New Walker's Sharing Ideas

[windwalker]

Here is an interesting site for walking news. One of the articles say that according to the Us Sporting Goods association that RaceWalking is the fastest growing sport in the nation. 89 million people are currently looking at walking instead of running as their sport. Sport not exercise. That's the direction we need to go to get our sport mainstream.

http://www.walkstyles.com/SiteNews/WTNews.aspx

Walking Panda

 

[dsnyfan21]

I wanted to post here first - since I am a walker (duh) and I thought Panda would get a kick outta it.
So, I did my 5K judged RRCA Florida State Racewalk this morning. They moved me from the Open category to the State category after I finished. It was VERY hot this morning. I did some warming up of brisk walking with some racewalking for about 15 min an I was sweating like a pig. I stretched some. The course was flat and I had to do 2 loops for the 5K. There were two ladies ahead of me, but come to find out they were doing the 10K. I ended up finishing first for the 5K!!! I had a time of 39min53sec - 12:53pace - I said to myself OMG!!! That is THE fastest I have EVER done!! . I had two judges comment on my form and said I looked good and to keep it up. One said I have the potential to get faster.

Panda: I would be happy to help in any way to the best of my ability. I am a good cheerleader. I have only been officially racwalking for about a year and a half. Whatever you need, let me know.

Hope all have a good day, I will go take some Advil and go over to Dolphin stadium to check out my season ticket seats for the upcoming University of Miami Football games.

Walking Fool.

 

[windwalker]

Wow Tracy that is awesome. You have really come along quickly. You will be just amazingly fast by the January marathon weekend.

You did great.

Impressed Panda

 

[ms.mightyduck]

Go, Tracy! Woohoo!

You're my hero! You make me think someday I might be ahead of the minimum pace. When we saw you on the turnaround, I was so excited. You are FAST! My walking is still pokey.

I told DH that my goal for January is to get faster so I don't have to spend so much time on the course!

 

[windwalker]

Go, Tracy! Woohoo!

You're my hero! You make me think someday I might be ahead of the minimum pace. When we saw you on the turnaround, I was so excited. You are FAST! My walking is still pokey.

I told DH that my goal for January is to get faster so I don't have to spend so much time on the course!

Duckie, yes we walkers, just like our runner friends can make some amazing gains with determined training.

Walking Panda

 

[dsnyfan21]

Thanks so much Duckie and Panda, I greatly appreciate it.

(I just found out that RRCA means: Road Runners Clubs of America - duh.)

Duckie: Believe it or not one of my goals everytime I do a judged race or any kind of race is to beat my previous time. I don't do it to place or win (especially when you do things with runners, we always seem to be "back of the packers" or as we said at the Minnie "just in front of sweepers pace group".) I just take it one race or event at a time. It makes me feel good to train for something, it gives me a goal to work towards and then complete it with my head held high. (I also love bling , hehe)
Jen - you seem like a person who would love to set a goal, organize a way to plan it out and then accomplish it. You can do it, it just takes a bit of belief in yourself, practice and patience. That goes for me too.

Take care everyone

-Racey Tracy

 

[ms.mightyduck]

Tracy-

Yes, I am organized and then relentless in my pursuit. I'll keep at it, and I am hoping that I can get a racewalking lesson in sometime this summer. In the meantime, we have another goal...involving a possible duckling... But I have been assured that the best way to get there is to try to accomplish something else!

I'll see you in January, and I hope to get faster at the same rate as you so that I don't end up an hour behind--you are really fast!

 

[SamSam]

I wanted to post here first - since I am a walker (duh) and I thought Panda would get a kick outta it.
So, I did my 5K judged RRCA Florida State Racewalk this morning. They moved me from the Open category to the State category after I finished. It was VERY hot this morning. I did some warming up of brisk walking with some racewalking for about 15 min an dI was sweating like a pig. I stretched some. The course was flat and I had to do 2 loops for the 5K. There were two ladies ahead of me, but come to find out they were doing the 10K. I ended up finishing first for the 5K!!! I had a time of 39min2sec - 12:35pace - I said to myself OMG!!! That is THE fastest I have EVER done!! . I had two judges comment on my form and said I looked good and to keep it up. One said I have the potential to get faster. Walking Fool.

Congrats Tracy! I so enjoyed meeting you and am enjoying reading about your new racing events. What an inspiration you are to all of us walkers! Sharon

 

[windwalker]

Tracy everyone I have met who was a faster racewalker than me said if I want to get faster I need to stretch more. Limberness is the secret to speed. So that's what I'm doing, half my workout is the walk training and half is the calistetics and stretching.

Walking Panda

 

[Steffwalks]

TRACELY!!!! THAT'S WONDERFUL!!! I want to be just like you when I grow up!!!

I have had trouble keepin up with everything this week.

I like the idea of the mentors.

I will try to catch up later today! Everybody train well.

 

[jeanneg]

YAY, Tracy!!!!! Congratulations! WAY TO GO! You are my new heroine!

 

[jeanneg]

Also congrats to everyone who spent mother's day doing the race for the cure.....Debra, Nancy, Corinna to name a few

 

[padisneyfan]

Congratulations Tracy.

My big event this past weekend was the 5K Race for the Cure in Philly. What a huge event and great celebration of life. I wore my pink shirt proudly as a 6 year survivor. With over 45,000 walkers we did no racing just walked at a brisk pace and finished in 57 minutes.

Nancy

 

[dsnyfan21]

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!!

Stef: (Tracely - I kinda like that, along with the racey tracy, haha) Thank you so much for the vote of being something you want to grow up to be - maybe just in the WALKING part because you may want to think again about all the other stuff.

JEEEANN: Thanks so much for the BIG Congratulations!!! That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. What's up with this hero stuff?!? You and Duckie, you guys crack me up !

