TRAINING

[Bruce McLean]

and Jennifer Wing wrote:

> Could someone please give me advice on training for the Camino.  I will be going in 10 months (next September).  Right now I am walking 3 miles a day.  I plan to start walking in my boots and with my pack in January (because they will be X-mas presents!!).  I'm figuring I should spend at least one-day-a-week walking about 10 miles.
>

A generally accepted fitness criteria is the ability to walk 25 Kilometres with full gear at a speed sufficient to allow maintenance requirements to be accomplished (accommodations, laundry, journal, eating and shopping) and then to get up the next morning and walk another 25 Kilometres.   Walking 25K one day is not to difficult, the
hard part is getting up the next morning and doing it again.  I found that quickly getting to the level of walking 25K  on two consecutive days with full gear and then working on walking speed was the best method.  I had access to a GPS receiver so I could keep track of both average walking speed and distance but any method of walking
known distances works.   If at all possible the 25K should include a large percentage of hill walking.

Walking with "full gear" will also give you the opportunity and incentive to get your pack to a reasonable weight before you leave rather than sending the "hair dryer" home by mail.

I don't know where you intend to start but you will probably find that you will need the capability to walk at an average speed (including rest stops etc.) of at least 4 KM/H for the 25K. Walking at this speed means a 6 hour walking day, in September you cannot start walking before 8:00 due to late sunrise and you will have difficulty
drying your laundry if you are not settled by 14:30.

I used the treadmill at my local health club daily on a hill program for as long as possible as an initial training method, and then went to cross country walking.

There is also considerable difference in walking in weather that is not to pleasant compared to a nice sunny days walk so one should not forgo the "pleasure" of training in inclement weather as part of a fitness program. This also provides an opportunity to test out your rain gear, you will probably run into some rain, especially in
Galicia, and that is not a pleasant time or place to find out that you are getting soaked.

Best of luck be sure and be sure and sample the contents of the Bodegas especially in La Rioja and Bierzo and the figs and other fruits available at this time of year.  Even "wine grapes" picked of off the the vine were very refreshing while walking this year.