Kilometers per day?

[Bruce McLean]

Richard Ferguson wrote:

> I read the note about training for 25/km per day, two days in a row.  A nice goal, but I doubt
> that most pilgrims-to-be can find the time to train 6 hours on two days back to back, especially
> when they are putting their affairs in order to leave for a month.  I agree that 4 km/hour (2.5
> miles per hour) is probably a reasonable pace on most of the route.
>

If you can't walk 25k per day don't even think about going on to Fisterra all the stages are more
than 25k.

Also you are limited to the Camino Frances, on the Camino Aragonese many of the refugios are more
than 25k apart.

At an an average of 25k per day one requires 30 days to walk St John to Santiago, throw in a couple
of R&R days at the major cities enroute, a couple of "congratulations" days at Santiago, the walk to
Fisterra, the return to Santiago and then factor in time to get to the starting point and to return
home and we have at least 45 days; walking 20k per day and you are pressing very close to 55 days.
Possibly getting in "shape" to walk the 25k before starting would be a wise investment when viewed
in that light.

> My other note is that most pilgrims are making closer to 20 km/day.  I know that at the end of
> my pilgrimage I made two days back to back a little over 25km/day, and I was exhausted at
> the end of the second day, despite "on the job" training.  I suggest that pilgrims plan for 20
> km/day average, which I think is realistic for most people.  The refugios generally are spaced
> to support 20 km/day.  Obviously some people can and do go faster than 20 km/day, but 30
> km/day seems like madness for all but the most fit, it becomes a race or an endurance
> challenge rather than a pilgrimage.
>
> Richard

To each his own, the advice was given to a 30 year old woman who has 10 months to prepare for her
Camino, I am well over 60 and had 6 months to prepare for my first Camino, I found that those who
were "in shape" before starting seemed to get more out of the experience; they didn't have occupy
their bunks from the time of their arrival at a refugio until the next morning and so could
experience the other aspects of the Pilgrimage.

I also found that the process of increasing my endurance on a treadmill or other exercise machine
was an ideal opportunity to read about the various aspects of what I was doing and how I was going
to do it.  IMHO many who walk the Camino could profit from this.

TTFN