Training for the Camino

[Yarma]

I arrive in SJPDP 16/8/2013. Trying to give myself best chance of completing the adventure, but am finding that I am creating injuries just from the long walking sessions I am doing in preparation.
Should I be this intense ? or just get fit on the Camino?
Really excited to get going and having time of my life, hopefully with all limbs in tack. :wink: :?:
Biggest nightmare is crossing the Pryenees, BRING IT ON !!!!!
Cheers Yarma

 

[mspath]

I arrive in SJPDP 16/8/2013. Trying to give myself best chance of completing the adventure, but am finding that I am creating injuries just from the long walking sessions I am doing in preparation.
Should I be this intense ? or just get fit on the Camino?
Really excited to get going and having time of my life, hopefully with all limbs in tack. :wink: :?:
Biggest nightmare is crossing the Pryenees, BRING IT ON !!!!!
Cheers Yarma

Yarma,

Go easy.

Be sure to train while wearing/carrying whatever you plan to take. Tried and true is better than new and never worn/used for all your camino gear. Although training is most important nothing really prepares your body for the daily repeated routine of walking the camino week after week except walking daily with all your kit week after week.

Although I had walked throughout the summer hiking 20 k up the 1060 meter Ibaneta pass via the Valcarlos route the first time in 2004 at 64 to the monastery at Roncevalles was certainly the most physically exhausting day of my adult life then to date. I was pooped! Beneath a deep blue sky and brilliant sun I gasped and ached while my pack felt like bricks. ...But eventually I made it to Santiago walking slowly all the way.

Then I learned the hard way that this is NOT a walk in the park! Just because so many pilgrims have been successful does not guarantee that all will be. Anybody any moment can pull or fall or break anything. The most common injury is the result of trying to walk too far too quickly carrying too much!

Since then I always walk slowly and very easy. Daily distances cited in the guidebooks are not sacred; remember the fable of the tortoise and the hare.

Happy training and Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith

 

[Laliibeans]

If you can identify whether there is a specific thing causing the injury it's something you can be aware of and work on. Make sure you're stretching and build up slowly to longer distances and pack weights so your muscles can become accustomed to it. Take it slowly, you don't want to impair your Camino with injuries you got while training.

 

[Kitsambler]

Also do not tax your body in the same way on consecutive days. Plan a rotation: heavy day (pack with weight), speed day (no pack, go for best speed), rest day. Incorporate hills (or football stadium bleachers) one day a week. Do intervals: go as fast as you can for for 100 steps, then slower for 5 minutes, and repeat.

 

[Bama Hiker]

Yarma: You haven't given us much info on yourself -- such as age, level of fitness, where or what on your body that is having problems and injuries. But the fact that you are having injuries is a concern. My brother and I will walk the Camino in October and to date I have now walked the same distance of over 485 miles in the past year in preparation. Being fit BEFORE the Camino will allow you to enjoy your experience. Trying to "Get Fit" on the Camino is going to distract from your enjoyment and overall experience. If you are having blisters or foot problems, it may be your foot gear. Did you get fitted for your boots/shoes by a knowledgeable sales rep at specialty hiking store? Did you get some high end, durable, good quality boots or shoes? Are you tripping or stumble on your walk? Are you using trekking poles to help with your balance? This is only a stab in the dark.

Can you be more specific in what your issues are? That would help us to give you some sound advice. But you are on the right track if you are trying to be in shape for the Camino. And take and practice walking with the clothing and gear you plan to take with you. If it does not do the job now, then you know it will not work later out on the Camino. Let us know.

Buen Camino!

 

[NicoZ]

I arrive in SJPDP 16/8/2013. Trying to give myself best chance of completing the adventure, but am finding that I am creating injuries just from the long walking sessions I am doing in preparation.
Should I be this intense ? or just get fit on the Camino?

If you're getting hurt you're almost certainly pushing too hard.

Others have asked what sort of injuries. Many things can cause problems. Boots/shoes that don't fit right. Your body compensating for something.

In general you should start fairly easy and add intensity over time. You don't jump in at 100%.

Finally you need to make sure you get rest and enough food/water.

 

[whariwharangi]

Biggest nightmare is crossing the Pryenees, BRING IT ON !!!!!

Its just a long day of walking ... don't psyche yourself out.

Its not pilgrim versus the mountain and it isn't a nightmare.

