Day 10: Walking Backwards

Day 10 - 3 Kilometer radius

Figeac to Beduer

Statistics: 23 kilometers( 13miles), 28,829 steps, elevation cand hanged: 800 feet, 5-10 pilgrims, 60-75 degrees, sunny blue skies

Slideshow: https://youtu.be/CTRglz9dIL8

Today is an easy day… at least that's what we thought. We gather our stuff and pack them into an assortment of bags with tie strings. Then toss them in our backpacks. Usually the heavier bags go in the bottom. Pull the backpack top drawstring close and we are ready to start walking.

I have been taking two doses within a 90 minutes span to be able to walk. This morning I decide to take two doses at the same time and I hope that my right leg will wrk quicker than having to wait for 30 - 45 minutes. It's works like a charm.

For the past 3-4 days my right knee has been in pain. I usually get this type of knee pain after a harder or longer exercise but it always goes away after actually couple days. I Have been taking Advil, tyernol and a creame called zoltaire, but the symptoms persist. Unfortunately it's gotten a little worse. Today if it improved I will continue and if it gets worse then it's time to take a 2-4 day break.

The day begins with a steep climb from Figeac located in the bottom of a valley. I reach the top and the path turns into a nice paved road with a car every 15 minutes or so. The weather is just perfect - 65-75 degrees and clear blue skies. The countryside is stunning.

Around noon, we reach the charming town of Faycelles. This town has really made the town streets and buildings very nice. We stop here for lunch. It's baguette bread, Apricot jelly, Swiss cheese, pate, and Coca Cola. It's a nice lunch then we are off on the Chemin de Saint Jacque. The path leaving town has some information on some ecological projects along the path.

Our Gite is 3 kilometers away. We fantasize about the carrot that keeps us moving. For me I lust for sugars like soda. Use to be I would lust for pizza.

As the day goes on my right knee gets worse and worse. Well we should almost be there. It's been about an 2 hours and Clive says it 2.7 km away. Something's not right we walked more than 0.3 km in the past 2 hours. I ask Clive for the map and I see why - Chemin de Saint Jacque does a 3 km radius around our Gite! We decide to take a path that cuts straight to the middle of town. Unfortunately the path ends in a farm field, but we're committed so we walk across a farm field. About half way there a farmer in a tractor sees us and appears to ignore us so we proceed. We make it to within 500 meters of the road when the farmer drives past us and he smiles and waves. Phew it worked out ok, no angry farmer!

We are still 2 km away and my knee is really uncomfortable so I start walking backwards. Needless to say I walk 2 km backwards. Beduer is not really a town but a 20-30 buildings. It's a quaint little rural farming town. But we get there and Clive carries my backpack for the last kilometer.

Just a stunning two stone building complex with a view to die for. We check in, shower and do laundry .Wow what an incredible Gite run by Nadia and Phil.

I decide to rest for two days by getting a ride two days walking distance ahead to Limogne-en-Quercy. Just gotta give my knee a break. It's a battle of willpower and determination. Even with a Parkinson's right leg, left cramping calf and a right knee pain I am determined to make it to the end. I am not going to injure myself but I am not going to quit either. A lot of the battle with Parkinson's is not giving in. Don't let your self say “ I can't do that.” You don't really know until you try. And trying is half the battle. If I can make it with all my issues then you can too. Lastly I, would like to give a lot of credit to my traveling companions Clive and Maya. While I would make it to the end if I was traveling by myself it sure is nice to have support. Clive and Maya are awesome. Love you guys!

At 7:30 pm, I go to dinner with two French men - Bernier and Jacque along with our hosts. It's a delicious 4 course meal - appetizer chips, salad, main course of vegetable soup chicken legs, ribs and barbecue sausage. Wine is served all night. And desert is Ice cream and a fruit pizza. We eat outside in the great weather and beautiful sunset. After dinner, Phil invites us upstairs for aperitif. We watch the French presidency results and the everyone is excited that Macron won. Two weeks for a runoff between the top 2.

I retire for the night and fall asleep quickly.

Day 9: The Sunset

Day 9: Decazeville to Figeac

April 22, 2017

Statistics:21 kilometers(13 miles),29,838 steps, elevation changed: 800 feet, 30-40 pilgrims, 50-65 degrees, sunny blue skies

Slideshow: https://youtu.be/CTRglz9dIL8

I awake to discover that my body is still expelling magnesium. I start my morning routine organizing my bags that go into the backpack. We eat in our room - bread, apricot jelly, cheese, yogurt and chocolate.

