New Walker's Sharing Ideas

[dsnyfan21]

Thanks for the welcome.
I am self taught. I have always loved to walk and was in marching bands in high school and college and the way were marched was called "corp style" and is very similar to the racewalking technique. I did get the "racewalk like a champion" by Jeff Salvage and have looked over them.
I am trying to get a private lesson with Bonnie Stein when she is in Boca Raton.
I am signed up for the WDW 1/2 again and would love to be a part of the WISH group for that. I am trying to decide about the Disneyland Half to get the "extra" medal.
I did 3.10 miles this evening on my way home from work and did it in 43m30sec.
How do I determine what "team" to join?
(I also am part of the yahoo walking mag group)

Thanks again, Tracy

 

[windwalker]

Thanks for the welcome.
I am self taught. I have always loved to walk and was in marching bands in high school and college and the way were marched was called "corp style" and is very similar to the racewalking technique. I did get the "racewalk like a champion" by Jeff Salvage and have looked over them.
I am trying to get a private lesson with Bonnie Stein when she is in Boca Raton.
I am signed up for the WDW 1/2 again and would love to be a part of the WISH group for that. I am trying to decide about the Disneyland Half to get the "extra" medal.
I did 3.10 miles this evening on my way home from work and did it in 43m30sec.
How do I determine what "team" to join?
(I also am part of the yahoo walking mag group)

Thanks again, Tracy

Cool, good luck with your training.

The teams are to log your dailey miles and hours exercised. Also to get to know other WISH members better. I determine which team to put you on based on who has an opening. However being on a team obligates you to post regularly on your team thread to record your miles and hours. The teams are competing each other for bragging rights.

The WISH is a lot different form the other forums like the one you were on. It's like an athletes dream, tremendous support and lots of exchange of knowledge.

We have some really good talent here in walking and running. We have walkers who compete in marathons and half marathons regularly. We have some racewalkers and some fast fitness walkers. At last January's WDW events we even had several do the Goofy Challange, that's a half marathon on saturday and a full marathon the next day.

Training for a walker is just like training for a runner. You need to mix short fast walking and Long slower walks, we share ideas about what works for each of us.

Walking Panda

 

[nepatsfan73]

Hey walkers. I've got a training question.

I am working on trying to formulate a training plan for the year to get me to start and finish lines for WDW marathon weekend 2009. I've looked over Dave Mcgovern's plan, John Bingham's walking plans and Hal Higdon's walking plans. Although they all differ some as far as, among other things, working on specific things on certain days, I notice that they all have the walks during the week in minutes/hours, not distance. For the long walks, Dave McGovern even lists this in minutes/hours, while the other two give a distance.

My question: Being new to this type of training and never having done a half or full marathon, should I feel comfortable that I can be prepared by getting "the time in" as opposed to trying to reach certain distances? I intend to work on increasing my pace, but at some point do I need to look closer at the miles to make sure I am where I need to be? For example, in Dave McGovern's beginner marathon plan, he has long walks of 5 hours "easy". I don't think it wll be "easy", but if I have to "cross this bridge" in the future, 15 minute miles will probably be my goal pace (or about 20 miles in 5 hours). If I am walking "easy", I would not be covering that distance. Thus, using Dave McGoverns plan, I would be going into a marathon with all prior walks being below 20 miles.

Just curious as to people's thoughts as to whether just using time is a recipe for success .... or potential disaster.

Thanks.

 

[Steffwalks]

On my first race, my primary concern was surviving it. After that, the rest didn't matter! I have found that with experience comes speed and more detailed training plans. But I think and this is only MY opinion, that the first thing you need is endurance and stamina. Without those, the speed doesn't matter! Therefore, the time part worked for me in my first race. When I did "Easy" walks I kept my heart rate between 65 and 75%.

 

[jeanneg]

Welcome Tracy!

