First Time Walker ....100km London to Brighton Ultra Challange

[Poppet]

Good Morning and Hello

I am new to walking and have signed up for the London to Brighton Ultra Challenge in May and am looking for some advice on a few issues.
There are a few reasons i have signed , one is for the Shelter charity which we are  raising money for and secondly and importantly i must get fit and need this kick to get moving and start shedding some pounds.

My questions are this

  - How long should it take before my boots start to break in, I have walked eight miles on Saturday and ten miles on Sunday and my feet feel so sore especially on my toe and the underneath of my feet ...maybe its not my boots but my feet. (No Blisters so far)

   - I experienced a little bit of chaffing after the 10 miles on Sunday , what would recommend ? Running tights etc ?

   - Ruck sacks etc , can anyone recommend a cheap light rucksack ...I'm on a budget so cheap but good please 

   - And finally what would the most important items you would carry on the day in your rucksack ? I have seen many lists but was wondering your opinion


Any other tips and advice would be fantastic.

Thankyou in advance for any info

Poppet

[Rob Goes Walking]

I just wear the cheapest running boxers from Decathlon to avoid chafing, think gunwharfman recommended them on here. You could try runderwear but it's very expensive and I'm not sure if it's better than any other seam-free running underwear.

You could also try bodyglide, I've used it to reduce nipple chafing while running in the wet. It's not as good as nipeaze for that but it's a lot better than nothing.

[vghikers]

Welcome from Manchester 

For chafing we use Bodyglide, excellent and has never failed us even on 25-mile days in hot weather.
Good footwear, especially for that kind of purpose, needs little or no breaking in - I hope you're not thinking of wearing heavy clunking boots. Good cushioning is essential, we use Merrell Moabs, light with excellent cushioning.

If you really are new to significant days of walking, you just have to keep building up the daily distance until (at least) 20 miles feels 'normal'.

[Poppet]

Thankyou so much for the quick replies , I will try and get some bodyglide asap. Would you not recommend running tights ?
With regards to the Boots , I have some Peter Storm Eskdale Mid Waterproof Boots , Would you recoomend the Moab Trainer rather than the Moab Mid ? If so is there a model you can recommend as there is so many diffrent types.
I just looked for a boot at a decent price with good reviews and the Peter Storms seem to have this but if  from experince you advise the trainer style i will get these as I know physically i can work hard to walk the miles but need my feet sorted as I feel this will be the weak link.
I have 13 miles planned for Saturday and 22 miles for the following week (weather pending as its along the coast from Brighton to Eastbourne)
I really appreciate your time replying to me and the advice .....It will be one hell of a challange for me.

Kind Regards
Poppet

[vghikers]

I would definitely suggest the shoe style rather than the mid, assuming that the route is on tracks/easy paths/roads.
I would also strongly recommend a good footbed with a firm cupped heel to replace the ones supplied with the shoes. There are a few makes, we use Superfeet Trailblazers.
These Moabs are the ones we have, they come in both Goretex and non-Goretex versions. So far we have managed to find our pairs a lot cheaper than the standard price.

[Slowcoach]

Is the walk to Brighton on roads or tracks?

[Poppet]

Hi Slowcoach , starts off in Richmond , first 25k i believe is on roads and paths next to the river and Kingston  and then the rest will be on rural paths / Tracks.

I have watched the youtube and most of the videos show tarmac paths ....but have stopped watching them as they make me nervous    100k is a long way.
Hopefully someone on this forum who has completed the London to Brighton could advise.

Kind regards
Poppet

[Dovegirl]

I have 13 miles planned for Saturday and 22 miles for the following week (weather pending as its along the coast from Brighton to Eastbourne)

Are you doing Brighton to Eastbourne in one day? If so, it will be a good test of fitness and stamina. The Seaford-Eastbourne stretch is a rollercoaster, with many ascents/descents in quick succession. By the way, the paths from Seaford Head to Exceat Bridge are likely to be extremely muddy after all the rain we've had this winter. 

