New Walker's Sharing Ideas

[SamSam]

Sharon: THANKSSSS!! I enjoyed meeting you and your DH at the Minnie also!! You two are very cute and your hubby (Mike?) has a great sense of humor. I hope we can get him out there at some point. I know I have said this before, but thanks for the car ride to EPCOT in the sporty black Dodge Avenger!!

We were more than happy to help you out with a ride. Yes, my Dh is a hoot AND I really am hoping to get him to participate at some point. I really think he would love participating, but I don't want to push it.
You were so fun, and very inspirational! Thanks for showing me the ropes; you really helped me feel more secure in a new setting (first race).

 

[Superdebbie]

I have been slacking a little since the Minnie 15K. I've been reading up on race walking and just started giving it a try. At first, I was just doing it up and down my long hallway! Not sure if I'm doing it right, but I do seem to move faster and with that, I get out breath quicker. Tonight, I did just a short walk, alternating a slower and then a faster race walk (at least I think that's what I was doing). For once, I didn't even have any shin problems. Eventually, I'm going to look for a 5K race walk to attend. I think that's the only way I'll know if I'm doing it correctly. Hey Tracy - how are you doing? You're my race walking inspiration!!! If it wasn't for you, I don't think I would have believed I could ever walk any faster. Now, I believe I can. All the WISHers are such an inspiration! Thanks to everyone.

 

[dsnyfan21]

Debbie: Glad to hear your keeping up with the racewalking!! Good for you. I'm doing well, started training for the DL 1/2 this weekend and things are going well. You should read Duckie's race report for this weekend. SHe did her first 5k judged racewalk. You live over on the west coast right?? Look at Bonnie Steins website www.acewalker.com. I took a lesson from her and it helped me alot. And I want to say, thanks for the compliments.

 

[ms.mightyduck]

Hi, Sharon! Hi, Debbie! Hi, Tracy! Hi, Panda! Hi, Nancy! Hi, Jeanne! Hi, Steffwalks! Hi, any walking friends I have overlooked!

Debbie, I did nothing for two weeks after the Minnie. I think you are in good company. And Tracy is right--find a racewalk near you--it's the best way to see how you are doing.

Question for the racewalkers: My first mile is always SLOW. No amount of stretching that I have tried gets me through the burning shins feeling. I go out hard at the start and then have negative splits because once my body gets past that, I get faster. I did about three-quarters of a mile warm-up before the race and did a lot of stretching, did Dave McGovern's heel-toe walk for a span, then walked it out, then did more heel-toe walking (do you know what I mean?).

Should I go all out during the warm up and get past that burning stiff shin feeling? I am always afraid that I won't have enough energy for the race if I do that...

Suggestions? Keep working on the shins? Amputate? (DH always suggests that for any ailment I have)

Thanks in advance for any ideas....

A faster Duckie

 

[dsnyfan21]

Hi, Sharon! Hi, Debbie! Hi, Tracy! Hi, Panda! Hi, Nancy! Hi, Jeanne! Hi, Steffwalks! Hi, any walking friends I have overlooked!

Debbie, I did nothing for two weeks after the Minnie. I think you are in good company. And Tracy is right--find a racewalk near you--it's the best way to see how you are doing.

Question for the racewalkers: My first mile is always SLOW. No amount of stretching that I have tried gets me through the burning shins feeling. I go out hard at the start and then have negative splits because once my body gets past that, I get faster. I did about three-quarters of a mile warm-up before the race and did a lot of stretching, did Dave McGovern's heel-toe walk for a span, then walked it out, then did more heel-toe walking (do you know what I mean?).

Should I go all out during the warm up and get past that burning stiff shin feeling? I am always afraid that I won't have enough energy for the race if I do that...

Suggestions? Keep working on the shins? Amputate? (DH always suggests that for any ailment I have)

Thanks in advance for any ideas....

A faster Duckie

That still happens to me, but not as much. I just started (about around Feb doing more exercises to help my shins and calves) Here is an exercise I do to help strengthen the shins and built them up a bit and this takes time. Racewalking Shin Exercise. There are also some other good stuff on that web site.
I'm sure PANDA could give alot of advise on this subject.
I have found lately that I get this at the beginning of a race if I am going at a speed that is FASTER than my normal or typical pace that I do just walking on my own. You can't amputate, because you wouldn't be able to walk at all - hehe. Then don't forget to stretch the shins afterwards, which many runners don't do, but walkers should.

hoping this helps, Tracy

 

[ms.mightyduck]

Yeah, yeah, yeah! That's the exercise I was doing! I do it whenever I can. Once we were waiting for a cake to have "Happy Birthday Someone" put on it, and I started doing that around the BJ's bakery area. DH just tried to stand very far away like he didn't know me....

I'll tell him you said no on the amputation. It's always his go-to solution. What can I say, I married a problem-solver.

Thanks for the link--I'll keep working on it!

Duckie

 

[windwalker]

Hi guys.

