When should I stop training?

[montyhiker]

First thing: this is not a health question. I would seek my doctor’s advice for that, not a forum. I’ve been hiking, stretching, etc. for almost a year in preparation for my Camino. I was wondering what the pilgrims with Camino experience thought about not hiking or walking right up to when I leave to allow
my body to do any recuperation and recovery. 1 week? 2 weeks? Just a few days? Your opinions are appreciated.

 

[Bradypus]

Walking a Camino at a typical pace is not a major physical challenge for most people. Do you plan to walk exceptionally long stages? I have never done any systematic training before my Caminos. I simply start gently and after three or four days I find that I am back to my average of 30km or so per day with the odd longer day if the mood takes me and conditions are right. If you are enjoying your regular exercise then I can see no good reason why you should pause it before starting your Camino. But I also feel that there is no particular reason why someone in good health would need a definite training regime just to walk a Camino either.

 

[Tincatinker]

First thing: this is not a health question. I would seek my doctor’s advice for that, not a forum. I’ve been hiking, stretching, etc. for almost a year in preparation for my Camino. I was wondering what the pilgrims with Camino experience thought about not hiking or walking right up to when I leave to allow
my body to do any recuperation and recovery. 1 week? 2 weeks? Just a few days? Your opinions are appreciated.

If you have been hiking regularly and are not experiencing any fatigue or discomfort it’s unlikely that your body has any recuperation or recovery needs. I stopped training for hiking somewhen in the 1970’s but I walk perhaps 5 miles a day everyday and between 10 and 15 miles once or twice a week. You might want to stop a week or so before you go to allow time to finalise your packing, any necessary socialising or take in a movie or two.
Buen Camino

 

[Coverbid]

4-5 days prior to leaving on your trip. this helps avoid any late injuries and allows your body to catchup on rest. just do some light walking...just my opinion.

 

[C clearly]

I would say it depends on how hard "training" is! I would avoid stressing my body in the last week or two, but would keep up normal activity.

Don't desperately try to get in shape at the last minute and risk injury.

 

[J Willhaus]

I just try to keep up my regular activity of walking 3 or 4 miles each day, get 8 hours of sleep, and eat something reasonably healthy each day. I don't do long "training" hikes. I don't usually walk more than 10 or 12 miles a day on the Camino and I find I am able to do that without difficulty by just remaining active at home.

Things I do find are things that I can't train for such as jet-lag. I have a sleep disorder and need to sleep when I arrive in Madrid (or Paris) rather than pressing on right away to get to the Camino. I can't use my CPAP on the plane and the time change is really a killer for me. I also find that my elimination system needs to adapt to different timelines so I always bring a stool softener or a dose of laxative for those first few days to get things working right again after sitting on planes for so long.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

As above, I personally just stroll around the block for the last week - 10 days maximum(min. 2- max 8km, depending on route), which is pretty much my normal routine before bed. No point risking injury.

 

[Lowtide]

I try to walk early in the morning with my pack, about 2 hours. Then carry on my normal day and at some point take a second hike of about an hour without my pack. My flight and train to get to my start point take a couple of days, so those are my rest days.
I try for a slow start and after about 4 days I seem to be ready for longer. I am currently 9 days into the Frances, and made it to Asofra. Have done a couple of 30 km days, but rainy day today so only 22.
Buen Camino

 

[Trekker One]

Keeping good physical fitness should be a life goal. I train all the time regardless of a Camino being on the horizon. In addition to walking I do various core building exercises as being fit doesn't just mean you have done some walking prior to your Camino.
I often wonder if people train for a Camino, walk their Camino and then go back to their mostly sedentary life style again once they have their Camino checked off the list.
The benefits of being fit really pay off as we age.

 

[peregrina2000]

I often wonder if people train for a Camino, walk their Camino and then go back to their mostly sedentary life style again once they have their Camino checked off the list.

That was me in 2000 after my first Camino at age 50. Then after my second Camino in 2002, I had that same lightbulb moment – why not keep the level of fitness up? Now at age 73, I am so glad to have done that. I have many friends my age who tell me things like “act your age“ when I tell them I’m planning another camino with what would be for them impossible stages, but still hopefully comfortable for me. I know that I am not going to be able to do this forever, and I know my 40+ stages are behind me, but I am sure that the only reason I’m still walking caminos is because of that lightbulb moment twenty two years ago.