This morning Maya and I are both sore so we decide to take a ride to the halfway point. The ride is fast. It's a beautiful sunny day in the 60s. I take my first dose of mede at 730 am. We don our backpacks and we are motoring!

The morning walk is gorgeousas a path winds through farm fields. As the path winds through farm fields a couple of times it is covered, like a tree tunnel.I took my second dose of medicine at 9:30 AM.
We stop for lunch at 1:00 pm under a tree sitting on a rock wall. Perfect by soup, couscous, spicy chicken and tiramisu for dessert
Good cooking makes me really tiramisu so off to sleep!

Day 8: The Magnesium Effect

The Magnesium Effect

April 21, 2017

Day 8: Conques to Decazeville
Statistics: 24.3 kilometers(15 miles), 42,128 steps, elevation changed: 1,830 feet, 30-40 pilgrims, 50-65 degrees, sunny blue skies

Slideshow: https://youtu.be/Ypdwx5rdT_s

I wake up early and start the daily preparations of quietly packing gear. I decide to take my medications early to avoid the Parkinson's symptoms. After packing leave the room and head to the courtyard of the monastery to retrieve my hiking boots. “It's probably 30 degrees, warmer than yesterday but still cold. Put on the boots. Check the front door to make sure it doesn't lock behind me. Then head out to a spot I could get free wifi. Halfway there my left leg cramps. I do some stretches and turn around to head back to the room.

I search my things to find the magnesium supplement for cramps. It's a powder that says to mix with 1 liter of water, but it tastes so foul I mix it with a half liter.

I alternate eating bread and chugging magnesium water. After finishing the magnesium, I feel a sudden need to go to the bathroom. When I reach the bathroom, I am surprised to purge my stomach contents in the toilet. I later find out I took 8 doses instead of one. Of course the cramps disappeared. The side effect of overdose is diarrhea. By the end of day, i go to the bathroom a dozen times.

We finish packing and head out to the bakery for breakfast and lunch. Leaving town is a steep descent to the valley floor. At the bottom, you arrive at the magnificent “Roman” bridge from the 17th century.

A very steep climb begins on the other side. It's a super steep climb for about 30 minutes until you reach the Chapelle Sainte-Foy where a beautiful view of Conques awaits you. There's only like 12 chairs and the altar has hundreds of pieces of paper from pilgrims. Here tradition has it that each pilgrim rings the bell and if they are lucky they will hear the reply from the monks in Conques. Well wasn't on our side so we continue climbing another 45 minutes .

I take my second dose of medicine at 9:30 am. The views near the top are just stunning.At the top the trail is on the road. My foot starts to drag so I take my third dose at 10:18 am. I walk backwards for 30 minutes but legs are still not working. Take a break then take s fourth dose of medicine at 12 noon.Within 30 minutes, walking like a champ.

It's A beautiful day. We pick up speed and walk 5 km an hour for the next two hours. We walk into a small town that has a wonderful outdoor café we eat lunch and talk to a couple from Colorado.

Then walk on it after about 45 minutes we reach a. wonderful church with The most amazing Stainglass windows.

After a long day we reach Decazeville but we have missed our . turn so we have to take a long roundabout route that adds 5! km to the route..It's an industrial town.

The Gite owner is super nicer. We go to the supermarket and buy food for dinner and breakfast.

First 8 Day Log

TOTALS

• days walking = 6


• kilometers= 138


• km/day=23


• miles=86


• miles/day=14.3


• average speed= 4 km/hr


• elevation climbed = 9,600 feet


• elevation/day=1,600 feet


• Total steps=214,937


• Steps/day=35,822

Day 5: The Music Video

The Music Video

Day 5: Bigose to Labros

April 18, 2017

Statistics: 20 - 30 degrees, blue skies wlth clouds, 14.9 km/ 9.2 miles, 25,352 steps, elevation climbed: 1,100 feet, 10-15 pilgrims, 1 cute church

Slideshow:

Breakfast is one small piece of bread. That's it until we reach Aumont Aubrac. Fortunately it's only 5 km away.

The 99 km over the past 4 days is a considerable increase in exercise and my right knee is in some pain when I awake in Bigose. I take two Advil and it's still a little tender after 30 minutes.

Sometimes this kind of pain will recede when I walk plus we are going a short distance today. So I decide to give it a try and walk. Right away the same leg is my Parkinson's leg and it's not working: I take my first dose of medicine at 8:30am and I employ the walking backward technique but the right knee pain keeps my strides short. I walk backwards for a kilometer. I also use the high step technique but progress is slow. I take second dose at 9:30 am. It's cold. Too cold.

