Discovery Cape Times Big Walk - Inspired Living SA

Yesterday 31 000 Capetonians took to the streets for the 2012 Discovery Cape Times Big Walk. The weather was perfect for a brisk walk along one of the 10 routes on offer on the day.

Participants could choose a walk that suited their fitness levels from 5km, 10km, 11km, 12km and 13km walks, to the longer and more gruelling 20km, 25km, 30km, 50km and 80km events. While most walks commenced between 07:00 and 10:00 at various locations around Cape Town, the 80km and 50km events commenced at 03:45 and 06:15 respectively.

In a moment of sheer madness, I opted to do the 30km walk, which started in Simon’s Town at 09:00. The weather for the first half of the walk was cool and pleasant but it certainly heated up as the day progressed! There were plenty of refreshment stations and first aid stops along the way. I did make use of both of these to keep my fluids up and to nurse a few blistered toes! I must admit there were times when I felt like stopping and giving up but I just kept pushing myself and kept in mind the very worthy cause I was supporting.

The funds raised at the Big Walk go to CANSA, The Steenberg Foundation, Nazareth House, The Rotary Club of Claremont and Spartan Harriers to support the initiatives of these organisations.

Head of Sponsorships at Discovery, Jody Foster, says Discovery was delighted by the turnout for the Cape Town event.

“I am heartened by the enthusiasm and goodwill that was evident throughout the day. This type of initiative is firmly in line with Discovery’s vision of a more active and healthier South Africa with the population benefitting from fewer health risks and an improved quality of life.” ~ Jody Foster

Event Director, Tanya Carolus says that organising the 2012 Discovery Cape Times Big Walk required a significant amount of logistical planning and implementation, from determining the routes and planning medical points and refreshments stations to getting partners on board to help facilitate the event.

“Seeing how many people turned up in their walking shoes to enjoy the event makes it all worthwhile.” ~ Tanya Carolus

Discovery thanks all participants who took part in the event, as well as its partners, and the Cape Times for ensuring the day was such a great success.

I am certainly proud to have taken part in this event and would encourage anyone who has not yet done a Big Walk to get involved in 2013! I will be doing it next year along with my family but I may opt for a slightly shorter route!

“The Discovery Cape Times Big Walk is happening this weekend, so I thought I would share this press release with you, in the event that you are participating!” ~ Super Mom Blog

DISCOVERY CAPE TIMES BIG WALK

COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS TO THE DISCOVERY CAPE TIMES BIG WALK

By Dr Craig Nossel, Discovery Head of Vitality Wellness

With just five days to go till the 2012 Discovery Cape Times Big Walk on the 11^th of November 2012, it’s time for the Cape Town community to make sure they are fit and ready to make the most of this active and fun walking experience.

Improve fitness and strength training

Improving your fitness ahead of the Discovery Cape Times Big Walk can include walking up hills, as this is one of the best ways of performing cardio training; it boosts your fitness levels, burns kilojoules and gives your buttock muscles a work out.

Before performing such training, make sure that each session includes a warm up and ends with a cool down and stretching. Structuring your training in this manner will help you avoid injury, improve your performance and get the most benefit from walking.

Warm up exercises are crucial, as they are designed to increase blood supply to your working muscles and to prepare your body for more vigorous activity. Warm up for five minutes before walking briskly. You can do this by starting out at a relaxed, leisurely pace to prepare your muscles for more intense activity, and then pick up the speed.

Suggested hill session

After warming up, preferably choose a route that includes three to four 300m hills,
When going uphill, lean forward slightly and pump your arms
Walk briskly and try not to slow down too much
Do expect to be a little breathless, but you can recover on the flats or downhills. After finishing your main walk, continue to walk at a very leisurely pace for five minutes to cool down and assist the body in returning to its normal, resting state. Once the body has cooled down, perform stretching exercises. This may help improve your physical performance by increasing your flexibility, lowering your risk of injury and improving your coordination and balance
If this type of training is new to you, do no more than one hill session a week

The Importance of stretching

Most people make the mistake of stretching before they walk, but by stretching cold muscles you risk straining or tearing them. You should do static stretches after your walk, while your muscles are warm.

“Golden rules” to keep in mind when stretching:

Always warm up before stretching – It’s best to do static stretches after your walk or any other cardiovascular workout
Static stretching should be slow and controlled, with no bouncing
Always hold each stretch at a point of mild tension for 20 to 30 seconds
Repeat each stretch twice
Do not greatly extend, flex, twist or lock any joints
Do not stretch through pain – release the stretch if you feel any pain
Try to stretch four to five times a week

It is extremely important to prepare correctly for any exercise-focused events, such as the upcoming Discovery Cape Times Big Walk. Doing so will go a long way to prevent injury and will also afford you the best chance of a strong finish.

Free health screenings will be offered from Wednesday, 07 November until Saturday, 10 November at the Good Hope Centre, leading up to the actual walk which takes place at Rhodes High School on Sunday, 11 November 2012. Vitality members will be able to earn up 26 000 Vitality points, with bonus points rewarded for results that are in a healthy range.

To find out more about the Big Walk and visit their website click here.

Image: My Cape Town Stay