How many miles/day?

[meisterbalogna]

Hello!

I'm preparing for my very first Camino in May2012 and am so nervous about physically be capable! I've just started really training with a 10 mile walk yesterday and hope to keep it up until I go.

How many miles should one expect to walk per day? I know that it's different for everyone and I certainly will do what my body tells me is right for me but I'd love to have an idea of average.

Thank you!
Joan

 

[+@^^]

on average 25 kays per day
depends on so many factors.....
on the vdlp i did shortest day 16 kays
and longest 50 kays (out of major stupidity) (twice !)
.
remember
the 25 kays in the first week of your walk is longer and more difficult
than the 25 kays in the second, 3rd, etc week
.
so if you can walk the first week before leaving home, youll be fine

 

[Rebekah Scott]

first thing when planning your camino schedule: most people/guides/maps/waymarks are measured in kilometers. You´ll have to do the math.

Most pilgrims walk between 17 and 28 kilometers each day, at about 4 km per hour. Some go farther, some don´t go that far. Often the day´s distance is determined by available food/water/shelter, or where your faster-walking friends find an open bar.

If you train using the 10-mile hike, you ought to do just fine. Make sure you get some hills worked in there sometimes.

 

[sillydoll]

Joan, its important to do back-to-back hikes when you can. Walking a once off standard half marathon (21,1km) is do-able - if you don't have to do it again tomorrow, and the next day!
Try to plan three back-to-back long distance hikes over a long weekend - preferably carrying a backpack weighing around 5kg. Only then will you know if the footwear is right and if the pack is comfortable.

 

[meisterbalogna]

Thank you both for the info!

I won't have any opportunity to do any weeklong walks before I leave but will try to do the 16k (i need to learn the conversions!) on weekends as much as possible.

Is there anything more one can do to train? I'm so nervous! Excited too :wink:

 

[lynnejohn]

The best training for this long-distance walk is to do long-distance walks, as other posters have suggested. Other forms of exercise are not really useful. Continue to stretch before and after your walks.
And here's one tip as you start training:

If you get regular pedicures, stop. Having soft baby skin on your feet will not help you. Let a bit of callous build up as part of your war on blisters. And cut you toenails short or you might lose them.

Buen camino!

lynne

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Thirty-five stages of 22 km average each will get you from St. Jean Pied de Port to Santiago. The longest would be 28.9, the shortest 14.1. If you take a rest day, either walk a bit further each day, or add time. The office in SJPdP gives out a stage plan with 33 stages.

Walking 20 km on weekends without a pack is not the same as walking every day for five weeks with a pack. Fatigue is exponential, which is to say that the last hour of the day is many times more difficult and damaging than the first one! Many a pilgrim has added a couple hours onto the end of a day only to discover that it pushes them past the limit of injury, and they get something like shin splints or stress fractures. Walking eight hours is not 33% harder than walking six hours. It always feels to me like it is 100% to 200% harder!

It is hard to know one's limits in advance. You will wear down for a week or two, then gain stamina. Keeping an open mind each day is the key, but beware of false enthusiasm where you push it at the end of the day because you are feeling pretty good. It may come back to haunt you a day or two later (or maybe it won't).

Have fun. You will have to tolerate discomfort, but don't push it into misery. As Attila the Hun said, "if you are going to loot and burn, make sure you loot first."

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Falcon is right.
Letting your body rest when it is tired is way more important than a couple more kilometers. And a day off can do miracles!

As for training, it´s good to be limber so your joints don´t stiffen on the trail. If you are familiar with yoga, be sure to tone your shoulders/chest/back, and train to "open" your hips, as that´s where the weight of your pack presses down. Simple stretches and poses held for 20, repeated 5x, gets me limbered up just fine. Ankles, too. And most of all, before you put shoes on, spread your toes out and "open" the bones in your feet -- it can save you all kinds of stress-related pain later on.

Works for me.
reb

 

[dougfitz]

Thank you both for the info!

I won't have any opportunity to do any weeklong walks before I leave but will try to do the 16k (i need to learn the conversions!) on weekends as much as possible.

Is there anything more one can do to train? I'm so nervous! Excited too :wink:

Joan,

You might want to have a look at the Canberra Two Day Walk training page for some ideas about how to create a training regime that copes with the working week. It is at http://www.aussiewalk.com.au/training.htm.