Bill: In a nutshell here's what worked for me: I followede JB's plan to the letter regarding his long walk schedule. They were never "easy", but I kept myself from going too fast. There were several times when I was not able to maintain the required 16 minute/mile pace but I finished anyway just for endurance. During the week, I did 2 short walks. Depending on where I did them they were 2 to 2.5 miles in distance. I did these as fast as my legs and heart would allow. Then on almost all the other days, I did some sort of other activity that would qualify as crosstraining: swimming, aerobics, golf, etc. This kept me exercising but gave my muscles a chance to work in a different way. It was only at the end when the holidays were upon me that I started to get sick of training. And by that time, the end was so near, there was no way I was going to give it all up. YOU CAN DO THIS! I am probably the most unatheletic looking person ever, but I did it, and compared to the training, it was easy and fun. Whether you do the half or the full, when you enter into the MK and see all those people cheering, you will know it was all worth it. Tell yourself that each and every one of them is there just for YOU and your heart will just explode with happiness. Find a plan that seems right for you and then tweak it a little so it will fit into your lifestyle. And I expect to see you next January at the POP meet in your bright WISH shirt!

 

[Maherae]

Bill, I agree with Jeanne. I follow JB's plan. When I first started, I didn't have a mileage base as JB recommends, so I did his "walk a 1/2" plan in Jan when I first started walking. When it came to the LW on the weekend, it was all about getting the miles in. I could not worry about pace. The mere idea of walking anything over a mile was overwhelming to me. As you get your base in, Bill, your body tones and your pace will pick up. I couldn't believe it, but it does happen! I started this journey doing a 20 minute mile and did my first half with a 14:30 pace. I did not do fartleks to increase my speed in training, or other speed drills. Just my same old walking.

The other thing I found hard to believe, was that I would be able to do 13.1 miles when the longest I did in training was 10 miles. But it works!! In JB's marathon plan, the longest LW is 20 miles. It's all about endurance, and therefore the importance of getting that base in. So start walking to build your base. I would say not to focus on pace just yet, but to get used to walking on a regular basis. Look into core exercises for your cross training days so you can take care of your back!! and that's MY two cents.

 

[dsnyfan21]

Hey Bill, here is my two cents worth.
I knew nothing about training to walk a half marathon and just Googled how to do it. I came across the walking.about.com website. They have a 16 week training course that I followed for my first 07 WDW Half. It worked and I liked it alot. I used it again for this past WDW Half. It is done in miles and not times. I did the timing myself by purchasing a Garmin Forerunner. I progressed with bettering my time as I added more miles.
The schedule is posted at that website (I can't put a link because I haven't posted enough or something) just search for walking a half or full marathon.
If not maybe later I can put the link to it.
On this training schedule you actually go up to 14 miles (I only did 13.1 miles) but I think it helps to do that at least once before the day you have to do it "for real". I knew that at that moment I would be able to do it on the day and I had one less thing to be nervous about.

Have a great day!

Tracy

 

[jeanneg]

Tracy, here is the link to that site:
http://walking.about.com/

Nancy and I used her program to train for our first half and it worked really well. We both agreed, however, that it was relatively high in mileage and we would not have been able to stick with it for the full. Her website is really great and offers a ton of information about various topics....some of which are not so pleasant, but necessary.

Finally......I am off the fence! If you note my new siggie, you will see that I am signed up for the full in '09. And since I took the plunge for WDW, I also entered an application for the lottery to do the NYC marathon in November. Of course, I don't expect to win a spot, but if you apply and don't get it 3 years in a row you will guaranteed entry the 4th year. So if I keep applying, I will be guaranteed a spot by 2011! I still have family in NYC so for me that would be a real blast.

 

[dsnyfan21]

Jeanneg: Thanks!!
I am now able to put links and stuff in my messages, but thanks again for doing that!

You are very brave to do the Marathon, right now I just can't see myself being out there on the course for that amount of time. Maybe some day. I am pooped after the 3hr and change.

Yes, I agree the about.walking site has lots of good information.

Take care and good training.

 

[windwalker]

Good morning walkers.


Today is another yucky day for our Northern team mates, but the winter will end I promise. I had someone go see the ground hog and make him an offer he can't refuse.

