Training Guide

Beginner Training

The beginners training guide is for participants who have never done anything like Oxfam Trailwalker. Beginners aim to get to the finish line within 48 hours.

Phase 1: Building a Base (weeks 1 to 4)
For the first week, just get out and walk. For some people this will be for 20 minutes and for others, 50 minutes. Don’t push, don’t hurt and don’t get breathless. Training should always be fun. For the next three weeks, keep walking. Try walking every other day, for a minimum of three times a week. Each time you walk, add five minutes to your walk and try to go a bit faster.

Phase 2: The Long Walk (weeks 5 to 10)
When you can comfortably walk for 50 minutes without a break, it’s time to look at building up your distance. The long walks are highly recommended so your team can test equipment; hydration and nutrition systems; and, of course, team dynamics. Phase 2 includes a mixture of easy training days, medium to hard days, and then the long walk on the weekend. See the Sample Beginner Sessions below.

Phase 3: Peak (weeks 11 to 12)
In Phases 3 and 4, you are maximizing your strength and fitness, then tapering off so you’ll be in peak condition for the actual event. The long walk included in this phase will mentally prepare you for the distance and time required. Your team should agree on a strategy for rest stops and sleeping on the trail, and you should decide on your individual plan for what to carry, wear, drink and eat. Weeks 11 and 12 will be similar to the preceding weeks but the long walk will link several sections of the trail and should be at least 50 kilometres long.

Phase 4: Taper (weeks 13 to 14)
Reduce the amount of training on the two weekends prior to the event — especially the long walk, which should drop back to two or three hours in week 13 and one or two hours in week 14. Shorten the weekday walks and reduce the intensity to a comfortable level. You should now be fit and well rested. Stick to the plan and enjoy Oxfam Trailwalker!

SAMPLE BEGINNER SESSIONS
PHASE 2: The Long Walk

Monday – Rest day
Tuesday – Hard day
Walk for 45 minutes. Include a hilly section so you can experience both the uphill work and the downhill pressure on your knees and legs. Push yourself and ‘feel’ the hills.
Wednesday – Easy day
Walk at a relaxing pace for at least 45 minutes. Focus on your heart rate, stride length, posture, breathing, etc. In the later weeks, try some of these walks at night.
Thursday or Friday – Medium day
Warm up for 5 minutes at an easy pace, stretch for 5 minutes, then walk quickly for 20 minutes, walk slowly for 10 minutes and end with a 15-minute stretch. Rest on the other day.
Saturday or Sunday – Long walk
Do a long, steady walk, preferably on the trail with your teammates. The distance should increase each week, from three hours to ten hours. Weekly increases must take into account the difficulty of the trail (i.e. don’t increase the walk by two hours and attempt the most difficult trail sections) and breaks should be taken after three weeks of steady increases.

Here’s a sample training plan for your weekly long walk:

Week 5 – 3 hours, medium terrain
Week 6 – 4 hours, easy terrain
Week 7 – 4 hours, hard terrain
Week 8 – 3 hours, medium terrain
Week 9 – 5 hours, easy terrain
Week 10 – 6 hours, easy terrain

Each long walk brings you closer to your goal: the 100-kilometre Oxfam Trailwalker. The walks also give you the satisfaction of gaining fitness, strength and the occasional ‘runner’s high’! Have fun with your teammates and enjoy the outdoors.

Intermediate Training

Participants who regularly do aerobic activity should follow the intermediate training guide. These participants aim to finish within 20 to 32 hours (the average is 30 to 32 hours).

Phase 1: Building a Base (weeks 1 to 4)
During the first four weeks, start changing your exercise regime to include a few more walking/running sessions. You should be walking/running up to four times a week at a comfortable pace, though try a weekly session at a slightly harder pace. If you’re usually a walker, it’s also a good time to try some easy running. While you’re walking choose an object 50 to 60 metres away, such as a telephone pole, and slowly jog to it. Walk again once you’ve reached it, then repeat the exercise. Running adds variety to your training sessions and improves your cardiovascular fitness and strength.

Phase 2: The Long Walk (weeks 5 to 10)
Phase 2 is about building your strength and endurance. Because you are increasing your distance, some days will feel better than others. Listen to your body and be willing to back off. See the Sample Intermediate Sessions below.

Phase 3: Peak (week 11 to 12)
See Phase 3 for the Beginner program. For Intermediate participants, try walking on both Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday you’ll get to experience walking with sore legs.

