TEAM FIT CHICKS – 100km in 28:36 hours!!
Chicks, we are back from the 2010 OXFAM TRAILWALKER and lived to tell about it – yay!
Many of you may be thinking, ” What the heck is the OXFAM Trailwalker?” Here is a description they had posted on their website:
Oxfam Trailwalker is the world’s greatest and toughest team challenge. Completing the 100km journey on foot in 48 hours or less, as a team of 4 is a physical and mental challenge! Each team must start together, stick together and finish together. The event is not just physically demanding, but it is also a fundraising challenge in support of Oxfam’s work to end poverty and injustice around the world.
About 4 months ago, Stephanie (one of our fab FC Extraordinaire) approached us with the idea of participating in this challenge. As a team, we were pumped to take part in it right away. Not only a fab fitness goal (hiking 100km in 48 hours or less), but to help raise funds for such an amazing organization that helps in the fight and poverty and injustice towards women in developing countries. I am not sure if we were so excited for the challenge and the cause that it did not really sink in what we were about to do. Well, on Friday, July 23rd, it hit me pretty fast!
Friday morn, Team FIT CHICKS which consisted of Amanda, Jackie, Stephanie and myself, piled in a car at 6am and headed to Barrie, Ontario where the race kicked off. This summer has been pretty dry (and crazy humid!) in Ontario. Well, this day it decided to rain not only cats and dogs, but pigs and buffalos too – it was a MONSOON!! We are always super positive so we pumped our tunes, did some “car rain dancing” and started reaching out to our chicks on Twitter and FB to start sending us some luv to help get through this…I had not seen rain like this in a LONG time! Well, all your happy thoughts and booty shakin rain dancing must have worked cuz just as we pulled up in Barrie, the clouds parted and the rain stopped. Don’t ever underestimate the power of the CHICK!
So we checked in and took a peek at the course which I can honestly say I did not even look at in advance. For the chicks who know me or are in my classes, I am also known as the “Pedometer Pusher”! I love walking and think it one of the most IMPORTANT ways to stay active and healthy in between bootcamp classes. It is not weird for me to do 25000 steps in a day (you should aim to do at least 10000/day) so in my brain, this was just a little extra long putter..I mean, I love to walk so this couldn’t be that big of deal, right? Boy was I WRONG!
The map showed the 9 check points where we had to check in at as a team. Each checkpoint was about 9-13km between each. You had to check in as all 4 to continue to be eligible and this was where you would meet your support crew to eat, bandage feet, rehydrate, rest,etc. This was the point we all kind looked at each other and you could see the “HOLY CHICK!” look on our faces.
We took off at 9am on Friday through what became the HARDEST, craziest, most physically and mentally challenging thing I have EVER done! This was not a little putter / nature trail walk that I thought. We took off through the Simcoe forest starting in Barrie and ending in Orillia. It was straight up at points, steep drops, climbing through tunnels ankle deep in water, balancing on logs over rivers, hiking in the pitch black with only a head lamp to guide you. I tripped over roots, heard a very SCARY animal deep in the wilderness with no one else around but us 4 chicks, rolled my ankle at km82, we had some serious tummy probs on the team (all those squats in bootcamp definitely paid off!), blisters upon blisters, feet wrapped up like mummies, not sleeping for 38 hours and a body that started to tell me it couldn’t do anymore…
And you know what is the craziest part, I LOVED every second (even the parts I didn’t like!). As hard as it was, we had so much fun! With our bright yellow shirts (and I sported a super fabulous yellow flower in my hair to represent my chicks cuz yellow flowers represent friendship and energy – plus it really spruced up the outfit!)
Here are my top highlights:
1. Singing CHER at the top of my lungs in the pitch black at 68km. Gotta represent for those 80’s booty moves we do in class!
2. Our support crew – Chris and Dallas. These roosters ROCK! I can not even begin to thank them enough for tending to our nasty feet, making sure we were fed and watered at every checkpoint and most of all, believing in us and making us laugh when we thought we couldn’t do it. They even got teary when we crossed the finish line (I am sure they will love to know I just wrote that )
3. Trying to play matchmaker at 50km. A fit chick never lets a possibility for a cute date pass her by )
4. Laughing! And we LAUGHED! Covered in sweat, mud, broken to pieces – we were known by all the teams and support staff as the chicks who never stopped laughing.
5. DJ WILDERNESS. Our new buddy who was cranking tunes as we hiked (we renamed him)
6. Teamwork. It may sound cliche but doing this with 3 fab, fierce chicks. I could never have done it without the amazing energy. We always had one lead motivator on the team who would never let us fall, physically or emotionally
7. YOU! Our chicks were tweeting and messaging us the whole way and this is what kept us going! From recommending tunes to keep us pumped, what snacks we should refuel on and just sending your luv – we felt you with us every step and it kept us trekking (or in my case, hobbling the last 18km!).
And they are off! TEAM FIT CHICKS ready to rock the next 100km.
Tunnel running in ankle deep water. Just another typical FC day
A little ladder won’t slow these chicks down!
Thank goodness for squats and lunges in GI JANE Bootcamp!! They saved us during these steep treks!
We were starving! Jackie, our CHief Chick Sergeant, recharging on almond butter and banana sandwiches – DELISH!
Our poor tootsies – even a good peddie couldn’t help these toes!
The Head Chicks, Amanda and Laura, heading into the dark forest at 60km. Apparently, the flower / head lamp is the look this season!
Stretching up a storm at 77km- I never knew it could feel so good!
The trail markers which we did not always seem to pay attention too – only got lost 3 times! Not bad!
Kilometre 91 – we have hit Orillia and on the home stretch! The longest 9km of my life!
On the last 1km, we were all completely exhausted and we were all like “This was awesome but I will NEVER do this again!” but once we crossed the finish line, got our medals and took a seat, we sat in silence taking it all in. Then Amanda looks at me and says, “You know, I am so proud of us but I think we could do this faster…” and with that we are already scoping out next years event as well as the OXFAM Trailwalker in Belgium!
Way to go team! Crossing the finish line after over 24 hours on our feet – go FIT CHICKS!!!
So, what were the RESULTS???
Team FIT CHICKS came in 23rd out of 126 teams with a time of 28:36min – WOOT WOOT! Not only that, we did..wait for it…156000 steps on my pedometer – can you believe it?!
Also, we video blogged the whole way so keep your eyes peeled for the vids posted soon!
Thanks for all your support chicks – and we want to hear what your big fab, fitness goals are!! Who knows, we may join you… Now I have to go ice my feet again…
Have a FABULOUS day,
Laura, Your Head Chick xoxo