For some reason, probably the cold and windy day, the medicine isn't working. Decide today would be better to take a third dose to increase the concentration in the blood so I take a third dose at 10:09 am.

That’s three doses in 99 minutes when usually two doses work. Within 30 minutes, the right leg is working great.

The path meanders along open fields. Not a pilgrim all morning. The skies are blue with lots of clouds.

At 11:30 am, we enter the town of Aumont Aubrac. We eat breakfast which is coffee, juice and croissant. I was hungry.

Everything will close in 30 minutes, so we go to the grocery store and bakery and buy our staples: bread, cheese, chocolate, beer and juice.

We look at the schedule and decide that tomorrow we should rest and skip a couple towns to Conques. Conques is suppose to be very beautiful. We arrange for a van pickup for tomorrow.

We leave town with full stomachs, short distance to our Gite and knowing that tomorrow will be a rest day. Our spirits are high. Plus it's warmed up some. We make a quick music video to the Happy song. Good times.

We are almost to our Gite in Lasbros when we stumble across a stunning little 20 person church from the 1500s, Chapelle de la Bastide. We take refuge from the weather for ten minutes then the final push to Lasbros.

3:00 pm we arrive at our Gite. I elevate my right knee. Even though I took 3 doses in 99 minutes, I did not take a fourth or fifth dose which I normally would.

I am in heaven - great internet and delicious chocolate!

Day 6 & 7: The Fast & Furious

Day 6 & 7: The Fast & Furious

April 19th & 20th, 2017

Labros to Conques 20-30 degrees? (too cold)

Slideshow: https://youtu.be/dpMekBloMeg

It's too cold and we could use a rest day. We elect to catch a ride to Conques. It is one of France’s most beautiful towns. And it doesn't disappoint:)

The driver is hustling and speeding on these two way one lane roads and some roads are a fine gravel with a steep drop on the outside. I close my eyes and breathe deep. I open my eyes to see him texting….yikes pay attention! Best to keep the eyes closed. Clive and Maya are relaxed having had much crazier drivers in India.

12:00 noon We arrive 2 hours later and I jump out of the van. Free at last! The fast and furious drive is over.

We walk the town and it's just stunning. Everything is expensive except for the bakery. Over the next 36 hours we will go there for almost every meal. The owner makes a mean chocolate filled beignet.

My right knee is hurting a little from the past 5 days of walking. It needs a break and this is the perfect town. In the past, when I increase exercise this happens then it goes away and doesn't happen again. Hopefully that's all it is.

Take lots of photos and have a restful 36 hours before we Trek towards Figeac and Rocamadour. Two more beautiful towns. Just a few hills between here and there.. well more than a few

Sleep for 8 hours. That's the most I have slept in months. Good decision to rest here.

Day 4: The ATM

Day 4 - The ATM

April 17, 2017

Fourth Stage of Via Podiensis: Le Sauvage to Bigose
Statistics: 24.3 kilometers (15.1 miles), 40,357 steps, elevation climbed: 1,060 feet, 20-30 pilgrims
Slideshow: https://youtu.be/rvUmu8nV-tI

Another cold morning. There's ice on the outdoor tables. Brrr. The plan is to take it easy with a 12 km hike, but we will decide at lunch. We are almost the last to leave the hostel.

6:50 am I wake up early and do some emailing and blogging. I take my first dose of medication. I do a set of stretches and watch the sun rise.

Go to breakfast and eat some bread with the most delicious apricot jelly. Nice morning conversation with some fellow pilgrims.

9:34 am  we start walking and my right foot is dragging. I go through my different techniques - high steps, walking backwards, big steps, swing the arms and try stopping and restarting. Well, nothing works today. Take my second dose.

The  walk begins in the forest and after an hour or so emerges along a road then turns into a path paralleling the road until we reach the first town. The rest of the morning walk on dirt roads along open fields.

Walk to Saint Alban and stop for lunch at the town square. When lunch comes, we are all impressed with the size of the lunch. And the taste doesn't disappoint. I am hungry and this meal hits the spot:)

2:20 pm we decide to head to Bigose for the night another 12 kilometers. Right away my right foot starts dragging. It's been 5 hours since my last medication. I take my 3rd dose. We rest for a little while and start walking but the medication still hasn't kicked in.

2:46pm Decide to take more medication to kick start my leg. Having some right knee pain too so I take some Tylenol.

Walk through the open fields with a lively discussion with  Clive.

4:30pm About 30 minutes left to reach the Gite and I take my final medication for the day. When I arrive I feel a little dizzy from pushing too hard for the past 2 hours so I  drink a couple sodas.

