15 May connected even when off Camino

Photos are displaying strangely on the blog (if you click on them, you can see them – if you want to), but at least all the info you need to see on those two screenshots of my phone^^ is clear!! (in case you can’t see it, someone very dear to me, who suggested I get a private room so I could rest, rang me at 5am and again at 7am, and both times I was asleep!)

Seeing as I’m awake and have five hours until I need to check out, I’ll write today’s blogpost!….

It all started over a raincoat.

There was this guy I had been following online (as you do) (following, not stalking, mind). He kept an interesting walking blog…went a bit overboard on the data analysis at times, but the engaging writing well and truly made up for that. He could make a story out of nothing! You think I’m exaggerating? He was going to walk the Primitivo when Covid hit, and so he completed the entire walk in his own Canadian back yard…and blogged every stage. You’d think there’s only so much to say about walking circles in your garden for three weeks, but, as I say, he can make a story out of nothing.

You’re wondering what that has to do with a raincoat, right? Well this guy (who is actually called Guy) put out a call on the Camino Forum, where I had first come across him, for advice about rainwear. I waxed eloquently about my own choice, the Packa, and you know what? He listened to me. That made him a firm friend! Things got off to a bit of a tricky start though when his Packa arrived in the mail and he tried to use it. Honestly, just between you and me, I don’t know what he found so difficult, but he made a whole video of himself trying to put the e*x*p*l*e*t*i*v*e thing on and it really did look hard, if not impossible. I implored him to practise as the benefits of mastery would far outweigh any momentary trouble…although in his case, I did start to wonder.

And YOU are wondering what that has got to do with my Camino.

It’s just setting the stage for today’s blogpost.

You see, this guy, Guy, got some rubbish news nearly two weeks ago. Prostate cancer. He’s written about it here and gave me permission to say whatever I like about him. Silly him!!

Since then we’ve been messaging back and forth a bit and having a few laughs. Mostly about his data analysis. And haemorrhoids.

But at one point he said I really needed some graphs on my blog. Actually, he was far less bossy than that:

My apologies meant to say “a graph or two would be welcome for your next blogpost” 😂

When I said I’d see what I could rustle up….

Well that really would be a shame I think if you spent time creating a graph as your time is much more valuable exploring,  talking to other pilgrims, family members etc. I on the other hand can’t help myself as it’s too much fun….and it will get worse during surgery recovery. 🤣

At this point in the conversation I had my own tooth treatment and associated recovery time to look forward to, and anticipated graph making might be a fun way to while away my time, although, as I pointed out to him, I had no idea how to do it on my phone.

This guy, Guy, needed no further invitation

Well you could always send me the data that you desperately want graphed…I volunteer to do so…save in jpeg form and send back you 😂

Ideas on a per day basis…kms walked, stork pictures, maybe interesting doors…great conversations with others etc etc. I would think coffee per day would be a mite boring considering 1 coffee for past 30 years!

And in my own post-treatment-euphoria, I sent him some numbers.

Even before my anaesthetic had totally worn off, there were four graphs in my inbox and a full analysis of the numbers accompanying them that made me laugh out loud. Literally.

There was also some advice

In fact if they [the graphs] find their way in your blog it is critical that you distance yourself from this nonsense I created 😊.

Done. Now you know why I told you so much about this guy, Guy.

{Note: all Guy’s number notes are in bold so they are easy to find – or avoid, depending on your preference}

Graph 1 – Weekly Max Goal vs Actual Walking

Two graphs 1st including to July 1st…2nd to May 6

–  Bar chart is Actual with Camino in Red (april 8th start)

– Line chart is Max Goal

All was very close heading into the Camino walk…now as you have indicated in recent blogposts Camino Walking is starting to stretch above pre established Max Goals

But he didn’t stop there. He couldn’t help himself. He made it all cumulative – something which I subsequently pointed out to him I was never going to do, as it’s only getting worse as I go on, so why would I want to highlight that? Incidentally, I think he’s sending a subliminal message by putting my walked-too-far-weeks in red. Hard not to agree, right?

Graph 2 – Cumulative Max Goals vs Actual Goals

– Same story as Graph 1 for info as of May 6th week Cumulative Max Goals 

And he didn’t stop there, either!

A little analysis:

– As of April 1st week Max Goals was 470 kms vs Actual 466 kms

– As of May 9th week Max Goals was 896 kms vs 820 kms

So for Camino Walking Max Goals to date were 350 kms vs Actual 430 kms or 22.9% higher

So even on my days off the Camino, staying in a wee room away from pilgrims, I have felt connected to the Camino in the same kind of special way as if I were walking.

Thanks Guy, you’re a great guy!

PS This post is written by 9:30am. Clearly it does not include what is going to actually happen today. As I will be taking a late-ish bus back to Castrojeriz, I may not get to do a post until tomorrow morning while I wait for the museum to open. Then tomorrow evening I’ll be at San Nicolas without electricity or cell reception, so what-has-become-my-standard-posting-schedule is going to be disrupted for a couple of days.