WHAT TO PACK
I am notorious for under packing which I am hoping will be to my advantage on this trip but I do seem to be struggling with what to bring and more importantly the weight of my backpack.
The rule of thumb is to limit the weight to 10% of your body weight. To put this in perspective, I currently weigh 118lbs making my ideal backpack weight 11.8lbs. At first I didn’t think this was a big deal until I remembered that I will also need to carry water! One liter of water weighs 2.205 lbs and it is recommended to carry three liters of water for some of the longer stretches. So even with my history of under packing I think this might be stretching it. My backpack in itself weighs just over 3lbs and the below items are apparently non-negotiable.
I do not think it is possible to stay within the 10% range even with the lightest of clothing and so I believe the best solution is for me is to gain some body weight. I plan to do this by eating In-N-Out and chocolate on a daily basis (I love both) so that my 10% weight recommendation will undoubtedly increase!
FITNESS
Clearly it would be a little naive to think that I can go and walk 10-25 miles a day without any training. I have always been athletic and on a weekly basis I run, surf, swim, and weight train and this has given me a good base. Walking distances however is quite new for me, other than walking my dog it was not an activity I relished as I’ve always liked the “high” from an intense workout. For the past 2 months I have been getting up early and walking 4-6 miles along the Carlsbad coastline. At first I found it frustrating as pounding out these miles seemed to be so time consuming! Now i look forward to my morning walks, I see many of the same people and I know a couple of them by name, I love it! On the weekends I try and do a longer walk, today I walked from my studio in Carlsbad to the Oceanside Pier and back totaling 12 miles. During this walk I had the realization that part of the beauty in walking is the ability to tune into your senses, although walking is a good workout you are typically not putting your body in a stressed state such as running where you might feel out of breath. This allows your brain to be calm and the ability to “feel” your environment. Next time you walk focus on the breeze on your face or the sound of a bird in a distant tree, it is actually mind opening and lessens those negative and stressful thoughts, I think many of us have become slightly numb and have lost the ability to listen to the world around us (I know I have). I hope to regain a sense of wonder, joy and gratefulness and I hope you do too while joining me on my camino!
Your goal for the day? Go for a walk or just sit outside, close your eyes, tune out the negative thoughts and only listen and feel the environment surrounding you. I promise you will feel refreshed. (hoping no car alarms go off during this exercise or it really wont be helpful!)