Training would be anything that gets you fit. Swimming cycling running. Yeah ... okay ... even walking with a pack. Just don't overdo it ... its not a competition and you don't get accolades for the longest distance in the shortest time.

Try aiming for 'fitness as a way of life' and not 'fitness as a way to survive the camino'.

 

[NicoZ]

Many things will improve your general fitness but the only thing that will improve your walking/hiking is to walk.

 

[Yarma]

If you can identify whether there is a specific thing causing the injury it's something you can be aware of and work on. Make sure you're stretching and build up slowly to longer distances and pack weights so your muscles can become accustomed to it. Take it slowly, you don't want to impair your Camino with injuries you got while training.

HI Laliibeans
Yes I have a habit of going at things like a bull at a gate, going slow is a task I must learn.
I will take your advice and hope that I get to Santiago in one piece.

cheers
Yarma

 

[Yarma]

Biggest nightmare is crossing the Pryenees, BRING IT ON !!!!!

Its just a long day of walking ... don't psyche yourself out.

Its not pilgrim versus the mountain and it isn't a nightmare.

Training would be anything that gets you fit. Swimming cycling running. Yeah ... okay ... even walking with a pack. Just don't overdo it ... its not a competition and you don't get accolades for the longest distance in the shortest time.

Try aiming for 'fitness as a way of life' and not 'fitness as a way to survive the camino'.

thanks for bringing this part of the walk into perspective for me - dont psyche myself out !!!!!

 

[Yarma]

I arrive in SJPDP 16/8/2013. Trying to give myself best chance of completing the adventure, but am finding that I am creating injuries just from the long walking sessions I am doing in preparation.
Should I be this intense ? or just get fit on the Camino?
Really excited to get going and having time of my life, hopefully with all limbs in tack. :wink: :?:
Biggest nightmare is crossing the Pryenees, BRING IT ON !!!!!
Cheers Yarma

Yarma,

Go easy.

Be sure to train while wearing/carrying whatever you plan to take. Tried and true is better than new and never worn/used for all your camino gear. Although training is most important nothing really prepares your body for the daily repeated routine of walking the camino week after week except walking daily with all your kit week after week.

Although I had walked throughout the summer hiking 20 k up the 1060 meter Ibaneta pass via the Valcarlos route the first time in 2004 at 64 to the monastery at Roncevalles was certainly the most physically exhausting day of my adult life then to date. I was pooped! Beneath a deep blue sky and brilliant sun I gasped and ached while my pack felt like bricks. ...But eventually I made it to Santiago walking slowly all the way.

Then I learned the hard way that this is NOT a walk in the park! Just because so many pilgrims have been successful does not guarantee that all will be. Anybody any moment can pull or fall or break anything. The most common injury is the result of trying to walk too far too quickly carrying too much!

Since then I always walk slowly and very easy. Daily distances cited in the guidebooks are not sacred; remember the fable of the tortoise and the hare.

Happy training and Buen Camino,

Margaret Meredith

Thank you Margaret I think I am going to focus on the Tortise...... :shock:

 

[Yarma]

Yarma: You haven't given us much info on yourself -- such as age, level of fitness, where or what on your body that is having problems and injuries. But the fact that you are having injuries is a concern. My brother and I will walk the Camino in October and to date I have now walked the same distance of over 485 miles in the past year in preparation. Being fit BEFORE the Camino will allow you to enjoy your experience. Trying to "Get Fit" on the Camino is going to distract from your enjoyment and overall experience. If you are having blisters or foot problems, it may be your foot gear. Did you get fitted for your boots/shoes by a knowledgeable sales rep at specialty hiking store? Did you get some high end, durable, good quality boots or shoes? Are you tripping or stumble on your walk? Are you using trekking poles to help with your balance? This is only a stab in the dark.

Can you be more specific in what your issues are? That would help us to give you some sound advice. But you are on the right track if you are trying to be in shape for the Camino. And take and practice walking with the clothing and gear you plan to take with you. If it does not do the job now, then you know it will not work later out on the Camino. Let us know.

Buen Camino!