So I echo @Trekker One’s very good advice. Talk about a no-brainer, no regrets decision!

 

[LTfit]

Walking a Camino at a typical pace is not a major physical challenge for most people. Do you plan to walk exceptionally long stages? I have never done any systematic training before my Caminos. I simply start gently and after three or four days I find that I am back to my average of 30km or so per day with the odd longer day if the mood takes me and conditions are right. If you are enjoying your regular exercise then I can see no good reason why you should pause it before starting your Camino. But I also feel that there is no particular reason why someone in good health would need a definite training regime just to walk a Camino either.t

Great answer, saved me the need to post .

For some of us (possibly many) what you call training is just another ordinary day. The fitter you are at the start, the better chance of not injuring yourself.

Training for a marathon is something else entirely, then it is sensible to taper down.

My 2 cents and a yearly Camino walker and physiotherapist.

 

[Lowtide]

I will be 72 this year, did my first camino as a 70th birthday 'doing something special' and am on my 4th camino. I have to remind myself how lucky I am to be able to do this. On my first camino, I was feeling a bit tired and sore when I met a lady walking with a prosthetic leg and arm crutches! I still recall her true pilgrim spirit!
How lucky we are to be doing this.
Buen Camino

 

[TravellingMan22]

That was me in 2000 after my first Camino at age 50. Then after my second Camino in 2002, I had that same lightbulb moment – why not keep the level of fitness up? Now at age 73, I am so glad to have done that. I have many friends my age who tell me things like “act your age“ when I tell them I’m planning another camino with what would be for them impossible stages, but still hopefully comfortable for me. I know that I am not going to be able to do this forever, and I know my 40+ stages are behind me, but I am sure that the only reason I’m still walking caminos is because of that lightbulb moment twenty two years ago.

So I echo @Trekker One’s very good advice. Talk about a no-brainer, no regrets decision!

Yes I agree. Walking has always been a key part of my day in, day out. I have never owned a car. I have never needed to! I would alway walk anywhere within 3 miles, and for longer journeys I was 5 mins from a bus station, 15 mins from a station, and 30 mins from a major international airport.

It’s not so easy for many I know that. Fears over safety, or walking being not what you do, or living in a place or country where public transport is poor.

I am currently in USA at an AIRBNB on a residential estate. I walk to a sports stadium every day. It’s about 3 miles round trip. In 10 days I have not seen one other person walking even though there are sidewalks, crossing and it is safe. There is no public transport either so each driveway is piled up with cars. The size of the people and the general look of their health is quite distressing.

It’s quite easy to start hitting a good daily step xount with a few hours walking and if you do that you probably won’t need to do anything additional

 

[J Willhaus]

I am currently in USA at an AIRBNB on a residential estate. I walk to a sports stadium every day. It’s about 3 miles round trip. In 10 days I have not seen one other person walking even though there are sidewalks, crossing and it is safe. There is no public transport either so each driveway is piled up with cars. The size of the people and the general look of their health is quite distressing.

Yes, it is sad. Some parts of the US have more active populations. I know until I moved out the Pacific Northwest, we rarely walked anywhere and always took the car even for very short trips. Not the public transportation infrastructure that there is in other places/countries (although some US cities do have some options). When we lived in Spokane, WA, and Boise, ID, people always walked or rode their bike places. In Laramie, WY, where I live now, although I walk to and from work, there are not many others who do.

It just isn't very nice in some areas to walk depending on where you live.

 

[trecile]

. Walking has always been a key part of my day in, day out. I have never owned a car. I have never needed to! I would alway walk anywhere within 3 miles, and for longer journeys I was 5 mins from a bus station, 15 mins from a station, and 30 mins from a major international airport

It's my dream to live somewhere so walkable! There's a website called Walk Score that rates addresses based on how walkable they are - my house has a score of zero!

And our public transportation is practically non-existent. One day I checked the public transportation option on Google Maps to get to the public library, which is 4.7 miles from my house. The first step was "walk 4 miles to the bus stop"!

