Hey Walkers Wanna Share Training???

[ultramickeymouse]

Great thread!

I was a fast walker who became a fast ultramarathon walker who turned runner to help me qualify and attempt Western States 100. While running an ultra in 01 tore my Achilles and had surgery on both in 03 thus turning me back to a walker. Albeit a slower walker. Was 12 min/mile for 50 miles and now 14-15 min for marathon.

I can still get out and appreciate every day on my feet after being in a wheelchair for 8 weeks after my 2 surgeries

Looking forward to my 3rd Goofy

 

[magslite]

Hey walkers,

Carole and Ericka, I am also a RN. I work tele. I also plan on starting hospice nursing soon. I am interviewing next week to make sure the company is a good fit. I will do both prn since I also stay home with dd16, ds 4, and ds2.

Carole, I know what you mean about posture. I feel like I get it, and then just have trouble keeping it. But it does feel good when I am able to move from the hips. I have no advice for you, since I am new at this, but it sounds like you are on the right track.

Ultramickeymouse, you sound like you have had an incredible journey. But let me say 14-15min/mile is cruisin! I can do the 14 min mile, but not for very long.

I posted on the weekly training thread, but I did 5 miles on the TM today and kept it at about 16 min miles. My shins have been hurting so I wanted to keep it slow.

Dave, thanks for sharing the warmup info. I have been warming up, but probably not long enough. I like your method.

Do any of you have a training plan that you really like for a half marathon beginner? I have looked at thewalkingsite.com, hal higdon, and mfm among others. All of which are for walkers. I am having trouble deciding which to use.

Maggie

 

[windwalker]

Great thread!

I was a fast walker who became a fast ultramarathon walker who turned runner to help me qualify and attempt Western States 100. While running an ultra in 01 tore my Achilles and had surgery on both in 03 thus turning me back to a walker. Albeit a slower walker. Was 12 min/mile for 50 miles and now 14-15 min for marathon.

I can still get out and appreciate every day on my feet after being in a wheelchair for 8 weeks after my 2 surgeries

Looking forward to my 3rd Goofy

Robert an achilles injury ended my running to. Should have ended it sooner but I kept tring to run for 2 years hurt. I know what the heck was I thinking. Once I made the decision to become a racewalker I decided to go 100% into it and train just like I trained as a runner.

Glad to hear you didn't give up on the athlete life style, you would dearly miss it. I Retired from the USAF and exercising, big mistake. Seven years and fifty pounds later I decided I had to turn that around, quick.

Dave

 

[ultramickeymouse]

Yes, I wanted to get back but it was a long and painfull trip. Had to lose 25 wheelchair pounds which wasn't easy either!

 

[CaroleD]

I had an awesome day! I went to my local Running/Walking Room. Not sure if they are in the States. They are in alot of cities in Canada. Dave I got Asics (cushioning type) runners and they are 1/2 size bigger than my usual size. They are so comfortable! I did 30 minutes on the treadmill later and my great toe didn't complain at all.
I also signed up for a 5 K race coming up in April and a 10K walking clinic starting in April as well. The clinic teachs three different styles of walking depending on your interest, has speakers etc and you have a walking program to get you up to 10 K. And group walks which are split up depending on your fitness level and interest. I want in a speedy group. Not sure whether power walking or race walking yet.
And I bought a Garmin!!!! I bought the 201 because it was a hundred dollars cheaper than the 205. I'm just now learning all the settings.
I really enjoyed the staff at the Running room. Very helpful. And I'm really looking forward to the Race and the clinics.

I did get to the gym for a short workout---30 minutes TM plus abds.

Thanks Dave for all the great advise.

Hi Maggie..a fellow nurse. Hospice work would be very rewarding. Hope it goes well for you.

 

[magslite]

I had an awesome day! I went to my local Running/Walking Room. Not sure if they are in the States. They are in alot of cities in Canada. Dave I got Asics (cushioning type) runners and they are 1/2 size bigger than my usual size. They are so comfortable! I did 30 minutes on the treadmill later and my great toe didn't complain at all.
I also signed up for a 5 K race coming up in April and a 10K walking clinic starting in April as well. The clinic teachs three different styles of walking depending on your interest, has speakers etc and you have a walking program to get you up to 10 K. And group walks which are split up depending on your fitness level and interest. I want in a speedy group. Not sure whether power walking or race walking yet.
And I bought a Garmin!!!! I bought the 201 because it was a hundred dollars cheaper than the 205. I'm just now learning all the settings.
I really enjoyed the staff at the Running room. Very helpful. And I'm really looking forward to the Race and the clinics.

I did get to the gym for a short workout---30 minutes TM plus abds.

Thanks Dave for all the great advise.

