Snailwalkers

Paul W’s photos posted here: http://www.pbase.com/paulandsam/oxfam_trailwalker_08

So … I have finally downloaded and cleaned up the metrics from our 100K madness. As always, take note that all heart rate (bpm) and energy (kcal) related metrics are based on my (Reza’s) biometrics.

(Click on the charts below to view larger formats)

PROFILE 1: Start - CP4

PROFILE 2: CP4 - CP7

PROFILE 1: CP7 - Finish

thought I would share some of Sam’s inspirational text messages that she sent to me throughout the 45 hour hike - perfect for putting a bounce back in my step. Top supporting wifey.

CP2 to CP3: “I’m at CP2. Eye of the tiger”

CP3 to CP4: “I’m at the campsite. I promised Gandalf I wouldn’t leave you and I don’t mean to, I don’t mean to”

CP4 to CP5: “Cant make it to 6. Eyes on the prize”

CP5 to CP6: “I’m at CP7. big kiss and cuddle waiting for you”

CP6 to CP7: ” ‘ave it”

CP6 to CP7: There’s an onsen here open until 8pm” (this one really got me moving)

Sorry for the delay in getting these posted … click here to go to the album.

>> 200 Teams Started

>> 164 Teams Finished (Includes incomplete teams)

• Snailwalkers: #119
• Click here to download full list

>> Only 93 COMPLETE Teams Finished (all 4 members crossing the line)

• Snailwalkers: #72
• Click here to download full list

Personally, I will look at the Snailwalkers ranking to be 72 of 200 … simply due to the fact that we finished it TOGETHER !

Distance walked: 100km

Time taken:44 hours, 43 mins

fastest team:16 hours, 20 mins

Hours sleep: 2

Liters of fluid consumed: 25L

Onigiri consumed: 7

Overall vertical ascent: 5,420m (17,800ft)

Vertical ascent on most popular Mt Fuji climbing route from 5th station: 1,400m

Height of mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain: 4,800m

% of South Africans infected with HIV: 20%

Number of people forced to leave their home in Darfur: 2.5 million

Number of sponsors: 88

Calories burned: 24,000

Recommended daily calorie intake (30year old male): 2,700

Mega-mcMuffins consumed within 24 Horus of finishing: 3

calories per mega McMuffin: 700

Team ranking (teams completing with all 4 members): 72 out of 93

Team ranking (includes teams completing with less than 4): 119 out of 164

Number of teams starting: 200

Number of support calls answered by Florin on the trail: 3

Number of blisters: 0

Number of times I’ll do this again: 0

OK … so we did not complete the 100K in some wild record time … but as you will read and hear from each of us, we are all extremely proud of having completed this utterly grueling event, together, as a team of four, under the time limit.

Its done!

Time: 44 hours 43 minutes

Team placing: 113 out of 200

We crossed the finishing line on the Oxfam 100km trailwalker challenge on Sunday morning, 44 hours, 43 minutes after setting off From Odawara on Friday at 09:00am. This has been the most ludicrous phyical challenge I could ever imagine myslef completing, and I am exceptionally proud of the team, Reza, Florin, Paul M and myself for getting to the finishing line as a group of 4.

Thanks to all the snailwalkers sponsors and supporters, thanks to Khilan for the moral support, and sorry you had to drop out (theres always next year). A special thank-you to Sam for supporting us on the trail, meeting us at the critical check-points to provide moral support, tea and bacon sandwhiches. Her inspirational text messages throughout the course of the 100km kept me going.

Keep coming back to the site for write-ups, photos and videos in the coming days…

Well, I’ve got 5 minutes for another quick post-event note before I return to my self-induced 36-hour coma!

So … the question is “what hurts?” … Maybe, it should be “what doesn’t hurt?” If you asked me the question when I got home this morning at 10:00am, I’d tell you the only thing that didn’t hurt on my body was probably my eyebrows!! But seriously though, I think the major factor in how I’m feeling, and probably what the other guys are feeling (maybe not Florin since he’s so fit) is general fatigue and exhaustion. Let’s not forget that during the past 48 hours, we slept a maximum of 2 hours while the rest of the time we were hiking through some very challenging mountain terrain … but we’ll get to that during the full hike write-up.

Back to the question at hand … and trying to answer with all seriousness … pretty much everything below the waist hurts … thigh and calf muscles, groin, every bone and joint in the foot … upper back muscles and rib cage … etc …

But on the very good news, the parts which are most common injuries for such an event and which I was worries about made it through without any issues … my knees, especially the left one which I injured during the Mt. Kumotori hike, made it through just fine … as well as my ankles. All the credit for their survival goes to proper support … braces for my knees … and heavy taping for the ankles, which by the way prevented any blistering as well. I cannot stress enough the importance of knee supports and ankle taping for this kind of stressful, endurance exercise. Quite a number of retirements which we heard about during the event were related to ankle and knee injuries.

OK … I’m off to bed again for plenty more sleep … but I’ll leave you with this great video on ankle taping instruction and best practices.

Ankle Taping Intructions

Well, we did it! This utter madness is over! None of us can write much right now as we need to pass out for the next 24-36 hours, but many more details and articles will be coming over the next couple of days.

L to R: Paul Woodgate, Paul Marshall, Reza Khalili, Florin Cumpata (substituted for Khilan Shah who injured his back during a training hike)