AIBU to think I can walk 100km?!

[NE14T]

I've signed up to the Oxfam 100km trailwalk in the midst of a mad 13 hour night shift at work!

I'm of very average fitness. I walk a lot and swim once a week but that's about it really. Walk isn't till end of July. I can do this can't I?! Very mixed reviews online, some say most people are able to do this with good training and others report grown men crying and army members dropping out.

I've bought myself a couple of pairs of decent trail running shoes and have researched equipment I might need but I mostly just need a bit of a 'you can do it!' boost as most of the people I've told are quite negative and wtf about it....

[anonymousbird]

You need to train, train, train, for sure, and yes it is doable, it will be tough.

I did 35 miles (in the days before kilometers!) and despite quite a lot of training - but probably not enough - literally staggered over the finish and could barely walk the next day.

Prepare, mentally and physically, and you will be fine. But tired!

Good luck.

[sycamore54321]

Sorry to be a downer but I don't think you have enough lead time to do yourself justice. You more than likely could do it and hang on in there to finish it and probably never do another long walk again. Or you could defer to next year, build a really strong base from now on and follow a tailored training plan, meaning you would do a great competitive time and be far less likely to risk injury. It depends if you want to do this sort of thing just once ever to say you could, or if you want to give it your best shot and make it part of your lifestyle etc.

[QuiltedAloeVera]

What will the terrain be like? How much weight will you have to carry? Food? Water?

I enjoyed reading Scott Jurek's book Eat and Run, but it put me off long-distance events!

When you say 'walk a lot', what kind of distance/terrain are you talking?

[cluckyhen]

Of course you can do it - I was support crew last year for my hubbies team and we watched a 70yr old cross the line!! Remember, you don't have to run it, you can walk it!

Biggest advice - core training, you need the strength to keep your muscles going. Don't have long rest periods as this will tighten your muscles. Learn how to tape your feet, make sure you have several pairs of trainers that you have worn in as you will need to swap them - even if it is hot and make sure you have a shit hot support crew so that every check point flows for you!

Good luck xx

[user1484226561]

I've done it quite a few times, it took me about 26 hours I think. lots of breaks and meals. There were always army type people jogging with heavy back packs! They did it much faster

[NE14T]

Wow how long did it take you User?

[user1484226561]

user1484226561 casually doing a 100km walk after work and oopsie, forgetting to change out of work shoes! I assume she meant the moonwalk?

no, it was a sponsored walk, slightly longer than this one, it was 65 miles, so 104 km. I've done it several times. I worked shifts in a research lab, so my shoes are pretty study, chemical resistant and supportive, I just didn't think tit through properly, I just looked at them and thought, o yeah, they will be fine for 65 miles, which they were, but not ideal. I got bruised soles, so ever since I've chosen more carefully

[Knakard]

Key tips,
Have several pairs of boots/trainers and Rotate them every few check points. Will make the world of difference not having a pair rubbing the same place for 100k. And make one of them a pair of running trainers, around 70/80k they will feel like a god send.
Tape feet.
Keep sugars up, you won't want to eat and water won't be enough so get some electrolight tablets in your water pack. The people that go down is often Due to sweating all there salts out.
Good luck!

[MollyHuaCha]

Good for you! And so many great tips here. I wd say look after your feet in advance - remove hard skin with Flexitol creme, moisturise, keep nails short. Also, are you carrying any excess weight? If so, it will need to be carried on that 100k walk. If you think you have a few pounds to lose, work on that too. Lastly, eat really well during your training period - lots of high quality protein, good carbs, fruit, veg, water. Enjoy!

[Huldra]

I don't know what happened there! Using footpaths I can get surprisingly far without using roads.

[Huldra]

For long training walks look at where any National Trails and Long Distance Peths are in your area.
www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/search_by_path.php I live I z large town but using the footpaths can surprisingly various without using many roads. Occasionally I would leave at the cracks of dawn, get 20 miles done and get the train back, or get my husband to pick me up from a nice pub. It helps add some variety to training.

I've not done 100 km in one go but have done quite a few multi day walks, marathon a day, carrying tents etc

[PostTruthEra]

You need doubled lined socks, coat your feet in blister plaster spray before you set off, wear good trainers not walking boots, pack painkillers and you'll be fine!

Also, have someone drive you home and feed you in the days after. Walking to the kitchen will be too much effort!

From someone who has done the Keswick to Barrow and didn't get so much as a blister.

[DaftJelly]

I did it seven years ago. I was fitter than I am now but by no means 'fit'.

