It takes at least a million steps to walk a camino. I know this because I joined a Garmin challenge in November to walk one. It took me 78 days and 1.1 million steps. I didn’t walk it in socks and sandals as the featured image suggests, I just like the feels of that photo. Hiking socks and sandals…what hiker doesn’t love that combination?! However, the camino, I did walk it from my front door, while on vacation, doing laps around airports and at home doing day to day things – all the steps counted! Let’s just sit with that gem for a moment. All.The.Steps.Count.

From time to time I checked in to see what percentage of the camino I had covered and how far was left for me to walk. Then, one day, just like that, I had completed 99% and I was almost there. On that normal day in January I was about to finish a camino! How did it feel? It felt good. Really good. Exciting even. In this current phase of my life where it often feels like I am not finishing or achieving anything – on this day, I would. I was about to finish walking the Camino de Santiago.

The true beauty of this was that I was doing it in the background of my everyday! Far away from Spain just plodding along in my daily life. Isn’t this a little bit of the camino working its magic. Magic in the mountains, the ups and downs of life, the depth of the valleys, those easy and the hard days and in the rivers, trying to find flow amongst the strong currents, who, with their own strong pull impact our days. Getting fitter, getting stronger on these normal days, doing all the normal things I needed to do and at the same time quietly walking the Camino de Santiago. Ok, I completed the distance of the Camino de Santiago, but you get my drift.

Have I signed up to walk another badge or walking challenge? Not yet. In fact I’ve taken my Garmin off for a while. I need a break from checking my numbers! Steps, sleep, HRV stats it can get a bit obsessive. I want to walk unencumbered for a while. But, if you need a nudge to move again or you feel you need to walk yourself a camino I can highly recommend it. I am proud of my virtual badge, of the 1.1 million steps in my legs and of the push towards and reconnection with daily walking. I’m also glad for the gentle reminder it gave me, that for anything to be achieved…All.The.Steps.Count.

How to walk a Garmin Camino de Santiago challenge?

• You’ll need a Garmin watch that is connected the Garmin Connect app
• In the app head to the challenges section and choose yourself a challenge!

Don’t have a Garmin! No problem. Use the watch you have or make your own challenge by counting your daily steps in the health app on your phone. Easy. Just walk.