 

[GaryRobArms]

I’m currently 2 days into the Camino del Norte from Irun. I’ve trained in the past for more intense activities (rowing, cycling) so I’m used to a 2-3 week taper before the event. And used to that feeling of overflowing with energy and no niggling aches that comes from a well executed taper. I trained for this Camino in a relatively structured way, as that’s what I’m used to, and everyone told me that CDN is a hard one and the first week is the hardest. Two days in, it has worked well for me this time to:
- stop doing any weighted pack walks above my expected load 3 weeks before.
- 2 weeks before I stopped doing expected daily distance walks 23 km with expected pack weight. That is, I would do shorter walks with expected weight, or expected distance walks with little or no weight.
- in the final 4 weeks I reduced the amount of “simple walk with pack” training and spent more time on technical things, like walking at faster cadence with no weight, with and without poles, and shorter walks with some weight on steep trails, rocky and uneven surfaces. (That has turned to be a good idea for CDN day 1. Terrain was quite challenging in a few spots.)
- in last week, just a few short walks, light load if I felt really energetic, nothing if I felt at all tired. And as mentioned above, with a day lost to travel and one for some time zone adjustment, virtually nothing on last few days. (Although carrying your pack between terminals of a major airport can be a bit of a workout!)
- something to keep in mind re tapering, is that potential for an aerobic or strength training effect from your labours in two weeks is virtually nil, there is no benefit to pushing it then. You can train technique and nervous system in that short period though, so there is a benefit to technical training.

I’m not a sports physiology expert — although I have been coached by some - but that’s what I did and it seems to have worked for the Camino I’m on. Arrived in energy overload and no aches. Perhaps resulted in an over-exuberant first 15 km, but I’ve settled in now.

 

[MikeJS]

I just do what I normally do, that is play golf 3 times a week, walk the dog most days and occasionally run 5k. I tend to walk about 25 to 30 kms a day at the start of a camino and then go a bit further once my feet are definitely OK. I was 69 when I walked my last Camino.

 

[el-pe]

You have to know your body. If I had nagging pains I would taper off and rest; if not,
I keep walking up until the flight and maybe rest the day I arrive. Plus I star at a lesser distance for a few days to get use to everything.

 

[mattythedog]

First thing: this is not a health question. I would seek my doctor’s advice for that, not a forum. I’ve been hiking, stretching, etc. for almost a year in preparation for my Camino. I was wondering what the pilgrims with Camino experience thought about not hiking or walking right up to when I leave to allow
my body to do any recuperation and recovery. 1 week? 2 weeks? Just a few days? Your opinions are appreciated.

This pilgrim hikes, bikes, stretches and does gym workout right up to the day I leave. Lord knows the 16 hours of driving to airport, sitting on that plane, waiting 4 hours in Madrid for plane to Pamplona and conniving a ride to SJPP is rest enough. Unless weather is very bad, I'll head up the hill from SJPP as soon as I get my credential stamped.

 

[David Tallan]

It's my dream to live somewhere so walkable! There's a website called Walk Score that rates addresses based on how walkable they are - my house has a score of zero!

And our public transportation is practically non-existent. One day I checked the public transportation option on Google Maps to get to the public library, which is 4.7 miles from my house. The first step was "walk 4 miles to the bus stop"!

What do you mean "not walkable"? You've got a nice 8-10 mile training walk just to visit the library?

 

[Richard Ward]

Spend a couple days touring a big city (London, Paris, Madrid), or at a theme park, and I am good to go on a Camino. No Camino is harder than a day at Disney...

But I walk relatively slowly but long. YMMV.

 

[trecile]

What do you mean "not walkable"? You've got a nice 8-10 mile training walk just to visit the library?

True. Walkable for me is very different from walkable for most people!

 

[David Tallan]

True. Walkable for me is very different from walkable for most people!

One thing I've learned on Camino is that everywhere is walking distance if you have enough time.

 

[J Willhaus]

I lived in NYC for a year in lower Manhattan on a doctoral fellowship with a national nursing organization. My very expensive studio apartment was 100% walkable. I wouldnt want to go back though. I will take less walkable rural Western US over that.

 

[TravellingMan22]

Yes, it is sad. Some parts of the US have more active populations. I know until I moved out the Pacific Northwest, we rarely walked anywhere and always took the car even for very short trips. Not the public transportation infrastructure that there is in other places/countries (although some US cities do have some options). When we lived in Spokane, WA, and Boise, ID, people always walked or rode their bike places. In Laramie, WY, where I live now, although I walk to and from work, there are not many others who do.

