046: The Simple Way I Trained for My First Camino — And How You Can, Too

How I Prepared Without Overthinking the Camino — A Simple Approach for You

“You Haven’t Started Training Yet?!” 🚶‍♀️

“You haven’t started training yet?!” the man said to me. “You better get started!”

He was a hiking instructor at the John C. Campbell Folk School. I was the Student Host—there for 3 months doing various tasks in exchange for taking classes in blacksmithing, wood turning, genealogy, bead making, Scottish cooking.

He knew a whole lot more about hiking than I did. But back then, pretty much everyone knew more about hiking than I did.

Thankfully, I didn’t let him sway me.

I didn't have time to start training. My plan was to start my Camino training in January—after my term at the Folk School was finished, after the holidays were finished and four months prior to my departure.

I didn’t put too much trust in this man as his students came back every day from their hikes completely wiped out, barely able to communicate.

That wasn’t my goal after a day of hiking.

So I steered clear of him the rest of the week.

The Complicated Way vs. the Simple Way

There are many ways to train for the Camino.

You can start, as American consumerist society has taught us, with buying things: fretting over which shoes will be most comfortable, which socks will prevent blisters, which hiking pants have enough pockets, which rain covering system will keep your dry.

Or. . .

You can just go for a walk.

That’s how I started training for my first Camino—and four months later I walked over 500 miles from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago de Compostela.

Was it easy? Absolutely not.

Would it have been harder if I didn’t do any training? Definitely.

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About Training Plans (and ChatGPT)

Some people want a “training plan.” I get that.

Feel free to go to ChatGPT and create one. I don’t—because lately it acts as if it has done the Camino, giving me lines like “I’ve done this a few times myself” and “from one pilgrim to another. . .” I’ve actually responded with, “You are not a real person. You have never walked the Camino. Please stop pretending you have.”

Can AI be helpful in planning your Camino? Absolutely.

Should you trust it 100%? Absolutely not. (I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve asked for accommodation recommendations only to be given accommodations that closed years ago!)

So could you get a training plan from ChatGPT? Sure. And if you like it and think it will work, go for it.

By this point in your life, you know yourself best. If it doesn’t feel right, either modify it or talk to a real person who’s done it.

How to Know Whose Advice to Trust

And like any advice (mine included!) know who you’re talking to.

Are they your age? Or have they done Caminos with people your age?

Have they done the route you’re doing?

Have they walked in the time of year you’re thinking of?

They don’t need to meet all of these qualifications. But someone who’s 50 and did a guided tour of the Camino for a sunny week in May will have a different perspective than someone who’s 74 and has walked four Caminos already — in heat and downpours and everything in between.

The latter is actually my father. You can see my interview with him here.

So what about me?

I’m nearly 50. I’ve helped dozens of people plan their walks on the Camino—nearly all of them over 45 years old. I’ve accompanied people 65+ on their Caminos. I’ve taught classes on preparing for the Camino. I’ve volunteered multiple times on various routes.

Oh — and I’ve walked about 15 Caminos at this point.

So maybe I know something.

And today, I’m going to share it with you.

Do You Have to Train?

Do you have to train for the Camino? Nope.

Will your body and mind be happier if you do? Yes.

As I’ve said so many times before, there are few rules for walking or preparing for the Camino.

But there are definitely things that are helpful to know.

And here’s my little secret:

My First Camino Was Far From Perfectly Prepared

I brought hiking poles with me on my first Camino but had never used them. I just figured they’d be “good to have.”

I never put my pack on my back until the night before I was due to fly to Spain.

Nearly everything I had with me on my first Camino was bought used or borrowed—because I’d hardly been on hikes, let alone done anything this physically active and figured I’d never do it again. Why waste money on all the gear?

I wore cotton socks, because it’s what I had and didn’t understand why anyone would spend $15 on a pair of socks with “wool” in the name—especially if they’re hiking in May and June.

And guess what?

I survived.

I walked 500 miles across Spain.

I did hardly any of the prep people talk about now.

The one thing I did do—and the most important—was walk.

Every day.

The week before I left, I was walking eight miles a day.

My Very First Camino Training Plan

This was it:

• Track how many steps I walked each day for a week. 📝

• Each week, set a goal to walk 1000 steps per day more than I did the previous week.

Why 1000 steps more? It just seemed like a good number to me.

No science. No fancy math. It was just a number that felt good to me.

That’s it.

That’s the plan.

But a Plan Isn’t the Same as Motivation

I highly recommend you track your steps on paper.

I kept a tiny notebook on my nightstand. It was very satisfying jotting down each night how many step I had done. 📝

I also recommend walking firs thing in the morning. Make it part of your routine.

Leo Babauta, of Zen Habits, offers two pieces of advice that helped me enormously:

1. Start very small (thus, my 1000 per week increase above).

2. Tie it to something you already do.

For me, I don’t have a lot of consistency in my life. But one thing I do ever morning? I get out of bed.

So I had my sneakers right there.

After I did my morning writing, I’d put them on. (Pajamas and gym clothes look very similar to me—the fewer barriers to getting my shoes on, the better!)

Do you have to do it my way? Of course not.

Find what works for you.

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Let Walking Become Part of Your Life

As my weekly numbers started to increase, a morning walk wasn’t sufficient.

I started calling friends and family on my cell phone as I walked — that helped me stay out longer. If friends wanted to get together, I’d suggest walking rather than (or before) coffee.

“I probably walk too slow for you,” they’d tell me.

“Speed is not the goal—steps are the goal,” I’d respond.

