Ultra Walk I (2016)
2016 has been the year I have been off the bike the most due to the so called "cyclist syndrome", from which I have been trying to recover. I have visited many practitioners and Doctors to get to the bottom of the problem but, unfortunately, Pudental Nerve Entrapment is a complex issue, it is badly diagnosed and most treatments are very not effective. Nerve pain takes longer to heal than muscular pain and must be patient and avoid rushing back on the bike. I have corrected my standing and sitting postures a great deal and now have a standing desk at work. Changing lifestyle is the thing that has been most effective up to now. I still hope I can recover soon.
A tour on the bike was really not an option for 2016, so I then decided that I would take on a different challenge. I thought that nothing was going to stop me from keeping the promise I made back in 2013 and in doing so I would try and help others. I decided to walk 100km from London to home (Brighton), taking part of the trek organised by the British Heart Foundation (people were very caring all the way trough and I thank the volunteers for supporting us). That was the toughest challenge ever; especially, when you are unprepared like I was. Next time I will do something of the kind, I will make sure I am super prepared. I raised money for two charities though justgiving.com (BHF and BPNA) and the funds are likely to be matched by my employer. Through the help of my friends and coleagues at work we manage to hit both targets. We raised together £550. The good news is that my employer contributed with another £550, totalling £1100.
The longest walk I had ever taken part of was the pilgrimage from Liniers to Luja'n, covering a distance of 58.8km. I walked this distance twice as a teenager and as a young adult. This sort of pilgrimages involves walking from around midday to the middle of the night. Things were easier back then because a) I was taking on the challenge as part of a group and b) I was younger and could recover much faster. In both opportunities I remember not having a single blister by the end of the pilgrimage. But still walking that distance is a challenge.
Walking 100km is really a completely different game. I completed this challenge under a lot physical pain and suffering. It took me around 26 hours to arrive to the finish line and my pregnant wife walked with me for the last few kilometres, helping get to the end. I started the challenge at around 8am and finished it at around 2pm the following day. I started extremely well, at a very very fast pace (looking back now I am certain that this was clearly the wrong strategy). I walked for about 8hrs at around 6km per hour (too fast). My wife met me half way, where I stopped to get some coffee and have a little chat. It was great to see Sakina waiting for me.
From them on things got extremely tough. Tiredness slowed me down a little but early warning signs stated at the next checkpoint. By 56km, I started feeling blisters creeping up on the sole of my feet and from then on my pace slowed down dramatically. I believe the main problem were my shoes - not fit for purpose. Although the shoes were good, they were I think a size too big. Showers made my feet a little bit wet and rubbing started. Had I put on top another pair of sock and changed them regularly, blister would have come later. Maybe it would have been to have more solid shoes for a walk this long. The shoes I had were the North Face hybrid kind. They are definitely excellent shoes for half the distance. And I do recommend them.
When you start feeling the stabbing, I consulted with paramedics. They examined me and bandaged me. But, in doing so, they all advised me to stop. "It is not worth putting yourself through this much pain. You can do it next year. You have so many more km to go. It is pointless to continue. Don't be foolish." I felt I had to carry on but my mind started playing up since. The same sort of commentary was running through my head: "This is too painful. Why are you doing this to yourself? If you stop, people will understand." But at the same time I was saying to myself: "You have come this far to stop? Tomorrow you not only will have blisters but will also feel a sense of defeat. You will let a lot of people down". This later thought kept me going.
Walking through the night on my own was an interesting experience but by then I had so many blisters that my head was continuously begging me to stop. My heart was saying something completely different. When you raise money for a cause you have that extra incentive; the strength to finish something like this comes virtually from nowhere. But above all, I had the support of friends and family all through the night. There were a couple of key moments. The first one was a text from a friend in the middle of the night telling me that I could make it. The second one was to see a FOX crossing the road in the middle of the night (a clear sign as in Strava I am known as The Flying Fox). The third one, and most important, was a picture of the scan of our little baby that my wife sent to me at around 3 am. Once I saw the scan of our baby boy, I said to myself "this effort and this pain remember is to thank the universe that not only I am alive but also that Sakina and I are expecting a little one". I must confess, things were not easy but my mental strength had gone to another level. I slowed down and knew that nothing will stop me from getting to destination.
The last 20km were the toughest, not only because I had blisters on the sole of both my feet but because both blisters had popped and had come back. I started developing blisters also on two of my toes. I knew then that I would loose my nails. But I didn't even want to see. I decided to put my head down, ignore the blisters as much as I could, and get to the finish line. But climbing had started by that point. When you have blisters on the sole of your feet going up a hill is worse than being stabbed. It is utterly painful. Let alone going down the hill. And we had to climb a fair bit to get to the sea front. In sum, pain, climbing, lack of sleep and a strange sensation in my stomach, which I carry with me for at least a week or two.
It was amazing to see my wife waiting for me by the sea side. What a nice feeling! I knew that seeing her meant that I had done it. Although she was about 4 and half month pregnant, she ran towards me when she saw me. We had about 8km to go and they were the slowest. I don't remember correctly but it is possible that it took me about 2 and half hours to get to finish line from there. The pace was extremely slow and Sakina was carrying not only my backpack but also holding me until the end.
The support and sense of joy was truly unbelievable. A way of purifying my mind. I was so emotional, I was on tears at the end! You can maybe see this in the second video.
I made it because of you little one! Welcome to the World, your World!