As an armchair athlete and sometime weekend warrior,
I never imagined going on a 500-mile bike ride across Spain. But
in 2004, that's exactly what I did with my husband, Paul.
Biking anywhere, unless it's for ice cream, is not
something that I had ever remotely entertained as an
idea for a vacation. My perfect vacation usually consists of an ocean
beach in a warm locale with some tropical brew at an arm's
length on one side and a good book on the other.
The idea that I would even attempt such an athletic
endeavor was shocking enough. Friends and family surely thought I had
lost my mind. I was out of shape and certainly not fit enough to
attempt such an effort.
I managed a 45-mile bike ride around the Twin Cities into a wicked headwind on a heavy 3-speed bike in an effort to see I could even consider the trip to Spain.
Paul assured me that to
finish the ride in Spain, 45 miles or so a day would be what we would
be biking. Since I was able to make the trip at home, I felt
reasonably assured that I would be able to make the journey in
Spain.
Ignorance is such bliss
.
(A map of the various pilgrimage routes)
The fact that I completed the
journey was a miracle in and of itself. (For day-by-day details of our trip, visit
Stutler Blog .) Fittingly enough, the bike ride traveled a centuries-old pilgrimage route across Northern Spain called El Camino de
Santiago...or the Way of St. James. Hundreds of thousands of
pilgrims have travelled the road to Santiago de Compostela where the
bones of St. James the Apostle are purported to be buried.
(The Compostela or Passport showing stops along the pilgrimage route.)
The reasons for making the journey vary with each
pilgrim. In past centuries, pilgrims made the trip primarily to walk the way of St. James the Apostle. Modern-day pilgrims travel the old-fashioned way on foot or horseback or by bicycle. Some do it for spiritual reasons, others
for cultural reasons.
For me in 2004, it was an effort to see if I could enter middle age
with a major physical accomplishment under my belt. (Giving birth four times doesn't count!) Many lessons were learned along the road, both physical and spiritual. The trip was extremely challenging on so many levels but that is for another article.
What is
even more amazing than having finished such an incredible feat once is that I will
be attempting it again!
The old phrase, "fool me once, shame on you", goes
through my mind alot. Shame on me, going into to this feat 3
years older, a few pounds heavier and carrying the knowledge of how difficult the trip can be. But at the same time, I cannot wait to start the
journey again.
Last time, the trip was about finishing what
I started on that French border...arriving in Santiago de Compostela
after biking nearly 500 miles. This time, the trip is about the journey itself...enjoying the ride, the people, the
places along the way whether or not I finish, although it is my fervent desire that I will once more.
