ARRIVED IN MADRID ON TIME

The photo was taken by my daughter at 4 am at LAX.   I'm  now sitting in Madrid Puerta de Atocha train station waiting to board the train to Pamplona. 

Yesterday was hectic due to bad weather in Philadelphia causing flight delays.  But my angels were all around me with good advice and although I had to run through the airport in Philadelphia. ... I caught my scheduled flight with five minutes to spare.  They had already changed my flight to 8 pm to Lisbon connecting from there to Madrid ... I would have missed my train by the time I arrived.  Thanks everyone for your prayers....I know they helped.
The flight was only about one third full and all the center seats were used as beds.  I should have grabbed one but took two on the side so I could get some photos.

                         The storm was headed east so we had some bumpy weather but after we cleared it they feed us a lovely dinner and I celebrated with two cups of wine!
Eight hours later we were in Madrid.

TRAVELING TO SPAIN

It's 5 o'clock in the morning I'm at the airport at lax all checked in and ready to fly.  I have another hour until my flight leaves.
Yesterday about 5 o'clock in the afternoon I decided to check information and see how well this flight did yesterday.  Probably not a good idea because I discovered that the six am  flight did not leave until 1:30 in the afternoon. I would've missed all my connections and been a day late arriving in spain. 
I leave LAX at 6 am...fly to st. Louis and then to Philidelphia. ....they are having big storms there so it should be a bumpy ride. God willing my flight leaves at 6:45 pm...east coast time from Philadelphia and I'll arrive in Madrid about 8 am Wednesday morning.
Later.....
I'm sitting in St Louis in the airport ... the flight to Philadelphia is delayed and I  may not make it. But there is a very nice gentleman who lives in Philadelphia and flies all the time and he's going to help me get from terminal F all the way to Terminal A which is the international terminal at the other end of the airport.... he said there's the shuttle and he'll see that I get on it.   his car is parked outside that  terminal so he's happy to make sure I get there.
Hopefully I  won't spend the night in the airport in the USA.

11TH WEEK OF TRAINING

The the time is near, and in just two days I'll be leaving for Spain. On Friday morning I joined a family friend Laura Curran for a hike into the Chino Hills. We went from 490 feet to 1456 feet in elevation. Definitely the highest hiking I've done in the last 2 months. It was 7.88 miles in 3 hours but I must admit I did not carry my backpack. Chino Hills is a state park created by mandate when they wanted to put an airport on the site back in the 1970s.   This park creates a natural boundary for the north east side of our city of Yorba Linda and has provided a wonderful place for me to train for my upcoming journey.
I hiked a total of 43.5 miles last week. I carried my backpack on almost all of those miles. I started on Monday with the long one of 11.28 miles on Tuesday it was only 5.75 miles. I stretched a little further on Wednesday with 7.2 miles and on Thursday it was 9.24 miles. After my long hike on Friday I did a spin around the lake of two miles just to work out the kinks. I'm taking today off and tomorrow I will try and get out and take some short little walks around the lake to keep the muscles moving. My flight leaves LAX at 6 a.m. on  Tuesday morning.
Thanks for the wonderful advice Leslie about drinking lots of fluids during my trip. I haven't had sodas for about 5 years now and about 2 months ago I stopped drinking coffee so I'm strictly a water drinker and some wine now and then. So yes I not only get up and exercise every half hour or so on the airplane I am a good water drinker also. Keep me in your prayers and I'll try to keep you posted as often as possible. Buen Camino

THE TENTH WEEK OF TRAINING

Well this begins my last week of training.  I had a really good week with 54 miles all with my full pack except for the last day which was my longest day:  14 miles.
Starting with last Sunday of 2 miles around the lake in the sun, Monday was 7.59 miles, Tuesday 6.71 miles, Wednesday 8.02 miles, Thursday 8.35 miles, and Friday 6.95 miles.

I've nearly worn the top of my pack out with constantly repacking.  Jim is getting excited and walking more miles every day.  I have made contact with a couple from Phoenix who will be meeting me in Pamplona and we will spend the first night together in a small Pension and travel together to the starting village in France.  I'll spend the night there to deal with possible jet lag and since they have two days in Barcelona to recover they will immediately head up the mountain . 
I have my twin sister Mary to thank for the connection, she found them on a website called trails.  It's going to be a good beginning.

THE NINTH WEEK OF TRAINING

Hard to believe that 2 weeks from Tuesday I'll be on the airplane to Spain!  This weekend has been a bust for exercise as family has filled the days. 
Jay was down with Tom for water polo tournment...Wendy & Keith went to Oregon for a wedding so we got some time with their dog.  Mary & Tushar had two full days of real estate classes so along with Ruby and Jim had the two boys both days.  As I said....it was a family weekend.

