Walk? Maybe a Run!

I'm writing this blog post right after returning from a short run. But I'll be honest - I don't like running and never have. Throughout my life, I've run regularly several times, and my biggest achievement was running about 10km several times a week for almost a year. Even now I try to go for a run at least once a week, but only to get my heart beating a bit faster. And frankly, also because my Garmin watch shows a lot of interesting information after runs - and it's easy to compare them. I'll admit it - I'm a technology freak. Each time it does get a bit easier to pull myself together and put on my workout clothes and boots... But I still don't like running.

I like walks. Medium-long, long, and very long. Several weeks ago, I committed to walking 10k steps every day - regardless of weather conditions and wherever I am. So far, I've kept this commitment. Walked in rain and snow, but mostly in wonderful weather. Even when it was hard to motivate myself to go out, the positive feelings during the walk always compensated for it. And it doesn't really matter whether I walk through the city, through forests, or simply wander along country roads around my little house. Walks inspire me, especially when my wife joins me. Then maybe there's a bit less time for reflection, but I believe that's also why we have no unspoken things between us. We have enough time to discuss all the important and even trivial matters. The conclusion is one - walking is not just personal therapy, but also couples therapy.

After walking like this every day for a while, I remembered that I had seen the start of a hike in the nearby town of Rinteln. I searched online and found it - Megamarsch (https://www.megamarsch.de/). Then I decided I wanted to participate in one. In a few weeks, there was a 50km hike in Hanover, which is not far from us. The furthest my wife and I had walked together in one go, a few years ago, was 36km in Sigulda. I remember it wasn't the easiest adventure, so I started preparing seriously for my first 50km Megamarsh. One of the things I started thinking more seriously about - equipment.

Usually it seems that you don't need anything for walking, maybe just shoes. Shoes are important, but that's not the only thing. I bought good walking shoes for myself a couple of years ago. I'm quite shy and usually don't talk to salespeople in stores, but that time at the Jack Wolfskin store I got lucky with a salesperson who asked me in detail about where and how I walk, where I plan to walk, and in what weather conditions. Then he measured my feet and sold me shoes that I still walk in today. Well, it's probably time to change them soon. This will be a reason to look for a shoe supplier to offer here in the store and to verify the quality by using them myself. Shoes are clear, but that's not all that's needed.

I carefully studied the recommended items list on the Megamarsh website and spent a lot of time looking for things that wouldn't bankrupt me before the hike started, but would still be comfortable and practical enough. A small backpack, first aid kit, water reservoir, dishes and utensils, light rain jacket, waist bag. These are some of the things I prepared for my first megamarsh. I'm a big fan of military backpacks - I really like the MOLLE system that allows attaching various additional modules to the bag - I chose a small 20L backpack. Since the weather was forecast to be hot, for water I chose not a bottle, but a 3L water bladder with a drinking tube that fits inside the backpack. A few protein and fruit sugar bars to snack on between rest stations, and I decided I was properly prepared.

To test myself, I decided a week before the megamarsh to walk half the distance - 25km through local hills. Shorter distance, but more terrain changes. I packed up and hit the road. It was a good idea. When I repacked my bag for the third time because somehow the water tube worked sometimes and didn't work other times, I realized that the tube wasn't clogged, but I hadn't quite understood how the drinking valve actually works. Good thing I figured that out on the test hike. Thank God I didn't need to use the first aid kit. I was fairly satisfied with all the other equipment. I realized that not only shoes matter, but also socks. I went on the hike wearing good work socks, but they weren't the best for walking. I bought hiking socks, but decided to pack the tested socks in my backpack too, in case the new socks didn't want to cooperate. This is one of the very important principles - on long hikes you shouldn't use anything important for the first time, everything must be tested. The test hike went well - I made sure I was ready for my first 50km hike.

The megamarsh itself started very well. And actually went very well too. I walked at a calm pace and the whole hike took me a bit more than 9 hours. At that time I wasn't yet equipped with a Garmin watch, and my previous smartwatch battery died soon after half distance. There were rest points every 10km along the trail, offering water bottle refills, various snacks, etc. I had planned not to stay long at rest stops - did a lap, ate a couple of pickled gherkins, a fruit, and practically without stopping continued on the distance. After the 35th kilometer, counting kilometers slowed down and each kilometer became longer and longer. Therefore at the 40km rest stop I sat down, refilled my water bladder from which I had drunk 2.5L of water, and rested a bit. Not for the first time I realized I'm not the only one who likes Minions - the guy at the drink station was very happy about my Minion mug. The last 10 km went quite calmly, because soon after the rest stop my wife joined me and we walked the last kilometers together - maybe I was just a bit quieter than usual during our joint hikes. The finish was truly full of unforgettable emotions and energy.

The next day I realized that underwear also matters at certain kilometer counts. My everyday briefs had left painful chafing at the seam areas. Clear - I added underwear to my shopping list. This is just a small insight into why I decided that my experience could help others who are just starting to think about longer hikes.

See you in the next blog posts!

Mārtiņš

Translated by Dave 🍌