I used this with some variations before doing the Camino Frances in 2010, ending with participation in the Two Day Walk itself. I did the 42km walk on the first day, but blistered and only did 10km the following day, rather than the 30km. It gave me a few days to recover before starting my Camino later in the week.

If you start with this basic pattern early enough, you can add shorter (~16km/10mi) walks on both days of the weekends, extending them out by a couple of km on successive weekends until you are comfortable doing 25-30km. Where I live, there is a 16km lake lap that can be extended by adding a progressively longer out and back section to add the extra distance. You need to find something similar.

At the same time, you could start breaking in your pack and other gear by successively adding to the weight in it. I carry a 'safe' day pack when I am bush-walking, which is about 8kg with food and water in, and it is easy enough to add another water bladder to get the weight up. I carried this on my Camino training walks.

Others have noted, quite correctly, that there is a major difference between doing a single long walk and getting up every day for 30-35 days and walking 20-30km. While the physical preparation will help, your mental preparation is just as important.

You will need friends who support and encourage you, even though at first they think what you are doing is strange. And you may need to avoid those who are not prepared to give you the moral support you need, at least until you have finished the Camino.

Regards,

 

[sillydoll]

Joan, you must do 'Your Camino' - not try to follow someone elses' Camino schedule. You don't have to do 25km or 20km or even 15km per day if you don't feel up to it.
A local (South African) peregrina started from Pamplona last year. She planned on walking about 20km a day but after the first three days realised that she wasn't going to make Santiago in time for her return trip. So she changed her ticket and started walking between 10km and 15km per day. She stayed in private albergues, pensions, rooms, fondas etc. which meant that she only had to get up in time for breakfast (around 8am) - was able to sightsee in every place, walked at her own comfortable pace and did'nt feel exhausted or overhwhelmed by the experience.
If you have time, plan the Camino according to what is comfortable for you and you won't have to be nervous about being physically capable.

 

[pal]

"first thing when planning your camino schedule: most people/guides/maps/waymarks are measured in kilometers. You´ll have to do the math. "

Just returned from Spain and never did learn "true" conversions, but I remembered a 10K is equal to 6 miles, thus 20K 12 miles, 15K 9 miles, etc.

Also, can't stress enough to train on hills. Even in the "flat" meseta, you get a major hill or two every day, e.g., Hontanas. I remember at first being so pleased when I hit a downhill section, then after awhile realized that meant there was an uphill coming...

And one last thing: I learned that pain in your heel may not mean anything is wrong with your heel, but rather the muscle that attaches there is shortened and needs to be stretched, massaged, whatever. I saw immediate healing when this technique was used.

 

[Sojourner47]

5 miles equals 8 kilometres

 

[Deleted member 3000]

To four decimal points:
100 km = 62.1371 mi.
20 km = 12.4274 mi.

Done, and done!

 

[Sojourner47]

To four significant digits:
100 km = 62.1371 mi.
20 km = 12.4274 mi.

To 4 decimal places - 4 significant figures would be 62.14 and 12.43 :mrgreen:

 

[grayland]

A simple rule of thumb:

Divide km in two and add back 10% of original km = approx miles.

examples: 10 km/2 = 5 + 1 = 6 (actual 6.2 miles)
30 km/2 = 15 + 3= 18 (actual 18.6)
100km/2 = 50 + 10 = 60 (actual 62 miles)
The small difference of the 2/10th makes very little difference in short distances and is only about two miles in 100 km.

Convert some of your training walks into km and you will start to have a mental reference to km distances when on the Camino.

 

[jeff001]

I think the need for long term conditioning is overrated and could actually be counterproductive. All you really need to be able to do is walk 20-25K with your pack for the first week at the most. After that you will have worked yourself into condition to do it every day. Starting to train too soon will just put more wear and tear on the feet and knees and will do nothing significant to improve your conditioning. More important than walking would be losing that extra 10-15 lbs that you are currently carrying.

 

[Tia Valeria]

I find that 20km is my maximum comfortable distance in a day. I am happiest at about 15km. We are therefore planning our time on the Camino at an average of 15km per day. Some days will demand more because of accomodation, but the stages given in the guide books are just that 'guidance' not a required distance so long as there is somewhere to sleep.

