Snailwalkers

And so it is with Trailwalker - 6 months on and my own mind is guilty of a similar treachery. Of course I know there was 44 hours and 42 minutes of blood, sweat and tears, agony and pain as we walked that ridiculous trail, but somehow all I can visualize when I think back on the trailwalker is the amazing last 20 minutes as we crossed the line at dawn on the third day, and uncorked the champers.

It seems fellow Snailwalkers are being hit by the same endorphin craving as they progress from “never again” to “why not” via the “definitely maybes” and “I will if you will”

However, after long internal debating, I have decided I will not compete in Oxfam trailwalker Japan 2009 - mainly I’m worried that If I try again and for some reason fail, then not finishing it would take away from the sense of achievement I have over completing it in 2008.

Instead for the 2009 event, I will participant as a volunteer instead of a competitor, so I’ll still be on the trail but either leading the way with the trailmarking team or picking up the deadwood at the back as part of the sweep team. For others interested in volunteering, check Oxfams Trailwalker site http://www.trailwalker.jp/en/volun/volunteer_roles/

I’m hoping to get a good number of JPMorgan volunteers together - spread the word.

Whether you think Oxfam Trailwalker Japan is getting easier or not, I was thinking recently about what would be the ultimate hiking weekend in Japan - something different that I’d not heard of anyone doing before.

Here it is: Sea to Peak. My personal challenge for 2009 - I’m going to hike from sea-level in Odawara to the peak of mount fuji in one continuous hike over 3 days. 

Think about it - millions of people have climbed fuji from 5th station, a small percentage do it from 4th station, an even smaller percentage do it from one of the surrounding five lakes, but who do you know who ever did it from sea level? That’s something to be proud of.

Vertical ascent: 0m - 3776m

Distance: 25.3 miles as the crow flies, approx 40 miles hiking distance

When: To be deicded, but during Fuji climbing season - sometime in Jul or Aug 2009

Expected itinerary:

   Day one: Odawara to Ashinoko campsite

   Day two: Ashinoko campsite to Fuji 4th station

   Day three: Fuji 4th station to Fuji peak then down to Fuji 5th station

Training starts early in 2009 - who’s with me?

There is another alteration to the 2009 course posted this month. The infamous checkpoint 7 to checkpoint 8 stage has been revised :

The 2009 Oxfam Trailwalker - Might as well be in Holland

Previously this stage was a full on vertical assault necessitating the use of fixed ropes ( not joking ). The kind of stage you fear for the entire event,  hate when actually doing it, and then respect it calmly afterwards. Now .. what has happened ?

Kids today.

Well … it’s back. The 2009 Oxfam Trailwalker has been confirmed. The event begins on Friday May 22 and ends on Sunday May 24. A similar route to last year ( Odawara to Lake Yamanaka ) but with some changes. It appears that a couple of the nastier ascents have been bypassed, continuing the year-on-year refining of the course. With fewer than half of the 2008 entrant teams finishing intact, this should make it a less feared event. Indeed, 2009 has increased the number of teams to 250 ( from 200 ). Registration opens in November.

Already the Snailwalkers are thinking about what to do … stay tuned.

So … I decided to sign up for this event … which is probably the most realistic event I have signed up for over the past couple of years of being in Japan … no thanks to Paul !!  I mean seriously … 2007 Tokyo Marathon? … 2008 Marathon? … Oxfam 100K Trailwalker?  All pure madness … but this is reasonable … not to mention at a beautiful location.  I even got my cousin (Ali) who recently moved to Japan to sign up as well.  I just hope he doesn’t end up hating me for getting him into this as much as I hate Paul for getting me into all those previous events!! 

I have to admit as well that I like the “global” idea and strategy that Nike has thought up.  It’s pretty cool … everything from the simultaneous (plus or minus a few hours for timezones) running of the event in 25 locations across the world … to the online training program … to the idea of everyone uploading their data to the Nike website.

So just 4 weeks away … I guess I better start running !!

A few bits of info on the event ….

What is the Nike+ Human Race?

