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Jen's Camino Journey 2026
On June 5th 2026 I will be completing the last 100 km of the Camino de Santiago with Accessible Camino; I'll be helping folks with mobility issues complete their own Camino by pushing wheelchairs, carrying gear, cheering on, and completing my own incredible comeback from Achilles surgery and knee issues.
I'll be posting a few times a week, letting you know what I'm doing to train (hiking, biking, walking, physical therapy, strength training, nutrition, mental toughness, spiritual growth, emotional intelligence and more)! I'll also be giving regular shout outs to my sponsors and supporters.
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The Camino is calling and I must go...
March 7, 2024 started out like any other day. I was at a work conference. Our annual Specialty Care/Rare Disease meeting where cross functional partners from all over come together to collaborate, learn, inspire/be inspired/get inspired, brainstorm, and more. That morning we had an early call, following the awards dinner the previous night (big congrats to Jane and Rod!). I sat down next to my colleague Brian, and wondered who would be presenting that morning as the agend
Jennifer Griola
Jan 275 min read
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Why are you training?
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1EeBkkagWU/?mibextid=wwXIfr Not sure if this video will load or not, but I watched it with earnest and then had a full belly laugh at the end š
Jennifer Griola
3 days ago1 min read
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Rainy hilly walk with colorful surprise
I got out and did a few miles after work in the rainā¦I live in a very hilly area so I took advantage of continuing to get stronger on those hill (1000 feet of elevation according to the Whoop)ā¦ on my final turn toward home I walked down a staircase I havenāt traversed in some time and found some special painted rocks (yep! Twice in the same weekā¦the universe is cheering me on š¤©š)
Jennifer Griola
4 days ago1 min read
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Inspiration around every corner
I found the painted rocks at the Orange Reservoir tonightā¦big thank you to the folks who created and placed them!
Jennifer Griola
6 days ago1 min read
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Mother's Day Hike
Mahlon Dickerson Reservation, Morris County NJ Had a great Mother's Day Hike with my sister-in-law's Irene and April (and 'nephew' Caleb- the cutest mini pin ever!).
Jennifer Griola
May 121 min read
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Meadowlands Hike
DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst NJ Located on the edge of Lyndhurst sits DeKorte Park, a wildlife refuge that straddles the wetlands with views of NYC, airplanes approaching Newark airport, MetLife Stadium and Interstate 95. There is a beautiful 911 Memorial on the grounds as well!
Jennifer Griola
May 121 min read
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Finding Hiking opportunities while on the road
Albany County Helderberg Hudson Rail Trail I travel for work a fair amount. Sometimes I hit the the hotel gym, other times I look for a hiking trail- this trail was 1/2 mile from my hotel last week and I got a great evening walk in!
Jennifer Griola
May 121 min read
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South Mountain Reservation
Hemlock Falls New Jersey has many land reservations, one of them is walking distance from my home! What a lucky girl am I?!
Jennifer Griola
May 121 min read
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A mountain in the middle of the city
Garret Mountain Reservation Garret Mountain Reservation sits high above the city of Paterson NJ on the First Watchung Mountain, it's a 600 acre park with hiking trails, riding trails, lakes, as well as paved walking paths- I love the juxtaposition of hiking through the woods to comeout to this view over Paterson (New Jersey's 3rd largest city after Newark and Jersey City). Plenty of parking abounds and there are rest rooms that are open seasonly.
Jennifer Griola
May 121 min read
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Appalachian Trail Hiking
The are more square feet of hiking trails and kayaking spots in NJ than there are people! The Appalachian Trail throughout parts of PA, NJ and NY was formed in part by the glaciers and thus it can be very rocky, with large boulders, big rocks, and uneven hiking surfaces. While this doesn't mirror the topography of Camino it's actually a good thing to train on surfaces that are more difficult. This is the highest elevation in the state of NJ (aptly named 'High Point'). It
Jennifer Griola
May 121 min read
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Hiking with a friend doubles the joy!
My friend Rebecca invited me to join her on a hike last weekend at the Ted Stiles reservation in Lambertville NJ. It was perfect weather, interesting terrain and gorgeous views! But the best part was the company! Rebecca is an inspiration to many women about embracing fitness as we get older, sheās smart, funny, kind and always has a cool project or three she is working on. Chatting while we hiked made the time fly. #joy #friendship
Jennifer Griola
May 11 min read
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Training is in HIGH GEAR now?
Just over a month until the trip! Iām averaging 4-6 miles day during the week and 8-10/day on the weekends as I get my body ready for the challenges of the Camino! Iāve been training in several different kinds of terrain as well. Most people donāt realize all the great hiking available in New Jersey- itās a great state with tons of land reservations (like the South Mountain reservation near my home)!
Jennifer Griola
May 11 min read
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Getting in the steps!
Trying to get 4-5 miles/day in and longer walks on the weekend can be challengingā¦creativity is a must! For instance tomorrow I am walking the 8 miles to physical therapy and having my son pick me up afterwards. My honey and I went to Vegas two weekends ago and got in 20,000+ everyday!
Jennifer Griola
Apr 271 min read
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Sometimes you have to go backwards before you can move forward
One of the things I do a couple times a week is walk backwards on a treadmill. It has really helped me with gait mechanics and fine tuning my cadence for forward walking!
Jennifer Griola
Apr 241 min read
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Family time
Taking time to visit my grandmother back home. She will be 96 on May 15th. Told her all about my trip and she said, āthat sounds long!ā What a blessing to still have her around. She gets forgetful from time to time but so grateful she knows who we all are and whatās going on in our lives. The wisdom of our elders is something we donāt always appreciate until we get older ourselvesā¦
Jennifer Griola
Apr 241 min read
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Working hard on this hike
Itās important to train in different kinds of terrain. This was one of my shorter, but harder hikes. I only went about 4 miles in 2.5 hours between the terrain (this was some of the milder terrain, there were stretches of just big rocks and boulders) and elevation.
Jennifer Griola
Apr 241 min read
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How I managed the snow storms...SOUPS!
Over the past several weeks we have had a couple of major snow storms and a prolonged deep freeze. In addition to my training I spent time cooking, specifically healthy vegetarian soups. I made lentil, pasta fagiole, split pea, 16 bean amoungst others. Feeding the people I love (including myself!) is a big love language of mine. Nourishing the body and the soul!
Jennifer Griola
Mar 41 min read
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Jennifer Griola
Mar 40 min read
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Sleep is crucial
https://youtu.be/2YIq-_yIL68?si=nIwsNf68t_u98p1h When I started training I wanted to take a holistic approach- not just hiking and weight lifting, but all things that will help me perform at my highest level. Getting 7-9 hours of sleep allows my body to recover, heal and get ready for the next day. This ad during the Olympics really spoke to me. It's not a break from training....sleep is PART OF training! [NOTE:I don't have this mattress and have never tried it- I'm not e
Jennifer Griola
Feb 191 min read
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A bit of a thaw and I was able to walk outside today
I walked four miles around the reservoir today after work- check out that view!!! While itās starting to thaw a little itās still pretty darn cold so I bundled up - four layers on top, two on bottom, two hats, two pairs of gloves and some toasty warm wool socks! Now Iām off to physical therapy for some heat and recovery!
Jennifer Griola
Feb 101 min read
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