100km Walk: To Do List

As anticipated a lot of junta will give a shot @ 100km death walk next year. This is a TO DO LIST (lessons learned) for those who want to have a serious shot @ the event in the forthcoming years:

0. Practice & Practice:
The key thing is to keep practicing ahead of the final walk. This will help you to know your body a bit better. You can then anticipate problems you encounter for long walks and employ remedies to soothe the effort.

Notorious Blisters
Most of us are likely to suffer from blisters. It would be good to know which part of your feet are sensitive to blisters and protect the same. I, for one, am susceptible to blisters below the thumb area and the adequate protection in that area really worked wonders in my case. Those are very much sensitive to blisters should seriously think of anti blister socks. If you are using ordinary
socks, do change them every 20-25kms depending upon the sensitivity.

Change Shoes
Walking 100kms would exercise the same set of muscles for a long long time. Change of shoes in the middle would mean relax to some muscles and hence advocated. I, for one, changed a pair @ 50kms.

1. Change the Body Clock
Unless you are working in the night shift, it would really help to alter your life style slowly ahead of the walk. Practice to work in the night for a week or so. As the walk starts in the night, one feels really sleepy towards the morning. In our experience, early morning period between 35-50kms was most difficult for us when we had anticipated 60-75kms to be the most difficult period. One can possibly pull-off 12 hrs more but pulling 24 hrs is a daunting effort. Trust me.

2. No Bags Please!!!
You need not carry anything, absolutely anything on the walk. One Kg. weight on your back at the start would weigh 10 if not 100Kgs. towards the end of the walk. Moreover, the organization support is excellent as they pamper you with drinks, fruits, chocolates, energy drinks etc. etc. on the way. You absolutely don't have to carry anything. I would have loved to advice you to walk as you were born but as apparels are mandatory, I would advise you to walk only with them..

The organizers provide another excellent facility and carry one of your bags half way. Do utilize this facility. As the walk starts in the night, prepare only for the night keeping all the material required during the day (Shoes to be changed, caps, glasses required during the day etc.) in this bag. You can collect the bag upon your return.

3. Have a good fun group
Although I do like to travel on solo trips at times, this particular activity demands an excellent set of colleagues to motivate and cheer. Noorie, Sneha and Naveen were excellent with all the fun. It would require an ultimate motivation to surmount the challenge all alone. Moreover it would be rejoicing to walk in a group singing, bantering, cheering all the way...

4. Maintain your own pace
This is not a competition but a challenge for you and no one but you. At the end, we realized that many participants finish first 50-70 kms at an impressive speed but then give up for one reason or the other. I would recommend to maintain your own pace. Normally, human walks @ 4.5-5 kms and hour (Our speed during the practice sessions was 5kmph) and if you are able to walk 24hrs, most likely or not you are going to cross the finish line.

5. Never Give Up!!!
The crux of success probably lies in the fact of keeping all negative thoughts at bay. One of best things walking with Noorie was that the thought of Giving Up never ever crossed our mind. As anticipated, the things turn extremely hostile after 80kms. In fact, in my opinion, the last 20kms were equivalent to first 80 and one has to be extremely positive during the last phase. The only assurance at this stage is finishing the rest 20 is better than starting for 100 all over again, so no second thoughts, Keep Walking...

Hope the post aids your effort...