Hi Bama
well where do I begin: so many questions: sore feet are my issues, no blisters , just sore aching feet, have purchased boots, hiking runnners x 2, so called great socks, with only a small noticible difference.
I consider myself active and fairly fit, walking , running, swimming , cycling , have been doing walks of 20+ klms every couple of days. 50+ yrs of age , ex military, so I know about training , but nothing is helping my *^*(%$%&^ sore feet. Water I think is my biggest downfall, I forget to drink water- once I get into my stride. Lots of little things i need to work on ...
I want to thank everyone for their help and guidance - hope to run into some of you on the Camino - although not in the biblical sense.
Buen Camino (Yarma)

 

[CaminoGen]

Yarma, dialer back the training and get some backpackers inserts for your shoes. And, sorry to say but be prepared to walk the Camino with soir kind of pain. You read a lot of boasting on this forum about not having blisters because they use THE best technique to avoid them or they have walked 40 km s day while carrying only a toothbrush...take it either a grain of salt. Most, if not all, will get some kind of pain, big or small. Roll of the dice... Walk, try your stuff out but don't overdo it.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

You can avoid blisters, but you may need to redefine your ideas on pain. Some pain is OK. Some pain is a warning. I have to accept ankle arthritis pain. I take ibuprofen, then simply ignore it, and watch for other pain. When you change body mechanics as to tire, hips, knees, or muscles may not like it. That is why I avoid long days. They increase the chance of injury.

You need to find the pain strategy that works for you. Almost everyone finds that rest works. Don't expect too much from yourself.

 

[brooklyngirl813]

I'm walking backwards on an incline on the treadmill with my pack on to train for mountain descents. Eccentric muscle contraction is what we need. I also do the stairmasters and of course strengthening and lots of stretching. I got knee pain of too much high impact exercises I did last may. So I stopped all types if high impact exercises. Yoga, Pilates are great. I also do heel walking and heel raises.

 

[Kimmy]

Hiking uphill is not the biggest problem for most, one step at the time will eventually get you up there. It is the downhill that is really hard on your body. Actually running downhill is quite a good idea. It sounds idiotic but it it is gentler to your knees than walking. Walking backwards every now and then also helps. Most of all it will help to have as little weight in your backpack as possible. Try to keep to around 10 % of your body weight if possible.

If possible try to walk in hilly conditions every now and then before you take off.

Buen Camino!

 

[dougfitz]

Actually running downhill is quite a good idea. It sounds idiotic but it it is gentler to your knees than walking.

I don't see how this can be true. Typical ground reaction forces for running are two to three times body weight. This is transmitted through the ankles, knees and hips. Depending on how fast one is walking, the ground reaction force is only slightly increased over body weight - associated with the frictional force required for forward propulsion.

Regards,

 

[fostersail1]

Spoken like a true engineer! I would at first agree except that I have also experienced less pain and fatigue by lightly jogging down inclines. I suspect it's due to momentum. When walking down hill, our body essentially comes to a near stop with each step, our knees absorbing the constant deceleration. Kind of like riding a bike with a square wheel. When jogging, our forward momentum is more uniform, smoother. Buen Camino, Joe (an engineer in recovery)

 

[NicoZ]

Most of the people reading this thread aren't used to carrying a pack on flat ground. Suggesting that they run down hill with a pack is going to end up like those cheese rolling competitions.

 

[fostersail1]

Let me add ... I'm not suggesting that jogging/running is the proper technique. It's fraught with risk and really goes against the Camino spirit. My discussion is the result of a mental disease that many engineers are afflicted with ... too much analysis. I personally have used the zig-zagging technique and that seems to work the best. It slows me down and minimizes the downhill impact on my knees. I'm actually sitting in an apartment in Marseille right now, letting my knee recover from too many mountains on the Camino del Norte. I made it 200km before it gave out.
I have an image in my mind that has caused me to respond to this topic. My wife and I did the Frances last year. She's a city girl and had never done anything like this before. I'm the athletic type and have spent a lot of time in the mountains. During our climb up the Pyrenees she suffered, not being at all accustomed to it. I walked along beside her with little effort. On the decline, we completely flipped roles. As we left the paved road behind and started the steep descent towards Roncesvalles, my knees screamed. Each step excruciating. Elaine took off like a gazelle; jogging, running, with complete joy in her heart. She'd conquered the Pyrenees. That image in my mind of her happiness during that days descent will last till my dying day.

