The plan behind the story · Karl Bushby set out from Chile on foot in 1998, and now only the Channel is in the way
Eight weeks to three days on a trail
By the end of eight weeks you will have walked three consecutive days on a waymarked route and know what distance suits you. If you are already fit, the same eight weeks take you to three 18-mile days with a full pack, which is the entry ticket to any long trail in Britain or the US.
Why this works
Karl Bushby did not walk 50,000 km (31,000 miles). He walked a day’s distance, slept, and did it again, for the best part of 14 years of actual walking. Long-distance walking is unusual among endurance pursuits because the hard part is not any single day. It is the second and third mornings, when yesterday is still in your legs and feet.
So this plan trains the thing that matters: consecutive days. It also borrows Bushby’s other tool, a rule. His was “no transport”. Yours is simpler: once you set a week’s walks, you do them at walking pace, whatever the weather.
The World Health Organization recommends at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week for adults. Even the gentler track here passes that from week 3.
Before you start
- Check with your GP (family doctor) if you have a heart condition, chest pain, dizziness or a joint problem, or have done little exercise lately.
- Shoes first. Walk in the pair you intend to use on the trail from week 1. Never start a multi-day walk in new footwear.
- Kit: a waterproof jacket, a small rucksack, two pairs of walking socks, water, a map or a phone with the route downloaded, and a charged battery pack.
- Pick your target route now. In the UK, try a section of a National Trail such as the South Downs Way or Hadrian’s Wall Path. In the US, ask your state park service or the National Park Service for a waymarked trail with places to stay along it.
- Cost: the walking is free. Beds, baggage transfer and trains are not; price them before week 4.
The plan
Distances are per walk. A mile is 1.6 km.
| Week | Do this | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (getting going) | Walk 3 miles (5 km) at a pace where you can talk but not sing. | 3 days | Time one of them. This is your baseline pace. |
| 1 (already fit) | Walk 10 miles (16 km) with a 5 kg (11 lb) pack. | 1 long walk, plus your usual exercise | Note your pace in the last hour, not the first. |
| 2 (getting going) | Two walks of 3 miles, one of 5 (8 km). | 3 days | Take lunch on the long one. Eating outdoors is part of the skill. |
| 2 (already fit) | 12 miles (19 km) Saturday, 8 (13 km) Sunday. | Back-to-back | Sunday morning is the lesson. Start slowly. |
| 3 (getting going) | 4 miles (6.5 km) twice, then 6 (10 km). | 3 days | Add a hill if you have one. |
| 3 (already fit) | 15 miles (24 km), then 10 (16 km). Pack up to 7 kg (15 lb). | Back-to-back | Find 450 m (1,500 ft) of climbing on day one. |
| 4 (getting going) | 5 miles Saturday, 4 Sunday. | Back-to-back, plus 1 short walk | Your first consecutive days. Book the beds for week 8. |
| 4 (already fit) | Easy week: two walks of 8 miles. | 2 days | Rest is when the legs adapt. Book week 8. |
| 5 (getting going) | 7 miles (11 km), then 5. | Back-to-back, plus 1 short walk | Change socks at lunch. It prevents most blisters. |
| 5 (already fit) | 18 miles (29 km), then 12 (19 km). | Back-to-back | Eat something every hour from the start. |
| 6 (getting going) | 8 miles (13 km), then 6. | Back-to-back | Carry what you will carry on the trail. |
| 6 (already fit) | 20 miles (32 km) in one day, on hills. | 1 long day, 1 short | A single big day for confidence. |
| 7 (both) | Halve everything. Check the route, the train times and the forecast. | 2 easy walks | Nothing gained by training hard this week. |
| 8 (getting going) | Three days on your trail: 8, 8 and 6 miles. | 3 consecutive days | Use baggage transfer if it is offered. Nobody is marking you. |
| 8 (already fit) | Three days on your trail: 18, 18 and 15 miles, carrying your own pack. | 3 consecutive days | One rule, Bushby-style: no skipped sections. |
If it goes wrong
- Blisters. Stop at the first hot spot and tape it. Do not wait for the next stile.
- A knee or hip complains on descents. Shorten your stride, use poles, and cut the next walk by a third. See a GP or physiotherapist if it does not settle in a week.
- The weather is foul. Go anyway on a shorter, lower route. You need to know your waterproofs work before day two of a trail.
- You miss a week. Repeat the week you last finished. Do not jump ahead.
- Day two feels terrible. It often does for the first hour. Walk for 60 minutes before deciding anything.
Track it
| Measure | Start (week 1) | End (week 8) |
|---|---|---|
| Longest single walk (miles or km) | ||
| Longest two consecutive days (total) | ||
| Pace in the final hour (minutes per mile or km) | ||
| Pack weight carried | ||
| Feet the next morning (1–10) | ||
| Minutes walked this week |
What next
- Getting going? Book a full week on the same trail and finish it. Already fit? Choose a complete trail of 80–100 miles (130–160 km) and walk it end to end.
- Join a walking group for company on the long training days: the Ramblers in the UK, or a local hiking club in the US.
- Slow Travel After 50: the planning workbook helps you turn a route into dates, beds and a budget.
- Read our guide to walking holidays for beginners and the 8-week walking plan if you would like a gentler start.
General information, not medical advice. Check with your GP before starting a new exercise programme.