I warm up for at least 30 min before a race, no stretching, but I do the dynamic drills. I will walk briskly with short, 50 meter or less sprints during warm up. Kinda like a fartlack workout. Once you start sweating it's time for the dynamic drills: these are basicly holding on to something and swinging your legs around you and easy swing kicks. Then a potty stop and brisk walking till right before the start.

If you do track intervals you will get a better idea what you can do. They require the same warm up and then you go full throttle for a lap of the track, then walk easy for a lap and repeat for a total of 4 fast and 4 slow laps. You can better determine what your warm up requirements are if you do this once a week.

http://www.philsport.com/narf/c1per.htm

http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/rayzwocker/worldclass/animated.htm


These links show american style racewalking. It's more focused on forward motion with much less hip swing than the european style. The european style requires you to be much more limber.

Do you want to see more video links?

Walking Panda

 

[SamSam]

Suggestions? Keep working on the shins? Amputate? (DH always suggests that for any ailment I have)
A faster Duckie

I can't help you out with technique as I'm still trying to figure out the racewalking techniques. The video's are helpful, but I think I need to see someone actualy racewalking in person and have someone explain (while I'm watching) what makes it racewalking as opposed to just walking fast.
But...I just had to tell you that my husbands cure for everything is, and I quote, "a bend up coat hanger and a drill will fix it". Yikes!

 

[dsnyfan21]

DO you have any links to the european style. (I am assuming those others were american?) I would have to find a school that allows outsiders on there track.
Thanks for the videos.

 

[windwalker]

Here is a nice article by Dave McGovern on racewalking:

http://www.active.com/story.cfm?CHECKSSO=0&SIDEBAR=22&CATEGORY=Walking&STORY_ID=4026


I'll look this afternoon for some more videos, I'll try to find some on the european style walking which has a lot of hip rolling.

Walking Panda

 

[SamSam]

Here is a nice article by Dave McGovern on racewalking:

http://www.active.com/story.cfm?CHECKSSO=0&SIDEBAR=22&CATEGORY=Walking&STORY_ID=4026

Walking Panda

Great description, thanks! I've been walking around the house 'Frankenstein Style' to get the hang of it. It actually feels pretty close to how I walk, when I'm speed walking. I'm going to try it this afternoon when I walk over to my fitness class.

 

[Superdebbie]

Hey Tracey. I can't find Duckie's thread you were talking about. Where is it? I stumbled upon Bonnie Stein's website earlier this morning! Did you take a private lesson? Did you just take a one hour lesson? I live in Fort Myers (SW Florida). Hope you (and everyone else) do well at the DL 1/2!!!

 

[dsnyfan21]

Debbie: It's on the race reports thread for this weekend. http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1826899
I took a one hour lesson when she was over here in Boca Raton. I learned alot from her. Take care and good walking.

-Tracy

 

[Steffwalks]

Here's a question for all the racewalkers and power walkers, too. How do you keep your pace up? I have the kind of mind that follows the white rabbit down every hole. I see something and am reminded of something else and that leads to thinking of something else and that leads to other things on and on and before I know it, I am 1 minute behind the pace I was shooting for! How do you guys keep a consistent pace?

 

[dsnyfan21]

I got better at keeping pace by using my Garmin. Also, when I am really trying to stay at a certain pace, I set my Garmin to make a alert tone if I start going slower than a certain pace. Yes your mind can tend to travel and then when you come back to reality your pace is slow. Sometimes thats nice to just get lost in walking. I don't use my Garmin when I am just out to take a stroll.

 

[jeanneg]

One of these days I am going to have to read the instruction manual that came with my Garmin so i can program it like that! I don't have the foggiest idea how to do any of that!

 

[windwalker]

One of these days I am going to have to read the instruction manual that came with my Garmin so i can program it like that! I don't have the foggiest idea how to do any of that!

Don't feel bad fair lady, I can't even figure out how to use the darn thing to tell time. And I'm pretty positive that the smart butt vertual partner figure thing shot me the one finger salute.

Tech Genius Panda

 

[windwalker]

Here is a link Robert found. If you go to the photos section (Walking Challange) at the top it has lots of good pics of racewalkers.

http://www.iaaf.org/WRW08/news/kind=100/newsid=44821.html

Walking Panda

 

[Steffwalks]

dsnyfan21 Thank you! I have a Garmin and hadn't even thought of that. I had it programmed that way once, but it was driving me nuts! Which is not where I wanted to go at the time. I guess nuts is where I need to be, now!!! So, I shut the alerts off. I guess I will give it another go!!! Thanks!

Jeanne I don't know that the instruction manual is all that useful. Just playing with the darn thing seems better.....to me! Although, I do have the instruction manual. I wonder where it's at...........

Dave That virtual partner did the same thing to me when I passed him. I was completely insulted and turned him off. I felt like he deserved it!

 

[ultramickeymouse]

Here is a link Robert found. If you go to the photos section (Walking Challange) at the top it has lots of good pics of racewalkers.

http://www.iaaf.org/WRW08/news/kind=100/newsid=44821.html

Walking Panda

3:34 50K

Now Dave has something to shoot for next year!