Considerations
As a group we decided that there were a number of things that
we should take into consideration in preparation for the Coast
to Coast. None of us have ever undertaken such a challenge and
on consecutive days.
We tried to be realistic with goals, in terms of not setting
ourselves up to fail, while at the same time knowing that there
was a lot of work to do to get ready for it.
We drew up this list initially to provide targets to aim for,
and acknowledged that there may be times when we may have to
move the goalposts.
As we have different commitments we need to acknowledge that we
cannot always train as a group, however, when making plans for a
training walk we will try to ensure that we can all join in.
Each month we should be able to reach a certain amount of miles
in one stretch.
By the end of March we should all be able to
manage 19 miles.
By the end of April we should all be able to
manage 21 miles
By the end of May we should be able to manage
the following:
15 mile walk one day, followed by a 17
mile walk the very next day. (2 days)
17 mile walk one day, followed by the
21/23 mile walk the very next day (2 days)
15, 17 and 21/23 mile walks three days on the
trot. (3 days)
Potato field
On the coast to coast walk we will be walking high mileages
every day for 13 days, and on most of these days there will be a
number of hills to climb, plus the possibility of high winds,
rain and reduced visibility.
It is difficult to train for such terrain here in Suffolk,
although we are currently training in these weather conditions,
we realize how much of a struggle it can be on the high mileage
days, especially trying to read a map, take a compass reading
and checking the gps.
Weather
We hopefully, will encounter warmer weather, but this too can
drain your energy and stamina levels.
The Coast to Coast walk is going to be a challenge for all of
us.
For a good test of stamina and fitness it was suggested that we
should plan to:
- Train in the boots that we are going to wear on the walk
- Train with a full rucksack at all times
- Test out our equipment for comfort and durability
- Stick to a plan of achieving the mileage for each month and
where possible walk high mileages on consecutive days.
- And stay out of ditches!
Ditches