 

[Susannafromsweden]

Let me add ... I'm not suggesting that jogging/running is the proper technique. It's fraught with risk and really goes against the Camino spirit. My discussion is the result of a mental disease that many engineers are afflicted with ... too much analysis. I personally have used the zig-zagging technique and that seems to work the best. It slows me down and minimizes the downhill impact on my knees. I'm actually sitting in an apartment in Marseille right now, letting my knee recover from too many mountains on the Camino del Norte. I made it 200km before it gave out.
I have an image in my mind that has caused me to respond to this topic. My wife and I did the Frances last year. She's a city girl and had never done anything like this before. I'm the athletic type and have spent a lot of time in the mountains. During our climb up the Pyrenees she suffered, not being at all accustomed to it. I walked along beside her with little effort. On the decline, we completely flipped roles. As we left the paved road behind and started the steep descent towards Roncesvalles, my knees screamed. Each step excruciating. Elaine took off like a gazelle; jogging, running, with complete joy in her heart. She'd conquered the Pyrenees. That image in my mind of her happiness during that days descent will last till my dying day.

Agree with Lise T. That was a great post. Very inspiring, thank you.
I also want to run like a gazelle.

 

[dougfitz]

Spoken like a true engineer!

Which I am not! I normally take the suggestion that I am as an insult, but I presume it was said in good faith.

When walking down hill, our body essentially comes to a near stop with each step, our knees absorbing the constant deceleration.

This sounds awkward. I've never seen anyone go down a moderate hill like that. On some steep or difficult sections, it might happen, but I doubt anyone would be able to run down these anyhow.

When jogging, our forward momentum is more uniform, smoother.

I am not sure what evidence there might be for that. What there appears to be is plenty of evidence that it generates ground reaction forces of two to three times body weight.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Running may not be for everyone; know your own legs. I ran down a hill with fast, short steps; bruised my tarsus bone; and spent two months in an immobilization boot.

I am back to the slow plod and zig zag technique!

 

[Kimmy]

When mentioning running downhill I did not mean fast. Just a bit of jogging now and then to ease the pain in your knees. I know it sounds idiotic but try it and you will be surprised how good it feels. Just hold your hands on the straps of your backpack to prevent it from bumping around on your back. This is probably not for everyone but at least for me it has proved to be the thing that helps me survive steep downhill walking. When I was first told about this on my previous Camino I thought the guy who told me was totally insane but I am most grateful today, since downhill is so much nicer now. Generally I do not think running is the way to do the camino, only to prevent the knees to burn from pain.

 

[jpflavin1]

Yarma:

I am not sure what to suggest you do to prepare for walking a half marathon or more everyday for a month. I am not sure you can. You can take long walks with and without pack. You can work out to build up your shoulders and back but nothing can totally prepare you for the Camino.The Camino is not a walk in the Park.

That said, I believe this walk is very doable for anyone.

My suggestion would be to get yourself good shoes/boots with vibram or similar soles. Make sure they fit and you break them in before you leave. Your feet are very important. Listen to them. If something does not feel right, stop, and take care of them (feet).

Start slowly, I can not emphasize this enough. (let your body adjust) - 30+ days, 20 to 30km's per day.

Pack as light as possible (very few do the first time).

The Camino will dictate the rest. The best thing you can do is to listen to it and your body.

Ultreya,
Joe

 

[whariwharangi]

When walking down hill, our body essentially comes to a near stop with each step, our knees absorbing the constant deceleration.

This sounds awkward. I've never seen anyone go down a moderate hill like that. On some steep or difficult sections, it might happen, but I doubt anyone would be able to run down these anyhow.

When jogging, our forward momentum is more uniform, smoother.

I am not sure what evidence there might be for that. What there appears to be is plenty of evidence that it generates ground reaction forces of two to three times body weight.

I've seen people run down much steeper slopes with packs. The problem is they are pretty much out of control; that is they cannot stop if needs be other than to perhaps run into a tree. Its hard on the hillside causing scree and debris to slide down the mountain and destroying any vegetation that might hold it together. The logic regarding momentum is right but you need to be fit enough to do it; someone fit enough is one who can run up Napoleon route without breaking a sweat.

 

[fostersail1]

Spoken like a true engineer!

Which I am not! I normally take the suggestion that I am as an insult, but I presume it was said in good faith.

When walking down hill, our body essentially comes to a near stop with each step, our knees absorbing the constant deceleration.

This sounds awkward. I've never seen anyone go down a moderate hill like that. On some steep or difficult sections, it might happen, but I doubt anyone would be able to run down these anyhow.

When jogging, our forward momentum is more uniform, smoother.

I am not sure what evidence there might be for that. What there appears to be is plenty of evidence that it generates ground reaction forces of two to three times body weight.