I was that person who would park further back in the parking lot to get more steps in. On a road trip, while a fried pumped gas, I was walking about the parking lot.

Training Is About More Than Fitness

Some people think training is just about getting your body ready for the journey. This is only part of the story. Training helps with so much more.

I’ve interviewed dozens of guests about their Caminos — including how they trained or didn’t. Click here for those.

Rain Gear☔

Get out in the pouring rain and walk.

❓How wet do you get? Are you comfortable with being that way? What gear is working? What’s not?

Rebecca’s First Camino Training: I just wore my rain gear around town on rainy days to see how it worked. ✅

Your Day Pack 🎒

❓How does it feel on your back—initially and after a few miles?

If you have no idea how best to adjust it, head to your nearest outdoor gear store with your pack filled with the necessities you’ll have with you and ask for their help. (Short list: sunscreen, water, rain gear, snacks.)

Rebecca’s First Camino Training: I didn’t put a pack on my back until the night before my flight departed. I don’t recommend this. 🚫

Hiking Poles

I wouldn’t do a Camino without them.

My father carries one, but he carries it more often than he actually uses it.

I know 80-something-year-old pilgrims who’ve done dozens of Caminos and have never used hiking poles.

❓How do you know whose advice to go with? Test it out for yourself.

Grab a stick from the woods. Or two. Or borrow someone’s hiking sticks. Ask them how to use them. Or watch a YouTube video.

If it seems like something that would be helpful, buy yourself a pair and test them out some more.

Rebecca’s First Camino Training: I borrowed hiking sticks from a friend. Had no idea how to use them. On my second day on the Camino, a kind Frenchman taught me how to use them when he saw me fumbling. 🙏🏼

Getting to Know Your Body🫀

❓How do you feel after walking 1 mile? 3 miles? 5 miles?

❓Could you get up the next day and do it again? And the day after that?

❓What hurts or aches? Best to know before you’re in the middle of a trail in the middle of Spain.

Now is the time to get familiar with your body, how it handles the walking, and what to do when it’s not cooperating with you.

Rebecca’s First Camino Training: I walked every single day. And tracked my steps. I was doing 8 miles daily the week before I left. But I was preparing to walk 500 miles. I recommend you can do at least 5 miles daily before you do a 60 mile Camino. ✅

Other Gear 🧦

❓What about your socks? And your shoes?

It drives me a little crazy when people say their hiking shoes are the best ever. I want to say, “for you!”

Just because your neighbor (or that twenty-something on YouTube) loves their hiking shoes doesn’t mean they’re the best for you.

Talk to a professional (outdoor gear store or shoe store who specializes in such things). (If you’re in the US, join REI—you can then test their shoes outside on actual trails to see how they operate in the real world. If they don’t work for you, you can return them!)

Rebecca’s First Camino Training: I did go to a gear store and get some hiking shoes. But socks? I didn’t understand why a person would spend $15 on a pair of socks made of wool when I’d be walking in June. So cotton socks were what I used. Worked for me. Do I recommend it? No. Some sort of dry-wicking wool sock is certainly best. 👟

The Best Training of All

I realize this all might be a lot to take in.

Some of you are saying, “I don’t know what I’ll use for rain gear! I don’t have a day pack!”

Relax.

Just go for a walk.

Because really?

That’s the best training of all.

With love,

Rebecca

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📸Scenes from the Camino: Camino Francés in 2012

1) Me in my rain gear. 2) My friend Julie and I--I didn't know about backpack covers, so improvised with a garbage bag (Ponferrada) 3) My first Camino Compostela (the completion certificate you can get at the end)

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💌Whether it’s your first Camino or your fifth, what’s are your tips for training for a Camino?

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🎥Join me for live interviews here on Substack!

I’ve had some great interviews in January so far, but haven’t been great about getting them posted here. I’ll work on that this week! Upcoming:

• Wednesday, January 21, 11-11:45 EST: Pat Kappes — This past October, Pat walked the Camino Portuguese with two friends. We’ll chat about the highs, blisters, Spanish mishaps, October weather, friendship dynamics, and unexpected twists of one pilgrim’s Camino adventure. Join us live by clicking here.

Have you walked the Camino de Santiago? Would you like to share your stories? Contact me at Rebecca@TheCaminoCalls.com or send me a message by clicking below.

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When Is The Next Camino Walk with Rebecca?

The short answer: I don’t know yet. I’ve had some unexpected changes in my life, so have decided against an April trip. I’m aiming for a June trip as well as another in October. Click here to be the first to be notified once I open these trips.

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🥾Ready to start planning your Camino?

Rebecca Weston
Camino Planning & Preparation Guide (for People 45+)
Rebecca@TheCaminoCalls.com

Your Camino adventure should feel exciting, not stressful — here are some ways I can help you get ready:

• Watch Camino Conversations for practical tips and advice from my guests who have done the Camino (or more than one!).

• 🗓️ Camino Planning Session (60 min): Get answers to your top questions and a notes doc created during our call.

• 📞 Full Camino Experience: 6 coaching calls with detailed notes to plan your trip with confidence and ease.

• 🥾 Walk With Rebecca: 7-day hybrid Camino walks — 3 days guided, 4 days independent, private rooms, preparation classes, and optional check-ins. Click here to be the first to be notified about my next trip.Rebecca Weston is an American who walked her first Camino in 2012.

About me: I’ve walked more than a dozen Caminos since my first in 2012. I’ve spent many days volunteering along the trail, and if I’m not walking one now, I’m planning the next—and would love nothing more than to help you plan yours, too. Originally from the US, my husband and I live in a town of 6500 people on the Camino del Norte.