From the Camino: As a parish priest in Los Angeles, in a one priest parish, I was entitled to a four month sabbatical every seven years, but the archdiocesan policy was that I find my own replacement to cover my time away. I had to make arrangements far in advance, in this case, a full year out.
It was in August of 2016, when I received agreement from a variety of retired priests to cover the whole time, that I finally made the decision to do my second Camino, taking the full Northern-to-the-Primitivo route. Having already walked the two weeks from Porto to Santiago, I understood the rigors, and wanted to be better prepared for the longer journey coming, than I had been for the shorter one past. I immediately initiated a serious walking regime, to prepare for the rigors ahead. I had a year to prepare and a Fitbit to measure my steps and meters and miles.
A year later, on August 15th, 2017, the day I was to begin my Northern Camino, I had faithfully walked six days a week for 52 weeks, almost never missing my assigned days, rain or shine. It helps that it almost never rains in Camarillo, California, and only gets a serious frost every seven years or so.
I totaled up the distance of all my walking and found I had walked some 2,200 miles. Although some days were much longer, and others much shorter, especially on days off, I averaged about six miles a day that year. I was surprised by how far I had walked and amused to discover that, if I had set out from my home, and started walking eastward that 2,200 miles, I would have made it as far as Savannah, Georgia, from which I could have sailed to Spain.
It pleased me to have done something that was the equivalent of the distances, if not the discomforts, of having set out my front door in true medieval pilgrimage fashion – and yes, I am amused and edified by small details.
Was I ready, after all that walking, to do the Camino? Yes and no. I didn’t suffer anywhere nearly so badly as some much younger pilgrims I encountered who did absolutely no training, wore bad shoes and carried too much with them. I found no glee in their blisters, though. They were hard to look at. But I was still wiped out at the end of each day for the first couple of weeks, and really, really needed a rest day by the time I got to Bilbao.
Luke 14:28-31 – “Jesus said, ‘Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? 29 Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him 30 and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’”
For reflection: There is much to be said for spontaneity, with all the freshness it brings to our days. Some endeavors, though, benefit from careful consideration and preparation. The Camino is certainly one of them.
The walks, each day, will be long. They will follow relentlessly, day after day. The weather will be a consideration, as will the terrains, alternatively hilly or mountainous, challenging the knees and feet, or flat and monotonous. Muscles will tire and feet will ache for the very best walkers. It’s part of the experience.
But for many of the unprepared, knees and heels will ache, feet blister, shin splints develop. If these ailments occur, they will demand your attention before all other considerations. If we are sufficiently beset, the energy we would have put into matters of the spirit will have to be redirected to address the physical. So, you actually enable your future Camino’s opportunities for inner transformation with the physical training, before your pilgrimage begins, that your body will need to carry itself the distance you will set out for yourself.
It is necessary, as Jesus says, to first sit down and calculate the cost, which will be different for each pilgrim. The young and hale will have a different regimen of preparation than a septuagenarian. Get good advice, consult about shoes and socks, find clothes that will not chafe and hats that shade, speak to a doctor, and walk. It’s practical, but it enables the spiritual journey.
Don’t belittle or underestimate the value of your time spent bringing your body into shape. Do your walking with spiritual intent. Consider what spiritual benefits might be gained from your preparations. The Caminos of Spain are holy, but so are the trails and bicycle lanes of your home. God might be met while strolling through the streets of the city where you live. It’s even more likely to happen if you’re seeking the Lord with a prayerful, open spirit. While pilgrimages offer us wonderful opportunities for grace, in truth, we don’t need to travel to Spain to meet the Lord.
Why not begin your pilgrimage the day you commit to the journey? In essence, invite the Lord to walk with you as much through the time of preparation as the journey itself. Include your physical preparation, and make it prayerful. Begin and end your training walks with a moment for the Lord. Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance as you walk through the minefield questions of hiking boots vs. trail runners, or Camino Frances vs the Via de la Plata vs. the English Way. As you pull together the gear you will take, bless each item and dedicate it to the sacred purpose of pilgrimage.
Visit the various Camino forums on the internet and follow the discussions with an open mind and heart to the wisdom of those who have gone before you. What you are doing as you prepare is special. Ask for the Lord’s guidance in everything, and by all means, be walking with the Lord from the beginning of your training walks.