Doug, you can presume correctly, I'm not criticizing, just analyzing. I'm an engineer and my wife's a doctor. That doesn't mean we know what we are talking about, it just means we love to dig deeper into why we experience something that seems contrary to physics. When I'm brave enough, or foolish enough, to break into a mild jog on a downhill slope it just feels better, the impact on my knees seems to be smoother.

 

[tyrrek]

Being fit BEFORE the Camino will allow you to enjoy your experience. Trying to "Get Fit" on the Camino is going to distract from your enjoyment and overall experience.

Hi! I'm not sure I completely agree with this, although I do understand where you're coming from. Being fit and having trained will probably allow you to walk further each day and anticipate your pace and distances more easily.

However I didn't train specifically for any of my Caminos and it didn't diminish my enjoyment at all. In fact, feeling my body strengthen and adapt was one of the great things about it. I had to listen to my body and mind and learn how they interacted. Was I really physically exhausted and pushing on would be foolish, or was I just not in the mood and needed to impose some self-discipline to keep going?

I admit that I was lucky in that I wasn't seriously time constrained so I could take a few rest days etc, but as long as you're in reasonable shape, start slowly and define your own pace, the 'training on the Camino' approach can certainly work for some. Buen Camino!

 

[frasert]

+1 tyrrek

Sure training is good but so is just getting out there.

 

[dougfitz]

When I'm brave enough, or foolish enough, to break into a mild jog on a downhill slope it just feels better, the impact on my knees seems to be smoother.

I no longer run or jog, but I tried to replicate the effect identified in an earlier post on my walks on the weekend.

When walking down hill, our body essentially comes to a near stop with each step, our knees absorbing the constant deceleration.

Both walks were on slopes that varied from slight to being steep enough to have stone or log steps along the trails, with everything in between. There are a couple of places in the Camino that were as steep, but not many. On both times, I walked parts of the track with poles, and others without.

The track surface were generally smooth, but there were some short sections of one that were quite rocky, and it was difficult to plot where to put one's feet for more than a few steps at a time. Looking for a good path slowed me down, and once or twice I came close to stopping.

Ascending and descending steps were the other times that I felt I had lost forward momentum. One circumstance was where the distance between successive steps was too long to use alternate paces to ascend or descend. This resulted in a rather jerky up then along walking pattern. The other time was stepping down the taller rock steps, where I came to an almost complete stop at the top, choosing where to step on the lower side then lowering down to that point. This movement was largely vertical, with little forward movement.

What I did notice was that going up or down these steeper steps was the only time that my knees locked firmly. Walking on the flat and gentle slopes, my knees straighten, but I don't think that they were locked straight. Going up steeper slopes, I take shorter steps, and I am pushing off with the leading foot before the rear leg has completely straightened. Going downhill, I keep a slight bend in the knee rather than straighten it completely. This seems to absorb some of the deceleration involved. Walking with poles helps here. I could not do this effectively when I wasn't using poles.

I will remain sceptical that walkers lose momentum as described going downhill.

 

[tony1951]

Yarma:

I am not sure what to suggest you do to prepare for walking a half marathon or more everyday for a month. I am not sure you can. You can take long walks with and without pack. You can work out to build up your shoulders and back but nothing can totally prepare you for the Camino.The Camino is not a walk in the Park.

That said, I believe this walk is very doable for anyone.

My suggestion would be to get yourself good shoes/boots with vibram or similar soles. Make sure they fit and you break them in before you leave. Your feet are very important. Listen to them. If something does not feel right, stop, and take care of them (feet).

Start slowly, I can not emphasize this enough. (let your body adjust) - 30+ days, 20 to 30km's per day.


Pack as light as possible (very few do the first time).

The Camino will dictate the rest. The best thing you can do is to listen to it and your body.

Ultreya,
Joe

I edited out a few lines of your quoted post Joe, just to emphasise the bit I want to comment on. I've walked a lot of miles in my life and have never had a bad blister. I NEVER, EVER continue to walk if I have any discomfort in my feet. I stop immediately and sort out whatever is causing it, be that a tiny stone, or wrinkled sock. I also want to emphasise your point about breaking in your footware so that you are completely confident that it is going to work for you. Last time I walked on the Camino, I did it with my partner who wouldn't take my advice about checking out her gear on some long walks before we went. She insisted that she knew all about walking and on the first day, she had terrible blisters from some defect in her old boots. There was a some kind of a crack in the leather over the joint in her toes where the boot flexed and that and poor socks meant that she had a great deal of pain all the time we walked. This was entirely avoidable and created a lot of trauma.

