How I Trained for the Camino
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- čas přidán 9. 02. 2024
- Do you train before heading out on a Camino? Share your tips in the comments!
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Something you might want to touch on is the psychological part about walking every day , day after day
What are the psych effects, you think? Good point!
Most people have walked for say a few days , they get sore feet , aching legs , blisters etc etc . But when you are faced with a month of walking it can turn into a mental battle to get going every day . After a while you’re body adapts and it’s ok I’ve met people who find just walking around the Mall to be a struggle 😂
Not a bad idea for a future video!
I’m more than just a pretty face 😂😂😂😂
I am 75 years old and next month I fly to Seville in order to walk the Via de la Plata/Sanabrés Camino.
I have walked multiple Caminos starting back in 2007 when I started in Poitiers.
I never train for a Camino or for any long hike.
My reasoning being that the element that is never discussed is motivation.
I see many young, fit people struggling while at the same time I see older walkers striding out without problem.
Last year, for instance,I walked the Frances for the fourth time.
I met many Americans whose sole motivation was that they had seen Martin Sheen's film, The Way.
They seemed to think that was motivation enough.
For many of them, the Camino was torture.
I met one wealthy American who told me he had spent more than $19,000 to get the "Camino experience" after seeing the film.
He stayed in swanky hotels, sent his pack on each day and was happy to use taxis daily.
I doubt whether he even broke sweat at all the whole Camino.
In contrast, I met an Irish man the same age as myself, who had a double hip replacement earlier in the year.
He was highly motivated and determined to get to Santiago.
I'm pleased to say that he did finish and is looking forward to his next Camino.
My firm belief is that walking long distances day after day is 90% in the mind.
My rule of thumb is that if you can comfortably walk a mile within twenty minutes, you are physically capable of walking any Camino.
Whether you are motivated enough is a totally different matter.
I come from an ultramathon background, so I don't understand how people think they're going to walk 500 miles across Spain without preparing for it.. is it possible,? sure, but I wouldn't do it. Most important?.. train for last month before hike with fully loaded pack... Try to do back to back days with 10 miles on the weekends for 2 or 3 weeks before going:)
I do think it's possible, but yes, it's probably going to be more difficult. And the times I HAVEN'T trained with a loaded pack are the times when the first few days of the Camino feel very difficult! So training with some weight in your pack (fully loaded if possible) is really important.
A while ago, when I was watching your latest video, I realized that, even though I have watched many of them, I have never thanked you for the enormous help you have given me through your advice to prepare my Camino de Santiago. So thank you very much. Your recommendations and tips have been very useful to me and I must admit that I like your style of explaining things. I will be traveling next September, on what will be my first Camino and also my first backpacking experience. I'm really excited and have a lot of expectations. My equipment is almost complete, although there are still some few things missing, especially the famous Darn Tough socks that my sister will soon bring me from the United States, since here, in Argentina, they are not available. Again, thank you very much and buen Camino.
Darn Tough socks are my all-time favorite!! I'm glad you'll be getting some delivered to you :) And thank you for your kind words, I'm so happy that my videos have helped you as you plan for your Camino! Good luck in your preparations- September will be a wonderful time to walk. Buen Camino!
I swim a mile everyday that covers everything. I do not walk with a full pack on my back. I use a daypack. My husband and I just completed the Norte which was our 5th Camino. We set off for the Frances in Sept. We are both 70 years old. I do agree you need to be healthy and active to do the Camino’s.
Swimming is GREAT exercise! Thanks for the suggestion, and Buen Camino for your next walk!
This former Division1 scholarship swimmer so ASU/TCU, and PCT hiker says, swimming great cardio but the problem is swimming is zero gravity which is exact opposite of backpacking, I've been training like crazy in my beach trails since October, Ugggg, but I believe we must train backpacking because our skeleton and muscular systems must be conditioned for backpacking not swimming cross training reduces boredom and zero gravity great for my 64 year US MASTERS body. I actually packing my goggles and I wear a Speedo , awesome aquatic complex in Pamplona and hoping Leon as well.. Buen Canino PismoRichy
I’m so impressed with Norte survivors ❤️ it is on my bucket list. I. Hoping 2025 or 2026
Me and my grandmother are going in September also on the Camino Frances ! Buen Camino!
#1 Tip!
Stretch, stretch, stretch!
Very sensible advice. We have dogs so walk each day but that isn’t really good training for the Camino. Good for general health but it doesn’t build the stamina. You need to do the longer walks. Walking with a weighted rucksack is great for training. I start with 4kg and wear it around the house, doing squats, as well as on walks. This way my body gets used to it being there for balance etc. Then I take it up to 6kg.
Finally, my secret weapon is Pilates. Great for core strength, flexibility and balance. I am retired so have the time which is a luxury.
Yeah, Nadine gave great advice but I’d also add in squats and just wearing the backpack all day long and while running errands. Just make the pack an extension of the body. Walking the dog, or going shopping for groceries, etc, add the pack.
