A new challenge

This year brings a new challenge and my biggest walking one to date...

My husband has been walking the Camino de Santiago which is a pilgrimage through rural Spain it takes roughly five weeks to complete.  As we work full time this is done in one week at a time sections of about 100 miles each week.  He has been walking it with three friends, he couldn't make the third week due to a chronic Achilles problem, so I said I would walk this section with him in September so he would be able to continue with them next time they go.

I have never walked this distance for consecutive days let alone carrying a pack, so the training begins this coming weekend !

I found a brilliant informative website, I contacted Diana who promptly sent a reply.  I will most certainly need motivating especially if the going gets tough, as Billy Ocean or was it Lionel Ritchie sang ??

Here are some of Diane's comments she sent me:

You have a long lead time to prepare for your week of hiking, so you can easily build up your endurance for not only distance but carrying unaccustomed weight.

 If you can do 10-18 miles in one day, you can do it for 7 days in a row.
 Part of it is a mental adjustment; part of it is paying attention to your feet and knees.

Then devote some time each day to walking with a pack, starting with a small
 amount of weight and working up to whatever weight you will need to carry on your trip. Daily walks, in all kinds of weather, will condition your body and mind, so do try to get in at least 15-30 minutes a day (mileage isn't as important as the daily ritual of walking; it builds up a mental toughness and gets your feet addicted to walking). If you like to see results, you can keep a logbook to motivate and impress yourself (yep, I'll be putting them on this Blog)

Her website has lots of information on inflammation, stretching, and good nutrition so I need to read through all of that and see how it fits into a training schedule.

Recommend you visit her site filled with lots of useful information.

www.hiking-for-her.com

Pilgrims Shell - Pilgrims carry a shell whilst walking the Camino