I survived a 50km walk for charity. Will I do it again?

It all started on Aug 31 when I saw Bridgette, an ex-schoolmate, post this message on Facebook: “Last call for registration for Let's Take A Walk.”

It piqued my curiosity about this charity event. An earlier Facebook post by her mentioned how she took part in the 2017 edition, completing a 50km walk in 15 hours.

“It is so doable,” she wrote on Aug 27.

Scrolling through the event website, I learnt that there were four categories: 20km, 50km (day and night), 100km and 150km, which was reserved for those who had taken part in the 100km walk previously.

Before I knew it, I had signed up for a 50km night walk on Nov 2 from Punggol to the National Museum, via Changi, East Coast Park and Marina Bay.

I have never walked such a long distance before but reckoned it would be a challenge worth taking up as the S$75 that I paid for the registration fee would go to charity, in support of the Rare Disorders Society (Singapore) and Raleigh Singapore, a volunteer organisation.

“See what you did to me,” I wrote on Bridgette’s Facebook page.

“You won't regret it, I promise,” she replied. 

“Can one,” a friend of hers added. “I did two 50km walks and then a 100km. You will be surprised how your mind calms during long walks.”

As a Guardsman during national service, I was used to long marches, though they didn’t quite go as far as 50km.

Furthermore, my last reservist training was years back and my body mass index now puts me more in the overweight category than a combat-ready soldier. Would my feet be able to last 50km?

I knew I had to train for it over the next two months. A few days later, I walked 4km from the office to home after work.

The following week, I joined a 25km training walk by the event organiser, but ended up covering only 20km when I got separated from the group and took a wrong route.

I did two more training walks — a 10km one on Sept 21 by myself and another official training session on Oct 4 covering almost 40km from Punggol to East Coast Park in 9.5 hours.

That training session gave me some confidence that I could complete 50km though that feeling didn’t last long, as I soon started feeling pain in my knees and could not train anymore.

Still, I attended a briefing by the organiser on Oct 19, and learnt that almost 1,900 people had signed up for the event, which aimed to raise S$150,000. Held every two years since 1997, it is run entirely by a group of volunteers.

Thankfully, my knee pain had become less severe by Nov 2 and I decided to proceed with my participation. I told myself I would try to walk as long as I could, going at a slower pace than the Oct 4 training walk just to be safe.

After getting six blisters on that walk, I had also learnt to apply petroleum jelly liberally on my feet and to wear toe socks as well as a pair of slightly oversized shoes to prevent a recurrence. 

The 250 walkers set off from Safra Punggol at 10pm, and a friend who lives nearby joined me for the first 5km to Pasir Ris. So far so good.

I took a 30-minute break when I reached Changi Village, relieved that my knee was not giving me problems, having covered about 13km over three-odd hours.

The toughest stretch was the 15km or so from Changi Ferry Terminal to the start of the East Coast Park, as it required walking along long straight roads — Aviation Park Road and Tanah Merah Coast Road — that never seemed to end.

I turned on the radio on my phone on this stretch to keep myself awake. 

At 6.30am, having covered some 33km, I decided to take a 10-minute nap at East Coast Park, only to wake up feeling worse. My body was shutting down and my legs were laden.

But I pushed on as I had arranged to have breakfast at Marine Cove with my wife at 8am. I got there 10 minutes late. After washing down a roti prata with teh tarik and receiving some words of encouragement from the missus, I was on my way again.

Arriving at Bay East Garden just past 10am, volunteers there said there was still seven-odd km to go. This last stretch to Marina Barrage, The Promontory@Marina Bay, the Padang and National Museum was taxing physically and mentally.

I was a zombie due to a lack of sleep. A blister on the back of my right foot and a half-broken toenail were also giving me much grief. Every step felt painful and I was trying to land my sore feet as softly as I could.

Participants taking a rest along Tanah Merah Coast Road.   Photo: Jason Tan/TODAY

I finally reached the end point at 12.10pm, slightly over 14 hours after I started. This included six rest stops totaling about two hours. A fitness app said that I had burned over 3,100 calories along the way.

Alongside me at the finishing line was a man who completed 100km, having started at 7am the previous day. He didn’t look to be in half as much pain as I was.

I took a couple of photos before heading home, too spent to feel elated. 

The author at the end point.

It was only the next day when I felt better that I looked back at my achievement with some pride. Would I do it again? I was not too sure, as the walk had taken a lot out of me. Maybe I will try the 20km in 2021.

Then I saw a Facebook post that Bridgette shared about how a fellow participant Rosniaty Abu Bakar, 36, literally danced across the finishing line after walking for 150km.

Browsing through Ms Rosniaty’s 30-odd photos and videos, I can’t help but marvel at how upbeat she looked throughout her 46-hour feat, with the support of family and friends.

Ms Rosniaty (left), seen here with her friend Martini Abdul Talib, taking a break at East Coast Park some 131 km into her 150km walk.   Photo: Ros Abu Bakar/Facebook

The quality assurance administrator, who is married with no children, told me via WhatsApp that she had done the 100km walk in 2017. Will she be back in 2021?

“Certainly,” she said, but as a supporter providing frozen oranges and watermelons to other walkers.

“I want to put a smile on their faces.”

What an inspiration she is, I thought. Then she let on that she might consider walking if there is a new category.

“Like what? 200km?” I asked. “Maybe,” she replied. “You should try 100km in 2021.”

Er, thanks but no thanks. At least that’s how I feel for now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jason Tan is executive editor at TODAY, where he oversees the Opinion section.