Jeez Louise…you’re the one wearing spandex!

You can meet some pretty interesting folks during the preparation process, and I expect this to be one of the delights waiting for us along el Camino. I’ve been mulling this subject over and  over while walking...after all there is lots of time to mull when walking steadily for 4-5 hours.

Over the course of the past 10 months I’ve developed a series of trap lines or walks that take me through various areas and across differing terrain depending on the training required. You need variety in your walking routes to help your physical preparation and develop confidence in your ability…otherwise, you risk the process becoming too routine for body and mind. Along the way I have come to recognize a number of folks. 

During the earlier training stages late last fall and through the winter I was casually noted by locals as I regularly walked by in my jeans and light winter jacket, usually receiving a nod from other walkers or a brisk “hello”. Bikers tended to ignore me and drivers usually managed to avoid running me down in cross walks…a few tried, but fortunately missed!

As the seasons changed from winter to spring more folks were outside gardening, and as they watched me wander by they began to take a bit more interest as I migrated from a rear hip bag, to a bright blue day pack (complete with hydration system), to my full back pack with Pacer poles. The amount of gear under management seems to correlate quite well to the level of attention received. At first they simply looked at me a bit humorously, but eventually they began to ask what I was training for. Now these same folks encourage me on my way past…much appreciated, but its probably more likely that they don't want me loitering in front of their house!

Now its the height of summer and folks are out in force complete with many non-locals, and its interesting how things have changed. The ‘regulars’ continue to encourage, but I more often as not I get some odd looks from a few of the non-regulars. Now I fully appreciate that seeing a walker approaching you all geared up complete with head-phones plugged in and poles thumping along can be a bit odd looking…but you know, this is the west coast! Mostly I get curious looks, particularly as I cross a beach…I do get it, not exactly beach wear. The drivers are still pretty good with only a few of our many ‘run the stop sign’ crowd coming a bit too close…I glare at them, but they probably can’t see the seething look in my eyes with my sun glasses on (I’m practicing my ‘look’ for the Spanish drivers). The funniest looks come from the somewhat roundish cruise boat tourists who check me out with wide eyes as I come trucking up some of the steep ‘view’ hills that their tour bus has just lumbered up, belching out black smoke from the effort (the buses, not the tourists). I can see them commenting to each other, “he actually walked up…”. Then there are my favorites…the casual cyclists, the weekend Tour de France road rangers. Their looks are not quite as amusing as those from the cruising crowd, but a close 2^nd.  Its that smug look with a condescending smile that says, “look at that guy with all his gear and thump-thump poles…he could be riding”. How are they to know that I was one of them last year (and will be again) as I trained to cycle in Europe? Now I’m in a different classification…’The Lowly Walker”. I’ve learned to look straight back at them with a defiant look in my eye (again, unfortunately hidden behind my shades). However, unknown to them I have the last laugh as they peddle past and I say to myself…”Why are you looking at me like that? After all, you’re the one wearing brightly coloured spandex!”

One last note; while gathering together our gear and undertaking the physical preparation these past months we have had some unexpected and often special encounters with people who, once discovering our purpose, go to great lengths to assist. It turns out that there is a growing 'Camino awareness' amongst Canadians. Many hope to one day take their own Camino walk, but are unsure when this will happen for them...they are only too happy to help us prepare. Many of these interactions are transactional in a hiking gear shop or a health food store, but others are with close family and friends who help by providing the needed emotional support. Then there is another category...the physios and therapists who fix the aches and pains developed during our training process. For example, we are so fortunate that we have found an excellent massage therapist to help our aging bodies prepare...we would really like to take her with us!! I wonder how we can do that and yet keep within our pack weight limits? Too complicated to figure out today...under 7 weeks to go and the time to finish preparing is fast approaching. Seven weeks since Annemarie's knee injury, seven weeks until we depart...yikes!!

Addendum: Just had to add these photos from my early morning training walk today...if I look really hard I can occasionally find something positive about insomnia! Photos taken with the Canon PowerShot 330 HS I'll be carrying on the Camino...not too shabby!