As we farewell to Summer and dive straight into Autumn it means only one thing – that the Oxfam 100km trailwalker is just around the corner, April 7-9th to be exact! The Oxfam trailwalker is one of Melbourne’s iconic bucket list events with team’s of 4 tackling the equally gruelling and scenic path from Wheeler’s Hill to Wesburn Park, to raise money for Oxfam to support people in poverty all around the world.
While walking 100km in 48 hours may not seem like much, it certainly takes it out of you. Many walkers end up on the on the physiotherapy table or the podiatry chair to get some much needed treatment during the walk. Below are 3 handy tips to ensure you have a truly incredible Oxfam trailwalker experience:
Start training early: If you’re reading this blog and thinking now is a great time to sign up, it’s best to reconsider. Ideally you should start your training about 3-4 months prior to the walk. Start with smaller walks, 8-12 km on the weekend and start building up from there. You want to be hitting between 45-60km walks during your preparation.
Footwear + feet: As with any activity, the proper footwear choice is essential for having a great event. Throughout the walk there are many different surfaces/terrains that you encounter, including footpaths, gravel tracks, muddy roads. Therefore you will need a couple of pairs of shoes to tackle the event. It’s best to get 2 different styles of shoes, ideally a running shoe (for the easier parts of the track) and a trail walking/running shoe for the more arduous areas. Get these shoes at a minimum of 6 weeks before the event to give you time to wear them in and make sure they’re comfortable.
Be proactive, not reactive: Each year, out of the 1000s of walkers who embrace the challenge of the trailwalk approximately 20% do not cross the finish line! That’s 1 in 5 people who have to pull out. Usually this is a result of easily preventable issues such as blistering, foot/leg soreness, fatigue. Use your training walks to assess if you get blistering, hot spots or abnormal pain in your muscles. Prevention is the best cure possible, so if in doubt, get it checked out by our Pinnacle Health Group Podiatry team prior to walk to ensure you get through the walk with flying colours.