I take my microphone out for a walk with Jyrki Wahlstedt, a long-distance walking enthusiast whose idea of a stroll is anything but ordinary. We talk about ultra-walking, pilgrimage routes across Europe, and what compels someone to walk hundreds, even thousands, of kilometers.

Jyrki shares stories from the Camino Primitivo in Spain and the Jakobswege routes in Germany, detailing the challenges, history, and deeply personal moments he’s encountered on foot. From blisters and barefoot prep to cathedral organs and chance conversations, this episode explores how walking long distances becomes more than just physical movement: it becomes a journey through culture, memory, and self-reflection.

We also dive into the rich history of the Camino de Santiago, how it connects walkers across time and place, and what kind of mindset and gear it takes to go the distance.

We talk about:

• How Jyrki’s 300 km+ walks began (spoiler: Tolkien and a squash tournament were involved)
• Highlights from Germany and Spain: towns, people, and Bach
• Walking as mindfulness and personal transformation
• Learning to listen to your body and plan realistically
• Why there's no universal advice—just trial, error, and adaptation
• The fascinating history of the Camino de Santiago

“Don’t do nothing. Do something, and scale it back.” — Or in Jyrki’s case, scale it way up.

Weekly Challenge:

Pack a few books in your backpack and head out for a long walk. As you stroll, imagine yourself tracing the ancient pilgrimage routes through Spain. What might you discover on the way?

Additional resources are available in the links below.

• Camino Primitivo
• Borja Golán - Wikipedia
• Georg Böhm - Wikipedia
• Via Podiensis - Wikipedia
• A History of the Camino de Santiago - Iberian Adventures
• The History of the Camino de Santiago | Wilderness Travel
• History of the Camino de Santiago | Walk the Camino
• History of the Camino de Santiago | Stories | Notre Dame Magazine | University of Notre Dame
• St. James' Way pilgrimage routes in Germany
• Germany’s Camino trek rivals Spain’s famous pilgrimage—and is a lot less crowded
• The Camino Francés guide: routes, stages, maps and km
• Camino Primitivo | Galiwonders
• The Camino Primitivo - a 2025 guide & stages
• Camino Primitivo (The Primitive Way)

Please send us feedback by email to feedback@scaledto.fit

Go to podchaser.com/scaledtofit and give us a rating.

#scaledtofit #fitness #grownupfitness #scaling

You don’t need fancy equipment to start walking — just a good pair of shoes and clothes that keep you comfortable. However, as your walks become longer and more frequent (or you consider running), some gear choices do matter.

In this episode, we break down the essentials, nice-to-haves, and total wastes of money when it comes to walking and running gear. From finding the right shoes (hello, gait analysis!) to avoiding blisters, bad socks, and tight toe boxes, we break down what you actually need and how to choose gear that works for you, not just what influencers promote.

What you’ll learn:

• How to pick the right shoes (and why pronation matters)
• Why your socks might be your worst enemy
• Must-have accessories for comfort and safety
• Do you really need a sports watch? The truth about tracking

We also dig into how sports watches are changing the way we exercise, and why measurable activities like walking and running are on the rise — data lovers, this one’s for you.

Additional resources are available in the links below.

• ScienceDirect: Pronation
• The 12 Best Running Shoes of 2025
• The 4 Best Running Socks of 2025 | Tested & Rated
• Hydration Basics - Hydration plays an important role in your comfort and performance while hiking, biking, skiing, running and climbing. In this series, we cover everything from how much to drink to how to treat water in the backcountry.
• Effects of Output Quality and Result Demonstrability on the Perceived Usefulness of GPS Sports Watches from the Perspective of Industry 4.0 - The perceived usefulness of sports watches increases with better data quality and ease of interpreting results, which in turn positively affects users' intention to use them regularly.
• Living by the numbers: understanding the “quantification effect”
• Who uses running apps and sports watches? Determinants and consumer profiles of event runners’ usage of running-related smartphone applications and sports watches - Sports watches are more commonly used by experienced and highly involved runners, whereas beginners tend to use mobile apps. This suggests that sport selection may align with the user’s comfort and familiarity with device functionalities
• Discrete Chaotic Fuzzy Neural Network (DC-FNN) Based Smart Watch Embedded Devices for Sports and Health Monitoring - Smartwatches with advanced physiological monitoring (e.g., heart rate, step count) help athletes track performance and detect potential health risks, promoting more effective training and injury prevention.
• Reliability and validity of ten consumer activity trackers - PMC
• Validity of sports watches when estimating energy expenditure during running

In this episode, we unpack the often-overlooked but crucial component of any training plan: recovery. Starting with a Finnish saying, "There's still time to rest in the grave," we explore how this mindset can hinder rather than help long-term progress. From the science of muscle memory and rest-enhanced performance to practical strategies like active recovery and the game-changing role of sleep, this episode is your deep dive into why less can sometimes be more.

We also cover:

• The surprising results of a triathlete’s 3-month training break
• Why anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen might slow your recovery
• The role of cooling in improving sleep and recovery
• How to use your morning heart rate to monitor recovery
• Why even a week off won’t derail your fitness progress

Additional resources are available in the links below.

• Gaining more from doing less?
• Caffeine Attenuates Delayed-Onset Muscle Pain and Force Loss Following Eccentric Exercise
• The effect of caffeine ingestion on delayed onset muscle soreness - PubMed
• Pay Attention to the Pes Anserine in Knee Osteoarthritis - Pes anserine syndrome or bursitis is a clinical condition marked by tenderness 2–3 inches below the knee. It's often caused by overuse or poor alignment and affects the sartorius tendon and/or pes anserine bursa. Treatment may include NSAIDs, corticosteroid injections, and physical therapy.
• Traumatic musculotendinous injuries of the knee - Sartorius muscle strains can result from traumatic or overuse injuries, particularly due to its superficial and biarticular (crossing both hip and knee joints) nature. It is especially susceptible to strain injuries and best visualized using MRI, which distinguishes between muscle contusion, strain, or tendon avulsion.
• Pes Anserine Tendinopathy - Pes anserine tendinopathy often involves the sartorius, gracilis, and semitendinosus tendons at their common insertion on the medial knee. It typically results from repetitive stress, poor biomechanics, and inflammation, especially in runners and athletes. Treatment includes rest, physical therapy, and posture correction
• Stiffness of the iliotibial band and associated muscles in runner’s knee
• Running injury-free : how to prevent, treat, and recover from runner's knee, shin splints, sore feet, and every other ache and pain
• Runner's Knee: What Is It and How Effective Is Conservative Management?
• Sleeping for One Week on a Temperature-Controlled Mattress Cover Improves Sleep and Cardiovascular Recovery
• Core body temperature changes before sleep are associated with nocturnal heart rate variability
• Sleep quality is a predictor of muscle mass, strength, quality of life, anxiety and depression in...