Phase 4: Taper (week 13 to 14)
See Phase 4 for the Beginner program.

SAMPLE INTERMEDIATE SESSIONS
PHASE 2: The Long Walk

Monday – Rest day
Tuesday – Hard day
Find some local hills and spend 45 minutes taming them (or getting tamed!). Walking off-road is preferred and along the trail is ideal.
Wednesday – Easy day
Do an easy recovery walk. Focus on your heart rate, stride length, posture, breathing, etc. In the later weeks, try some of these walks at night.
Thursday – Hard day
Warm up for 15 minutes at an easy pace, stretch for 5 minutes, then walk hard for 20 minutes, walk slowly for 10 minutes and end with a 15-minute stretch.
Friday – Rest day
Saturday or Sunday – Long walk
Do a long, steady walk, preferably on the trail with your teammates. The distance should increase each week, from 3 hours to 12 hours and/or a distance of 50 kilometres. Weekly increases must take into account the difficulty of the trail (i.e. don’t increase the walk by two hours and attempt the most difficult trail sections) and breaks should be taken after three weeks of steady increases.

Here’s a sample training plan for your weekly long walk:

Week 5 – 3 hours, medium terrain
Week 6 – 5 hours, easy terrain
Week 7 – 5 hours, hard terrain
Week 8 – 4 hours, medium terrain
Week 9 – 6 hours, medium terrain
Week 10 – 8 hours, easy terrain

Try not to miss out on these four sessions per week. Spread out the sessions over the week and mix the hard/easy sessions. The long walk on the weekend is the most important. If you have time, cross-training sessions are also excellent.

Advanced Training

The advanced training guide is for participants with a good fitness level, who would like to finish the event in less than 20 hours. Advanced participants will run parts of the trail and take minimal rests.

The advanced program builds up week by week like the other training programs, however it is designed as a suggestion only. Athletes should first consider their current training regime then consult a fitness professional for specific advice.

Try breaking down your training into different sessions to help build stamina and strength. Below are the different types of training and an explanation of how create a balanced program.

Long walks/runs
The key to the Advanced program is the long run on weekends, which builds from 12 kilometres in the first week to a maximum of 36 kilometres. Experienced runners may like to train longer (up to 50 kilometres) though this may not be necessary. Save your energy and concentrate on quality runs during the rest of the week. Consistency is most important. You can skip an occasional weekday session, but do not cheat on the long runs. Your pace should be slow and comfortable, and ideally you will train with your team, on the trail. Use these sessions to confirm what you will wear, eat and drink during the event.

Hill training
Running on hills should be included once a week in the first four weeks. Increase to specific hill-repeat training once or twice per week in the next eight weeks, if you have the necessary conditioning. You can also alternate hill-training with tempo runs and interval training. Hill-repeats are the only way to get the strength required for the many hills you’ll encounter.

Note: Be careful when running downhill because of the increased risk of injury.

Interval training
When training for endurance events, long repeats (800 metres, 1600 metres or even longer) work best. Start including interval training once a week after building your base. Starting with four repeats, increase up to a maximum of eight—depending on the total distance—and run close to threshold level. Be sure to have a good warm up and cool down. Between each effort, you should allow two to three minutes of walking/jogging recovery.

Tempo training
A tempo walk/run is a continuous effort with a build-up in the middle that is close to your maximum pace (much faster than your event pace). Your peak pace for tempo training should be the pace you’d do if you were racing flat-out for 2 hours (instead of 24 hours). The pace build-up should be gradual and the peak speed should come about two-thirds into the workout, and only for three to six minutes. You can do tempo training almost anywhere: on the road, in the bush, on a track or in a park. Tempo runs should not be punishing — you should finish feeling refreshed, so don’t push the pace too hard or for too long.

Cross training
Cross training helps to prevent injuries and makes training more interesting. Consider substituting a running session for a paddling, swimming, cycling or gym activity. Train for about the same length of time you would have walked/run that day.

Tapering for the event
Be sure to taper down during the three weeks before the event so your muscles are rested and recovered. Do your last long walk/run two to three weeks before the event, then cut back your distances. Cut your distances to 50 percent of your training load during the last two weeks and reduce this to about 30 percent during the final week. Two days before the event, walk or jog lightly to stay loose and relaxed.

Here is a sample Training Schedule: