Saturday 12th July 2008
Training
Although the Midnight Walk is intended to be fun for everyone involved,
ten miles is a long way to walk for most of us. The most
common mistake made by people taking part in our sponsored walks is not
to prepare in advance by having a few practice walks. Please
make sure that between now and 12 July you fit in a little training to
make sure that you are comfortable with the distance on the night.
Remember, you will be fighting your body clock so a little preparation
could make all the difference.
Perhaps there is a simple, local journey that you regularly drive but
that you could walk instead. Why not walk to the shops, or
for an evening out? Having a treat at the end of your efforts
could make all the difference. Alternatively, if you are a
member of a gym you could try their treadmill.
The route is on tarmac and is fairly steady but there are some uphill
and downhill sections. Walking on a slope challenges your
muscles in a different way to walking on the flat so be sure to
practice on a few hills.
If you are not an experienced walker, start as early as possible with
your training and build up gradually from a gentle start of perhaps a
mile. All walkers should be comfortable completing a ten mile
walk by the date of the Midnight Walk. Do not guess at
distances – if you drive your route first you can measure how
far it is and get a real idea of your progress. Try different
routes and speeds so that your muscles get used to different demands
being put on them – always remember to gently warm up before
starting, then stretch your legs when you have completed you walk.
Ease off with your training in the ten days before the Midnight Walk to
make sure that you have plenty of energy for the night itself.
Remember, it is not a race and nobody will be allowed to overtake our
pace setters. As long as you have undertaken sufficient
training you will be able to find a comfortable pace to complete the
walk in good time. We anticipate that most women will need
between two and four hours to complete the walk.
Health
A ten mile, night time walk will be a real challenge for most
women. Whatever your normal level of fitness, your body clock
will be telling you to get some sleep and you may find walking more
tiring than normal. It is essential that you avoid
dehydration by drinking sufficient water throughout the walk itself and
beforehand. There will be toilets every 2½ miles
so you will have plenty of chances for comfort stops.
If you have any concerns about taking part in this walk, please consult
your doctor beforehand.
Footwear
Make sure that the shoes you wear on the night are in good condition and have been broken in. Brand new shoes could lead to blisters or other problems. A good pair of trainers is ideal as you will be walking on pavements rather than soft ground. Most have good cushioning under the foot and trainers with mesh sections help the foot to breathe.
What to bring
Although we hope that our July date will ensure good weather, we all know that in British summertime anything can happen. While you will not need sunscreen, please consider all other options and make sure that you have warm and waterproof clothing with you. Several thin layers are better than one thick layer and give you more options as you start to warm up.
The route is well lit but you may like to bring your own torch (or even
a head torch).
Please do not bring items of personal or financial value with
you. The shops will be closed so you will need to bring any
supplies for the night with you. Water will be freely
available but you may wish to ensure that you have your own sports
bottle to refill to ensure that you are carrying enough.
Light refreshments will also be available (cake and fruit) but you may
choose to bring energy bars or other appropriate snacks.
There will be qualified first aiders available at base and some
marshals also have first aid experience. The checkpoints will
carry simple first aid supplies. You may still like to bring
basic first aid supplies of your own to ensure that you can put on a
plaster at the very first sign of a blister.
If you are bringing a dog with you it must be kept on a lead at all
time and please ensure that you have bags for poop scooping.
Be considerate of other walkers – remember not everybody
likes dogs.
We hope that, weather permitting, you will wear your Midnight Walk
t-shirt on the night, but why not customise it or add some fancy dress
to it? Headgear, wings, stripey leggings – anything
goes as long as it does not impede your walking.
Sponsorship
The money that you raise by taking part in the Midnight Walk is
absolutely vital to us. We ask that you raise as much as
possible – remember that 92p in every £1 you raise
goes directly to patient care and