Hi Maggie..a fellow nurse. Hospice work would be very rewarding. Hope it goes well for you.

Carole, sounds like a great workout. I wish there was a walking club around me, but I haven't been able to find one. I have the garmin 201 as well. I like it and it works great as long as I stay out of wooded areas.

Thanks for the info on the right shoe. My quest to find the best shoe for me continues!
Maggie

 

[windwalker]

I had an awesome day! I went to my local Running/Walking Room. Not sure if they are in the States. They are in alot of cities in Canada. Dave I got Asics (cushioning type) runners and they are 1/2 size bigger than my usual size. They are so comfortable! I did 30 minutes on the treadmill later and my great toe didn't complain at all.
I also signed up for a 5 K race coming up in April and a 10K walking clinic starting in April as well. The clinic teachs three different styles of walking depending on your interest, has speakers etc and you have a walking program to get you up to 10 K. And group walks which are split up depending on your fitness level and interest. I want in a speedy group. Not sure whether power walking or race walking yet.
And I bought a Garmin!!!! I bought the 201 because it was a hundred dollars cheaper than the 205. I'm just now learning all the settings.
I really enjoyed the staff at the Running room. Very helpful. And I'm really looking forward to the Race and the clinics.

Thank you for that report on your trip to the running store. Wasn't that just so easy and the best way to find some shoes that are comfortable and proper for your walking style. The right shoes are a big part of the fitness puzzle, everything else is really just taking the time to get your training in.

Dave

 

[windwalker]

Yes, I wanted to get back but it was a long and painfull trip. Had to lose 25 wheelchair pounds which wasn't easy either!

It's really special when the journey was a battle that you won. Congradudulations on slaying those dragons.

Dave

 

[ultramickeymouse]

Carole, sounds like a great workout. I wish there was a walking club around me, but I haven't been able to find one. I have the garmin 201 as well. I like it and it works great as long as I stay out of wooded areas.

I had a 201 which didn't work well here at Lake Tahoe(too many trees) even walking along the roads. I bought a 205 last May for my B-day, and it works so much better here!

 

[CaroleD]

Hmnnn ...maybe I should have paid the extra. London is called the Forest City. The fellow at the Running Room used the 201 however and said there was only one place where it cut out on him in the park where will be doing most of my distance walks. This park is long, along a river and well populated by runners/walkers and pretty. So if the garmin works there it will be ideal.
When it cuts out on you how long does it take to come back once you are in the open again. And does it pick up where it left off?

Forgive my geographical ignorance Robert but is Lake Tahoe in the mountains?

Maggie I am so excited about a walking group and the clinic. Its really going to keep me on goal. I'm competitive by nature and its hard to be comptitive by yourself. lol.

I was going to the gym today but declared a rest day instead. I know they should be built in (and are on the program I'm following). I work two 12 hour shifts a week so was going to count them as my rest days as my job is not strenous. But the shifts are long and there is no way I will exercise after or before. However since last night I've felt a tightness and slight spasm type pain in my IT band so am going to do ALOT of gentle stretches today and give it a good rest. Its on the same leg as my surgery was ,so I find changes like new shoes really affect the ligaments and muscles on this leg.

Enjoy your day!

 

[ultramickeymouse]

Forgive my geographical ignorance Robert but is Lake Tahoe in the mountains?

Carole,

Tahoe is in the mountains but where it failed for me was along the Lake area where, other than trees, it is miles of open space. Being at 6380 feet makes me even closer to the satelites

 

[windwalker]

Carole,

Tahoe is in the mountains but where it failed for me was along the Lake area where, other than trees, it is miles of open space. Being at 6380 feet makes me even closer to the satelites

This reminds me of something I heard and tend to believe so I practice it myself. American runners lift weights to build strength, but Kenyan runners do hill work to build strength.

Robert do you hit the hills regularly with your workouts?

Dave

 

[ultramickeymouse]

Dave,

I do hill workouts as very little hear is flat. I have heard the same thing about the Keyans. I know they train at altitude which of course I do as I have no choice I have slight asthma and breathing is difficult here but the last 2 times I have done the Goofy, I breath nice and easy and never get winded. Altitude training even works for slow people.

 

[westcliffemom]

I really enjoyed reading this thread so far, and can't wait to see what else everybody has to say. I really like that now I can kinda keep the walkers in mind when I read their posts, as I was having a hard time keeping track of who is a walker and who is a runner.

I also enjoyed all the training info. I'm soaking up everything I can, especially since I want to avoid injuries.

The Minnie 5K and 15K is my very first events. Will we be able to walk around before the starts to warm up some before we go?

My goals now is to work on negative splits, which I believe means walking slower the first part (of a mile/event) and then picking up the speed, am I right?

