Walk 100 km in 24 hours. Experience office plankton

Thank you, dear friends, for what you send such articles! At this time, a portion of the motivating power gives us the reader Andrew KingWho by personal example proved that even the most ordinary office worker can overcome seemingly unreal to him a distance of 100 km. Guys in the post very much useful! We read. Admire. Beaudry. And conquer new horizons, of course.

Perhaps it all began with my love for long walks and with a vague desire to ever cover the distance Ironman. Unfortunately, the Ironman has not yet held in Odessa, but every year is a traditional tourist transition "100 km in 24 hours on a belt of Fame" dedicated to the liberation of the city during the Great Patriotic. This year it took place in the 41 th time, so that the weaving Odessa 5 years older than the Ironman. Did so! :)

Training

Preparation for Sotk I started three months, read Literary, planned the increase and decrease of the load and... well the program failed.

Well, first things first.

Which includes the preparation of:

• Two rules - "walk everywhere" and "the more distance, the better." I installed on a smartphone pedometer and tried for a week to pass 40-50 km, and on the weekends suited for long walks of 15-20 km.
• Morning exercises Peaceful Warrior Dan Millman Dan, from her body does not want to just walk - dance.
  
• General physical training on the basis of the training program "Healing pulse" Goltis. To her I owe the fact that the muscles stood the colossal load weave. Squats on Goltis - terrific stuff, for 10 minutes of exercise they are completely scooped potential muscle, creating the basis for the endurance of growth and at the same time provide an excellent cardiovascular workout system.
• In the last month he added the exercises for the muscles of the foot and run at 5-7 km.

As I said, the preparation was inadequate, at a distance of muscles feel great, but the ligaments... yes, running should be so much more!

Shoes & Clothing

Day

Depending on the weather. We were at a temperature of +8.. + 9 in the afternoon, and +3.. + 5 at night.

• Sneakers or shoes with hard soles. Advice - forget about running shoes, sneakers and other soft shoes, to the fortieth kilometer you will feel every pebble road. Do not buy new and cool sneakers, wear the old worn-shoes. The legs do not just say thank you!
• Socks - not stinted on sports socks, quickly diverting moisture. At a hundred I would suggest a minimum of 4 pairs! More - better wet feet - a direct path to calluses.
• Mike - also from the material quickly discharge the moisture from the body, c / b is guaranteed to get wet and with a good wind, you quickly freeze. The wind will be, and still is!
• Windbreaker, preferably with a hood (or you may blow the neck), and with a bunch of external pockets for your phone, snacks and other useful stuff.
• Thin fleece - optional. I saw a lot of people on their way in a windbreaker, and at the same time feel great.
• Pants - your choice, from cross-country to taytsov windproof pants.
• Cap or bandana - again, for protection from the wind.

Night

Cold, wet and windy.

• Warm jacket with hood - is a must. External pockets, it was not necessary to climb into the internal wind. It would be great if it would be reflective elements - safety is never too much!
• Thermal underwear.
• Gloves and hat, is now mandatory.
• Scarf or buff. The air is very cold at night, plus the wind - you can easily catch a cold. I took the scarf, though beloved wife suggested, so we had to make the design of medical gauze bandage and one of his gloves, looked like a stalker on roaming :)
• In case of rain - a simple plastic raincoat.

Equipment. Of vital ...

• Backpack - comfortable, with waist and chest buckle. From mandatory - it must have side pockets, it was convenient to get a bottle of water, without removing the backpack.
• Pocket knife and a lighter - I did not come in handy, but the cases are different.
• Mat-sidushka - you can sit down anywhere and at vse Head less work, which find place your own ass.
• Smartphone with GPS and optional external battery to it. My iPhone 5, the program only works with Runkeeper, I was ready to sit for 10-11 hours. A focus on the countryside and understanding of how to halt or nearest village, can be really important.
• Medicines and adhesive bandages. Muscles and ligaments will be ill - painkillers such as paracetamol, ibuprofen and ointments for muscle. Corn will also - glue the patches in advance!
• Flashlight headlamp. Hand inconvenient though to have as a backup does not hurt. Set of spare batteries.
• Phones, preferably two, and working with different operators.

Drinking and eating

• Water - in my opinion, better mineral, Lightly. Drink sips every 10-15 minutes. Dehydration leads to rapid fatigue. I was always with a half-liter bottle of water, wear more was difficult. Great to have a thermos of herbal tea and additional sets of welding thereto. Boiling water can be asked in any roadside cafe or on a halt to fill with hot tea.
• Food - our all carbohydrates. Simple and complex. Simple - glucose, available in pharmacies. From complex - oatmeal with raisins, digested longer, but you go on, and in the stomach is not so tosklivo
• Dried fruits and nuts - concentrate of vitamins, minerals and other utilities. I took the recommendation of experienced travelers - honey, walnuts, dried apricots, raisins, sesame, lemon. In equal parts. Grind in a blender, or simply cut into small pieces. Very tasty, and porridge and tea.
• Fruit - bananas and apples, all that convenient to eat on the go.
• Special conditions - bee pollen (3-4 teaspoons for a hike) and garlic cloves. I do not know the mode of action, but it becomes easier to move.
• For athletes - gels, bars and other doping :)

check in

At a hundred I signed up for 2 weeks before the start. Registration was quick and easy - issued card, personal card marks the passage of checkpoints, emergency phone list and two rooms in the retroreflective frame. The entry fee was only 50 hryvnia - winning communism pure :)

The week before the start - the main task is to get enough sleep and reduce the training load to a minimum. Not bad.

