Walking from London to Brighton for the Alzheimer’s Society

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Thanks to the mods for agreeing to my posting this and apologies for the long old ramble:

I’m doing something a bit different (for me) at the end of May, I’m completing an ultramarathon. Yes, non-athletic, Mr ‘the only exercise I do is lift pints’ will be walking from London to Brighton, 100km (62miles) continuously. Hats off to those folks who run these things, walking it is hard enough. We’ll be going all day and night, with the hope of completing this challenge around the 26/7 hour mark. 

I’m completing it with a couple of guys from work and we’ve been out almost every weekend hitting up 20-30 miles at a time since the new year, sometimes doing night walks and consecutive days. It’s become quite addictive and I’m finally losing some weight. 

Of course, these things have to have a purpose, whether personal or for a greater cause, it would be pointless otherwise. I’ll be completing this insane journey for the Alzheimer’s Society. I’m doing it in memory of my dear old Nanna, the classic Italian matriarch, full of love and passion for her family and the centre of all we were for a good while. As she became ill I distanced myself from her (and the rest of the family to be fair), it was something I couldn’t cope with and I found very challenging. So, this is almost like my (modern-day) pilgrimage to atone for it. 

I’ve toyed with posting about this for a while, I know we all get hit up for sponsoring this charity and that charity in our daily lives and often become a bit desensitised and fed up by it. However, it’s the final pay day and it would seem wrong to at least not put my head above the parapet, tell you guys I’m definitely doing it and give folk the option to support, donate or follow as they wish.

Here’s the link to my just giving page if you fancy sponsoring me:
https://www.justgiving.com/Jamie-Jones2019

So, have any of you done anything like this before? Any good advice (survival techniques)? What bit was hardest? 

Oh and anyone who wants a pint in Brighton on Sunday 26th, we are heading to The Albion the moment we cross that finish line.
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Comments

  • mgawmgaw Frets: 5239
    sounds great , long as you remember the way:)   will drop a few quid in the pot
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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3131
    Cheers buddy, I wonder if I can conveniently forget the correct day? ;)
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  • mcsdanmcsdan Frets: 451
    edited April 2019
    sounds good. I run ultras for a hobby having done 9 x 100 milers over the last 2 years.  100km is a nice distance that is a challenge aswell as not requiring too much recovery afterwards.

    Some tips:-

    • eat regularly - little and often. For my races I try to get in around 200 calories per hour but with walking you should be able to get a bit more in since heart rate is lower and can digest. Mix it up between liquid and solid food to avoid getting hungry.

    • keep on top of hydration especially if a hot day. Electrolytes can help. May sure to go to loo (#1s) regularly and check colour of wee. If dark then dehyrdated and if clear the too hydrated (can be just as bad). Should be a pale straw colour. If it is dark like coke then see a medic at the next checkpoint!!

    • keep on top of the state of your feet. Make sure you train in the shoes/trainers you intend to wear and put a few good miles on them so they are worn in but not worn out. I tend to put 50-100 miles on mine before a race. If you suffer with blisters then work out why e.g. something rubbing, and take steps to resolve. Keeping nails trimmed, hard skin down etc. I tend to tape my toes/feet, vaseline them before and around halfway point and change socks too. Remember you can get alot of dirt in through shoes and it can act like sandpaper.

    • train in the everything you intend to use especially anything that touches your skin - socks, shorts,underwear, tops, jackets etc. If it starts to rub you'll get very sore over that distance and I've seen people drop from these races due to chaffing! Vaseline is your friend here and apply to in touch areas before the start nd during if needed. So think feet, groin, ass, shoulders, under arms. Your test training will identify where you need. Carry a small pot of vaseline with you and sort out any rubbing immediately.

    • try to get a training session in the rain. This will test out wet weather gear and also provide some experience. On my last race of 2018 I had 10 hours of torrential rain in the night combined with cold. Glad I tested everything out and stayed dry right upto the end of the race.

