Hi guys
Just wondering your views, I’m doing a sponsored walk 25 mile, plenty of ups and downs with workmates of mixed ability, majority female.

I am a fairly fast walker and So walking with a group that decide to stop every 5 mins for a breather, a sandwich, a drink etc will do my head in, mtb’ing has got me to a reasonable level of fitness and with a camelback I.ll only stop occasionally for a quick breath and food at the top of big hills to admire the view..

The plan is to set off at 7am, I’d like to do part of the walk with the group, but at the same time, I don’t want to be walking for 12-15 hours, at a slow pace, if it was mtb’ing I’d happily take it easy and practise my wheelies and the like to entertain myself on big ascents and pedal around in circles till the others caught up. (Not that I’d want to do it with non regular cyclists)

Would it be rude to give the group a 2 hour head start, based on current timings I think that would give me at least the final third to final half to walk in the group..
Ps I’m not planning to run and want to enjoy the day..
My conscience is getting the better of me.. Heart says just go along with it, but my head says I.ll snap

If you don’t want to go, why are you going?

Rachel

Hi Rachel I’m not sure which part you’ve read that says I don’t want to go.
I’m looking forward to the challenge, I’ve done a few practise walks and I feel ready for the big day,
The other weekend I walked the same track/distance on my own in 4 hours as our group of 7 took 7 1/2 hours, hence my concerns..

I’m used to walking, biking with people I know with similar abilities in far smaller groups, my concerns are its a fairly large group 15+ and I do not want any ill will..
The group will likely splinter anyway, but is it worth holding back and catching the guys up, I know of the group 3 or 4 will be in exact the same feelings..
Just curious how others have dealt with it, organised it..
Whatever happens I’m sure we.ll all have a beer at the end

Take a big bag and carry everyone’s stuff.. Should slow you down and speed everyone else up.

If you want to give them a head start with no ill will, “accidentally” sleep in on the day and then call them, tell them to start without you and that you’ll try to catch up.

However, as a stronger member of the group, you might be more useful encouraging others in the group or carrying extra bags.

know of the group 3 or 4 will be in exact the same feelings..

So do it with them…? No reason to all walk together for the sake of it, particularly if you expect it’ll split up.

Cloudnine lol I’m not an ironman.. 😯

Njee20 yeah it’ll probably go that way,

Onzadog that could work, I do want to support the group, hence the idea to catch them up, and complete the last third with them. Thanks 😆

Don’t be silly..stw members are all riding gods with ironmanlike fitness. Embrace your role as sherpa / mule.

Just crack on, the women will have forgotten you exist after the first 30mins once they get chatting..

Unless you fancy one of them obvz…

Good idea from cloudnine. Really. The point of anything sponsored is that it is a challenge. If you find it easy then you need to push yourself a bit. Also if it’ll be a bigger challenge for the others then it’s nice to level the field little.

Start at the same time as the main group, run to the finish, turn round, run back till you reach the main group, walk the rest with them. You’ll welcome their pace by then 🙂

I think it would be rude not to set off en masse. You could be a hero and help the slower walkers with luggage and blisters. Or,start late and breeze past the others shouting “elite sponsored walker” as you pass .

start late and breeze past the others shouting “elite sponsored walker” as you pass .

“Strrraaaaavvvvaaaaa!!!”

Alternatively, if you’d be happy to just muck about on your mtb take the opportunity to brush up your parkour skills on any obstacles on or beside the path?

Thanks for all the sensible comments, I am in no way an ironman or “elite sponsored walker”

OP’s next performance review should be good.

“Give me an example of how you have shown you are a team player” 😉

I’ve never really understood sponsored events, but is the idea of sponsorship not that it is a challenge (usually of “endurance”), and something you wouldn’t normally do? Is your challenge not that you’d have to walk slower than normal with a bunch of other people?

Is the group organiser assuming that the 3 fit people will be a useful backup if anything goes wrong?
Is the group organiser intending this as a “team building” thing or just to raise money?

If you really can’t bear 1 day at a slow pace (and then I wonder why you are doing it with this group?) then perhaps you could do the first 1/2 at a faster pace to arrive at the lunch site early, and set up a BBQ/soup/tea kitchen. The motivation that there is some proper food is a good driver for people to get to that point. You’ll have to carry the food, fuel etc which will slow you down.

