This is the collection of blogs related to my training, equipment and planning of my 2018 camino’s in the month of April.
03-04-2018:
As mentioned earlier, this was the weekend with the longest training distance: 40 kilometers with a full backpack. The weather was fine, just a few drops of rain at the end. The temperature was good all day. The mood was good everywhere. The walking went almost by itself. The next day a little bit of muscle pain and stiffness, but not as bad as I had expected. My personal weight has decreased by 13 kilos this year. Maybe 1 or 2 kilos before I start my journey, then I will walk lighter with backpack than with Christmas 2017, without backpack. The total walking distance this week is only 51 kilometers, of which 39 on 1 day. From April, a strike wave will start in France that will last 3 months. Various state-owned companies must be privatized, is the goal of President Macron’s new government. But the employees and unions disagree. They are going to strike in a certain “rhythm”. 2 days of work 3 days of work !!!! The French railways, bus companies and all other public transport companies are in fact participating. This can have consequences for me, because I travel by Thalys and TGV from Liège to Lourdes, via Paris. Exciting times are coming. Fortunately, I have already found a subsite via-via that contains the provisional “strike planning”. Of course gives no guarantee for the future. In the schedule that has now begun, my travel day does not fall on a strike day.
09-04-2018:
I am not allowed to note this at all. I am not allowed to write about a training week at all. Nothing extra done this week. Can I note it then? Yes, for posterity then. I failed to walk this week. And it was such a beautiful weekend. I could have trained with a nice sun and a nice temperature, but yes, just not in the mood. That means only 24 kilometers this week. Shame … I think I have my clothes complete. Something I already had and things I bought new. Here is a list of the things that I can put on. The other things are not yet complete, but we will get there. * Softcel jacket with hood (can be detached) * Large poncho (also goes over backpack) * Fleece vest * 2 zip-off pants * 3 underpants * 3 under t-shirts * 2 shirts long sleeves * 2 shirts short sleeves * 1 polo shirt * 3 pairs of socks * 2 bandanas * 1 hat *. Later this week, if I feel like and have the time, I will put everything on the scales.
15-04-2018:
So now I can actually write a bit that I have trained. But also only 1 day, today Sunday. Almost no miles on the remaining days. The week total is almost 41. At least 17 more than last week. This week quite a bit of hay fever. I also asked a question about this in the Santiago-Facebook group. I hope that the hay fever is not used during my walks on the Camino, other surroundings normally do well. Also last year in the U.K. and Ireland had no problems. The responses to my question also give the same picture.
20-04-2018:
Just taken the trouble to quickly weigh my equipment. If I were to look at it in Adam’s costume, then everything weighs together: almost 17 kilos !!!!!!!!! On the image above my walking shoes, light shoes and backpack are missing. I don’t look at this completely in my Adam’s suit… .. 😉 If I wear clothes then the package will have decreased by at least 2.1 kilos, maybe a little more, depends on whether I have to put on more layers. Where could I still save some weight? Ooh yes, I am a man, so I take who so much with me. I’m a layered man with regard to shirts and I don’t want to wash my hand every night. Fleece vest and soft-cell jacket, a bit too much? Then I could leave one at home, but which one? And perhaps something small is added…. But this year I am assuming that I will lose 1.5 kilos for the remaining 3 weeks, 15 kilos lighter. 17 k – 15 k = 2 kilograms …… Plus 2.5 kilograms of water and food…. Then my total walking weight is only 4.5 kilos… ..!?!?!?!
22-04-2018:
It is going very fast now. Week 16 means that week 19 is no longer far away. This week I walked without a backpack, suffered from hay fever and put my things on the scales. What does this have to do with the training week? Actually very few but it will be a bit more for min blog… .. It has become 43, I mean kilos. And my personal weight has also decreased slightly. In the 16 works this year I lost 14 kilos.
29-04-2018:
So this was the second to last training week before the journey started. A week strolling through Maastricht, on Koningsdag, and a trip home from Schoonbron, near Schin op Geul. And of course not to forget the short pieces with the dog. For a change, King’s Day was once again nice weather, it was a bit disappointing in previous years. And today we started to light a candle in Wittem, let it be brought home because of the rain, but then dropped off at Schoonbron to start the walk. I should not expect that weather will always have good weather during my trip. So also tested the poncho over the pack pack. Still covered 53 kilometers this week.