The hardest part of training is simulating consecutive 8 hr days or hiking to the point of having your feet swell. You need the feet swelling to see if your shoes are big enough or whether you need to size up. If it’s your first long hike, your feet will get bigger, perhaps permanently so, and you’ll need bigger shoes. Shoes that fit perfectly for 1-3 hr daily hikes will be too small and lead to blisters on the Camino.
@@RC-qf3mpYou are absolutely correct, walking 6-8 hr days consecutively with a loaded backpack is key. Also stretches at start and end of the day helps those sore muscles.
Ooh, Pilates is a great idea! And also wearing your pack around for normal activities and doing squats, etc... such good tips!
Thank you Nadine! I love your videos! I was training with a 10 pound weight in my backpack. A trainer heard about me doing that and strongly recommended that I switch over to bags of rice instead. She said that if I ever fell with the barbell in my backpack it could cause great injury. I thought that was great advice. Another thing I did to train is sometimes I turned off my music and tried to see if I could psychologically walk long distances without any music. Buen Camino!
Oh that's a great tip about the rice- I never considered the danger in falling with weights in your pack! I suppose my cans of beans would probably cause injury as well...
Using 2L plastic soda bottles filled with water is a great idea when starting out. Firstly you have water for drinking and secondly, you can always pour some of the water out if you are very tired when increasing your distance and would not injure you if you fell.
Great tips! I don't have a car, so I've just started getting off the bus before my usual stop. That way I get a few km with my backpack on, and it works into my schedule! Besides, I've found it's good time to unwind from a long day of classes that I would usually have spent doomscrolling anyway.
My daughter and I walked the Camino Frances in the spring of 2023. Leading up to our journey I did not have much time to train. So instead of walking I would go for runs. 10k about 2 or 3 times a week, and I thought I would be pretty good. I'm sure it helped, but I was surprised how much different the Camino's long, steady plodding was compared to my running. On the Camino I developed bad shin splints for several days after coming down from the heights of the Pyrenees. I also had a problem with swollen ankles (cankles), where it looked like fat sausages were stuffed into my shoes. My ankles ended up getting friction heat rashes along my sock lines, and I bought some shorter socks about 10 days in. Oh and I also did light strength training leading up to the Camino, which I think really helped make my backpack feel less burdensome.
My daughter did not train at all before our trip (she was 18), and I think her biggest physical challenge on the Camino was leg strength and cardio endurance. Both of these were particularly important the first couple days over the Pyrenees. By the time we got to the Galician slopes she was in great shape and I struggled to keep up to her.
So I totally agree with you about specifically training with hiking (even more than running), with a weighted pack, and up and down hills on uneven terrain. I think strength training, especially core training, and balance training would also really help. I also really agree with your about trying to train in different types of weather.
Thanks again and buen camino! -EagerFeetFamily
OMG, I had the same shin splints and some of the worst foot pains. I had a 12-pound backpack on my bad shoulders (rotator cuff tears).
@@glennwojcik2342
Well I'm glad it wasn't just me! I guess I should add calf raises and dips to my recommended training routine! 😊
Thanks for this comment, I think it's so helpful. I'm not a runner myself, so I've never been tempted to go on runs as part of my Camino training... but I've heard others suggest that running doesn't necessarily train you well to walk the Camino. I really IS all about walking and hiking! But yes, strength training and balance as well; I think if I continue to walk the Camino for decades to come, I'll have to start being more specific and thorough in my training.
I love this type of tips video when you are out on the trail. Thank you for sharing all of your expertise.
Haha, I was pretty distracted trying to walk and talk at the same time... so I'm glad that you enjoyed it!
You've inspired me so much to finally do my first camino this year, I'm going in May! Thank you for all the amazing info.
Buen Camino, Pilgrim🙋♀️
How wonderful, Buen Camino!!
Nadine, Thanks for the training tips. God bless you. ❤️
I jumped into my first Camino and did absolutely did not do any prep lol 60 years old we walked 5 weeks and fell in love. Going back this year and it was hard for the first few days but after a few weeks it was was second nature ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks for the tips Nadine!!
You're welcome! :)
Yes! thank you for the motivation,motivation I needed planning to walk the peseta this spring .
You probably meant The Meseta. Buen Camino🙋♀️
Thank you for your sensible and practical tips. Enjoyed this video a lot.
I'm glad it was helpful!
Working up to things is always a good idea. On a related but different note... apparently, (at least according to their Facebook page) the sequel to "The Way" is set to shoot sometime this year. Cheers and adventure on!
Yes, I also saw some interviews with Emilio Estevez where he discussed it. Looking forward to it. Buen Camino🙋♀️
Yeah, in the sequel Martin Sheen meets up with Sissy Spacek and they go on a killing rampage across the northern Camino. Oh, wait, no, that’s the upcoming sequel to Badlands.
HA!
It will be interesting to see the sequel! I liked the first movie (I know not everyone did, but I was a fan!)
@@NadineWalks the skuttlebut is that they'll be shooting on the Norte and actual pilgrims might be invited to these shoots... at least for background.
