Tips before starting the Camino
Looking for some information before starting the Camino is highly recommended. We suggest that you contact the information offices for Pilgrims or seek for information on the internet.
How much training and health preparation you will need for the Camino depends on your current fitness levels. It is essential for your body to be prepared for walking 12 miles per day for as long as your El Camino de Santiago Route will be. Preparing yourself not only physically but psychologically for the Path is a must.
It is a clever idea to start training at least 3 months before you start the Camino. It is also desirable for you to include up and down hills during your training walks, if you cannot do this, try a treadmill. Test yourself by doing longer walks each day, and if possible, with a loaded backpack and the shoes that you will be using during the Camino. This will avoid last-minute surprises, the kind of surprises you don't want to face while doing the Camino.
Try to plan your training in advance, know that you will be walking 16 to 20 miles per day on a regular day on the Camino. Walking about 12 miles the first few days of training will be more than enough for the beginning. After a week or so, you can increase the distance and your speed, keep increasing the distance as your body adjusts and gains in resistance.
This training is meant for beginners to get you to a point where the first few days on the Camino will not be a blur of pain. However, nothing can really prepare us for walking around 18 miles per day, every day with a backpack. The first week is going to be hard however, it gets better after that, so much better.
Once you are on the Camino try to remember not to rush, walk at your own pace, muscle strain is more likely when you are pushing your body too hard. We also advise you to drink lots of water and take as many breaks as needed.
We advise you to buy one or two pairs of good hiking shoes three months before your departure, do all of your training alternating between them. Buy shoes that are a little bit bigger than your normal size, so if you feet swell, they have space to be within the shoes. Training in the footwear that you will use on the Camino will be beneficial in the long-term. You will learn how to adjust to your shoes for comfort when climbing and walking downhill. Your feet will form a relationship with your shoes, and you will benefit greatly from this. Try to wear the same kind of socks too, if possible buy many of the same kind, train with them and take the new ones to the Camino