To recap my week on Monday I walked 5.7 miles in 2 hours. On Tuesday I did 5.17 miles in 1 hour and 40 minutes.
On Wednesday I hiked 7.16 miles in 2 hours and 38 minutes. Thursday was my  biggest day when I hiked 11.18 miles in 4 hours and 40 minutes. On Friday it was 7.91 miles in 3 hours and 9 minutes. Most days I had my pack on my back. It weighs 17 pounds. Everything I read says that I should eliminate 25% of what I have in there before I leave home. That may be a struggle to choose what to take and what to leave home.
Today we did the in an out around the lake which is 2 miles.. it was very warm. I'm looking forward to starting back with my pack again tomorrow on Monday. I did learn last week that when my socks don't feel good in my shoes it's time to sit down take off my shoes and change my socks. I didn't on Friday and I ended up with 3 blisters little ones but all the same they hurt.  Buen Camino

THE WEEK OF THE RUMMAGE SALE

This is a bit late but trying to keep in the habit of posting...Last week was 8 am to 4 pm...sometimes earlier and sometimes later at the rummage sale at our local church...we started on July 10th and the final day was July 19th.  Long days of constantly being on my feet so I logged many steps but not out in the open air.  But it was a great success and although the final figures are not in they raised just over $30,000. for our parish!  Here are photos of just two corners of the massive sale!

But I did get up very early and managed to walk 4.76 miles on Monday before going to work at the church and again on Tuesday I walked 7.78 miles.  By Wednesday....too tired to do the miles.

On Monday July 20th, I was up and out early for 5.07 miles and again on Tuesday for 5.17 miles.  Today, July 22nd I carried my backpack (17 pounds) and walked 7.16 miles in 2 hours, 38 minutes.

Hope this finds all of you enjoying life and finding bright spots in each of your days!

MORE ABOUT THE SEVENTH WEEK

Well the test posted so I'll  give it another try.  It was a good week and I walked 40 miles.  My longest day was 11.68 miles on Thursday.

This week begins the annual rummage sale at our church so I may not get as many miles in as I usually do.

Here are some photos of what is happening with the drought...and a grass fire in the 4th of July. .. probably from fireworks.  It was right at the top of our hills where I usually walk.

High in the hills on Thursday. .. can't get much higher in our town.

THE SEVENTH WEEK OF TRAINING

Having some trouble posting tonight so I'll do it in sections.  I did 40 miles this past week, only taking Sundays off.

TRAINING WEEK SIX

Week six was only 40.9 miles but two day I carried my backpack (3/4 loaded)!  And we hosted a 4th of July party for the family.
Sunday was a day off....Monday was 9.7 miles....Tuesday was 5.6 miles .......Wednesday was 13.7 miles.
Thursday was a gold star day since I carried my backpack for the first time around the lake for 4.09 miles.  Friday we cleaned house for our family party for the boat parade that started at 9 pm.
Saturday was the 4th and we enjoyed a slow 7.8 hike in the hills with my backpack.  Today has been a rest day watching the the Tour de France and the finals of the FIFA woman's soccer.  Great game!

The hills are very brown which is normal in the summer as we live in the high desert.  We sometimes forget as we water everything and usually have beautiful green landscaping everywhere.

But because of the drought they have stopped watering the public greenbelts along the streets and everything is rapidly turning brown.  They have installed special sprinklers for each tree to hopefully keep them alive.   If the predicted rainstorms happen this fall...it should all be green when I return home at the end of October.

TRAINING WEEK FIVE

It's been two weeks since I've taken a day off....but today is Sunday and I've decided to take one.  It's Mass with the family, a memorial service and then a flotilla with neighbors in the late afternoon.








My scorecard for last week:
Sunday....5.30 miles, Monday. ..4.47 miles, Tuesday. ..12.84, Wednesday. ..4.10 miles, Thursday. ..7.26 miles, Friday. ..6.44 miles, Saturday. ...8.10 miles.  A total of 48.51 miles.




My first ever adventure into the state park that is within walking distance of our home.  I've tried some new things today in my quest to learn more about posting on my cell phone.  Hoping that is all works.  Buen Camino

WEEK FOUR OF TRAINING

Last week I made a mistake and put it was the second week for the second time. so yes this is week 4. Leslie in Oregon: love seeing your comments yes I am aware of the disappearance. I'm walking east to west so I will end up on the ocean at the end.  The photo is of my oldest daughter Jenn who paces me on a long hike once a week.
I'm actually 2 days late in posting this but for the fourth week I did 45 miles : I took sunday off and on Monday June the 15th I did my longest ever hiked it was 16.9 miles and it took me just under seven hours to do the walk. I then sat down and reevaluate my days on the actual journey to make sure there were no more 16 mile hikes. I gave up my days off and spread the miles over the extra 3 days. on Tuesday June the 16th I did 5. 11 miles in less than 2 hours. on Wednesday 6. 11 miles and on Thursday 6.9 miles. Friday I stretched my pace and did 10. 44 miles and then saturday I relaxed and did 2 miles around the lake just to keep my feet moving. I hope you're enjoying keeping up with my progress it keeps me moving just knowing that a few of you out there are  following my story. the backpack is nearly done and then in another week I'll start caring  it every once in awhile.  I'm typing this on my cell phone so that I can learn to do it before I go on my trip as this will be my only computer during my journey.   buen Camino