On 08.31.08, Nike is making a statement like no other before. Nike is putting on the World’s Largest Running Event. Nike is hosting race events in 25 cities around the world, but by logging into nikeplus.com, every city and every road can become a race-day course.  This is going to be the World’s Largest Running Event and provide a global connection point for every athlete. By using tools that they created like Nike+ and the Nike+ SportBand, now people can participate from anywhere: a country road, an urban sidewalk or at one of the 25 designated Nike+ Human Race cities.

Where are the 25 official locations?

Austin , Bogotá , Buenos Aires , Caracas , Chicago , Istanbul , London , Los Angeles , Lima , Madrid , Melbourne , Mexico City , Munich , New York , Paris , Quito , Rome , São Paulo , Seoul , Shanghai , Singapore , Taipei ,Tokyo ,Warsaw , Vancouver

How many people will be participating?

The Nike+ Human Race stands to be the largest running event to date. They’re anticipating hundreds of thousands of people will take to the streets to run on 08.31.08 – either in one of the 25 physical race cities or in runners’ home cities around the world.

Adding up the mileage?
Runners can track their run with Nike+ iPod, Nike+ SportBand or by any other means, then log their miles and contribute to the global mileage occurring simultaneously on 08.31.08.

Well, the Snailwalkers have moved on from the insanity of the 2008 Oxfam 100K … and may I say again with great pride in our finish & fundraising efforts … and a few of us are already pondering new events coming up in the horizon … the Nike 10K Human Race (at Mt. Fuji) and the 2009 Tokyo Marathon.

We have a dedicated Tokyo Marathon Blog setup, so my comments on that ridiculous event will be posted there, but I will post my Nike 10K comments on this blog.

What’s with all this healthy stuff we’re doing ??  …. or “prettending” to be doing !!!

Thankyou to all our sponsors … terrific result. The grand total for all teams is over 50 million yen ( 1/2 million dollars .. ) to date.

■Top Organisations of Fundraising（as of 6th June）　　 　　

but walk we did, success was ours, champagne celebration!

We started off naively, witness Paul’s shoes virginity

or Florin working from his Blackberry, Reza practicing photography.

The first few checkpoints flying by under shady trees and bright blue sky,

we owned the trail and rapidly we found ourselves at checkpoint three.

We started out from CP3 fresh and full of beans -

by Friday night, feeling knackered not nearly quite so keen,

An hours kip, a cup of tea saw us right as rain,

and off we went for checkpoint 5, full of juice again.

We walked by day, we walked by night, we donned our Petzls for some light,

we wrapped up warm for wind and rain then sweating took it off again,

we bandaged knees and ankles tight, smacked up on Alleve all night,

beneath the sun, beneath the stars, yelling madmen “how bloody far?”

The lowest point - two-thirds in, coming up to CP7 -

extreme fatigue took its toll with sleep deprivation.

Eye of the tiger was closing up - rising up? I’d rather die,

but a local saved me with a well timed shout of “ganbatte, kudasai!”

At CP8 we hit the wall, the final climb nefarious,

so much sports drink was consumed, we started sweating Aquarius

Shoes were now worn down so thin that every stone was jabbing in,

friction burns on Rezas balls, thank god, I thought for Vaseline.

Eventually, the final few kilometers lay ahead of us

and though down-hill they really went by slow and rather tortuous

Finally, we saw the goal and heard the screams of Sam,

and as dawn came up the second time, we fell across the finishing line.

One week later, legs still aching , calves still cramping , thighs still shaking

I look back on those long two days of extreme challenge and Bengay

with misty eyes , a sense of pride, we took it all in our stride,

although it was rather laborious, team Snailwalker: truly victorious.

Big list of items found on the trail and left at the checkpoints

[ clockwise from top left : Florin, Reza, Paul M, Paul W ]

The 2008 Event

Descending the bamboo forest at night

Morning breaks, into mist

Clouds gather for the incoming storm

And Fuji-san makes a shy appearance in the far background

More photos on Flickr