Seventeen Miles...

Pre-Sunrise, the east shore of Kauai. Venus

I keep waiting to post about my upcoming Journey of walking The Camino de Frances. What am I waiting for? Some remarkable post full of insight. Profound wisdom as I prepare mentally, physically and Spiritually. I hope in the next 6 weeks before I leave or the 7 weeks I walk or the months after... I manage to do so. But I am finding myself in almost an opposite of writers block... I have almost too much I am writing and thinking about and discovering. I am having a hard time figuring out where to 'begin' sharing on this blog.

I decided it was time to stop hesitating and begin... Today... Nothing profound... What is in front of me right now... Simply a story of one foot in front of another...

I walked 17 miles today. I did so in 3 walks. One that began pre-sunrise. One I walked in the heat of the day and one I walked at sunset. I am currently at my second home on Kauai. (Yes, I have a sweet life!) 

I am preparing for The Camino pretty much like I do everything... Reading, seeking the wisdom of those who have gone before me... Then making it up as I go along! So how have I been preparing physically?

Pretty simple... I walk.

I have been a regular walker for a long time. Walking as a 'practice' is central to my physical and emotional health. That knowing is part of the reason I decided to walk the 550 miles from St Jean Pied de Port, France to Finisterre, Spain. There are many other 'why's'... More about them in later posts. 

My physical 'training' is about deeply listening to my body. I have been slowly increasing my miles walked over the last couple months. Unfortunately, I got quite sick the week before I came to Kauai so spent my first couple weeks (of 5) getting better which slowed me down to one 5-6 mile sunrise walk a day. Then for a couple weeks I averaged 5-11 miles a day (in 2 walks) and today and for the next 7 days, I will walk 3 times a day. 

I am not yet carrying my pack, that will begin the 5 weeks I am back in Portland. I am focusing on conditioning. I walk fast most of my miles. I am carefully paying attention to what hurts or doesn't, how I carry myself, when and what stretching I need to do. It is an interesting process. Knowing my body in a different way.

I walk along the ocean on a path I have walked for years. I could be doing lots of different walks yet there is something in the familiarity of this walk that allows me to tune inward to my movement. I am gaining much information. Besides... It is a stunningly beautiful walk and I never tire of it. I have been walking at sunrise every morning  and each is different. Every walk, I see whales. I have my stops, to stretch and be. I love the routine.

Embracing the magic of pre-dawn... Don't go back to sleep...    

“The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you
Don't go back to sleep!
You must ask for what you really want.
Don't go back to sleep!
People are going back and forth 
across the doorsill where the two worlds touch,
The door is round and open
Don't go back to sleep!”
~ Rumi