[Poppet]

Hi Dovegirl
Thanks for the reply
Yes was planning to do it in one day , my fitness and stamina is not great so i am planning Brighton (Home) to Newhaven Saturday to build up for it.
Any other walks you suggest ?
Kind regards
Stuart

[tonyk]

I have watched the youtube and most of the videos show tarmac paths ....but have stopped watching them as they make me nervous    100k is a long way.
Hopefully someone on this forum who has completed the London to Brighton could advise.

Kind regards
Poppet

I did the old London to Brighton running race a couple of times in the eighties but that was a different animal,basically two marathons back to back ran as fast as possible.From what I can remember there was time limit of just over eight hours.In those days it was down the main road but later they used some of the smaller roads due to traffic.


 Kit will be based on how long you intend to take.A 100km is a long way so if you are inexperienced it might take around 18-20 hours provided you walk fast enough.Good quality running shoes  would be the best footwear as they are lighter than boots and trail running shoes.Any smallish rucksack will do provided it is light enough.It might let water in but you can always put your kit in a bin liner to keep it dry.

 Feet are always a problem on this sort of distance.This article might help but I wouldn't worry too much about the photos as these are extreme cases.

 https://iancorless.org/2016/03/01/foot-care-for-the-mult-day-runner-or-ultra-runner/


When training don't worry too much about the distance you cover but rather the hours you spend on your feet.Try and do one long walk a week and build up to 20 hours on your feet.Your feet will be sore but you will get used to it.

[Slowcoach]

Poppet, I have walked from London to Brighton 4 times. It was all on roads, starting in central London and finishing at Brighton Pier.
My little bits of advice are, wear light weight shoes.. merrell moabs are about right, you do not want to be lifting extra foot tons unnecessarily.
Eat little and often as you go and drink regularly even if you don’t think you need it.
Do not think about the walk as a whole, break it down into short sections in your head otherwise it can be daunting.
I am sure you will be fine, enjoy the challenge and the very best of luck to you.

[Poppet]

Thanks so much for the great info and will take on board...never thought about the weather !!! , I am nervous but excited.
I have ordered the Moabs and the insoles , and will put these to the test over the next few weeks.
As i lose weight i think it will be easier on the feet.( Suffering today)
If you have any other tips that would be great , I will need all the help i can ger 
Kind Regards
Poppet

[Dovegirl]

Yes was planning to do it in one day , my fitness and stamina is not great so i am planning Brighton (Home) to Newhaven Saturday to build up for it.
Any other walks you suggest ?

If you're based in Brighton, there are many walks you could do on the South Downs. This one, for instance, offers some good hillwalking
https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/lewes-circular-via-glynde-and-southease/map.html

The Saturday Walkers Club, from which the link is taken, has many walks in the south east
https://www.walkingclub.org.uk/walk/

[Bigfoot_Mike]

I have used Ron Hill Tracksters or similar under walking trousers to prevent chafing, so running tights would probably help. You could get a bit warm on a hot day, but I prefer loose fitting walking trousers with closer fitting running tights beneath. These can also help keep knee joint warm and potentially reduce the chance of injury.

[Yorkshiremarv]

Join up with ultra websites, ive just recently joined upto GB ultras community on fb and the people on there are mainly all experienced at ultras and offer good sound advice. Im looking at doing my 1st 50k in the lakes this year and am in the early stages of getting fit for it, will mainly walk it rather than run it. I started waling about the local paths firstly in my old running shoes but they are now just a tad too small for me but they offer amazing grip in the mud and are very lightweight and were reasonably comfortable, let water in very easily due to all the venting on them but also let water out just as quick which walking shoes might not do, I then tried walking with my mammut trovat boots as we had a lot of rain and in those i could splash my way thru anything but after a 9mile walk the bottoms of my feet were agony and with the weight my knees were also aching. Did 9miles again yesterday but in my normal shoes(karrimor outdoor type shoes) and altho they are comfy and warm i avoided any puddles/wet bits due to not wanting to trudge in wet feet if they didnt dry out quickly plus the grip on wet muddy paths was like wearing slippers slip sliding everywhere, which wastes time and energy.
Does the event not have a criteria for compulsory kit that you have to have?
Best of luck with your efforts!