The plan behind the story · Six pairs of shoes and seven months on the Pacific Crest Trail took Nancy Zelick from Mexico to Canada
From a long day on the hills to your first nights on a trail: a ten-week plan
Ten weeks to go from day walks to a three-night trip on a long-distance trail carrying everything you need. If you are getting going, you end with three days of 8 to 10 miles back to back. If you already walk long days, you end with a five-day section at 15 miles or more a day.
Why this works
Nancy Zelick had never walked a long-distance trail before she set off on the Pacific Crest Trail in March 2026. She reached the Canadian border seven months later. Her own explanation, given to the Baker City Herald, is pace: she knew that trying to go too fast would have stopped her, and she went slowly when she had to.
This plan builds three things one at a time: time on your feet, the weight on your back, and days in a row. The NHS (the UK health service) and the US CDC both recommend strength work on at least two days a week, so the plan includes it.
Before you start
- Check with a GP (family doctor) first if you have a heart condition, have had chest pain or dizziness on exertion, or have been told to avoid it.
- Boots or trail shoes you have already walked in. Break new ones in now.
- A pack that fits, tried on with weight in it.
- The basics, every time: a map and a way to use it, a waterproof, a warm layer, water, food, a small first-aid kit with blister plasters, and a charged phone.
- Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back.
- Know the rules for your trail. On the Pacific Crest Trail, trips of 500 miles or more need a long-distance permit from the Pacific Crest Trail Association, and the Forest Service says most of the wilderness areas it crosses need a permit. Wherever you walk, check the camping rules for your trail and plan where you will sleep: campsites, huts, hostels or B&Bs.
The plan
| Week | Do this | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (getting going) | Walk 2 hours on a route with some hills, carrying a daypack with water and food. | 2 walks, plus 1 strength session | Note your pace and how your feet feel. |
| 1 (already fit) | Walk 12 miles (19 km) with 1,500 ft (450 m) of climbing and a 15 lb (7 kg) pack. | 1 long walk, 2 shorter walks or runs, 2 strength sessions | This is your starting point. |
| 2 to 3 (getting going) | Lengthen the long walk to 3 hours, then 4. | 1 long walk, 1 shorter walk, 1 to 2 strength sessions | Strength: sit-to-stands, step-ups, calf raises, 2 to 3 sets each. |
| 2 to 3 (already fit) | Long walk to 15 miles (24 km), then 18 (29 km). | Weekly | Keep the pack at 15 lb until week 4. |
| 4 (both) | Easier week: shorter long walk, same strength. | Once | Let your legs catch up. |
| 5 to 6 (getting going) | Two days back to back: 6 to 8 miles (10 to 13 km) each, the second day with a heavier pack (about 15 lb). | Once a week | Practise eating and drinking on the move. |
| 5 to 6 (already fit) | Two days back to back of 15 miles (24 km) or more with an overnight, carrying full kit (25 to 30 lb, 11 to 14 kg). | Once a week | Test the tent, stove and sleeping kit. |
| 7 (both) | Easier week. Check every piece of kit; replace what failed. | — | Zelick changed her tent once and her pack three times. Kit that hurts in week 7 will hurt more later. |
| 8 to 9 (getting going) | One night out on a trail with full kit: 8 to 10 miles (13 to 16 km) each day. | Once | A campsite or a hut is fine for the first night. |
| 8 to 9 (already fit) | Three days back to back of 15 to 18 miles (24 to 29 km). | Once | Note what you ate and how much. |
| 10 (getting going) | Three days in a row on a long-distance trail, 8 to 10 miles a day, with two nights out. | Once | Your first section. |
| 10 (already fit) | Five days on a long-distance trail, 15 miles (24 km) or more a day. | Once | Plan a resupply point if you need one. |
If it goes wrong
- Blisters. Stop at the first hot spot, not the first blister. Dry socks, a plaster on the spot, and laces checked.
- Knees on the descents. Shorten your stride and slow down going downhill. Trekking poles help many people; practise with them before the trip.
- Too tired on day two. That is information, not failure. Repeat the back-to-back week before moving on.
- A missed week. Pick up where you left off; do not try to make it up.
Track it
After each walk, note distance, climbing, pack weight and how your legs felt next morning. After each night out, note one thing to change in your kit.
What next
If you are getting going, look at a section of a long trail you can walk over a long weekend. If you are already fit, look at a longer section of a trail like the Pacific Crest Trail, the Appalachian Trail or a UK National Trail. Our walking holidays guide helps you choose a route, and the 8-week walking plan is a gentler way in. Plenty of people walk a long trail in sections; Zelick plans to walk her last 198 miles, closed by wildfire this year, next summer.
General information, not medical advice. Check with your GP before starting a new exercise programme.