The furthest we walked in training was 12 miles. Make sure you get some hills in in your training as they took me a bit by surprise.

We finished in 25 hours. Having a fab support team is vital, we had fish and chips half way through and they had water and snacks ready for us at every checkpoint.

It was hard, obviously, but great fun. And i am not that sort of person at all.

[ChristopherWren]

Don't listen to anyone who says 'it's only walking!' I did the Moonwalk a few years ago 26m/41k and even though I'd done a lot of training it was still hard and en route I saw a lot of people with blisters who were having a miserable time.

You can definitely do it, but if you make sure that you get the right shoes and do some training (I followed the Walk the Walk plan) then you will be more likely to enjoy it.

Don't underestimate the distance - you wouldn't run a marathon without training and this is a greater distance. Have fun!

[ChaoticKate]

... pressed post too soon

Get fitted for trainers in a decent running shop so they can give you the best type for your gait.
Look at nutrition carefully. Snickers bars kept me going and your support team will be critical in throwing the right type of food down your neck.
If you have any niggling injuries get them sorted early.
Practice walking with weight on uneven surfaces - it puts strain on your body in a different way to walking on the flat.
Painkillers - I alternated paracetamol and ibruprofen on my way round. Not ideal but worked a treat.
Pacing - don't set off too fast. It's tempting but you burn yourself out.
Walking poles - used correctly can save your joints a real pounding.

100km is definitely achievable by most people with the right equipment, training and willpower. When I did it there were some really quite elderly teams, they just took it easy, enjoyed the day and made it to the end in their own time.
Good luck!

[ChaoticKate]

I did it with barely any training, a knee injury (hence the barely any training!) and a pair of seriously worn out boots. Most painful day of my life but I made it round. I had done other distance events previously and throughout the six months beforehand kept thinking my knee would sort itself out so I could start training. It didn't and then all of a sudden it was too late to drop out.

I would recommend the following:
Good trainers - cushioned soles - several pairs. Get fitted in a d

[NE14T]

at these!

We have to finish within 30 hours from starting

[FondantNancy]

I would love to think User1484226561 was one of the Proclaimers but I think she/he is one of the four Yorkshiremen.

"In my day, we'd get up after work, walk 100km both ways without any training, in our work shoes!"

[TooSmittle]

I'm semi delirious with sleep deprivation here and tittering away to myself about user1484226561 casually doing a 100km walk after work and oopsie, forgetting to change out of work shoes! I assume she meant the moonwalk?

OP yes of course you can do it, especially with proper training. Such an exciting challenge, I bet you'll start planning the next one as soon as your legs begin to recover the next day.

[user1478860582]

User1484226561 is one of The Proclaimers so walking 500 miles is part of her work, done in work shoes.

[FondantNancy]

user1484226561 sure you did 100km in your work shoes, love!

I was on the support team for a group who did this. Two of them were already fit and found it fine. One was not, and struggled. I don't think he did much training at all.

I think you'll be fine if you have six months though.

[melj1213]

100km that's about 60 miles in 48hrs? It' definitely doable.

I live in the Lake District and there's a Keswick to Barrow (K2B) walk every year, which is 40 miles and most competitors finish that within about 14 hours ... so an extra 20 miles in an extra 34 hours is definitely doable - you just need to plan it properly - break it down into manageable sections, take breaks, get the right kit, and train properly and you'll be fine

[ClaudiaWankleman]

One year I did it in my normal work shoes though, cos I went straight from work, without thinking.

[manicinsomniac]

you can do it. But it won't be enjoyable.

I did the Keswick to Barrow walk when I was 14 (I think it's 42 miles, which I guess is about 2/3rds the distance of yours or a bit less). We were recommended to do training but just screwed our noses up and thought, very much like the poster above, 'it's only walking'.

Oh my God, were we wrong. The first 10 miles - delightful. The next 10 - quite pleasant. The 3rd 10 - bored now but fine. The last 10 - absolute hell. We became locked into our individual paces and our muscles screamed if we tried to change it. So were drifted apart and spread out. I ended up walking on my own. I'd been going since dawn and was so lonely and tired that I was crying by mile 38 (I think I might even have whimpered 'mummy, help' ) I ran a couple of miles because it used different muscles and was less painful on my feet. I practically fainted over the finish and didn't get out of bed till midday the next day.

But it's not like you won't be able to finish, I'm sure. And it will be a great accomplishment.

[SanityAssassin]

Depending on terrain do you really need walking boots - I much prefer trainers/trail shoes for pretty much anything unless you need extra support. Find my legs tire quickly in my lightweight walking boots.