That does the trick. All my muscles are real sore. I wish there was a masseuse here...

Day 3: The Big Cramp

The Big Cramp

Day 3: Saugues to Le Sauvage

Statistics: 40,367 steps,15.1 miles/ 24,3 km, cloudy day, elevation climbed: 1,970 feet, 40-55 degrees, 20-30 pilgrims en route.

Slideshow: https://youtu.be/Y_2BrFhnl6g

It's Easter! And Saugues is a very quiet town. At 8:45 am the town is still sleeping since the church service is at 11:00 am.

For breakfast we ate the typical fare… lots of bread, jams and cheese!

As we passed through the town square I decide to get some cash at the local bank ATM. Disaster!!!! Like hungry pilgrims for breakfast it swallows my card!

Oh well, nothing can be done on Easter.

We head to Le Sauvage. It's colder than yesterday, much colder! it's probably 30 - 40 degrees. I didn't plan for it to be this cold. My left leg has an awful calf cramp. I stretch both calves, then walk. This continues til we reach the outskirts of Saugues.

9:30 am Only 40 or so minutes into the walk. The right leg with Parkinson's is fine, but the left calf has a lock-down cramp that grinds me to a standstill; a painful standstill. I lay on my back and Clive does some soccer stretches. The pilgrims stream by in groups of 3 - 5. All inquisitive.

It can be debilitating to have a disease like Parkinson's then have another health issue that compounds the difficulty. This is the number 1 challenge for Parkinson's patients. it’s so easy to quit. It's a slippery slope. Once you give in, it's twice as hard to reach your goal. Be smart but persist!

10:00 am A pilgrim stops and offers a natural treatment which I take in the form of 3 little pills under my tongue. I think it's a plant extract from licorice, but I am not sure. Couple more groups passed by. Almost the last person is Christian From Leipzig of the former East Germany. Christian offers some magnesium powder that is fast acting anti cramp. I take my first Parkinson's medicine.

10:30am It's not looking great! We start to consider taking a ride when the cramp all of sudden fades. We hustle to make up some time. Almost immediately the right leg stops working. A second dose of medicine and we continue to walk.

We make some good time and around 1:00 pm we pass through a 20-house town. Midway, there's a house that has picnic tables and sells sandwiches and drinks. We stop and eat some bread, cheese and chocolate. This day is all about eating.

Then some fun… A little puppy comes out to play. It bites everyone's ankles, socks and pants. As we embark at 1:30 pm i take my third round of medication.

The rest of the afternoon is about staying warm and walking on paths alongside open fields with long vistas,

3:00 pm I take my 4th round of medications, the path enters a forest with an occasional babbling brook. Eventually it enters an evergreen forest planted for forestry purposes. After a couple kilometers the path leaves the forest and has a dramatic long vista to a distant large house. We check our maps and the distant house is our lodging for the night. The meanders taking some wide arcs before reaching the Gite (pilgrim hostel)

We check in and meet Brigette from Munich Germany. She's resting in the dormitory room with 6 beds. We talk to Brigette for a while. She's walking the Podiensis then the Del Norte to Santiago. She's curious about the Del Norte so we talk story for a while before dinner,

I take my final medication before to walk well and dampen any tremors. It's a communal dinner with two long tables seating about 15 per table. It's a four course meal table. It's a four course meal starting with a Pea soup. Then the main course is a potatoes au gratin and a beef stew meat, which is delicious. The third course is a cheese and yogurt course which I elect to have yogurt. The last course is a rice pudding is so yummy after a long day of walking.

During dinner I sit next to Christian from Lipzig, Germany and Kieran from Luxembourg. Both speak excellent English. The meal is wonderful and the company is great.

I retire for the night.

Day 2: The Climb

The Climb

Day 2: Monistrol to Saugues

April 15, 2017

Second Stage of Via Podiensis: Monistrol to Saugues
Statistics: 20.1 kilometers(12.52 miles), 26,545 steps, elevation climbed: 1,830 feet, 20-30 pilgrims, 40-50 degrees

Slideshow: https://youtu.be/nanNhiotfBY

10:30am Late start: Take first dose.
we feel terrific after a long first day. No blisters and things look bright.
10:50am Start the big climb. Today is short but a steep 600 meter/1,958 foot climb over 3 km. This is slow grind. One foot in front of the other. I use walking sticks which I usually set to 4. A steep hill is a 3 and a descent is usually a 5. Well this mountain is a 2! It's walk 10 steps and rest a second. Slowly walk up.

