Walking - Has anyone done a long walk, say 120 miles?

bobbysands81

Just wondering whether anyone has done a long charity walk and if someone was to go about doing such a walk what advice would be out there?

How many miles a day should they aim for etc...?

How would they prepare/train for such a walk etc...?

cphowlin

Hi, i did a 125mile sponsored walk from Limerick to Wexford a few years ago with members of my family for Share a dream foundation.

We did about 25 miles a day... was sore as i did pretty much no training. I rem my shins got very sore from the camber of the road. Was very painful to walk on the last day.

My sister did all the orgainising so i can get any info on that side off her.
If you have any specific questions you can pm me and i'll try get an answer for them...

bobbysands81

cphowlin wrote: »

Hi, i did a 125mile sponsored walk from Limerick to Wexford a few years ago with members of my family for Share a dream foundation.

We did about 25 miles a day... was sore as i did pretty much no training. I rem my shins got very sore from the camber of the road. Was very painful to walk on the last day.

My sister did all the orgainising so i can get any info on that side off her.
If you have any specific questions you can pm me and i'll try get an answer for them...

Many thanks... might have questions for you in a while but right now I'm just having a good think about doing it!

Would plan on putting in a good bit of training for it and would be looking at hitting the 20/25 mile mark a day IF I was to do it.

Fair play to you for doing such a worthwhile thing... fantastic!

nerraw1111

I did a trek in the Himlayas that was around 250 kilometres. Once you're reasonable fit, you should be ok.You tend to get fit as you walk with the first few days the hardest.

Suppose it goes without saying to make sure you get decent boots and break them in.

Take regular breaks and look after your feet.

monkeypants

Walked to Galway for Cystic Fibrosis a couple of weeks ago. I reckon it's about 132 miles. Took us a week; started on September 4th and finished on September 10th. I've got no blisters because I don't get them, but my knee is still complaining. I was aiming for twenty miles a day, more in the first couple of days and less in the last few.

• Get good walking boots and socks.
• Drive the route beforehand, preferably with someone else so that one of you can pay attention to the width of the road, footpaths, hard shoulder, etc.
• Wear a high-visibility jacket. These days the daylight isn't the best and dusk comes a lot quicker than you think.
• If your backpack isn't waterproof, pick up a box of sandwich bags and pop everything into them.
• Compeed and Deep Heat if needed.

MissEmcee

I did a few of them in Australia. 20 miles a day is a good yardstick. More importantly a good set of runners.

Nules10

Oxfam do a trail trekker event every year. 100 km in 36 hours. Unfortunately it is over for this year. But might me something to consider for next year. A friend did it and it is pretty challenging. takes place in the Mourne mountains and cooley peninsula. Check out their website for information. Not sure of the training but i know they walked most days for over an hour and did long walks 20-40 km at the weekends.

Hi Bobby. I've done a few long-distance treks, including over 1,000k on the Camino de Santiago this time last year.

Realistically, if you are in reasonable shape, you should have no problem doing 30-35k a day at the start without much training and this can be pushed further as you get stronger. It's possible to do 50k in a day without any real problems, but make realistic goals from the start.

One of the most important things to think about in advance is the footwear you are going to use. Unless it is a very mountainous trek, it's is probably best to avoid wearing hiking boots, as they are heavy and cumbersome.

There is no reason that why you could not wear a decent pair of runners, or if you want something a bit sturdier a pair of lightweight trekking shoes. However, you HAVE to break in any pair of shoes before you hit the road or else you will end up with terrible blisters.

Blisters are part and parcel of long-range trekking, but are avoidable with the right footwear and socks. Socks are important too. Make sure to try out what works best for you before you go, as there is nothing worse than dealing with blood blisters on the road. Oh, and bring a needle and thread to pop those bad boys WHEN they come.

Any questions, don't be afraid to ask.

mooseygoat

Hi Bobby. I've done a few long-distance treks, including over 1,000k on the Camino de Santiago this time last year



hi dancinpants,how long did it take you to do the 1000k and who did you do it with sounds deadly well done

Hi Mooseygoat. It took me 26 days to do the trek. I walked from France to Santiago in Spain, which was roughly 800k, and then did a further loop at the end to Finisterra on the coast and back.

It was an incredible experience and one I would highly recommend to anyone. I went alone, but I met lots of great people on the way.

ng7

hi bobbysands,
i did the oxfam trailtrecker earlier this month. 100k walk through the night, most grueling thing i have ever done, and I have ran a marathon! took us 29 hours. Hydration, food, proper gear and positive mental attidude most important things.

Cabaal

ng7 wrote: »

hi bobbysands,
i did the oxfam trailtrecker earlier this month. 100k walk through the night, most grueling thing i have ever done, and I have ran a marathon! took us 29 hours. Hydration, food, proper gear and positive mental attidude most important things.

Just looking at that event based on your post, damn that looks like an interesting event to take part in. Though as you said looks god awful hard

monkeypants

ng7 wrote: »

i did the oxfam trailtrecker earlier this month.

Almost did that myself. It was unfortunate that it was scheduled on the same weekend as I started my Galway walk. Maybe next year as whatever walk I organise, it'll happen earlier in the year.