THIRD WEEK OF TRAINING

I learned a few things last week:  1)  socks with toes in them are fabulous!   No new blisters.  But today I exchanged my new size 9 for size 10 shoes for use on my journey.  The 9 is fine for walks under ten miles but over that my toes begin to hurt!

So after making three trips to Big 5 Sporting Goods and several other sporting goods stores I still could not find my shoe in a 10.  I even looked on the Internet and everyone was "out of stock"!

Today I decided to return the second pair that I have not worn and then spend the $100 for the shoe that is similar but not the same.  Twice the cost!   I took another look when I returned the shoes and my prayers were answered!  Someone had returned a size 10 that is in perfect condition!  So I am now set with shoes and will give them a run tomorrow when my daughter Jenn and I do a long hike.  Then back on the shelf for use for only long walks until time to go to Spain.

Last week's milage:   47.37 miles   (M: 7.14; T:2; W: 10; T: 5.07; F: 12.52; S: 10.64)

Jim is walking three to five miles most days and every once in awhile we meet and walk together for a part of our journey.  He still has not made up his mind about going on part of my trip.

Buen Camino

SECOND WEEK OF TRAINING

Last week I walked fifty nine miles.  My longest day was fourteen miles in five and a half hours without stopping.  I was dead tired by the time I stopped.  But after three hours of rest I felt much better.  Each day I get stronger.

PREPARING TO WALK 500 MILES IN SPAIN

   Sounds a bit much for a 76 year old woman but I'm determined to complete the pilgrimage done each year by thousands of people across the top of Spain.  To prepare for this journey I have begun to walk each day.    I try to do some hills in addition to my walks around the lake.  I've been racking up a minimum of five miles a day and sometimes more.  Today was a record breaker as I started early in the morning and completed ten miles!!!   My legs are killing me this afternoon and I also managed to get my first blister today before completing three miles.

     Tune in and watch my progress.  Next weekend I'll carry my pack on one day to see how I'm doing with the packing.  It's a process of trying to carry as little as possible but still have everything that I need.  Yes...these are the sandals that I'll be wearing on the hike.

     I'll begin to make these posts from my cell phone soon and hoping to discover how to post photos on the web for you.  But, the posts may be much shorter than usual and fewer photos for sure!

As they say on the camino....buen camino

TRAVELING TO USA

 

   We were all up early and out on the curb by five forty-five in the morning.   The taxi arrived about ten minutes early so by our scheduled six o'clock we were loaded and on the road.   We used a taxi service that we were able to pre-order on the Internet.  And, we were able to specify a mini van that was perfect for all of our luggage and the wheelchair.

    By leaving early we saved a bit on the fare since we didn't have the morning commuters that would have extended our half hour drive to possibly an hour and a half.  But, we had to wait for half

an hour to check-in at the airline counters after we arrived.  Mary and Phil were on US Airways and we were on American Airlines; they were next to each other for check-in so we were able to stay together until they were all checked in.  After going through security; another bonus for arriving early as we breezed through easily with no stress, we found our gate and settled in with free wifi but no electrical outlets that had power.  Lots of outlets but none of them worked!

 

   Our gates were a bit of a walk, we were at 50 and they were at 37; just long enough to be a good leg stretch and we each made the trip once to say our final goodbyes.  Our plane was a new one and they had stretched the leg room in the main cabin; a real bonus for the tall men.  Even when the person in front of you leaned back; you didn't feel crowded.  We had a full flight from Paris to Dallas and they kept us busy with movies and two meals.   Great crew with lots of service with a smile!

     We generally stay awake coming home because it's daylight the whole way.  This time we have a different experience in that after we'd purchased our tickets with air miles, they changed our flight and we ended up with a sixteen hour layover in Dallas, Texas.  We reserved a room at an inexpensive hotel near the airport with shuttle service.  So we've been able to have some dinner, go for a walk, shower and get some sleep soon.   We have to be back at the airport by five o'clock tomorrow morning for the final three and half hours of flying in LAX. 

    A pleasant way to arrive rested after a very long trip.  There are storms warnings for the Dallas area tonight.  It may be an interesting night!  And so ends our trip; thanks for joining us on our journey.


Link to Picasa Photo Album