With an influx of long distance walking charity events, such as the Oxfam Trailwalker 100km walk later this month, and other events like the Melbourne Coasttrek and the Mother’s Day Classic, it is fantastic to see so many people taking up the challenge for such good causes.
The reality is that the majority of the people who enter these events are not experienced endurance athletes, and therefore often have numerous questions in regards to how best to prepare their bodies for the physical and mental challenge.
Diet
Diet is a key factor in ensuring your body has the right energy storage and fuel to reach the finish line, especially with ultra marathon walks like the Oxfam trailwalker 100kms, where the average time for completion is between 28 and 32 hours. As the body will need to be using a high amount of fuel due to the training loads being placed on it, Sports Dieticians Australia recommends a diet rich in carbohydrates, especially in the days leading up to the main event.The last pre-exercise meal should be eaten between 2-4 hours before starting exercise, even whilst training.
The pre-exercise meals should be:
Rich in carbohydrates to maximise your fuel stores
Low in fibre, especially if you are prone to stomach aches or feelings of nervousness
Easy to digest, so avoiding foods that are high in fat and difficult to digest
Familiar, practice what foods work best for you during your training for the event. Avoid eating something completely new just before the event as you don’t know how your body will react to it.
During the event, it is important to keep your energy stores high, however you don’t want to be carrying bulky and heavy meals in your backpacks. Socarrying energy gels and energy bars are important to keep you going and eating them intermittently throughout the walk. Keeping hydrated both before and during the event is key to minimise the effects of cramp, muscle fatigue, body temperature and heart rate.
Physical Training
It is highly important to train for the event you are partaking in, particularly if your body is not accustomed to long distance walking. Ideally you should aim for at least one dress rehearsal before the event, walking a distance similar to the event distance, to ensure you have the confidence that your body can cope with the rigours of the challenge it will face. This will also allow you to change and adapt any dietary or hydration requirements you may need if you feel like you fatigue or run out of energy late in the walk.
Oxfam have a training guide for beginners on their website which is very helpful (https://trailwalker.oxfam.org.au/planning/training/beginners-training-guide/). It involves a 14 week program, with gradual build up of intensity and duration of training week on week, apart from the two weeks prior to the event where a tapering of the training load occurs.
Footwear
One underrated factor when walking such a long distance, is your feet and your footwear. Often, people don’t finish these long walks because their feet let them down, and most notably, they get blisters. Ensuring you tape up your feet anduse shoes that your feet are accustomed to in order to avoid blisters will give you the best possible opportunity to cross that finish line.
For those competing in the Oxfam at the end of this month, us at Back in Motion Tecoma wish you the best of luck, and if you follow the above with diet, training loads, hydration and foot care, you should be fully prepared to cross the finish line with your team and reach your goal.