When I was four years old, my younger sister was hospitalized for 2 months with meningitis. My mother kept vigil at the hospital day and night and I was left in the care of my father. He worked as a delivery driver for a propane company during this time and I accompanied him on his route.  I recall the thrill of driving in that big truck, bouncing around in the seat next to him. Dad would turn up the radio loud, making up silly lyrics to the music, inducing fits of giggles from me. Although I’m sure I was confused by my mother and sister’s absence, I was enthralled to be part of my dad’s grown-up world. Living and working in a small town, the customers knew my dad personally and our current circumstances. They were understanding of me tagging along and would often offer me treats of cookies and candy. On one particular day, we stopped at the house of an elderly woman. Dad swung me out of the truck and into the driveway. As he went behind the truck to connect the hose, I made my way to the front door to greet the customer. Suddenly from around the side of the house, a huge shaggy dog ran at me, jumped on me, knocked me over and proceeded to, in my four year old mind, maul me to death. I shrieked in terror, scared out of my wits. Of course, my father bolted over and rescued me from the dog’s sloppy kisses, but that initial terror lodged itself into the reptilian part of my brain…and thus began my lifelong fear of strange dogs.

Fast forward 20 years later….I am walking after work in my neighborhood to unwind, jamming out to Billy Idol on my CD player (yes, that’s right…a CD player!!) All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow lunge at me. Something had bit by hand. I turn while at the same time pulling off my headphones, my heart beginning to beat wildly. A huge pit bull had charged at me and was now at my heels nipping at me. I look down at my hand and I am bleeding. The portable CD player crashes to the asphalt as my body begins to tremble. The barking is ferocious, teeth are bared. About a half block down the street, a young girl is playing in her drive way. I scream out to her and tell her to go inside to get her parents for help. I know that I shouldn’t run. I back away slowly and yell “NO, GET” in my most stern tone. The dog charges at me again. I kick at it, make contact and it backs away. I know that if the animal knocks me down, it could maul me.  The girl’s mother arrives with a broom and the dog runs off as it realizes it is now outnumbered. And so, my fear of strange, roaming dogs is once again imprinted in my brain.

There are many dangers to be aware of when hiking the Camino. Forums warn of bedbugs in the mattresses which can leave nasty, itchy welts on your skin. Fellow hikers post messages on the forum to let others know which albergues (the Spanish equivalent of a hostel) have hosted such pests so they can be avoided.  Recently, a couple hiking the trail posted a story about being robbed by two men who hid behind some trees along the trail. Unscrupulous characters are aware that us pilgrims travel with cash and as such, bandits have been a nuisance on the trail for centuries.  The couple was unharmed, quite resilient in their attitude and continued along the Way. And on the forum for women pilgrims, there has been a recent report of a flasher.  Lastly, and most scary to me, I have read about stray dogs that roam Spanish villages and harass pilgrims. Oh boy!

But like a good Boy Scout, I will be prepared. I am spraying my backpack and the outside of my sleeping bag with a spray that supposedly repels bedbugs. It is a best practice to withdraw money from ATMs in the villages every couple of days, limiting the amount of cash that can be stolen if robbed. And I am taking a class in a couple of weeks on women’s self defense. As for those stray dogs…I will be carrying hiking poles to defend myself, if need be.  As I learned during the pit bull attack, though my fear may cause me to shake, keeping a cool head and relying on numbers (i.e. travel in groups) are my best defenses.

All in all, the trail is well traveled, hikers travel in groups and look out for one another. The rate of crime is quite low for the number of pilgrims that travel through. Besides, misfortune can happen at home too. To me, it would be a far greater misfortune to let fear rob me of a great adventure!

Thank you for reading!

 

The countdown clock on my phone reminds me that my trip along the El Camino de Santiago is 3 months, 7 days away.  Over the past couple of months, I have held fairly steadfast to my walking schedule…typically 5 miles per day with a long walk of 8 miles squeezed in as time permits.  However, the typical Florida late afternoon summer showers have begun and wreaked havoc on my momentum. I feel some concern that I am not training hard enough and irritation that I have lost my stride.

My son recently recommended an outstanding book to me entitled “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business” by Charles Duhigg. In it, the author breaks down scientifically how habits are formed. Generally, there is a cue and reward. For example, he gives the history of how we have formed the habit of brushing our teeth. Before WWI, only 7% of households had a tube of toothpaste in the cabinet. An advertising executive developed a campaign that took into account human nature’s need for a cue/reward system to develop a habit. He used advertisements to remind consumers about the film on their teeth and showed pictures of  beautiful smiles to demonstrate the effect of brushing their teeth. There we have our cue (filmy teeth/funky breath) and the reward (beautiful teeth/fresh breath).  The author goes on to state that a final piece is needed….a way to turn that reward into a craving. In the case of the toothpaste company’s campaign, they were successful because they added an ingredient into their formula that caused a minty, tingly sensation. Consumers began to crave this fresh minty tingle and thus a societal habit was formed. After the 10 year advertising campaign by Pepsodent, 65% of U.S. households had toothpaste in their homes.

This story got me to thinking….can I design a cue/reward system to help myself develop better habits in life? And most immediately, how can I use these guidelines to develop a habit to train for my Camino? I could set out my hiking clothes next to my bed each night. In the mornings, the clothes would be my cue to walk.  My reward can be a delicious breakfast afterwards or the endorphins generated from physical activity.  I’m not so sure though…this seems too simplistic. We are such complex creatures. In the moments of early morning, the comfort of my bed can easily outweigh the pleasures of a scrumptious breakfast!

My stagnation in my training schedule is a reflection of the general stagnation I feel in life right now. I had a lot of momentum going in my early adult years. I developed strong habits to accomplish those goals that were so important to me – raising my son to be a well-rounded, loving human being, completing my education and rising in my career. My son is now a grown man that I am incredibly proud of. I completed my MBA and several professional certifications. And while I am proud of my career, the daily work grind has become a bore to me. Those goals that kept me grounded most of my adulthood have evaporated and now that I’ve rounded the corner of mid-life, what goals am I working towards?  Retirement? Ugh! How dreary.

The one thing I am pretty sure of in this upcoming Camino adventure is that approximately 45 days of getting up each morning, walking between 15-20 miles, arriving at a new town, showering, washing clothes, eating dinner, sleeping and doing it all over again, is going to shake up my routine and give me the opportunity to develop some new habits. And at the very least, it will give me some quiet time and space to think on what new goals I want to work towards in life.

In the meantime, I think having more specific, detailed daily goals will help keep me on track. I will walk 5 miles per day on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. On Tuesdays & Thursdays, I will go to the gym and do 45 minutes of elevation work on the treadmill by walking at an increasingly steep incline. Sundays will be my long walks.  I will start out at 8 miles, increase to 10 miles on June 25th, 12 miles on July 9th, 13 miles on July 30th, 14 miles on August 6th, 15 miles on August 20th and my last long walk will be on September 3rd at 16 miles. I will begin adding my backpack on the August 13th walk. Monday is a rest day.

Any ideas on good rewards to keep me motivated? Perhaps if I meet all my goals for the week,  I will go out after the long walk on Sundays for a decadent dessert?  Or perhaps just the peace of mind in knowing I’m as prepared as I can be will be the best motivation….