I am returning to hiking after many years off. Been training, slowly increasing distance and pack weight. Started with 4.5 miles/15 pounds, and reached 12 miles/17 pounds last week.
Yesterday went for a 16-miler with 19 pounds. By mile 10 my feet were becoming tender. By mile 12 I could definitely feel some discomfort. By mile 14 I wanted to cry and call my mommy.
Today my feet are stiff and painful enough that I couldn't imagine walking even two more miles. Did I overdo it, or are my feet wimpy? I want to section-hike in chunks of three weeks, but this doubt about my feet is raining on my parade.
Please help me understand the conditioning process. How long did it take for your feet to go from wimpy to strong? How do your feet handle multi-day hikes?