 

[zammy]

1. Wear shoes one size bigger then usuall
2. Use fitted professional insoles
3. Wear syntetic socks
4. Wear shoes with VIbram soles
5. Wear low or mid low shoes
6. When trainign don't strain yourself, you are not doing the Marathon or climbing the Alps, if you walk 6-8 km every day with a 5-7 kg pack, combining it with climbs and descents it's enough.
the most important is to toughen your feet's skin to prevent blisters. If you walk every day from now till you leave you'll be blessed with tough skin.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

1. Wear shoes one size bigger then usual

Wear footwear that fits; it may be larger, or it may be your regular size. Do not automatically buy one size bigger; one-half size may be enough to accommodate liner socks and quality wool/blend socks. Buy the boots and train in them with the sock combination you plan to use. Boots that are too small are guaranteed to be uncomfortable and give you blisters, but boots that are too large may also cause blisters. Boots should fit, not be a particular size. I buy my regular size and have never had a blister.

 

[dougfitz]

. Do not automatically buy one size bigger

I am with falcon here, but come at the problem this way. Get your camino footwear fitted properly by someone who knows what they are doing in a store with a fitting slope.

• Don't do it in the morning if you can avoid it, and spend as much of the day on your feet as possible. Don't park out the front of the store, but walk a little way if you can for a few more minutes of walking. And wear your loosest fitting shoes. This gives your feet some chance to relax and spread, as they will do when you are walking every day.
• Wear or carry the socks (liner and outer) that you think you will use, or ones close in thickness, and wear these for the fitting.
• Make sure you take time to test the toe clearance and heel snugness on the fitting slope.
• Or you can test toe clearance by removing the inner sole and putting your foot on it so that your heel lines up with the heel of the inner sole. If there isn't at least a centimetre of clearance between your toes and the front edge of the inner sole with your socks on, consider getting the next size up.

When all that is done, don't be surprised if the size that fits is larger than your normal footwear.

Unlike falcon, my walking shoes are larger sizes than my normal street shoes, but the amount varies with the manufacturer, as their lasts can vary a little from one another - another reason for not going for just a size larger without getting them fitted.

Regards,

 

[DurhamParish]

Last September I walked the Camino Portugues. It was my first time backpacking or walking any distance. I heeded Falcon's instructions on footwear and blister prevention and had NO problems at all.

 

[christer1]

I purchased some new hiking shoes last weekend and went for half a size bigger than normal whilst wearing the two pairs of socks i am planning to wear. I will start wearing them in shortly. Hopefully they will be okay. One size bigger felt a bit loose imho. We will see



Sent from my GT-I8190N using Camino de Santiago Forum mobile app

 

[Paladin]

My regimen at present is a three stage iterative process.

Walk the distance in trainers for muscular endurance.
Walk the distance in boots to break in the boots and confirm the quality of my sock combination.
Walk the distance in boots and pack to validate load balance.

Repeat for next distance.

My goal is to be able to walk 40 km in a single one day training session, but have no intention of walking that far in a single day on the Camino. I am up to 10 at the moment but started at 5.

I am by no means an expert, but have been satisfied with the pace and progress.

 

[DurhamParish]

Paladin, sounds like a good plan.

I remember when I started my training. I do some running, so I thought walking would be a snap. I did 16 kilometers (10 miles) my first time. That was a mistake, my legs were really hurting. Couldn't completely straighten them out for a while. I started over again at about half that distance and started working forward.

Good luck.

 

[WayWalker63]

Paladin, that sounds like a very reasonable plan. I don't think I'll aim for 40km but I will aim for a total time of 6 hours walking, the max I will need to walk in a day, I think. :?:

I've started at 1 hr (30mins out, 30 back) in trainers/sneakers. I did this with reasonable ease, a bit tired but cold have easily done more. I will go for 1.5 hrs next, still in sneakers, and continue adding time over the next couple months.

It's SUMMER here in Florida so even the thought of boots gets me over heated. :roll: I will add boots when the weather cools off some in October. 8) Then reduce the time and start building again until its time to add the pack.

The first order of business for me though is to get a bit more of this excess weight off so I don't put so much stress on my joints. For this I'm continuing my gym and pool workouts at least while the temps are so high.