As you know, we are planning to walk 100 kilometres (62.5 miles) in one go on April 11th, 2008. Any initiative like this can be fraught with difficulty and dangers, if approached in a casual manner. It requires serious planning, preparation and intensive training. Even more importantly, it requires clear answers to the fundamental question - "Why are we doing this?"
The answers will help us stay on course from now until event day and also, hopefully, get us through the event particularly those difficult sections where the tiredness, irritability, swearing and exhaustion might play tricks on our minds.
- To honour our fundraising commitment to Oxfam. (Satyam Snails = $5,000 and Satyam Slugs = $3,000)
- All eight members to complete the 100 km walk, safely and happily (within the available 48 hours)
- To raise more funds than our committed amounts
- For at least one member from each of the two teams to complete the 100 km walk (within the available 48 hours)
- For both teams to complete the 100 km walk within a benchmark time of under 30 hours
At first glance the above objectives might seem pretty ordinary and obvious. Let us analyze them a little more closely:
- Our team members are from different backgrounds, ages and genders [Indians, Australians, South Africans, Italians, young (under 30), middle aged (over 40), male and female]
- Some of us are fitter than others. Some work out in the gym about 5 days in the week doing cardio and resistance (weight) training exercises. Others walk to stay fit.
- Some are motivated by the physical challenge of the event and training sessions. Others are motivated by the charity cause. Others enjoy the teaming aspect
- Some members approach the training properly equipped (hiking or trail running shoes, technical shorts, T-shirts and socks, walking poles) and others manage fairly well with whatever they have (gym runners, cotton Tees and socks and a fallen branch of a tree)
You get the idea. We are a team of people with diverse backgrounds, motives and mindsets. So, how do we jell together?
More importantly how do we ensure that the fitter and younger members don't run away on sections leaving behind the slower members?
How do we ensure that all of us are nice to each other and our support crews ( at least outwardly) when the blisters are killing us on the inside?
How do we resolve a potential situation, say at the 74 km point, when two members in the team are exhausted, depressed and down and want to pull out of the challenge? What do the other two members do? Do they give up for the sake of their team mates or do they help their mates make it to a check point, have them retire and then carry on to finish the challenge?
How will those that unfortunately had to drop out feel? (For the rest of thier lives)
These are only a few questions that may come up. As you can see this is not a simple "walk in the park". There is a lot of individual and team psychology and dynamics at play.
A clearly articulated set of objectives will help us remember the purpose of why we are doing this, clear our minds and carry on with life in the face of adversity.
Hopefully our set of objectives will help us stay on course - during preparation and the event.