    • if you can take trekking/walking poles then consider those but do train with them. I tend to use only on really hilly races i.e. over 15000 feet of climb.

    • get plenty of rest in the week leading upto it especially 2 nights before. You'll likely not sleep too well the night before so this evens the sleep over a 3 day block

    • assume you'll be carry a back pack - as above train with it fully loaded so you can test out and get used to the weight. Carry what is required by the organiser and anything you think is vital. Ziplock bags are useful to pack things and anything you need to keep dry e.g. spare clothing, base layer etc, put into a waterproof dry bag.

    • layer up. You can adjust layers to keep warm or cool down. The night will likely still be chilly end of May.

    • break the distance into smaller chunks to tackle e.g. next checkpoint and then break that down in half. Then split into even smaller chunks like a mile. Eg. 5 miles is broken into 2 x 2.5 miles and then those are just 2 x 1 mile and a 0.5 mile. Seems much more managebale that way.

    • keep going. You will likely hit a rough patch but it does pass and get better. If lack of energy check the food and fluids you've consumed since that is likely the reason why.  These long distance events are mostly a mental challenge and your brain will try ways to talk you out of it.

    • Have fun. These events are hard but a good challenge. You'll remember completing the challenge for a long time afterwards.

    Hopefully this has been helpful and sure I've some things I take for granted.  If you need any more advice drop me a PM.

    I've coached many people from all distances from couch to 100 miles (qualified running coach btw) so hopefully this will help you out.

    I'll drop a donation on your just giving page

    Good luck

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  • McTootMcToot Frets: 2041
    edited April 2019
    Jesus H Christ and his brother George - just reading  @mcsdan 's advice gave me an attack of the vapours. It is for that reason that feel compelled to drop a couple of quid in the tin. 

    Good luck @Teyeplayer - if you're coming through Lindfield or Haywards Heath at a civilised hour, I'll throw a banana at you or something like that (Kendal mint cake? Bacon Buttie?)


    Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder


    My trading feedback  - I'm a good egg  ;) 

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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3131
    edited April 2019
    First off, thanks for the donations that have been made over the day -gents, as a teacher, every time that laptop pings I sidle over with ‘the fear’. It has been flipping great to see ‘a donation has been made to your just giving’ and not ‘ofsted are coming’... I should add thanks to the time on here my predictive text made that ‘offsets are coming’ -only on the fretboard!

    @mcsdan, I am in awe: run 9 100milers in 2 years. Just WOW!
    Your list of advice reads like the checklist of things we’ve learnt over the last 6months. We’ve been out almost every weekend doing between 20-40 miles at a time and sometimes that on consecutive days to build the 24 hour total. Each point you made was a moment on a particular walk -our failings have been a great learning curve. Though I will be keeping an extra eye on hydration levels thanks to your advice. 

    I must be honest, it’s more than a little scary, I’m not at all athletic and never have been. 
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  • BigBearKrisBigBearKris Frets: 1747
    Well done you, I'll put few quid in.

    I am planning on doing half marathon in Bournemouth and my friend is cycling from London to Paris to raise some cash for cancer support.
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  • mcsdanmcsdan Frets: 451

    I must be honest, it’s more than a little scary, I’m not at all athletic and never have been. 
    If it doesn't scare you a bit it's not enough of a challenge!! :)

    Good to hear you've learnt lots of stuff on your training. As the distance goes up the impact of the simplest of things grows.

    Looking forward to seeing your progress :)

    Oh, ready salted crisps are good for fuel and salts. Also coke watered down half with water is like rocket fuel after a few hours on the move ;-)
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  • JerkMoansJerkMoans Frets: 8774
    @mcsdan is truly the Forrest Gump running/walking Forum Guru.

