Long Distance Event - Advice

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Long Distance Event - Advice

Postby South_Aussie_Hiker » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:17 pm

Looking for a bit of advice from anyone who has competed in long distance trail events.

My wife has run a few half marathons and a full marathon (comfortably under 4 hours) so she is super fit.

For some unknown reason which denies common sense, she began talking about an ultra marathon (56 km), and later found one which is a trail run/walk.

She has proposed we walk it together but I'm fairly hesitant. I have not done a half or full marathon (either walking or running), but have excellent walking fitness. Walking (not running) I comfortably go from Waterfall Gully to Mt Lofty summit under 40 minutes, so I feel in quite fit.

Has anyone else on this forum competed in such an event?

Injury wise, I have a sore knee after extended walks >2 hours but it's ligament/tendon stiffness, not joint/bone pain. I think it would be wise to go to a sports physio clinic where they record your gait and replay it super slow-mo to make sure it's perfect, and see if I need to work on changing anything to avoid injury. I can't really afford to do a training or event injury, because I won't be able to work with any sort of leg/foot injury.

I can walk fast - well over 7km/hr comfortably, but don't think I could keep this up on a rough trail (with significant and continual up and down). My heart rate sits on about 120-130 when I walk really fast, is it acceptable to have my heart rate at that sort of level for 9-11 hours continually?

Has anyone else on bushwalk.com completed a big distance event like this for the first time, and how did it go?

I'm hesitant to say the least, but it's important to my other half and I'd like to do it with her if it would make her happy. The other issue will be time - with full time shift work (which involves a lot of travel) and two kids under four at home, I think we will struggle to manage the time for preparation.

Any advice/sharing of experiences would be appreciated.
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Re: Long Distance Event - Advice

Postby MrWalker » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 12:49 pm

If you don't enjoy running then don't try to run any long distances, but you might be able to walk for long periods. I've never run a marathon either but I can walk all day at about 6.5km/hr (on flat ground).

The question is whether your wife can maintain a fast walk over the same distance at a speed that is comfortable for you both. There is a gap between the slowest comfortable running speed and the fastest comfortable walking speed, so don't try to mix running and walking or you'll both go crazy.

If you are both going in a 56km event then you need a lot of training to work up to it. So go for some shorter (10-20km) walks together over terrain that is similar to this event in terms of roughness and steepness. Walk at a speed you both think you can maintain all day (or for 56km). If you can both handle it OK then go for some longer walks. Try to find out if your injury is made worse just by distance/time on the flat or whether hills are the problem. I have most trouble going down hills, so I use walking poles to help take the weight downhill. But they slow me up on the flat.

If you can't both walk at the same speed for hours on end then offer to be support crew for your wife in this event.
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Re: Long Distance Event - Advice

Postby photohiker » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 1:32 pm

I've done the Sea to Summit trail run/walk several times as a walker. That's about 36km and I completed it in around 5:30 each time. If you can do Waterfall Gully to Mt Lofty in 40 minutes, I think you would be in the same ballpark. The question is training. Have you done any longer distances than that?

Leading up to each Sea to Summit, I have done longer walks than usual for a few weeks before to build up my walking stamina. 10 and 20km. If I were to do a 56km walk then I would do the same, but probably mix in a few 25km walks as well. For me, the challenge is to maintain hydration throughout the walk. If I don't do that I know I will come up sore the next day, and for a 56km I'd also need to take care of nutrition on the walk.

56km is not something on my radar, and unless I was a runner, I wouldn't run at all.

Have you done walks with your wife, and do you both walk at similar pace? Restricting or extending your walking pace can make things pretty tiring over distance. If it were my wife asking, I'd definitely go, but on the proviso that I might pull out if I get sore or have trouble maintaining the pace.
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Re: Long Distance Event - Advice

Postby South_Aussie_Hiker » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 2:16 pm

Yes, I've done many longer walks, including the OLT x3 and Frenchman's Cap x2, and sometimes Chambers Gully Lofty returns and other longer walks.

My wife can obviously run quite fast, but she can't walk at my pace - this is a problem I identified at the outset.

The more reading I do, the more I think if she wants me with her, she needs to look to something more realistic in terms of distance - and preparation time.

The sea to summit would be a much better distance (I could probably jog a lot more so our pace would be better matched) but I see that has been canned this year :(

Thanks for the comments so far.
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Re: Long Distance Event - Advice

Postby photohiker » Fri 24 Apr, 2015 3:16 pm

I really meant longer walks in a single day but I think you can see the challenge of mismatched walking speeds.

One solution would be to start together, you as walker and her as a walking runner, and play catchup every now and then, or just walk your own walk (or run) and meet at the finish. If you enter as a walker and start running then you're technically breaking the rules. Runners can walk if they like.

On a long distance walk, you tend to clump together with other people of around the same pace, and the competitive spirit keeps the pace up. Faster walkers walk away from you, and the slower drop back.
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