As someone has already said it is your Camino. When training build up your miles and weight you carry. If you use a small clip on pedometer (see Amazon) you will see how far you walk each time.
The other and perhaps most important thing is to walk at your speed. Too slow is tiring, too fast also and puts strain on your hip and knee joints. If walking with a companion you will need to work out a comfortable speed together and maybe walk apart for short distances to suit your individual needs. (Our method up hills).

Enjoy your training without over training and remember the tale of the tortoise and the hare
Buen Camino

 

[dougfitz]

I think the need for long term conditioning is overrated and could actually be counterproductive. All you really need to be able to do is walk 20-25K with your pack for the first week at the most. After that you will have worked yourself into condition to do it every day. Starting to train too soon will just put more wear and tear on the feet and knees and will do nothing significant to improve your conditioning. More important than walking would be losing that extra 10-15 lbs that you are currently carrying.

This seems to be full of contradictions. To get into 'condition' to walk 20-25km with a pack for the first week is no short term proposition. The Canberra Two Day Walk site I mentioned earlier suggests programs of eight weeks duration just to get ready for two days walking without necessarily carrying much of a load.

The Canadian Armed Forces site for their Nijmegen Four Day walk teams http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/nij-nim/pre-pra/mts-ne-eng.asp has a 26 week program. The Nejmegen requires service teams to cover 40km a day for the four days, about the same distance as a pilgrim might cover in seven days, but at higher intensity. The final 'standard' for a Canadian Armed Forces team is to have covered a minimum of 500km and finished two 40km days in succession. This is similar to my plan to do the Canberra Two Day walk (42km/30km) before leaving which I spoke of earlier.

Then there are the comments that commencing 'too soon' will put more wear on the feet and knees, and the advice to lose weight. One of the best ways to lose weight is to increase the level of output (aka exercise) while reducing input (food consumption). One of the safest ways of doing the former without putting undue stress on the hips, knees and ankles is a good walking program. This can also be done without unnecessary expenses such as specialist gear, gym memberships and the like.

It seems the key messages are right, ie get into condition to walk the first week, and lose weight to reduce the burden on hips, knees and ankles. My concern is that this is a longer term proposition, and needs to be approached as such.

That said, everyone walks their own Camino, starting from where ever they are in their physical, mental and spiritual preparation program.

Regards,

 

[robertt]

This doesn't contradict any of the excellent points made, but it's an alternative view, perhaps of interest only to a few.

My goal - or anti-goal - is to walk only as much as I feel like walking, without caring much about destination or achievement, barring the commonsense need to arrive and find shelter for the day. That said, I aim to be fit enough to walk thirty kilometres should the need arrive, but only for one day. If I walk that distance, I will follow it with a rest day or a very light day. So I jog and walk a bit before a Camino, and use the first days as more training. My pack is quite heavy because I like a lot of comforts, but I don't walk far or fast so it hardly matters.

Of course, if you have ambitious goals, this doesn't work. Because I'm prepared to pull up short on any day or section, and even come back one day to finish a whole Camino, it works for me. To tell you the truth, though I've walked every inch from Le Puy to Finisterre, and even a bit more to Portugal and back, none of it matters as much as stumbling upon San Martin de Fromista on a frosty morning, or a bit of a laugh on the trail with some eccentric French geobiologists, or a bowl of garlic soup on a freezing meseta evening. I quite like walking with French, because of those ridiculous multi-course lunches they can pull even from a small pack. Plus they can often be persuaded to dawdle and loll about.

I try never to force the pace or cause myself any difficulty beyond an entertaining challenge. So blood, blisters and suffering don't really come into it. Like I said, finishing doesn't matter much to me, and if I miss a sello or even if I'm refused a compostela, I don't particularly care.

When I explain my attitude to locals, and tell them I'm half-tourist and quite happy to hang about their town or village for a bit, they are always flattered. Deep down, no-one likes being a thoroughfare.

So, a different attitude for a different temperament. It won't suit everyone, but if you think it will suit you...just skip all the fatigue and blisters. Really, you can just skip it all. I do.

 

[peregrina2000]

Lots of good information on this thread. I agree that it's important for everyone to listen to their own body and not overdo it. I've been a victim of my own unwillingness to do that on occasion.

