This spring I will be walking the Speyside Way in Scotland – from Aviemore to Buckie, plus the Tomintoul Spur and the Dufftown Loop – which will be a bit over 150km in total. Of course, I’m doing it over several days but there will be a couple of days of about 25km, which is my preferred comfort limit with a pack (which basically means while I can walk further, this is the max distance I still feel great walking, both during and after). It’s my 4th multi-day long distance walk since 2019 (5th if you count a shorter backpacking trip I did in Algonquin Park) so I’ve a bit of experience with them, although this will be my longest yet – both in total distance (approximately 154km) and the number of walking days (8 plus a rest day in the middle to explore).
The walk will be a part of a longer trip celebrating my love of walking and whisky (more in later posts), but I get asked by friends and family about how I prepare for multi-day walks, especially those with days with 20+ km, as well as why I do them in the first place, there are a lot of people who don’t understand the desire to walk as a vacation. So, I thought I would explain – the how to prepare for long distance walking on multi-day walks, and to a much lesser extent, the why of it.
I love walking (that’s the “why”), I always have, and I walk pretty much everywhere and every day. I use it as a mode of transportation, as a form of exercise, and as a way to relax. I even learned proper walking meditation at a Buddhist monastery in Thailand (in 2006). There are lots of health benefits and it’s affordable. Walking is great!
For me, long distance walks make sense. I was a distance runner in my youth and then ran two marathons in my 30s but as my rheumatoid arthritis in my hip (weirdly in just one) got worse, my doctor recommended I switch to walking. Since I already walked a lot back then already, it wasn’t a hard switch. And when I decided to do my first long distance multi-day walk (the West Highland Way in Scotland), I converted my marathon training plan to a multi-day walk training one. I’ve used it three times already and it works great. And it’s what I’m using again to prepare for the walking the Speyside Way.
Why training is necessary
My normal daily walks are about 5-6km (walking home from work or around my neighbourhood) or 8-10km (weekend walks), so I really don’t need to prep much for any walks 15km or under. However, for longer walks, especially those over 20km or multiple days close to 20km, I do. Especially if the long distance multi-day walk I’m planning is in the spring as I tend to do shorter walks in the winter (shorter days), if it’s later in the summer or in the fall, I need less training as I’ve already been doing longer walks.
Basically, my rule of thumb is I need to prep or train for any multi-day walk that has more than one day with distances 5km+ more than my standard walks. And I’d give that advice to anyone – although if you don’t regularly walk more than 5km, you’ll need more training (and you should probably both consult with a medical professional and/or start with something shorter in both distance and days).
Multi-day walk training advice
**I’m not an expert, just someone who loves walking. It’s a good idea to consult with a medical professional before starting any new fitness training if not already active**
As I stated above, I’m starting from a solid base of being able to comfortably walk up to 10km already. If you’re not, add more weeks at the beginning to first work up to 10km. Also, if you’ve never done a multi-day walk, I also recommend you start with a shorter one – say 3-4 days of 10-15km each day – to first see if you can do it and just as importantly, if you like it. Life is too short to do stuff for fun that you don’t enjoy!
Also, if you’re planning on carrying a pack while walking and not using a transfer service (available for some trails), train with it at least some of the time, especially with a longer walk or two – so you know if you can carry it that distance, what it feels like (is it comfortable, do you need to adjust anything), what weight feels best (lighter is definitely better, minimalist packing is your friend), and because it will make your actual walk that much easier (you’ve already worked out the kinks).
Walk in the hiking shoes and/or boots you plan on using, at least for some of the walks. I track my mileage on my hiking shoes and boots (I have both, depending on the trail) on a running app and treat them like I did my runners – after approximately 800km (500 miles), I buy a new pair. Which is why I don’t always train in the same shoes or boots – so I don’t put too much mileage on them beforehand and wear them out, but will wear them at least 1/3 of the time and on longer walks so I know they will work. Nothing is worse than uncomfortable shoes/boots or ones that will cause blisters!
I also walk, at least some of the time, in the clothes I plan on wearing on the multi-day walk to make sure everything is comfortable and nothing chafes. This is especially important for anything new. And I test out my rain gear to see if it needs to be treated before the trip – because chances are, it will rain at least once while you’re walking. Basically, test all your gear. I forgot to do this once on a backpacking trip and ended up with a lighter which was basically out of fuel. Guess who always checks her gear now?!
My multi-day walk training schedule
And while I won’t go into it much, it’s also a great idea to stretch and do some strength training too. Find what works for you. As for the walking part of the training – start at your current distance and move up to your longest distance on your upcoming walk. Because of my hip, I increase gradually with 1-2km increases week to week. Again, find what works for you by adding or subtracting weeks. Below is my current schedule (I’m on week 5 now).
Final thoughts
I’m really excited about this walk as it will be my longest one yet and it’s through a part of Scotland I’ve never visited. I also enjoy the training, finding new parts of Toronto and new trails to explore as I increase my distances. Thankfully, the days are getting longer which will make it easier to walk the trails in the evenings. I have no new gear to test this time, other than a couple of new Merino wool shirts, so my prep work is mainly just walking.
Have you ever done a long distance multi-day walk? How did you prepare?
Rambles and Walks 