markrellast1 wrote:Hello, My sisters and I are considering participating in the Oxfam 100km trail walk which follows the Great Northern Walk in August 2015. Has anybody done this before and if so, do you have any advice regarding preparation, eg how much walking training we would need to do to complete the trail comfortably. How tough is the terrain? We are all quite aerobically fit, as runners, but don't do any bush-walking as such, over long distances. It is over three days so approximately 33 kms per day, although walking through the night is also done. Thanks for any tips/advice.
Hi markreallst1, I completed the event in 2012 and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. In fact I'd consider doing it again but would need to organise a team. I think some other forum members have done it also. I already did a fair amount of regular bushwalking and distance running, as well as some cycling, before I started training. Our team had geographic difficulty in doing anything together before the event so most of my training was solo. I basically increased my usual range of activity to include a reasonably long day bushwalk weekly. I was already running 5-10 km up to five times a week and probably cycling around 50km/week as my usual regime, including bushwalking on the weekends. I also do a about 9 km day incidental walking as part of the daily commute/work routine. Really I just tried to build up the bushwalking distance. I don't think I went much longer than about 30 to 35 km in a single training session, and usually less than 20km. I did make sure to include some night walking, by deliberately becoming "benighted" as least 5km or more before the planned finish on some trips. Obviously you need to take the right gear, such as a good head torch, and try to train with what you plan to use in the event.
I finished the 100km in just over 31 hours, the last 40 km solo as I lost all my teammates around 2 am at 60 km, through various degrees of injury (mainly blisters) and extreme fatigue. Unfortunately they weren't able to provide the same level of commitment to training that I was, and that really showed once night fell. Definitely try and do some training on the actual course if you can. I did some of that and supplemented it with similar terrain closer to home. I had some advantage in having previously walked much of the northern part of the route on the GNW below Brooklyn as various day bushwalks. Familiarity removes a lot of anxiety as you already know what to expect. I haven't looked at this year's course but assume still going north to south? If that's the case most of the hardest (steepest) parts will be completed in daylight on Day 1 (by most teams).
Apart from general fatigue, peaking in the hours before dawn (don't worry, you'll be hallucinating by then and won't notice
), my main problem was blisters. Although that really didn't show up until the last couple of stages and I couldn't have cared by then, I was close enough to just push through the discomfort as the finish was in within grasp. I was making sure to treat any issues at each of the stage breaks, airing footwear and feet, using anti-friction cream, using dressings if needed, and that substantially reduced the problem for me but didn't eliminate it. Very sore and tired at the end but also satisfied in having finished despite the setbacks. I found that the pre-dawn fatigue resolved once the sun came up, warming me up, as well as a hot breakfast at the next checkpoint, which re-energised me. I could have finished in under 30 hours reasonably comfortably, had I better studied the rules for competing as a surviving solo team member. That eventuality wasn't in my planning at all.
If you are planning to take the full 48 hours allotted to finish then it could be relatively relaxed - not sure about the 3 x 33 km days unless the rules have changed. Usually starts Friday morning and cut off is Sunday morning.
Try not to pack too much. It can get cold overnight so you need thermals etc. but if you are moving most of the time it lessens the impact. Mostly need to consider common sense things that you would do in your running anyway - like staying hydrated. Carry snacks to eat along the way, a good head torch and spare batteries, rain wear, emergency/first aid items. Try to keep the overall weight down without compromising safety. I used a hiking pole because I have a dodgy knee - optional but helps on the steeper terrain.
I firmly believe that if you can do everything as a team it will dramatically increase your chances of getting everyone over the line. That's some food for thought, happy to answer any other questions.