It just isn't very nice in some areas to walk depending on where you live.

It's my dream to live somewhere so walkable! There's a website called Walk Score that rates addresses based on how walkable they are - my house has a score of zero!

And our public transportation is practically non-existent. One day I checked the public transportation option on Google Maps to get to the public library, which is 4.7 miles from my house. The first step was "walk 4 miles to the bus stop"!

It’s seems like a few UK addresses are there but many not -it does say ‘unsupported country’ - but my last address is coming out at 95% walkable. Scored down for parks but there is one pretty close though it may not officially regarded as a park.

Yes I am trying to arrange a trip to USA in a few months where we would be reliant on public transport from a major city to a major town on a daily basis and it has proved pretty much impossible. Two buses a day, last one at 5pm and a 65 min walk to get to the stop!

I guess we take the public transport in Europe for granted!!

 

[Richard Ward]

It’s seems like a few UK addresses are there but many not -it does say ‘unsupported country’ - but my last address is coming out at 95% walkable. Scored down for parks but there is one pretty close though it may not officially regarded as a park.

Yes I am trying to arrange a trip to USA in a few months where we would be reliant on public transport from a major city to a major town on a daily basis and it has proved pretty much impossible. Two buses a day, last one at 5pm and a 65 min walk to get to the stop!

I guess we take the public transport in Europe for granted!!

You could rely on public transit in coastal California or the Boston/NYC corridor, but elsewhere would be a stretch. My Mission Walk (California Camino) was aided heavily by public transit so I could stay in reasonably priced (or free) housing. UK is definitely lacking for cheap transit, unless you can plan WAY in advance.

 

[trevorcc]

First thing: this is not a health question. I would seek my doctor’s advice for that, not a forum. I’ve been hiking, stretching, etc. for almost a year in preparation for my Camino. I was wondering what the pilgrims with Camino experience thought about not hiking or walking right up to when I leave to allow
my body to do any recuperation and recovery. 1 week? 2 weeks? Just a few days? Your opinions are appreciated.

Do not over think the Camino it is not a race or an Olympic event ENJOY the walk and what is happening open your heart and eyes. All will be okay 4 walks never trained.

 

[KariannNor]

Stop training? Why? Well, if you're going for an Ultramarathon, charge up 48 hours before

 

[Walkingat70]

First thing: this is not a health question. I would seek my doctor’s advice for that, not a forum. I’ve been hiking, stretching, etc. for almost a year in preparation for my Camino. I was wondering what the pilgrims with Camino experience thought about not hiking or walking right up to when I leave to allow
my body to do any recuperation and recovery. 1 week? 2 weeks? Just a few days? Your opinions are appreciated.

I will be doing my second Camino in 3 weeks. I have reached a level of fitness that I am happy with and don't plan any long hikes but only shorter 5 to 8 km walks till the last week as I don't want to pick up a strain or injury to start the Camino with

 

[vasque]

First thing: this is not a health question. I would seek my doctor’s advice for that, not a forum. I’ve been hiking, stretching, etc. for almost a year in preparation for my Camino. I was wondering what the pilgrims with Camino experience thought about not hiking or walking right up to when I leave to allow
my body to do any recuperation and recovery. 1 week? 2 weeks? Just a few days? Your opinions are appreciated.

Given your ambitious training schedule, I would suggest resting from 7 to 10 days before starting the Camino. I would however recommend you stretch up to the time of your hike.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I'd say just a few days -- less for the Camino, but for the travel.

 

[dick bird]

First thing: this is not a health question. I would seek my doctor’s advice for that, not a forum. I’ve been hiking, stretching, etc. for almost a year in preparation for my Camino. I was wondering what the pilgrims with Camino experience thought about not hiking or walking right up to when I leave to allow
my body to do any recuperation and recovery. 1 week? 2 weeks? Just a few days? Your opinions are appreciated.

If your body needs to recuperate and recover, you have been training too hard. Walking is an activity for which humans have evolved very precisely and exactly. If you get tired, rest. Never exert yourself to the point where you exhaust your reserves.