But when it comes to training, I am probably in a distinct minority, but I think the best way to train for the Camino is to increase your overall level of physical activity on a daily basis. I don't know about the other English-speaking countries mentioned here, but in the US, the average pilgrim-to-be is overall very sedentary. I have met hundreds of European pilgrims over the past 10 years of Caminos, most in my "age cohort" (translate -- old, over 55 at least) and I never found one of them who engaged in a serious pre-camino training plan. They are in generally very good physical shape and are able to ramp it up to meet the demands of walking day after day without straining their body. In fact I occasionally get quizzical looks when I ask how they trained, with the response usually being something like, how much training do you need to do to walk?

For my first Camino, I did what many have suggested here. I did lots of weekend walks back to back, with pack, increasing the distance gradually. It worked but it was hard to schedule and really made the camino the focus of my life for 10 months or so. Not to mention having to cut down on all the other fun things weekends usually offer. After that camino, I changed my daily routine -- started riding my bike to work, doing a daily hour of cardio on a machine at my gym, walking wherever possible, etc. I now do no special pre-Camino training at all and have not had a problem.

The camino brings many blessings and one of them for me has been an overall increase in my fitness and energy level, and healthy habits I hope to continue for a long time. Buen camino, Laurie

 

[Sansthing]

Before my first Camino I followed a carefully planned 16-week exercise programme (which bored me to tears) which included walking with a full pack and exercises - I had no problems to speak of from Roncesvalles to Santiago. For my second Camino I did no preparation whatsoever and again had no problems to speak of while walking from Pamplona! I think if you are reasonably fit and active it doesn't really make all that much difference.
Sandra :arrow:

 

[+@^^]

of course if youre doing it by bike
you could double the distance
or not
depending on how things go
see clip for possible cycling complications

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2oymHHy ... _embedded#!

 

[meisterbalogna]

This is all such incredible information! And there are obviously different schools of thought on training but the one thing that shines through it all to me is that this is "your camino" and you're the one walking it. It will be different for me than for anyone else.

As far as training for me, I am fairly limited by work and responsibilities for how many days in a row I am able to walk to train for this but what Laurie said really makes sense to me. As long as I can bring my overall fitness level up I'm hoping that I will be fine.

A large part of this for will certainly be letting go of the fear of the physical. When I first started learning to really run and was training to do my first 5k my boyfriend told me, "just turn your head off and do it. Your body knows how to do this. Let it". I think that will apply here as well!

I still plan on walking every weekend as much and as far as possible (yes, with my full pack on and on hills in New England) but will also bring training into my everyday by walking everywhere I can and also adding some stretching into my life.

 

[GreatDane]

Due to time constraints I'll be walking a partial camino again this year. Last time I found that anything less than about 24km was nice and comfortable for me. If I was around 18-20km/day I had time to wander around and really enjoy myself around the towns and villages which was important to me.

 

[newbie;frenchway]

on average 25 kays per day
depends on so many factors.....
on the vdlp i did shortest day 16 kays
and longest 50 kays (out of major stupidity) (twice !)
.
remember
the 25 kays in the first week of your walk is longer and more difficult
than the 25 kays in the second, 3rd, etc week
.
so if you can walk the first week before leaving home, youll be fine

kays?

 

[ksam]

kays?

Kilometers Actually, if your from the States, try switching what ever you use to measure your training hikes, to km. It helps get your head wrapped around the distances you'll be walking and talking about in Spain. IMHO!

 

[peregrina2000]

Kilometers Actually, if your from the States, try switching what ever you use to measure your training hikes, to km. It helps get your head wrapped around the distances you'll be walking and talking about in Spain. IMHO!

You know, ksam, I am now at the point where I cannot compute my daily walks in miles. I know my kms, and have no idea how many miles it is without dividing by 8 and multiplying by 5. Now if I could only Internalize the temperature the same way. I’m embarrassed to admit that I keep three equivalencies in my head and then just approximate.
16 C equals 61 F
28 C equals 82 F
40 C equals 104F

 

[ksam]

....
16 C equals 61 F
28 C equals 82 F
40 C equals 104F

OMG, that's brilliant!! Gonna have to get this one memorized ASAP!!

 

[ksam]

Lots of good information on this thread. I agree that it's important for everyone to listen to their own body and not overdo it.......After that camino, I changed my daily routine -- started riding my bike to work, doing a daily hour of cardio on a machine at my gym, walking wherever possible, etc. I now do no special pre-Camino training at all and have not had a problem. ............The camino brings many blessings and one of them for me has been an overall increase in my fitness and energy level.........