I did a post for end of the month posting of the team monthly miles/hours as well as the first ADD theme. Please check it out and add your ideas and or comments.

Have an awesome day everyone.

Stretching Panda

 

[dsnyfan21]

Hi Everyone, had some good weather here in the AM (low 70s)to go out and do some walking. I did 4 miles on Sat and 5 miles today. Sat was for speed and I did my fastest 4miles in about a year. I did it in 56:36:33! Yeah.
I have a scheduled appointment for a training session for racewalking in about 3 weeks-I'm excited to get an opinion on my self taught racewalking form!
Take care, Tracy

 

[MotoXPrincess99]

Thanks for the welcome.
I am self taught. I have always loved to walk and was in marching bands in high school and college and the way were marched was called "corp style" and is very similar to the racewalking technique. I did get the "racewalk like a champion" by Jeff Salvage and have looked over them.
I am trying to get a private lesson with Bonnie Stein when she is in Boca Raton.
I am signed up for the WDW 1/2 again and would love to be a part of the WISH group for that. I am trying to decide about the Disneyland Half to get the "extra" medal.
I did 3.10 miles this evening on my way home from work and did it in 43m30sec.
How do I determine what "team" to join?
(I also am part of the yahoo walking mag group)

Thanks again, Tracy

What extra medal?

 

[Maherae]

Hello, fellow walkers!
MotoX, This year, DL is offering a special extra medal to those who do the DL and either did the 1/2 or the full at WDW. The special medal will be mailed.

disnyfan21/Tracy, WAY to go!! Make sure you report back on the analysis. I'm sure we will have time to bug you before then!!

I was scheduled for 5, only did 4 and it was a total mental thing. Everything felt fine, weather was good...siiiggghhhh. At least I got the 4, right?

Panda, hope all went well today!!

 

[nepatsfan73]

Any Panda sitings this afternoon. Hope all went well with the teeth and that you are at least able to enjoy some bamboo ice cream.

 

[Steffwalks]

Erica wrote in on the Hakuna Matata thread, The Panda is sound asleep. Apparantly, he felt certain that the sedation they would be using wouldn't help, but everyone stopped by his cubicle to smile at the snores! So far....so good!

 

[nepatsfan73]

Thanks for the update Connie. Wonder who gets the lucky job of waking the sleeping Panda.

 

[Steffwalks]

Bill, I think you are supposed to "let sleeping Pandas lie".

 

[MotoXPrincess99]

Hello, fellow walkers!
MotoX, This year, DL is offering a special extra medal to those who do the DL and either did the 1/2 or the full at WDW. The special medal will be mailed.

disnyfan21/Tracy, WAY to go!! Make sure you report back on the analysis. I'm sure we will have time to bug you before then!!

I was scheduled for 5, only did 4 and it was a total mental thing. Everything felt fine, weather was good...siiiggghhhh. At least I got the 4, right?

Panda, hope all went well today!!

Oh, OK.

I watched the L.A. Marathon on TV yesterday. There was this big sumo guy that did it. It took him 11 hours and 52 minutes. If he can do a Marathon then I can do a Half Marathon.
http://www.usasumo.com/news/kellymarathon.html

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Erica wrote in on the Hakuna Matata thread, The Panda is sound asleep. Apparantly, he felt certain that the sedation they would be using wouldn't help, but everyone stopped by his cubicle to smile at the snores! So far....so good!

I thought I'd check in here if anyone had any news on Dave. Good to hear that he is sleeping it off.

Just keep walking...

 

[dsnyfan21]

Hello fellow WALKERS (Yo Ho Matey's) haha.

Maherae: Just wanted to say that I have those moments when I plan to do a certain mileage and then I can't. But hey, it happens and you just go on.

No walking today...it's my late day at work and I'm pooped. Plus, when really training for long distances or half marathons Sunday is a long mileage day and you are suppose to "rest" the next day.

Got some new sneaks this weekend, who hoo!

Hope all is well with everyone,

Good walking! Tracy