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You’ve booked the trip.
Maybe it’s the Cotswold Way, maybe it’s the Canadian Rockies. Maybe it’s something else that feels just as big, just as important. Either way, it matters. It’s not just a holiday — it’s something you’re holding onto after a difficult season of life.
And yet, when it comes to actually training…
You can’t seem to get out the door.
Not because you’re lazy. Not because you don’t care.
But because walking alone feels… pointless.
No conversation. No shared goal. Just you, your thoughts, and a vague sense that you should be doing this.
If that’s where you are right now, here’s the truth:
You don’t have a motivation problem. You have a meaning problem.
And once you fix that, everything changes.
Why Walking Alone Feels So Hard (And What No One Tells You)
Most hiking advice focuses on fitness:
- Build endurance
- Increase your distance
- Strengthen your legs
But none of that helps when the real barrier is mental.
Because walking alone without purpose can feel like:
- Wasted time
- Isolation instead of solitude
- Another thing on your to-do list
Humans aren’t wired to move without meaning.
Historically, we walked with intention — to hunt, to gather, to travel, to transform. Pilgrimages weren’t about steps or calories. They were about becoming someone new.
Modern walking has lost that.
So if your walks feel empty, it’s not you.
It’s the way you’ve been taught to approach them.
Reframing Your Training: You’re Not Just Walking
Before we get into plans and distances, you need a shift:
You are not training for a hike.
You are training for the version of you who completes it.
That means your walks need to become:
- Structured
- Intentional
- Emotionally engaging
Discipline doesn’t come from willpower.
It comes from clarity.
A 3-Phase Training Plan for Long-Distance Hiking (Beginner to Advanced)
If you’re starting now for a 2027 hike, you have something most people don’t:
Time.
So instead of rushing, you build properly.
Phase 1: Reconnection (0–3 Months)
This is where most people go wrong. They try to do too much, too soon — and burn out.
Your only goal here is simple:
Make walking a consistent part of your life again.
Weekly structure:
- 2–3 walks per week
- 30–60 minutes each
- Flat or gentle terrain
Focus on:
- Building the habit
- Getting comfortable walking alone
- Creating small rituals (same route, same time, same mindset)
This phase is not about distance.
It’s about identity.
Phase 2: Strength & Distance (3–12 Months)
Now you start to build capability.
Weekly structure:
- 2 shorter weekday walks (45–60 mins)
- 1 longer weekend walk (start at 5–8km, build gradually)
Add in:
- Hills or incline walking
- A light backpack (gradually increasing weight)
- Occasional longer “adventure days”
This is where you begin to feel progress — physically and mentally.
Phase 3: Real-World Preparation (Final 6 Months Before Your Trip)
Now your training becomes specific.
Focus on:
- Back-to-back walking days
- Longer distances (15–25km depending on your goal)
- Mixed terrain
- Weather exposure (rain, wind, uneven ground)
You’re no longer “going for walks.”
You’re rehearsing the experience.
How to Stay Motivated When Walking Alone
This is the part that will determine whether you actually follow through.
Because a plan is useless if you don’t stick to it.
Here’s how to make solo walking feel meaningful — not empty.
1. Give Every Walk a Purpose
Before you leave the house, decide:
- What am I walking for today?
It might be:
- Clearing your head
- Processing something difficult
- Building strength
- Reconnecting with yourself
This turns a random walk into something intentional.
2. Use Story to Replace Conversation
If silence feels uncomfortable, don’t fight it — guide it.
Listen to:
- History podcasts – Try The Rest is History, You’re Dead to Me or Ancient Civilisations. A special mention goes to Ada Palmer on the Dwarkesh Podcast talking about Renaissance history.
- Mythology or folklore – I’ve got the Celtic Myth Podshow and Celtic Myths and Legends on my list.
- Podcasts – A few of my favourites are the Highest Self Podcast by Sahara Rose, Love, Sex and Magic by Mel Wells, How Dare You? by Anna Rogers, the bossbabe podcast by Natalie Ellis or The Florence Given Show.
- Audiobooks that expand your thinking – I recommendWe Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers, and it looks like there are some good books on the themes mentioned above.
Better yet, walk routes that already carry meaning (more on that below).
3. Track More Than Distance
Most people measure:
- Steps
- Miles
- Calories
But what actually keeps you consistent is emotional progress.
After each walk, ask:
- How did I feel before?
- How do I feel now?
That shift is what builds momentum.
Pro Tip: Perhaps start a post-walk journalling practice to help begin your practice and to stay consistent, or let the feelings move through you as they are meant to.
4. Stop Relying on Motivation
Motivation is unreliable.
Instead, build:
- A set walking schedule
- Non-negotiable days
- A clear plan
You don’t wake up and decide if you’ll go.
You’ve already decided.
“But I Work Full Time” (Let’s Address the Real Barriers)
You don’t need hours every day.
You need structure that fits your life.
Try this:
- 2 weekday walks (before work, on your lunch break, or after work)
- 1 longer weekend walk
That’s enough to make serious progress over time.
If Walking Alone Still Feels Empty, This Is the Missing Piece
If you’ve read this far, you probably don’t just want to “get fit.”
You want something deeper.
That’s where most hiking advice falls short.
Because walking becomes powerful when it’s connected to:
- Story
- History
- Meaning
In the UK, we’re surrounded by landscapes that were once walked as pilgrimage routes — paths people used to process grief, seek clarity, and mark transitions in their lives.
When you walk those routes, something shifts.
Suddenly, you’re not just training.
You’re part of something older. Something deeper.
Pro tip: Return regularly to the same routes you feel called to and create your own modern-day pilgrimages or walking rituals. They don’t have to be long-distances. I have specific locations I feel called to visit every now and again and I love creating new memories to add to the tapestry of meaning I’ve woven for each location. Every place I return to now holds special memories for me, and as an adventure-seeker, I’ve learned to love walking the “same old routes” I find in my day-to-day life.
Your Next Step
If you want help turning your walks into something more structured and meaningful, I’ve created a free guide:
→ Turn any walk into sacred walk
It will help you:
- Stay consistent
- Build distance gradually
- Add purpose to every walk
And if you’re ready to go deeper — to turn your walking into something genuinely transformative — that’s exactly what I’ve built inside The Pilgrimage Portal.
You don’t need to wait until 2027 to change your life.
You start with the next walk.
And you make it count.
I’ll see you on the path ahead, Sole Sister.
Jenni 👣