Right foot tends to drag ascending. Meet 'Pilgrim Peter' from Amsterdam. He has walked 3,000 km of Camino paths, visited numerous Unesco World Heritage sites and part of the Appalachian Trail. The AT hikers gave him the name ‘Pilgrim Peter.’ He’s a secondary teacher from Amsterdam.

11:20am Take second dose. A shorter interval between first and second dose is necessary to get decent medication concentrations in blood. This is especially true when training or working out.
Talk more with Christian from Lipsig, formerly East Germany. He use to be a technical writer. Run into Mike the Berliner. Walking a week of Podiensis. A 69 year old Berliner doing the Podiensis. For 70th birthday going to Hawaii and New Zealand.

1:30 pm Summit mountain. It's cold and stays cold the rest of the day! Take 4th dose. Right leg works great for rest of the day. I walk for a kilometer before I stop and put more cloths on. It's very cold and the wind is blowing.

Walk most of the day with Priscilla from Perth. Poor thing, she’s got a virus that is making her cough a lot.

4:00 pm Arrive in Saugues. My legs are exhausted. I lay down and fall asleep for a 30 minutes. There's a Carrefoure super market which I limp to with Maya. Buy chocolate, summer sausage, Swiss cheese and fruit juice. Back at the Gite the summer sausage tastes like an old sock….yuck. The cheese and bread taste mighty fine.

6:00 pm Take 5th dose for motor control for dinner.

7:00 pm dinner at the Gite. Eat with Priscilla and Joan. Joan is a teacher from Oregon. She's done some Caminos and trying to finish the Podiensis but her schedule is tight.

Day 1: The Big Day Arrives

April 14, 2017

First Stage of Via Podiensis: Polignac to Monistrol
Statistics: 32.2 kilometers(20.0 miles), 42,475 steps, elevation climbed: 1,810 feet, 10-15 pilgrims,45-60 degrees

Slideshow link: https://youtu.be/j_ACUEpbTjI
The big day has finally arrived. It's 7:00 am in the morning. I am stretching outside our accommodations. I do one set of LVST Big stretches. I feel ready and I am anxious to get going.

After months of preparation, it's time to walk longer daily distances than I ever did in training. My goal is to take my medications as prescribed.
Clive, Maya and myself huddle and Clive says a nice prayer asking for a nice trek. I have been thinking of this moment for months. I tell everyone I love them as family and this trip is both singular and family. We each have to walk but we do it together as a family.

At 7:30 am I take my first dosage and we start walking. Almost immediately my right leg starts dragging. I continue to walk with my foot dragging.

After 45 minutes since I took my medicine: I continue to walk with a dragging foot. I stop and stretch. After another 10 minutes I take my medicine.

8:55 am After 30 minutes my feet are moving. We walk for approximately 2 hours without any foot or walking problems. The path is through open fields.It's early so no crops are planted.

10:55am. I take my third dosage. I continue to walk very well. Making good time, averaging 5+ km/hr.

I stop at 2:00pm.I take a fourth dosage. I have one more dosage to follow my doctor's presecription.

Our goal is to reach St. Privatiers Alliers then get a ride to Monistrol which is 5 km down hill. We have reservations at Monistrol.

5:00pm We have covered a lot of ground and we get close to St. Privatiers Alliers. I take my last dosage which gets me to my goal and we complete 32 kilometers.

It's amazing day for me. I only had difficulty for 1 km or less. I am ecstatic. The preparation really paid off.

Dinner is included and we meet Priscilla from Perth Australia. She’s in her mid twenties and a doctor in training. She's walking to St Jean Pied de Port. She did Camino Frances in 2011.

We hit the sack. First day complete!

Suck it up, buttercup!

April 9, 2017

As the plane door closes, there's an
announcement “this flight is going to Phoenix if this is not your destination you need tog disembark now.”

It sinks in, I am embarking on a 2,000 kilometer trek from the Pyrenees to Rome. It suddenly gets very real. I go over my ‘honey do list’ one last time in my mind, checking off the list ..all the lights off in the house, check and took out the garbage, check. It will be 90 days until I have to be domestic again. 90 days in a different bed every night. I adjust my position in my seat and curse the lack of legroom.

My mind is quickly adjusting to the new transient reality. Always moving. As slow a walker as I am, every step is progress and I get closer to the finish line. The idea of walking 2,000 kilometers was a pipe dream until now. Challenging myself makes me feel alive, because I don’t know what lies ahead which is exciting but I do know that I will finish one way or another. It’s ingrained in my pea brain from doing years of triathlons. Like that sign at the top of the bike mountain at Ironman Canada “Suck it up, buttercup!”

The plane rambles down the runway at a fast clip and lifts off the ground. Time to get moving....