Why Do This Challenge?!We’ve tested ourselves during long thru-hikes and done challenges such as 56km in 10 ½ hours but those who try a 24 hour challenge say that they felt an amazing sense accomplishment after completing it. We are interested in pushing our minds and bodies to their limits. Through the years we’ve learned that with a little bit of determination (i.e. stubbornness) we can push through barriers and exceed almost any goals. The bottom line is that we can do very hard things.
Although… not at the expense of injuries. We will be monitoring each other – it will be a tricky balancing act! We've prepared in three main areas; location, gear, and nutrition. |
|
preparation Overview
|
Location - We've created a loop in the nearby river valley in order to leave from home and return home. The loop is approximately 30km long and we will drop a container halfway. This bin will be our resupply point. We will access it several times during the challenge for additional food, water, or access to a dry shirt if required.
Our walking scenario is to take regular breaks - every 2.5 hours or so. If we need a longer one (say 30 minutes) for a power nap in the middle of the night that's fine. We have a few scenarios based on speed so that we can always adjust our loop to finish as close to home as possible. |
|
|
Gear - We've kept this fairly simple, we are waiting for the snow melt in order to walk in 5 to 10 degree Celsius daytime temperatures. It will likely be colder at night and we will carry a few layers as well as a bivy bag for a quick cat-nap if required. We will also have a bit of electronics such as headlamps and phones.
We will have small 20litre packs; carrying some clothing, food for each loop, and the sleeping bivy. The bags will weigh 3 or 4 kilos (8 or 9 lbs). |
|
Nutrition - Let's start by stating the obvious... "we will likely burn between 8,000 and 10,000 calories." Those of you who know us and Julie in particular will understand the detail in our nutritional preparation.
The table on the right outlines the food available to us during the 24 hour period. Leaving after a good night of sleep and a light breakfast will help get us started. We don't plan on eating at specific times, we will likely 'munch' pretty much all the time or as often as possible. The nutrient breakdown (percentage) is something we wanted to focus on. Protein is hard to digest, we are focused on fats and carbs. We have been training with a lower carb diet (not keto at all - 25 to 30% carbs) and our bodies are fairly used to burning both carbs and fats (when required). We are hoping for the same outcome during this long event. Because this is a moderate energy burning event, we don't think that living mainly on carbs (simple sugars) is required. We will see! |
|
A few Folks have asked for more detail... As we get closer to the 24 Hour Challenge, click on the Pre-Trip, the Trip, and/or the Post-Trip for each detailed information page.