How hard is it to hike/walk 26 miles?

[Bemyclementine]

I've had a leaflet come through the door fir the "mighty hike". A half or full marathon distance.

I'd LOVE to challenge myself to do this, and there us one very locally.

I'm am currently not fit and overweight.

I have previously been very fit, but chikdren and single parenthood plus a couple if health issues kind of put it on the back burner.

I do at least 10k steps a day without really noticing and can walk 6 - 8 miles at ease (but dont do it often.

How hard would it be? How would I train for it? I used to run a lot, up to 10 miles, so I guess train in a similar way, just walking and upping the distance/varying terrain?

I've just seen the photo on the new thread you started... looks like it was more like a wade than a walk!

As well as decent boots, I'd recommend getting some decent socks to wear with them. The 1000 mile ones are good and prevent blisters.

It was hard going. The river banks are lovely and flat in the summer, but in winter they're slippery and uneven with tufts of overgrown grass. The flooded bit was near the end so cleaned my wellies off nicely!

I agree these saved me from a pair of hiking boots that were comfortable up to five miles then shredded my feet if I walked further.

I also used them for my walking marathon, with walking trainers

Gaiters for your boots will stop anything going down the tops, and help you keep your feet dry.

Either full length snow gaiters or short ankle ones depending upon how deep the conditions are likely to be. I like snow gaiters not just for snow but for deep mud! Look for breathable ones.

Following as I have a long walk coming up in 2924 and lots of good tips on here.

A few millenia to get fit for it, though. 😉

I went to Norfolk Coast this Autumn and walked approx 10-12 miles per day for 3 days that was longish but I could have increased from 12 to 20 maybe over 3 -5 days if I planned it

I did the jurassic mighty hike. It was hideous. I did weeks and weeks of walking training, 30-40 miles a week, up/down hills etc but nothing prepared me for the actual hike.

Invest in good walking boots and wear them for your training and the hike itself. Use vaseline all over your feet. Take spare socks. Buy the little tubes of toe plaster protectors, they were a godsend. Take normal and blister plasters. Take a thin tea towel or a proper cold towel to soak in cold water to wrap around neck if its hot, plus Take a hat to protect your neck. The day I did it, it was 25+ degrees and took me 10 hours.

Never again; I'm still traumatised by those hills on the south coast!! 🤣

But Golden Cap is lovely...

I've done a lot of long distance walks and runs, Some 40 miles. My comments would be footwear choice is vital. But for a distance this long boots can be heavy and (increasingly) uncomfortable. Depending on the terrain, if it's fairly flat, well graded and good quality surface, a pair of good walking shoes (Merrells are my current faves) might be your best option. You really should do a good section of the walk beforehand to see what you think. It really is up to you!! Rough terrain though - you deffo need boots, for ankle and instep support. Try a pair of sorbothane insoles to help cushion your feet, they really help. And whatever footwear you choose, a good pair of socks is essential, I like the double lined 1000 mile socks, they are my go-to sock for trekking and walking. Good luck!!

Thankfully didn't include that one...it was Weymouth to swanage. 😑

@Fatandnearly50 hi, first of all sorry for the delay getting back to you, and secondly I gave the wrong web address. Too much Christmas spirit!

Anyway here is the link that you asked for, and good luck with your walks...

www.caminodesantiago.me/community/

@lesdeluges Thank you, Will have a look.

@Cappuccinfortwo I bought crocs to wear as slippers and massaged my foot and calves. I also saw a sports massage person who told me to point my toes up towards me back and forth a. Few times in the morning. I also hang off the bottom step of the stairs with my heels off the step, a lot is to do with stretching calf muscles.

I did the Moonwalk years ago. A walking marathon of 26 miles. I was very fit at the time but found it challenging. Not helped by the fact I damaged my hamstring half way round by overstretching. It took much longer than I anticipated and took all night.

I did the nightly hike full marathon walk last year.

I regularly run half marathons but found walking 26 miles VERY hard.

Walking a marathon is harder than running one because it takes so much longer. The sheer amount of time on your feet is the killer.

I was in a lot of pain by the end and was crippled with doms for almost a week after. I could hardly walk to the car from the sofa.

I had black toenails that fell off. I wore super well broken in walking boots plus a change of shoes for the last section but still lost toenails

So in summary, I'd advise taking on the the half marathon walk first before trying the full 26 miles! 😄😄

By the way, as it was wet those people who wore trainers had shredded feet by half way around. Trainers or trail shoes could work on a dry day but 26 mikes in wet feet is not doable!

I wear my trail shoes in atrocious conditions including floods and mud. I run ultras and they could not be run in walking boots!

I think some people use trail shoes with waterproof socks.

@OhYouBadBadKitten agree trail shoes are great for trail running but this is a walk. I found proper walking boots much better in wet conditions.

You are going to have cold wet feet for much longer including the meal stops. It's totally different to running a trail marathon?

Ultimately it's what you're more comfortable with! I just noticed that the people who wore trainers had much worse blisters and skin issues with their feet..

Finding shoes that work for your feet is key though. Just because someone else got on well with a great pair of boots, doesn't mean they're right for you.

Also small quirks from boots quickly become big sources of pain and irritation in my experience. If you feel a pair of boots is a little tight on your little toe, by the time you've done a morning in them you're going to be driven to distraction and pain.

I’ve done moonwalk, and the most difficult thing was trying to fit training walks in. It takes ages to walk 15 miles. It takes a couple of hours to walk 7/8 miles. It’s definitely a manageable (but challenging) distance, but training is time consuming.

I tried to do it like I used to train for running long distances. Only 1 long walk each week, getting incrementally longer, and a few shorter walks the rest of the week. I walked anywhere I could, figuring any time on my feet was helping. I did my long walks really early so I could be home for the kids at a reasonable time (and I did have a partner at home so I could leave them).

Totally agree with the advice here on shoes. I once did this with no training - good health but low fitness levels, and the walking itself was easy enough and very enjoyable. What really matters is your kit. Good comfortable hiking shoes that won’t give you blisters, plus any all weather gear that you need (rain gear and / or sunscreen), and hydration for the full distance. Enjoy OP, when I did this it really gave me the hiking bug!

With decent hiking socks and boots and plenty of drinks and food, it’s not that difficult. I’m a long distance runner so pretty fit and I wouldn’t find walking that far all that taxing. For someone who isn’t very fit, it would obviously be more tiring. I’d recommend getting back into running using the couch to 5k app so you improve your fitness levels first.