The vital stats

The lowdown:

The Powertalkers finished the event in 30 hours and 34 minutes. We did not sleep, but we stopped more than we planned. This was about 6 hours more than we planned, mainly because one team member had blisters. In the lead up to the event she did everything right – she went to a sports podiatrist, bought good shoes, bought $35 socks, the works, and yet she still got them. Her amazing will to complete the event is something that I will always remember – the first blisters appeared at the 7km mark, and she walked a further 93km. In addition, her knees stopped working properly at the 92km mark, so for the last section, which consists of very steep hills both up and down, she walked down the hills backwards. Yes, backwards.

We had 4 different support crews meet us:
Suzie's mum and her partner Ray did CP2 during the day at Lysterfield Park
Peter and Daniel did the Friday night shift and treated us like queens.
Cathy and Beth did the overnight shifts. They arrived at 11:30pm and we did not get to them until 4am - when it was about 3 degrees celcius.
Cameron and Casey did the morning overlap shift (arriving at around 7:30am) and then waited all day for us to finish.

We raised over $4,000 because someone from my workplace donated $932 just before the walk, and took us then to our $4,000 goal. We have another $400 or so we haven't banked yet, and are hoping now to get to $5,000 by the end of May.

We had a late start time, which meant that the most difficult sections of the trail were done in the dark. Walking in the dark is actually quite good fun, until about 5am. Then it’s not fun anymore.

When we did our training, I often wondered what it would feel like to walk a section of the trail after say 80km. I can now advise that it hurts. A lot.

Our team finished 412th out of 714 teams.

We finished 72 / 161 of female only teams so in the top half (we were pleased with that).

Of the complete teams of four who finished the event, we were number 272 of 436.

You can see photos from our team here. I love the 7:30am Saturday shots (sorry about the offensive one but it really reflected the mood). We didn’t get any finish line shots taken because we couldn’t think any more.

We burned 7458 calories, and took over 150,000 steps.

Once I can get shoes back on my feet, I will be in training for the half marathon series that starts in around July. You are welcome to join me! (it’s only 22km). For now, I am hobbling around in thongs (flip flops for our US cousins).

That's all for now - I have some software testing to organise.

Love,

Miss Jojo xx

We're all done

Our team, and about a million blisters, completed the 100km walk about 4:30pm yesterday afternoon. We took about 5 hours longer than we planned, and most of our extra time was spent attending to sore feet (which you must do). I'll write the story of what happened later. Journey is an understatement.

As I crossed the finish line, I cried and said that it was the most ridiculous thing I had ever done and I will never do it again. I don't need to. Today, as I sit at the computer with slippers on (the only things I can bare putting on my feet), I'm already contemplating doing it next year.

By the way, the short version of the story is that the first 50km were great - and the last 50km was a long way from joyous. Learnt a lot though.

More later,

love,

Miss Jojo xx

1 more sleep till we walk off a million calories

Only one sleep to go till we cover our 100km walk. We're packed. We're eating pasta and muesli. Niki is buying a last pair of socks. We've both been to the physio or osteo to get the last treatments on our backs and other sore bits before we walk.

The logistics are sorted. We have 3 different support crews driving and helping us throughout the 24 hour period. Friends and family are coming to the finish line. We've bought snacks and muesli bars. The coffee is packed just in case. I have at least 3 changes of clothes - for a 24 hour race!

The weather is going to be lovely.

Check our progress here.

Donate to Oxfam on behalf of our team here.

We're excited. I'm a little nervous. I know it's going to hurt at some point. I want it to be joyous.
Love

Miss Jojo xx

Easier and easier

So last night I jogged to tap, did a one hour class and jogged home. Round trip distance is 6km. Burned around 550 calories in total, it was an easy workout but I did huff and puff, and today I feel like I could do it all again. Oh the joy.

Lucky, because tonight we're doing a night walk. Need to practice with our headlamps strapped on.

Miss Jojo xx

Tapering training

Wow. We've started tapering our training before the big walk and my muscles are starting to recover and I feel like I have a normal body. Wow. I feel great!
Nearly every week since December, we've been pushing past our walking boundaries to the point of intense pain, building our endurance. Each session has required a full-on recovery and no exercise the next day. The training we did last weekend was almost nothing and I'm finding that I'm much more able to do other things.

The last few circus classes have been ridiculously hard for me - I've been shattered at the start of the class, and fairly weak throughout the class. Flipping myself upside down (like you do on monkey bars) was nearly impossible and I needed assistance. Last night I had energy and strength and could actually do stuff. I climbed the rope like I know what I was doing (I peeked in the mirror and looked just like the other girls). Our class was so much more fun. I'd forgotten what it was like to feel strong and energetic at circus (I'm sure we only have a 3 week memory of actual feelings).

And today, I am comfortably sore. A bit bruised from this thing you do that I can't even explain, but involves being upside down on a rope with only your bent knee and the rope around your back holding you in place. I'm planning either a run or a tap class tonight and am completely up for either of them.

Happy days.

