Trail safety - a guide to looking after yourself

Blisters

Blisters are the number one reason people don't finish Oxfam Trailwalker. Don't let this be you! Some prevention methods:

Wear-in your shoes - don't wear new shoes during the event! It may also pay to carry a spare pair incase your shoes get wet.
Socks - 'double socking' helps enormously. Use firstly a thin pair of liner socks, followed by a thicker pair of good walking socks. A breathable fabric that will draw away moisture and not retain too much heat. Get your support team to carry spare pairs for you. A fresh change of socks at each checkpoint provides great relief for walkers.
Blister pads - get to know where your feet are prone to blisters. Cover these areas with blister pads before the event. Prevention is much better than dealing with the blisters afterwards.
Clip your toenails - short toenails help prevent pressure and bruising.

Chafing

Chafing is one of the most common discomforts in Oxfam Trailwalker. Methods of prevention include:

Underarms, nipples and legs are all prone to chaffing. Put band-aids over the nipples and apply Vaseline to the other areas.
Chafing between the thighs can be tackled with bike shorts or by shaving the affected areas and applying tape such as Leucoplast.
Wear a base layer of clothing that pulls perspiration away from your body. This helps with both chafing and reduces chills from sweating.

Health precautions

Your personal condition at event time

Your ability to safely complete Oxfam Trailwalker can be greatly impacted by your personal condition at the time of the event.

Factors to consider

Recovering from or suffering from an illness
Overseas travel within 48 hours of the event
Recent participation in another endurance event
Fast shallow breathing
Big night out within the week of the event

Prevention

Avoid long distance air travel within 48 hours of the event
Avoid participating in other endurance events within 2 - 3 weeks of the event
Avoid late nights and high alcohol intake in the week prior to the event

Hypothermia

Hypothermia is a condition in which your core body temperature drops below 35 degrees Celsius. If left untreated, hypothermia can ultimately result in heart failure and death.

Symptoms

Fatigue
Shivering
Muscle spasms
Clammy skin
Stammering
Hallucinations

Prevention

Have warm clothes ready and be prepared for dramatic temperature drops during the event
Have additional warm clothes ready for cold night time walking
Carry or have your support crew carry a change of clothes in the event you get wet
At checkpoints when you rest, either cover up or change out of damp, sweaty clothes to avoid catching a chill

If you become hypothermic, change out of wet clothes immediately; cover your head, face, neck and body with warm clothing; consume hot drinks and high calorie food to maintain body temperature and seek medical help at the nearest checkpoint.

Dehydration

Dehydration is the condition of having insufficient fluid in your body tissues. Dehydration is a serious risk in such a long and strenuous event and can lead to impaired performance, vomiting and in very extreme cases, muscle failure potentially resulting in death.

Symptoms

Tiredness
Irritability
Tight/heavy feeling muscles
Headache
Dry mouth and lips

Note that symptoms of dehydration are only apparent when you are already dehydrated. Symptoms are very similar to those of hyponatremia.

Prevention

Drink electrolyte drinks instead of, or in addition to, water. Participants should try electrolyte drinks during training and ensure they can drink it comfortably.
Monitor your urine and make sure you are urinating at regular intervals and that the urine is light yellow to clear. If you are not urinating or your urine is dark in colour, you may be dehydrated.

If you experience symptoms of dehydration, immediately check with medical staff at the nearest checkpoint. DO NOT PROCEED and DO NOT simply continue drinking water.

Hyponatremia

A potentially fatal condition, hyponatremia most often occurs in exercise lasting four hours or longer and results primarily from consuming excessive fluids. It is exacerbated by not replacing sodium losses. Severe cases may involve seizures, increased intracranial pressure, fluid in the lungs and respiratory arrest. To avoid sodium depletion, replace fluids with electrolytes.

Symptoms

Headache
Fatigue
Nausea
Lack of coordination

Note these symptoms are very similar to those for dehydration.

Prevention

Monitoring your fluid intake. Drink enough fluid so that you do not feel thirsty and so that you are urinating at normal periods. If urination becomes frequent and clear coloured, you may be drinking too much.
Drinking electrolyte sports drinks instead of water. Electrolyte drinks contain salts and thereby assist in maintaining the correct salt balance in your body. Participants should try electrolyte drinks during training and ensure they can drink it comfortably.
Use sports dinks at 50% concentration in the 2-3 days pre-event in preference to water to pre-hydrate. Normal intake should be approximately 5ml / kg (i.e., 375ml if you weigh 75kg) five times per day for base hydration.

If you experience any of the symptoms of hyponatremia, consult the medical staff at the nearest checkpoint. DO NOT PROCEED and DO NOT simply continue to drink water.

Recuperation

You’ll be doing some substantial training walks in the lead up to Trailwalker and muscles you might not have felt for a while will make themselves heard loud and clear. Warming up and down before walks is important but you also might like to consider sports massage or even better – get you very own personal massage device from OSIM.

You can try OSIM’s products for yourself at Training weekend and at the event and check out our Special Offers page for how your team can win an iPamper each!

Oxfam’s former relationship development coordinator Hanna Hegan is a huge fan of OSIM’s iPamper and the events team have resigned themselves to it being a permanent fixture on Hanna’s desk. A keen runner and dedicated walker to work – Hanna finds she carries most of her “exercise tension” in her upper back and shoulders.

“I first tried the iPamper when I was promoting Oxfam Trailwalker at an expo where OSIM also had a stand, and to be honest – was so surprised at how good it was! I was getting really uncomfortable at my desk after walking to work each day, or especially on Monday’s after doing a long walk on the weekend – and now I use the iPamper each day and have much less tension in my neck, shoulders and around my shoulders. If the rest of the team is in a nice mood they’ll do my shoulders for me, but otherwise it’s so easy to use by yourself it doesn’t matter!” T

Thanks to OSIM, the Oxfam office also has the use of the incredible uSqueez. Never again will you have to bribe someone to rub your feet after a long day of walking – and the uSqueez doesn’t stop at feet – even your calves get the choice of three different massage settings. And the best bit – you don’t have to buy it! OSIM has a range of lease options available which are perfect for the workplace and corporate Trailwalker teams.

Not one to miss an opportunity, Event Manager Jo Jukes has cashed in on the Usqueez’s popularity and is charging a gold coin donation for each 15 min massage cycle.

“Whenever possible I have internal meetings in the staffroom and set myself up at the table with my feet firmly enveloped in the uSqueez and enjoy my favourite leg and foot massage while we talk. It doesn’t get much better than that. My favourite is the Revitalising massage but all of the options are bliss; like an army of little Trailwalker Fairy fingers helping me to forget my last slog up Mt Eden or weekend sojourn in the Waitakeres. Start hassling your HR today to get a uSqueez in the office!”. Find out more at www.osim.co.nz