I'm kinda hitting that kind of mentality. Even just adding extra steps where ever and when ever. Going to the grocery store? Park as far away as possible and walk across the parking lot. Going to the Mall...park at the opposite end and add those steps. Need the bathroom...don't use the one on the same floor, be it up or down stairs...make yourself walk to it!! If you do that in addition to some general exercise you'll be ok!! Not that occasional hikes aren't a good idea. It's just that sometimes there isn't enough time!!

 

[Deleted member 67185]

You know, ksam, I am now at the point where I cannot compute my daily walks in miles. I know my kms, and have no idea how many miles it is without dividing by 8 and multiplying by 5. Now if I could only Internalize the temperature the same way. I’m embarrassed to admit that I keep three equivalencies in my head and then just approximate.
16 C equals 61 F
28 C equals 82 F
40 C equals 104F

I just do the km to miles rough conversions in 5 km = 3.1 miles increments. Or, 6.2 miles = 10 km.

 

[jpflavin1]

For C to F - 1.8 x C+32=F or just use 2 x C + 32 = F

ie: 1.8 x 16 = 28.8 + 32 = 60.8 (exact), 2x16=32+32=64 (ballpark)

Kilometers to miles (Ballpark) .6 x K's = miles

.6 x 10 = 6 miles
.62 x 10 = 6.2 miles

for a rule of thumb, each 10k equals 6 miles

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[trecile]

I just do the km to miles rough conversions in 5 km = 3.1 miles increments. Or, 6.2 miles = 10 km.

That's the way I do it too. And 5 miles = 8 km.
I usually do a five mile walk with hills every morning at home, so when I need to walk 8 km, I just think about how long it takes me to do that walk.

 

[alexwalker]

I wish we all could stick to kms.
And right-side driving.
Civilised

 

[Anamiri]

When I'm training for a Camino or any long hike, I increase my walking over a 2-3 month period.
I walk every day (I have big dogs), but start getting off the bus a stop earlier or later, then 2 stops and walking a bit further to work. A couple of nights a week I will walk home (17kms).
And then in the weekend I get some longer ones in as well. I average 5-6 kms an hour, and am very constant in my pace. I tend to do a Camino at 5km an hour.
Unfortunately I still have to do the dog walking hour as well. She cant do the longer walks. She can if its cold, but not in the heat. Sometimes we start walking at 4am, just so that I can take her out with me in the cool.
I slowly increase the weight of my pack.
I pretty much always wear one anyway, but its only 2-3 kgs. (I have to carry dog water and bowls everywhere I go). I have found that its not so much the walking for me as getting used to walking everywhere with a 5-6kg pack.
My legs are fine, they've done long distances all my life, but its my back that needs time to adjust.
I've also found that doing a decent amount of training will allow you to sort out any shoe, sock or blister issues by the time you go and have a much more enjoyable Camino.
On the Camino I usually walk 25-35 kms a day, but for my next one will keep it to 20-22 and spend more time looking around.

 

[KJFSophie]

This is all such incredible information! And there are obviously different schools of thought on training but the one thing that shines through it all to me is that this is "your camino" and you're the one walking it. It will be different for me than for anyone else.

As far as training for me, I am fairly limited by work and responsibilities for how many days in a row I am able to walk to train for this but what Laurie said really makes sense to me. As long as I can bring my overall fitness level up I'm hoping that I will be fine.

A large part of this for will certainly be letting go of the fear of the physical. When I first started learning to really run and was training to do my first 5k my boyfriend told me, "just turn your head off and do it. Your body knows how to do this. Let it". I think that will apply here as well!

I still plan on walking every weekend as much and as far as possible (yes, with my full pack on and on hills in New England) but will also bring training into my everyday by walking everywhere I can and also adding some stretching into my life.

My two cents:
First cent: Make use of all of the stairs you have in your everyday life. Walk all staircases at work, shops, stadiums, parking garages...you'll be glad you've built some quad strength when you get to mountains.

Second cent: Build your abs! Find a pilates class or dvd and you can get lots out of a 20 minute routine as often as you can fit it in. Strong abs will support your back, hips, spine...create good posture and strength when carrying your pack.

You needn't only look at actual 'walking' to train for a walk. You'll reap lots of benefits from things that require less time and no equipment.

Wishing you a wonderful first Camino...walk with Joy!