The day before the start. General recommendations - to arrange a day off to relax and get together. Rest did not work, the fees started at 6 pm and hardly had time to 12 nights. Conclusion - the need to start early.

The night before the start. I slept well. If you can not fall asleep, do not worry - the previous week good sleep all compensate.

The morning before the start. The rise, shower, prayer, exercise, hearty breakfast, the final verification that all collected. Taxi - and here I am at the start!

Prelaunch registration was even easier. Call your number and you get a mark in the personal card of the start. Many thanks to the organizers - was able to pass things and food at any of the checkpoints. There have been four for 15, 46, 55 and 79-kilometer. Warm clothes I gave to the CP-46, that's where, according to the calculations, I had to walk in the evening.

For half an hour before the start - a small part of the official words about the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, and good luck some advice from the winner of the first hundred: uphill walk, run to the hills, to the long halts delay.

So, 15 minutes before the start, the final preparations, runners warmed up.

Number of participants - 414 people (315 men and 99 women), and Siberian Husky Lada, under their own number 51.

Generally, for the weaving of Odessa - a cult event, - it can be seen and professional marathoners, politicians, avid travelers, students, youth Christian organization, club bearded Odessa and many, many others. Someone prepared in advance, while others decided to keep only the day before. Perhaps the most memorable man in knightly garb held in its order of 30 kilometers.

10.00 Start! Fayer in air. Chronograph of World began its inexorable countdown ...

Let's hit the road!

Runners rushed forward. If you are ready to run the first 10-20 km, hurry up, then run along the column of people walking is difficult. But it is better to move at a pace that is comfortable to you - alternating between running, walking and recreation.

On the course, I tried to follow a walk and rest in a campaign of Goltis:

»
Total: 19.5 hours walk / 4.25 hours rest. When the temperature 11-11.5 min / km - enough to walk 100 km in 24 hours.

Mode can be simplified by reaching the first segment of the walk in 90 minutes, then listen to your body and with the appearance of perspiration relax for 10-15 minutes.

However, following this schedule, I quickly found myself in the tail of the column... but, as they say, "and the last shall be first", starting with the 55 km I confidently overtook jerked at his comrades start. As there Vysotsky:

I have ten thousand five hundred and pulled both, and has had it ...

On vacation, I took off running shoes, kneaded and massaged the feet of caviar, and made of 4-6 squats with a focus on each leg before the walk. Squat allow full amplitude increase blood flow in muscles and to expedite the removal of these lactic acids.

I note that the road marking was done perfectly. On the route I did not have even a doubt where to turn - the arrows on the pavement clearly pointed the way, and the city on the neck worked regulators.

We were pleased with the team traffic control jeep, which helped, took care of the road and control the presence of the participants reflective numbers. It's just vital - some hotheads trying to go without them, creating a dangerous situation on the road, especially at night, when, due to fatigue wandered into the opposite lane.

Checkpoints and feeding stations. Guys, low bow for your help, encouragement, delicious soup, porridge and hot tea. The next year, I'm with you!

Participants go really tried to support and encourage each other, someone sang songs and shouted slogans, some entertaining anecdotes and shared the last stockpile of dried fruits. In general, do not get bored in the way :)

The most difficult part of the way - night. The temperature drops significantly, the legs already hurt badly, and if you go alone - I strongly advise to find travel companions are close to you in spirit and speed.

In general, for such a long transition works well generally "eat the elephant bit by bit."

You say to yourself, "Well, I will go to the next halt and there will decide to move on or not," Revenues and say, "Well, at next stop and decide what's going, some 5-10 km ", and so on deceiving his tired brain to the finish.

The last five kilometers before the finish line in my head spun a line from a fairy tale about Masha and the Bear - "Do not sit down on a stump, do not eat cake," and it echoed evil jerkin 'and then sit down, and no more get up! ".

Finish the transition was located at 411 Memorial coastal battery, which heroically defended Odessa 41st October. When a participant finishes, the support team cut in song Queen «We are the champions». Frankly, it's just amazing, the last 20 meters, despite the wild fatigue, I was running :)

At the finish I wept - with joy and pain. I overcame 100 kilometers in 22 hours and 59 minutes.

Of the 414 participants to the finish line got a little less than half - 189 people and one dog.

P.S. Legs recovered 3 days - bath, massage, and the joy of victory over a work wonders :) And most importantly, after the transition remains understanding:

Now I can a bit more! And the half Ironman now do not seem so unassailable :)

P.P.S. If you have experience of overcoming such distances - share! I am waiting for your comments.