot around our circular paved driveway. "what are you doing?" she asked. Toughening my feet. "Oh, of course!"
He showed me a bunch of shoes, bent them a few times, talked about shoe breathing and asked me to walk up and down a ramp. "how do they feel?" Well, after walking a about 30 feet, on a ramp, in a store, in a shopping center I said "they feel OK" Well there ya go. If you want to walk around your house for a week or so to see if you like them, and you don't, you can bring them back.
But if you walk outside the shoes are yours. Well I tried walking around the house for a few days and, as stimulating as that was, I decided to take a 6 mile walk outside. The shoes are now mine. My feet were killing me. Within no time I had developed big blisters on both of my little toes and I had this terrible "hot spot" along the base of my toes.
I spent that afternoon learning about blisters, whether to pop them or not, sweaty feet, the different types of socks, mole skin, hot spots, shoe fitting, etc etc. I chose not to pop the blisters but gave them a few days to heal themselves and develop a tougher underskin. That worked. The bottoms of my small toes are now like rawhide.
I concluded that my feet needed to be both stronger and tougher. Becoming stronger by walking a lot. Becoming tougher by developing blisters and letting them heal. Then, as I am coming home one night, my grandson, who basically lives barefoot in the summer, came running, full speed, up to meet me across a gravel driveway, then a bunch of pea stone, then hot blacktop. No shoes. Aha! I don't have to develop blisters I can just start going barefoot whenever I can. So that's what I have been doing for the last ten days or so and it seems to be helping. My driveway is 500 feet long to the mailbox. The first time I tried it barefoot it took me 15 minutes roundtrip. I would say I can do it now in under 5 after only 10 days.
My wife came home one day and caught me walking barefoot around our circular paved driveway. "what are you doing?" she asked. Toughening my feet. "Oh, of course!"
Inspiration for older people
So here we go. I am sixty eight years old this year. I have lost my interest in competing
in sports but still like doing things that require some real commitment and preparation. I find it
hard to go to the gym just to stay in shape, I need a mission.
Two weeks ago I attended a birthday party where I ran into a friend who I haven't
seen for months. Last year she became a widow and wanted to refind her way as a single
woman. She told me about how she walked El Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. 500 miles
afoot, 30 days, among other people, strangers, but basically alone. "Are you kidding me?" She averaged 20 miles a day for 25 days, and then visited someplace else in Europe for a few
days before coming back to the states.
I never heard of El Camino but I soon found out that many of my friends knew about it
in varying degrees. There's a movie called The Way with Martin Sheen, and a train just crashed there.
I have been finding other people who have walked all or a part of it. I don't know
where I have been, but I never heard of the place. But I'm learning more about it every
day.
On the way home from the birthday party I told my wife I was going to try to walk
El Camino de Santiago next year (2014) and then I told her the little bit I knew about it.
"Are you kidding me?" For reasons I cannot explain I decided to give this trip
a shot, on the spot, at a birthday party.
in sports but still like doing things that require some real commitment and preparation. I find it
hard to go to the gym just to stay in shape, I need a mission.
Two weeks ago I attended a birthday party where I ran into a friend who I haven't
seen for months. Last year she became a widow and wanted to refind her way as a single
woman. She told me about how she walked El Camino de Santiago in northern Spain. 500 miles
afoot, 30 days, among other people, strangers, but basically alone. "Are you kidding me?" She averaged 20 miles a day for 25 days, and then visited someplace else in Europe for a few
days before coming back to the states.
I never heard of El Camino but I soon found out that many of my friends knew about it
in varying degrees. There's a movie called The Way with Martin Sheen, and a train just crashed there.
I have been finding other people who have walked all or a part of it. I don't know
where I have been, but I never heard of the place. But I'm learning more about it every
day.
On the way home from the birthday party I told my wife I was going to try to walk
El Camino de Santiago next year (2014) and then I told her the little bit I knew about it.
"Are you kidding me?" For reasons I cannot explain I decided to give this trip
a shot, on the spot, at a birthday party.
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