I leave in less than 3 weeks now, and I’ve amped up the training.

Mt. Misery is becoming my friend, although it’s a strained relationship at times, and on my last haul up to the top I damn near fainted. Nearly went face down onto a pile of rocks. That freaked me out, I have to say, and I promptly sat down and ate a muesli bar.

I think a muesli bar is a cure-all, and I hope they sell them in Spain.

(I’ve got to admit I pushed myself hard. I wear a heart rate monitor and noticed that at times, my bpm (beats per minute) was 158 – and the maximum heart rate for my age is 160. So I guess it’s no wonder I nearly keeled over!)

I’ve now put a scallop shell on the back of my pack, the shell being the symbol of the Camino, and I’m sure that drivers who pass me on the roads around Mudgee must think I’m either an ageing homeless person, or a looney.

It doesn’t help that during my training walks, I’m learning Spanish on my iPod – so I walk along saying to myself: Hola! Buen dia! Uno, dos, tres…

(I’ve noticed that lately when I go to the local supermarket, a few people give me a wide berth.)

The 10kg pack though now feels comfortable, even on a 14km walk at 5.7km/hr pace, which is clipping along, and I feel my core strength improving. I still though don’t know how I’ll handle 25-30 kms per day for 30 days in a row. I guess I’ll find out soon enough!