 

[windwalker]

The Minnie 5K and 15K is my very first events. Will we be able to walk around before the starts to warm up some before we go?

My goals now is to work on negative splits, which I believe means walking slower the first part (of a mile/event) and then picking up the speed, am I right?[/QUOTE]

There are two schools of thought on negative splits:

1. You keep a good pace but not quite as fast as you feel like you could go for the first half, then give it what you have left as you get closer to the finish.

2. Warm-up good so when you start you are ready to go fast. Go as fast as you feel like you can without burning out.

When I was a runner I usually did #1, but when I switched to racewalking and realized I had a little talent for it I started thinking about actually having a chance of winning. Option 2 is required for being a contender in a race unless you are just way better than the competition.

Since this is your first adventure into racing I would suggest:

Warm-up good, that doesn't mean cold stretching for 5 minutes and jumping around for a few minutes like a lot of people do. Watch the racers who are good and there to race, they are running slow or walking, usually in motion till close to the start time. Then a little stretching of warm muscles.

Start slower than you feel you need to, it's to easy to get caught up in the excitement and go to fast at the begining. After you get started then gradually increase your pace to where you feel like you can hold it for a while and not breathing to hard.

When I race now I'm usually about 10 to 20 places back during the first quarter to half mile. I'm going my pace, and by the half mile mark I'm usually in the top 5. The others started to fast and are trying to recover so they can get into a good pace.

Don't worry about the others, let them run their own race, you stay smart and pace for the whole distance.

Dave

 

[CaroleD]

Hi,
I've been MIA due to night shifts this week. I have made it to the gym to get in TM workouts. I did 50 minutes today. I've had to slow my pace because of right leg pain to 4.0.. Anyway the pain has gone away and although I thought it was my IT band I'm now sure it was coming from my back and from doing abd crunches. Stopped doing those and the leg pain went away.
As I build up length of time walking should I limit my speed? Do you tend to build up speed once you have gotten endurance? Or do you increase your speed along the way as you add on length. I was doing slow/fast-slow/fast when I was doing the short walks of 20 minutes but noticed I started to get a pull in my groin. So now I'm worried a bit and have been maintaining a steady pace of 4.0. It makes for a bit of a boring TM walk. And not nearly as good a workout.
This week my goal is to do 60 minutes which will give me 4 miles. The instruction I have is to do 20,30,40,rest,30,40,60 minutes this week. I am so psyched to do the 4 miles. Unfortunetely I also have to work three night shifts so it will mess up my schedule and make me do this over 10 days instead of 7. But heh---it pays the bills. The week after that is a recovery week with no long walks in it. After that I get to start the 10 K schedule. You had to be able to walk 4 miles before you started that schedule. Lots of rules....but I'm sure they are there for a good reason.
Hope everyones week has been awesome!

 

[magslite]

Carole,

God bless you for working night shifts! I don't have it in me. I have done alot of pm's and days. I prefer days as I am a morning person. I have the utmost respect for noc RN's.

Anyway, would you share what training program you are using?

Happy walking,
Maggie

 

[windwalker]

Carole,

God bless you for working night shifts! I don't have it in me. I have done alot of pm's and days. I prefer days as I am a morning person. I have the utmost respect for noc RN's.

Anyway, would you share what training program you are using?

Happy walking,
Maggie

My DW Erica is a weekend night Rn also, it works well for us, because we have our weekend together on Monday and Tuesday.

Carole, instead of crunches try the waist vacuuming exercise for your abs. I only do that and trunk twists and I have good strong defined abs. I hate crunches. The vacuuming is either standing (I like this better) or laying on your back and sucking in and tightening your tummy as hard as you can and holding a few seconds then releaseing. Do this over and over for a few minutes. Then tighten your tummy some and hold it in while you do things around the house or at work, keeping it tight but not to the point of hurting just like your wanting to look slimmer. after a while your stomach muscles will naturally hold your tummy in better and be stronger. I tighten my abs a little as I walk not let them just sag. Does that make any sense what I just said, I do this all the time and never tried to discribe it before.

Dave

 

[magslite]

Dave, God bless Erica too! My dh works m-f so he hates if I work weekends. Although he works out of the house much of the time, so we are together alot! Since my youngest kiddos aren't in grammar school yet, we do have lots of family time. Luckily, dh's sales job is quite flexible.

p.s., I am holding my abs is now! It makes my back feel so much better when I do. Thanks for the ab strength info.

Maggie

 

[harleygirl]

I have gone and done it again....injured that left foot again...now on top of the tendonitis I have pulled something down the outter side of my foot and it twinges when I flex my toes the wrong way, wierd I know...I am okay to walk, but not at speed...anybody ever done this to themselves?