Nancy: Great job getting out there for the Race for the cure!! I was at something similar on Sunday not timed or anything (Y-Me Breast Cancer Organization) One of my co-workers sisters used them very much last year and I did the race to help support them both. She died a few months after last year's walk . We did it this year in her honor.

PANDA: I know...streching, streching, stretching...hmmmm. I know, I know and I am the first one to admit that I can always do more of this. I think I need like some kind of routine or something. I have a bit of a one for after I do training walks, but none for like everyday. I will have to work on that.

ALL YOU WALKERS INSPIRE ME EVERY TIME I READ A REPORT OR A TRAINING STORY!! Keep up the good work, put one foot in front of the other and before you know it you'll be crossing whatever finish line is in your future!!

 

[ms.mightyduck]

Tracy, when I saw you on the turnaround during the 15K, all I could think was that you really ARE my hero, starting alongside me and walking so fast! You made me think it was possible to get to the other side of that long, boring walk!

And I mentioned to DH tonight that you are going to be at the Disneyland half... He seemed intrigued.

 

[dsnyfan21]

Hey.....where's all the walkers???

I just had a slow week, trying to take some time off. I did one day after work this week of walking and did some Pilates for Dummies.
Today I started my training for the DL 1/2.
I did a 3miles walk in 43min58sec with a avg pace of 14:39. Now I wasn't pushing it and I didn't do any speed drills. Just wanted to go at a comfortable pace and concentrate on some form like posture, pelvic tilt and pushoff. I can't believe it but about 6months ago if I did an average pace of 14:39 I would've been spent and panting. See, it can happen, you can get faster. It's just now that I am appreciating my hard work and time.

I had another racewalker talking to me about how one of her coaches wanted her to lean a bit foward to help with speed. I tried that a few times this morning and I didn't like it much and my back felt a bit of strain. SO, not sure that is for me or maybe I wasn't doing it right. Don't think I'll do that again.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

 

[windwalker]

Hey.....where's all the walkers???

I just had a slow week, trying to take some time off. I did one day after work this week of walking and did some Pilates for Dummies.
Today I started my training for the DL 1/2.
I did a 3miles walk in 43min58sec with a avg pace of 14:39. Now I wasn't pushing it and I didn't do any speed drills. Just wanted to go at a comfortable pace and concentrate on some form like posture, pelvic tilt and pushoff. I can't believe it but about 6months ago if I did an average pace of 14:39 I would've been spent and panting. See, it can happen, you can get faster. It's just now that I am appreciating my hard work and time.

I had another racewalker talking to me about how one of her coaches wanted her to lean a bit foward to help with speed. I tried that a few times this morning and I didn't like it much and my back felt a bit of strain. SO, not sure that is for me or maybe I wasn't doing it right. Don't think I'll do that again.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Tracy, there are a lot of personal trainers out there "Teaching" racewalking that don't have a country clue what the heck they are doing. I sometimes lean forward a little but only because I'm worn out from a tough race or a hard training session. As soon as I realize it I straighten my butt out.

I try to take inventory every little bit to make sure I'm doing what I need to be doing. When I'm in a race and in the lead pack I'm pretty much in survival mode and don't think much about and just sort of go into auto pilot. But I try to think technique.

At the National Senior Olympics I was given one caution which isn't a red spot like a warning. The judge said your starting to get tired don't let your technique get sloopy. I asked him after why he thought I was getting tired, he said because I was starting to lean forward. There were 5 national class racewalkers in my age class that were disqualified that day and many many walkers during the course of the day. My time for the 4 laps of the track was 9:57.

The next day the judges set up on the turns and the down hills for the 5k road race. They did that because it harder to keep technique during the turns and going down hill it's easy to break into a run.

For the 5k, it was a very hilly course and a very hot and humid July day. I did a 35:10 time with no cautions or warnings. I might have been able to go a tad faster but if your sloopy they will pull you so I was worried as much about the technique as I was the time.

The "American" style of racewalking has a bit less hip roll and consentrates on more forward motion. The Europeans are more into the limber rolling gait. The Aussis and the New Zealanders are the dominate force in racewalking right now.

I'm rambelling so I'll hush.

Walking Panda

 

[ms.mightyduck]

Hello!

I am inspired by Tracy. There's a judged racewalking event tomorrow not far from here. I have no idea if I can racewalk. But if I get up in time I'm going to go out there, do the 5K, and watch a little to see if I can do it.

It's also open house at the farm where I bought a CSA share and I have a party to go to in the afternoon, so we'll see how much I can squeeze in to one Sunday! I already need a nap....

 

[dsnyfan21]

Cool Duckie - go for it- even if you just go out and watch. They do have judges throughout the course to see that you are doing the correct technique. Mostly that you should have at least one foot on the ground at all times and that you land with a straight knee and it stays straight until it passed under your body. You do get warning signs and those are paddles that the judge will hold up. Too many ( I think 3) and you are disqualified. I think it would be good for you to do it or at least witness a judged racewalk. You will get a different outlook on the whole thing.

Good Luck!! Try not to pass out at the end of the day - it sounds pretty full.

 

[ms.mightyduck]

I'll be awake in time--DH has to go to work, and he'll be up plenty early. It's just a question of whether i can drag myself out of bed! It's one of those racewalks where the main event is a 20K, but they offer 5K, 10K, and 15K distances. I figured I'd try the 5K to see if I can keep up with the technique.

The straight leg rule doesn't seem hard--after all, it's not like DH will have a camera and I'll be jumping around because I see Mickey Mouse or something... As long as they aren't playing U2, we should be good.

I think you are right, though--even if I'm not up early enough to enter, I'll drive out there to watch.

Duckie

Look for my report tomorrow!