    My own two penn’orth: nowhere even vaguely approaching his league but after two fortnight cracks at the Camino de Santiago, one with no training at all a blistered nightmare and the other like floating on air, and usually 2 or 3 walking ultras annually (82-100 km, albeit I’m a lazy borderline alcoholic who does it in 2 days with a tsunami of ale at the overnight stop), I’ve learned what works for me.

    I’d echo and augment just two things:

    1. Vaseline. A lot. Your butt crack  and where your nutsack touches your thighs. Repeat often. Trust me on this.

    2. Your feet. You need them in cracking shape. As a rule I tend to wear 2 pairs socks - a thin liner and slightly thicker outer. Received wisdom tells us they rub together and dissipate friction that would otherwise get to your feet. At every stop get your boots and socks off, Allow your feet to cool and dry off, inspect for hot spots and deal with them, applying zinc oxide tape or compress if necessary, and if damp change your socks.

    On the ‘managed’ ultras they tend to have a pit stop every 10-15 km where they ply you with food and drinks. Otherwise as a rule of thumb get the boots off every 2-3 hours. 

    Dont linger too long at rest stops, and have a blast! The feeling of camaraderie on the road and achievement at the end is generally well worth it.

    Donation incoming ;) Best of luck!
    Inactivist Lefty Lawyer
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  • mcsdanmcsdan Frets: 451
    oh, one thing I forgot!

    Toilet paper,wipes and doggy bags. Long distance, food, drinks etc can play havoc with your stomach. Trust me! lol
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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3131
    mcsdan said:
    oh, one thing I forgot!

    Toilet paper,wipes and doggy bags. Long distance, food, drinks etc can play havoc with your stomach. Trust me! lol
    The one thing I have always carried! That is a situation I don’t want to tempt fate with. :)
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  • pruddprudd Frets: 653
    I'm in for a few quid, great thing you are doing.

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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3131
    prudd said:
    I'm in for a few quid, great thing you are doing.

    Many thanks buddy. 
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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3131
    18hours on the roads yesterday (and paths, bridleways, etc). Come 2am I needed home to my bed but was pleased with the distance and endurance factor. Just 3 weeks to go and naturally a little nervous but more confident than I was prior to the weekend, at least on the London to Brighton there will be a ready supply of coffee at the rest points (it was bitter last night, could have done with a hot drink).
    Thanks again for the support, wise words of advice and of course the donations to the Alzheimer’s Society -it is all hugely appreciated.
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  • mcsdanmcsdan Frets: 451
    Excellent, good training. You sound well prepared so sure you'll be fine. :)
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  • 57Deluxe57Deluxe Frets: 7329
    ...you'd better take a clearly marked-out map with you in case you forget where you're going...
    <Vintage BOSS Upgrades>
    __________________________________
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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3131
    Just wanted to thank those of you that kindly donated. Completed this yesterday (in agony, last 10km was murder) in 30 hours 12 mins (continuous) and most importantly raised £981 (plus £205 gift aid on top of this) for the Alzheimer’s Society. Really grateful for the support and advice (which was invaluable) from you guys, definitely helped us over the line. 
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  • mcsdanmcsdan Frets: 451
    @Teyeplayer ; well done, fantastic effort.  Give yourself some well earned rest, eat well and plenty of sleep. It can take a while for the body to recovery from these efforts physically and mentally.  Glad you've raised a good amount for a well deserved charity. :)
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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3131
    mcsdan said:
    @Teyeplayer ; well done, fantastic effort.  Give yourself some well earned rest, eat well and plenty of sleep. It can take a while for the body to recovery from these efforts physically and mentally.  Glad you've raised a good amount for a well deserved charity. :)
    Cheers, definitely looking forward to a slower pace for a while. Though I must confess...I might have already started looking at the next one. ;)
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  • mcsdanmcsdan Frets: 451
    haha good man! I've been on the start line of a 100 miler waiting to set off and on my phone signing up for another 100 miler - they sell out quickly!! Go for it. :)
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