Not too many years ago, I ran a few marathons. Much of what I learned in training for those races has served me in training for the Camino. Listen to your body. Start slow. Avoid injury. Even so, in my enthusiasm, I came close to injuring myself.

“Too far, too fast, too soon” is the formula for getting hurt. Although I had walked eight to ten miles (13 to 16 kilometers) a day since the first of the year, I did not scale back the distance enough once I started carrying the pack. My first training hike with the pack was just over five miles. It was easy. That gave me encouragement to go ten miles the following week. I was keeping a great pace, almost four miles an hour. I felt strong and resilient. About two miles from the end, I began feeling a twinge in my lower leg that I knew was the precursor to shin splints — a bad overuse injury that takes weeks or months to heal and could put my trip in jeopardy. After several days of icing, resting, and ibuprofen, the pain was gone. I started walking with the pack again, but only three miles. I increased the distance by a half mile the next time out. I have increased the distance a little at a time, training for three days and resting for one. Now at nine miles a day and climbing, I begin each training session with these goals: Whatever distance I cover is far enough, whatever pace I keep is fast enough, whatever time I arrive is soon enough.

Apparently, my Camino has already begun.