Camino

[Graeme]

Diclofenac will be absorbed systemically but nowhere near the quantities of ingesting it, you should be able to use it peripherally without undue concern but you should not take oral anti-inflammatories at the same time. Unfortunately the Tylenols and rubefacients (skin rubs) don't do very much at all so topical application of an anti-inflammatory is likely the best bet if you have sore extremities from walking. You can also use ice or warm/cool foot baths alternating 30 seconds in warm, 30 seconds in cool (not hot and cold) to encourage distal circulation which helps remove some of the swelling and some of the pain. Elevation after walking may also be helpful. Hopefully with good boots and working in to it slowly you'll not have any issues at all.

[Kay]

Graeme, you're as good as a personal trainer! Yet again, thanks. Relieved to know your recommended anti-inflammatory for feet (diclofenac) won't result in another medical experience like I had before.

I'm getting quite enthusiastic about this now. We have a few books which might help us plan some routes, including "discover Britain/Kent" type of thing plus some local maps. I expect we'd probably also get OS maps once we get a bit more serious about it.

As for skin rubs, I've been a fan of Deep Heat since I was in my 20s and playing hockey several evenings a week. (Probably better mention that was it field hockey because, as a Canadian now, you probably think hockey means ice hockey. )

[Graeme]

One of my doctor pals suggests using deep heat first (or A535) then putting the diclofenac gel on top as it has a driving agent which can help force some of the heat properties through the skin. I find it makes me too hot or deeply itchy but for a deep ache I think it would be helpful. Just don't overdo the diclofenac gel, it is absorbed systemically but as mentioned shouldn't do any harm to your stomach lining or biome.
There are so many hikes in the UK, fortunately the old established paths are maintained as rights of way whereas here you have to be careful of private property. When I go hunting (for deer) I walk miles on 'crown' land but generally there are no paths, you can always see where the private areas are as they are signposted and fenced.
Hockey here is almost always ice hockey but there are a few field hockey teams in the lower mainland (Vancouver area).
In some respects I wish I could walk some of the UK walks and pop into the pub for a beer along the way but overall I like the ruggedness and remoteness of Canada despite having to watch out for bears, wolves, cougars etc.

[Dave]

Yes, we're a bit pushed for ruggedness and remoteness in the UK. Especially in South East England. And apart from the elusive Beast of Bodmin, we haven't got anything more fearsome than a few wildcats out there - I think...

I'd be keen to get OS maps pretty much as soon as we start walking. The ones we've got are a bit short of information (though they're probably OS-based). And Google Maps is great for street navigation and businesses but doesn't offer much in the way of topography - or places of interest, unless you're specifically searching for them.

[Graeme]

Training is going well, only 3 weeks left before I go now. I'm walking up to 60 km a week hills and trails with individual walks of 15 km. I have noticed that my left heel aches after a longer walk and I am treating it with a sorbothane pad under the heel and volteren gel. I am trying to decide if I want to take walking poles, does the benefit offset the weight factor? I find them helpful for steep descents but essentially useless for anything else. I do have two days of descent, approaching Leon and out of Roncesvalle but do I want to carry the extra 2 pounds for 30 days simply for these two? I think I might just have talked myself out of it.
I understand the food will be interesting along the Camino, one dish which seems to feature in many of the trip notes is octopus complete with suckers and a form of gravy made with ink. It does not look appetizing to me but I'll give it a go.

[Kay]

Thanks for the update, Graeme! Good to know your training is going well.

In my days of walking pretty much no one I knew used walking poles. They seem to be a lot more common now, though. I can also relate to steep descents - they frequently lead to "Elvis Legs" as we called it when your legs start to shake involuntarily.

The food sounds interesting. I suspect the gravy made with ink is squid ink. It's quite commonly used for all sorts of things these days. If you ever see any black pasta, you can probably bet on it that the colour has come from squid ink. Octopus is also a fairly common dish for the region. If it's cooked properly it can be nice but otherwise it's rubbery - same as squid. With squid you either need to cook it very quickly or very slowly. Anything in between results in a rubbery texture. Have to admit I'm also a bit put off by big chunks of octopus complete with suckers. But do give it a try.

[Graeme]

With all the miles I've been doing my left big toe has been getting more and more sore at the base so I have had to modify my orthotics slightly to elevate my medial (instep) arch and so take some pressure off the base of the big toe. I use an anti-inflammatory gel as well after a walk and I think I can keep it under control that way. It's interesting that even small changes in orthotics can make a large difference in how the foot works, hopefully I have it right now. Many people use orthotics and frankly most of them are no better than the off the shelf ones. You can get them from a machine which you stand on and it gives you its selection of a choice of 12 or 16 which will fit you. You can buy $40 ones here which are heat mold-able, you just pop them in the oven at 200 F for 2 minutes take them out and stand on them and they form to your feet (they key to getting these to fit right is to try to take your weight on your hands a bit so that you don't flatten the arch too much. I find that if the arch is not high enough and I can't actually feel it under my foot then if I cut up a bit of mouse pad (it's thicker foamed plastic/rubber usually) or under cooked octopus and cut a long crescent shape out of it , it can easily be stuck under the arch and provides a long lasting but flexible support. Obviously there are also many other tricks with orthotics such as using heel cants or cookies for the metatarsal heads (not real cookies that is) but getting the arch right is the first big step.

[Graeme]

I made it back from the Camino! I walked over 750 km (I did take a couple of days off due to foot issues) in the 31 days I was there. If anyone likes I can give some pointers about foot care as even though I tried to prepare well for this I ended up with blisters, heel pains, toe pains and mild metatarsalgia. I did manage to overcome all of these and have hints as to how to avoid them. If I ever do this again I will be much better prepared. I did lose weight and gained strength so it was worth it, I met some great people and some really broken people who could not resist telling me their life stories. It was hot for a lot of it, wet for a chunk of it and so very different to anything I've done before.

[Kay]

Hi Graeme,

Well done on your achievement and welcome back! It sounds as though you had a great experience, so thanks for sharing. Sorry we've not been around much recently. It's all been quite hectic here! I'll share why in the Premium Lounge.

I don't understand a lot of your medical terms about foot problems but you told us in terms of great wit and humour so it was a highly interesting read.

But you didn't tell us if you ate octopus suckers in ink!