Miss Jojo xx

2nd last training walk - done

Our trailwalker team did our 2nd last training walk - just the last checkpoint. We'd been told that we should, so we did. I'm sure it's going to be a different caper when we're 91 km into the walk, but with fresh legs, it was very easy for the most part. We love our sticks.

So, 2.5 hours, and about 700 calories burnt. Easy peasy.

We're tapering our training now. Our feet, knees, calves and hip flexors need to rest up. Back to normal old cardio training - I'm heading out for a run at lunchtime and will just cover an easy 6km.

cheerio

Miss Jojo

Today's healthy eating and weight loss tip

No joke. Wear tight non stretch jeans and sit at a desk all day.
I promise you won't overeat.

If you're wearing comfy stretchy tracky pants - well, back to other forms of control :)

love,

Miss Jojo xx

Sometimes I am amazed that I live in the same world as everyone else

Bugger me - I thought I was connected and in touch with the world and I missed something I really wanted to do - AGAIN!!! This is a recurring theme.

In 2006, it somehow escaped me that Melbourne was running the Commonwealth Games (well I knew about that bit), and auditioning dancers for the opening and closing ceremonies. I did not find out about the auditions until they were all done and dusted, and just about EVERYONE ELSE I KNEW knew about it, auditioned, and got in! I would have been at the very least, a Dame Edna, because no-one got knocked back. No-one. I could have been a sweet heart girl but they only wanted under 30's so I didn't go to that audition. This would have been a dream come true for me and I bloody well missed it.

In 2009, I just read a comment on Craig Harper's blog, which I read almost every day, and someone mentioned that Ekhart Tolle was speaking at Melbourne Convention Centre. Spoke. Already. I would have loved to go. I've had trouble finishing his book - I kept getting lost, but would have loved to hear him speak. How is it that I read motivational blogs, get spam emails from Ticketek and Ticketmaster and missed it. Because I rely on the electronic media to find out this stuff.

Oh that's right - I have no social life with people on the same kind of path as me. I don't think I know anyone else in real life that would know who Ekhart Tolle is (apart from my partner). I've certainly never talked about him to other people.

Miss Jojo

Fun was finally had

Well, amazing what a bit of social interaction can do.... We had people over for dinner on Sunday. It was fantastic. We drank wine,talked, laughed, and ate my cooking (so pretty healthy all up). A social life like normal people! Hooray!

I made a shit hot dessert that was those tiramisu biscuits, berries and sugar syrup, weight watchers custard and then some ice cream. Niki and I lashed out and ate full fat ice cream. The one scoop was worth it, particularly as we knew what we were up for the following day. I should have had less wine though :) - parts of the walk were really difficult and I'm sure a lot of that was to do with alcohol.

In training news, a really good weekend.
Sat - did 2.5 hour walk / run combo with Niki
Sun - solid weights workout - abs, arms, shoulders, back and chest
Mon - 34 km walk up and down some reasonable hills. We burned 2,100 calories and walked over 45,000 steps.

Today - recovering, planning to go to circus tonight.

Oh and guess what - Niki and I did a little recovery session at Aspendale beach on Saturday afternoon walking in the cold water and playing with our dog - the beach was deserted practically, and a lifeguard came running up to us and told us to get out of the water.... a SHARK had been spotted. We got out pretty quick!

love

Miss jojo xx

My blog is too %*($)&@ing nice

Way too nice. I don't even swear. I swear in my head though. A lot.

Funny - having a professional profile (of sorts) means that I get googled from time to time. And my IT / professional / Director Customer Quality Persona and my real persona are just a little different. There's plenty of overlap, but of course I need to be polite and respectful at work. Much more polite and respectful than I am in my head.

I'm bored with being nice. And I'm bored of being so achievement-oriented, to the point of being a doing, focussed, exercising, do-good machine! Sure it makes me feel good, but my social life is utter crap. I don't socialise because I'm too busy doing dancing / circus hobbies, training, working, getting to and from work, cleaning and cooking.

Another crazy week. Up and down and all over the shop. RIP Lynne Young. You left us too early. I grieve for your boys.

Do-gooder Jojo persona has done most of what I planned, but did not go to pilates today because I didn't feel like it (which by the way I acknowledge is a completely crap reason for not doing something, but I'm being truthful). Walking tomorrow instead of circuit class. Ate well.

My t-shirt doesn't need to say "suck it up princess" - I do that. It needs to say "lighten up princess". Have a bit of fun for god's sake. Laugh. Smile even. Stop being so %(*$*ing determined all the time. It's boring.

cheerio

Miss Jojo xxx

Miss Jojo is back

There you go. Rested. Had a weekend at mum's - working bee and looking after kids. Today I'm feeling like a human again. I must have been run down. I have a really big cold sore (yikes).

I went for a run in the country yesterday. Knocked out 40 minutes, didn't get through the pain barrier, but at least I did it. My knees are feeling better, back is feeling better, and my ankle is kind of feeling better. I'm ready for a good week as follows:

Mon - 1 hour run/ walk and a cooking fest at home
Tue - circus (great shoulder, back, chest and abs workout)
Wed - taking day off to train with walking
Thur - tap and weights
Fri - pilates
Sat - circuit class
Sun - rest

cheerio

Miss Jojo