Getting fit for the trip

The finding of cover continues slowly but steadily, only four services left to cover!

After working out the practicalities of leaving the parish for three months the next thing to tackle in the way of preparation, is to get our bodies in shape!

Lesley has been a member of our local gym, Pinewood Park Leisure Club at Bodham, since we first moved to Norfolk.

Lesley had been trying to persuade me to start going to the gym as well, but I had always seen it as on a par to having teeth removed without anaesthetic!

About three or four years ago the gym had started to offer Power Walking classes. I decided to give them a try and enjoyed going out into the countryside on a power walk, but was adamant that I would not go into the gym. Sally the instructor then started Nordic Walking classes and I joined these as well.

On starting to read about the Camino, the advice seemed to be, get fit, and keep weight to a minimum, both in your rucksack and on the waistline. So eighteen months ago I thought perhaps its time to try out the dreaded gym and try and loose some of the excess pounds I carry. Sally started me off on a program of lots of cardio activity and then six months later, I was given a new program by Tonya the other Nordic and Power walking instructor and six months later I progressed to my third program.

After 18 months do I like the gym now? Well no, I still think of it a some barbaric form of torture! Have I lost any weight? Again the answer in no, I am still the same weight as I was when I started.

However, on the bright side, I look as though I have lost weight as I have put on muscle and got rid of some of the lard.

I have also been working on strengthening my leg muscles for walking, my shoulders and back for carying a rucksack and my overall level of fitness and stamina. This has been a success and should help me immensely when we start the walk itself. The down side is I now tend to walk a bit to fast which is a problem when leading Brides into Church for a wedding and coffins into Church for a funeral! But my thanks go out to both Sally and Tonya for their support and encouragement in helping me get fit for my Camino.