1:57 big foot sighting! 😮 🦶
😆
😂😂😂
Sasquatch needs to train too.
@@blessedarmadillo8257 LOL - the original pilgrim???😅
HA! Good spotting!
Wow, a new pack!
Enjoyed your video
Well, the one in the video (with the black straps) is just my little daypack, not nearly large enough for the Camino. I DID recently buy a new Camino pack... video coming soon!!
Great tips Nadine! We are training for our 6th Camino by leading group hikes throughout the winter. We look forward to getting back on the Camino again this summer. Happy training!
Looking forward to another Camino series from you guys🥰😎
Thanks!@@eisingen
Great tips! I do like to make sure I carry my pack and some hills. For me, yoga is really helpful for my core. It’s also important for me to wear my pack and shoes on some of the longer training hikes, since it’s hard for me to tell if a pack/shoes will really work unless I’ve done some amount of distance and see how I feel the day after 😂 Buen Camino
I'm hoping that the yoga I'm doing now will benefit me on the Camino (and, well, already I can feel other benefits from the yoga!)
All of those are great tips & suggestions, Nadine. I already did the Frances in 2022 and I am now training for the Portuguese from Lisbon, knowing I will have pretty much 30 km days from the start. Thank you & Buen Camino🙋♀️
Yes, from what I've read, that route will kind of throw you into the deep end right away, in terms of distance between places to stay! Walking from Lisbon is on my list... will you be walking this year? Buen Camino!
@@NadineWalks Yes, starting March 31st ... I am getting excited. Thank you for your on-going advice. I am a fan but so are many of our Calgary Camino Chapter members. Keep up the great work🌟🌟🌟
Thankyou Nadine for the info. I've been training for a few months, and working my way up to the distances I want to reach daily, with the full pack I'm taking. Still a bit nervous, the unknowns I guess! lol Not long now :D
You are ready👏 Buen Camino, Pilgrim🙋♀️
I STILL get a little nervous before a Camino! So it's totally understandable. But just keep walking... and soon you'll be on the Camino, and it will be great :)
Last year, 2023, I was training and was sidelined by a virus before the Camino. It is a daunting thought, hiking every day, and knowing if the body will take it. It was about halfway on the Camino, that I felt 15 miles was comfortable. I will be using hiking poles next time.
Hiking poles could really help! I'm glad that eventually your body adjusted to the daily mileage of the Camino- it's true, it really IS a great undertaking!
One risk of building up fitness on the trail is that - at least for the Frances and the Norte - some of the toughest sections are towards the beginning.
Yes, that's very true! If the first several days were totally flat it might not be as much of an issue to just 'train as you go'...
Surely it partly depends on which Camino? Distance, terrain etc. I overtrained last year and got injured. I recommend yoga as well.
I send away for my credential from the Confraternity in London. It comes in a plastic sleeve, which is great against rain, cafe con leche, pulpo sauce, red wine etc. and it is less creased in ones bum bag.
Great tip, to carry it in a plastic sleeve!
Thank you
You're welcome! :)
I didn’t train before the Camino Inglés (maybe 1-2 miles every other day) and it was somehow fine? I mean I was miserable but in an OK way lol. Now I walk almost every day and do a bit of weight lifting, hopefully I’ll be in a better place for the Camino del Norte in a few days. But yeah I agree, training isn’t super necessary to do a Camino, at least not for a week-long Camino.
Haha, I get this! I think it's totally possible to be somewhat miserable (physically) while walking the Camino but also complete it just fine! Sometimes I think: it's a pilgrimage, a really kind of tough physical undertaking, isn't it meant to be at least a little difficult? :)
Which route is preferred if you only have two weeks in August 2024? Thank you Nadine!
There are so many different possible answers to this question! I think so much depends on what kind of experience you're hoping to have. If you want to arrive in Santiago, you'll want to choose a route (or part of a route) that will end there. Starting from Astorga on the Camino Frances would give you enough time to make it to Santiago, and goes through some really nice sections of that route. You could also consider starting in Porto, to walk the Camino Portuguese, or even the Camino Primitivo (this would be a cooler option for August, since some of the route is through the mountains). Good luck with your research- there are so many good Caminos out there!
what do you think is the thing that holds people back the most?
Hmm... such a good question! That could be an entire video :) But I bet a big reason could be the fear of doing something so big and unknown... and because it IS a big physical undertaking, I think so many don't know if they'll actually be able to do the walk or not.
what is the average kilometer you make per day ?
I think, over the course of a longer Camino, my average is probably around 27-28 kilometers. That's probably a bit higher than what many people do- I would say a more typical average might be 20-25km a day. But of course some people do more, and some do less! It depends on what you're comfortable with, how you want to spend your days, how much time you have, etc.
How ,any caminos have you’ve done
I've walked 12 different Caminos!
@@NadineWalks wow my sister and I have walked 5 started walking 2018 and we love it I do believe the Camino is addictive we plan to do one or 2 every year until we can’t love your videos