Notes:
Good training session today. Experienced quite a few firsts and consequently have a few more things to consider before I embark on the real walk.
Firstly, it rained for the first 14km, so of course I had the integrated cover on my pack and I wore my new light rain jacket. Unfortunately this configuration highlighted to me that I can’t have my trekking poles attached to the back of my pack and the cover on at the same time as it won’t fit over both the pack and the poles. Obviously if I had them extended and was actually using them this wouldn’t be an issue, but that wasn’t the case on this occasion so I just carried them in my hands. The solution might be to attach them to the front of my pack somehow and possibly protect them with a plastic bag or such.
I was also trialling my new mid-weight outer socks and my new merino shirt. If I’m honest, the shirt and rain jacket combo was a little warm but not unbearably so. It was 16 degrees Celsius today so hopefully it won’t be such an issue in Spain in Oct/Nov where the temperature should be 3-6 degrees Celsius cooler on average.
Another discovery I had was that the light jacket did not keep me completely dry underneath. I’m not entirely sure why. It might just be the compromise you have to make with a light, compact rain jacket and walking in the rain for 14km. Perhaps it’s best for short, light showers but still, for it’s reduced weight and small space footprint, I still feel it’ll do me just fine.
The good realisation was that walking in the rain for that duration didn’t break my spirit and I actually wished it bucketed down harder and for the entire 24km so I could experience that.
The other new item I was trialling were the mid-weight outer socks and I’m still on the fence about them after today’s walk. Don’t get me wrong, they’re awesome quality and indeed felt like they gave me more arch support with all their fancy stitching tech and stuff – I’m just wondering if they’re thick enough.
Now it might just be that the outer socks I wore until these arrived were thicker and that I might just have to get used to these new ones, I don’t know. I may purchase a single pair of the heavyweight outer socks OR slightly thicker liner socks. You see I ordered lightweight inners but they sent me zero-cushion jobbies. It’s something I’ll keep an eye on and adjust accordingly.
Regardless of how this sock combo “felt”, I sustained no injuries, blisters or otherwise.
And finally, it was also encouraging that the “hurt zone” didn’t really kick in until about the 20km mark. It’s certainly easier to struggle for 4km than 10 kms.
Distance walked today: 24km
Weight of Pack and Contents: 9.9kg
Surface: Asphalt
Weather: Mostly overcast with approx. 2hrs (14km) of rain.
Total Distance Walked for Training thus far: 144km
So good the ‘hurt’ didn’t kick in until the 20km mark by the time you get on the Camino, 24km will be easy
Hopefully that is true!! Of course with full-time work going on in the background I’m currently only getting the opportunity to walk a single 24km once a week. Who knows how I’ll feel when I have to get up the next day, each day and do it all again. Ha ha.