The other weekend I walked the same track/distance on my own in 4 hours as our group of 7 took 7 1/2 hours, hence my concerns

I am in no way an ironman or “elite sponsored walker”

But you do reckon you will be twice as fast as the others so either they didn’t push it and enjoyed themselves or you are twice as fit so could probably take along a few extra things to make their day more enjoyable and to make yours more of a challenge.

I’m not sure what the difference is between starting at the same time and doing the first bit together, or starting later and doing the last bit together.

The first time I did a sponsored run with work, it was a 10K and we all agreed to run together. That lasted for about 200 yards. I’d wager the same will happen walking, a group will naturally split into faster and slower walkers. I wouldn’t sweat it or employ any tricks, just go at your own pace and let everyone else do the same.

Also, what Poly said.

I’m not sure what the difference is between starting at the same time and doing the first bit together, or starting later and doing the last bit together.

One doesn’t involve getting up at 6.30am

Have done loads of these and as above the best solution is just to crack on

Walk at your own pace. Walking at a slower pace stopping & starting is excruciating. Others will walk with you for a while so it’s not like you’ll be on your own

Have leisurely breaks etc and push off just as the slowest arrive

push off just as the slowest arrive

yeah, ‘cos nothing cheers your colleagues who are struggling more than you getting up and trotting off from a rest at the top of a hill at the moment they arrive in a sweaty mess expecting a 10 minute breather.

Walk with your colleagues, it may not test you (aside from your patience) but if you are entered as a group then you should start and finish as a group.

You make it sound as though the walk isn’t really a challenge for you so why not accept that it’s well within your abilities and choose to help out the folk your with for who might be finding it a bit harder. Either by being the team mule or by bringing up the rear and helping the stragglers along with a bit of chat and gentle motivation.

Only you can decide

If you are “leading the group” then you should (IMO) pace off the slowest member of the group and work together as a team

If you are simply a member of a loose groups of colleagues, just buddy up with similar paced walkers and enjoy yourselves. No one will be happy if there is tension between different paced walkers

Start with them, have an ‘enhanced’ lunch break, start the second half with them, finish with the stronger walkers.

That’s what I did when I was walking lots and did the Yorkshire Three Peaks with a group of mixed walkers.

That and slip and almost fall into Gaping Gill when being silly and walking in the stream that runs into it whilst looking into the hole 😯

Muppetwrangler it will definately be a challenge for me, had a feeing this would dig a hole and be a favourite for trolls, some great commentary though, I can see both sides of the coin and that is what I hoped to gain from this post

If it was vice versa and I said I was worried I was too slow and unfit I wonder what the comments would have said

I was worried I was too slow and unfit I wonder what the comments would have said

“don’t fret, go at your own pace – I’m sure one of your more confident colleagues will stick with you, carry your pack, make sure you drink and eat enough and generally make sure you’re ok for the day.”

hth.

Am doing 66 miles in 2 days at the end of May. I’m not worried about finishing ahead of everyone.

Give up the idea of showing off your fitness, stay at the pace of the group, enjoy the views, enjoy the company and be at hand to offer help and advice? You could even carry a roll of micropore for blisters because there’s bound to be somebody who suffers and isn’t prepared.

Do it as sponsored crawl on your elbows and knees instead.

eat some of the mushroms at the start and enjoy the day

Hop?

Definitely start with the group, if you decide to start 2 hours later because you’re a much faster walker than them you’ll just come across as a bit of a prat.

If you must shoot off on your own then that will happen naturally, no need to ma a big deal of it.

But to be honest you would be better just walking with the group, it’s one day.

That’s an extremely fast walking pace to cover 25 miles in four hours!! Most very fit amateurs would be happy to finish a marathon in that sort of time.

That was a practice, not 25 miles, I believe.

It’s a tough one, I have done a few 100km team walks where you need the support of the group to help get you round, whereas for 25 miles, if you are fit and healthy it shouldn’t be any sort of “ordeal” where you need morale support. The issue I think is that if others in your group do find this distance challenging then they may need the team player in you to help them round and could resent you for ditching them.

For that reason I say do it in flip flops to level the playing field

Gary M the thought was not to show how fast a walker I am, it was to allow a finish to the walk with the bulk of the group, therefore catching up and joining the team for the last X miles. The tough bit.

I’m glad to report everyone has been training hard with multiple practise runs so in theory like you say , I shouldn’t stress and just see what happens on the day.. It is a far bigger group than expected and so it will inevitably split.

Flipflop, mushrooms, crawl, hop 😛

Ps. The practise was 5-6km an hour, not marathon distance lol