Cracking job @cdt1, i was about 1hr behind you.
One of the toughest i’ve done… the crown on the medal was a nice (unexpected) touch… might have to keep going now.
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Well done @cdt1 & @Victor_Zulu for completing. I didn’t, withdrawing at Opwijk, but I’ve taken a lot of learnings away from this year’s attempt so I don’t see it as a complete failure.
I also got to see a different side of DoTo this year by running the first 4km and reaching points after the joining of the 2 start routes where the roads were fairly empty; that was pretty magical given the traffic I was stuck in last year.
Last year I almost withdrew at Breendonk, so it was fantastic to fly through there this year several hours earlier than previously and vanquish those mental demons.
One of the Belgians that adopted me in the starting pen also sent me a photo - I made the Flemmish TV news whilst at the start tent!
I hope to be back next year for a crack at editie 55. Apparently next year is also a special edition, with an additional collectable of some sort?
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I remember when I went to the 40th, it was a pin, similar to what was made for the 50th, however there was uproar that all that was given was this pin without the medal!
I wonder what 55 will be…
I found this years “traffic jam” during the first 11.2km to be the worst i’ve faced, only passing the start gate after about 10min. Similarly i’ve previously got to run past mist of the crowds to begin with, but that proved to be quite difficult this year!
Good effort @Victor_Zulu! 5 years is good going!
Shame my 2 doesn’t have a crown that looks cool… Might need to do another 3😉
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This is what matters most! Next year you’ll smash it!
ACC has a resident celebrity now!
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Thats how they get you!
Crap, that’s my next 4 Augusts decided…
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I thought, now that I’m back home, I’d come back to this thread and note my lessons so that other people can learn from my successes and errors if they wish to. Those of you who have completed DoTo before, feel free to agree or disagree with any of these, but do add your reasons too - again, for anyone new to DoTo who comes across this thread in future years.
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If there’s any suggestion whatsoever of foul weather, be it too hot, cold or wet, have something light with you. This is the #1 reason I didn’t complete this year.
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Trail running shoes work much better than road running shoes. The road shoes are too soft and thus cause an excessive amount of blisters, whereas after 50km I only had 2 very small blisters from the trail shoes (and I’m a taper…)
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Take a smaller bag/backpack than you think you need. I had a 5L hydration-based bag with me this year and still put too much in it.
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You don’t need a torch unless you’re right at the front - there’s plenty of other people who seem to enjoy wearing the Sun on their head or chest.
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Don’t sit down. This was a mistake I made last year that took me 2 hours to recover from and get going properly again. Just stay upright.
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Having someone walk with you can be both a blessing and a curse; it all depends on where your head is at the time. There are times where I just needed to be by myself and having another person talk to me was draining, but there were others where their company was uplifting.
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Arrive early to the start. Entering the start pen around 1830 meant I was close to the start and avoided the majority of the traffic (although the running also helped). Last year I arrived late due to the train issues and was held up a lot, causing a lot of energy to be expended unnecessarily.
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If something doesn’t feel right - a loose strap, something in your shoe, a hotspot forming etc - fix it IMMEDIATELY and don’t just push on to the next checkpoint. I halted a hotspot in its tracks this year and it made the world of difference.
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Engage with the local supporters. There’s plenty of them, they enjoy the interaction and you’ll get a boost from the return of energy they’ll give you back.
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If things do go wrong, accept that sometimes they do. Note down what happened, what caused it and what you can differently next time. The only bad run/walk is the one from which you take no lessons.
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Accept that it’s going to hurt. Be okay with that, plan for it, and then crack on.
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A generic one but still worth noting; don’t try out any new kit or equipment on the day itself. You should have tested all kit in your training exercises beforehand and adjusted as necessary.
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I would say still pack one. There may be others in the column with one but when you got for a wee in the field in the pitch black, you’ll want one.
I personally prefer walking boots. I enjoy the extra ankle support. I found I have really bad joint pain walking in trainers.
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I treat this much like any RAFAC Blue RM course - id always bring my waterproof jacket - it’s fairly lightweight.
This year was annoying as i’ve previously mentioned, i was continuously taking it on/off or leaving it on but unzipped for periods of time.
Regarding being too hot, ive always advocated bringing a spare t-shirt to change into around the 75/80km point.
Similar to @Nucleotide, im a boot guy - lifesaver this year for keeping my feet dry throughout the rain.
100% inevitably i always bring too much - including snacks/cereal bars that i rarely get around to eating, becuase the choice of snacks is normally good enough (though id admit this year was somewhat lacklustre compared to 2013 - perhaps a sign of the times).
More annoyingly, i missed out on the hot meal at 52km this year, couldn’t find it for the life of me despite asking a few people. That didn’t help.
Tough call - previous routes/years the night sections opened up much earlier than this year and were up on the dykes earlier/for longer so the crowds spread out easier, meaning i saw a lot less people and needed my own torch.
100% apart from nature stops and normally a hot meal at 1/2 way. I try not to stop (just pick up snacks and keep walking for the first 50km as it is).
Again yes sometimes you need a chat sometimes just need to zone out and listen to some music
Yep, i got there after 7 and was almost 15min back once the event started to cross the finish line. Took just under 2hrs to get to the 11.2km restpoint - wheress historically it might have taken me 1hr20min to get there whilst weaving yhtough the crowds.
Everything else, pretty sensible.
Try to get enough rest during the day before/of the march.
See I don’t book the meal - I find having too much at once on an event like this slows me down a lot. The cakes, fruit and biscuits are enough to keep me going without overloading the carbs.
That said, I did see a few people at Opwijk with the same soup that we were all given at an earlier checkpoint and wondered if that was the meal?
It’s changed timezones now I’m back in the UK, but here’s my pitstop times:
Going through Breendonk at 02:27 when last year I was struggling to get through by 06:27 felt incredible. Waiting over 2 hours for a broom wagon to take me from Opwijk back to Bornem less so.
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That start and not getting caught in the crowds makes such a difference !!
This thread has decided it for me. I will return for Doto #2 next year!
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So turns out I did more damage than I thought…
…the nail on my little toe just popped off in my hands. Luckily, it’s one I’ve lost about 5 times previously, so it came off without any pain or mess.
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I’ve just seen a thread on the DoTo Facebook group - you weren’t the only one. Apparently, the meal was actually in the building next door to the rest point…
Is that on the feedback post?
Didn’t make it this year - extremely disappointed in myself - had a great time at Nijmegen - but got home to find a clusterf3ck of problems with family.
All sorted ready for next year though…!
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2 of my cadets have heard my escapades and are now absolutely buzzing at the prospect of being able to do the DoTo next year!
Might help me show that there is an appetite for the event in the Wing and help to push a drive to make it something we’re able to offer as an official activity.
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