Walkers Sharing Experiences

[SamSam]

Good morning guys.

I hate to be a broken record but I'm having an awesome day. Ever have one of those days that you just can't run out of energy? I did a 4 mile walk on the treadmill:

Mile one 15:00 mpm
Mile two 13:20 mpm
Mile three 12:00 mpm
Mile four 10:54 mpm

Then a half hour of weights, some stretching and finally a half hour of pool running with high knee lift. I still feel like I haven't done anything and tons of energy left. Which is good because I have to work today.

Walking Panda

Keep being a broken record! I love reading such positive posts, they really help make my day and thought processes more positive.
I have days like that occasionally too, and they are wonderful. It's a feeling of being on top of the world and my workouts seem so much easier than normal.

 

[windwalker]

I'm going to get a chance to promote walking more by working with Total Fitness Connection. I'm really looking forward to that.

Today was easy, sorta, day. I did 4 miles with the first being a warm up in 14:40 and the last three in 36:45. Then some running, stretching and calistetics in the pool.

Pleasent workout. I did nail the last quarter mile at full sprint. The route is very hill with the last quarter before the club flat, so when I hit there I go as fast as I can. Then walk about 100m slow to cool down before going to the next exercise routine.

Sam Sam, your encouragement makes my day to.

Have an awesome day walkers.

Walking Panda

 

[ultramickeymouse]

They finally published the results of my walk race from last Saturday:

http://bgrr.com/results/results08GardenSpot.htm#walk

Rest day for me today.

Walking Panda

You only beat about 15 runners. You are getting slow in your old age

 

[DisneyWalkerGirl]

Did anyone see the racewalking events from the Olympics? I set the dvr for the 20Ks and finally started watching the women's race last night. Talk about lousy conditions - the rain was crazy! The number one woman was not wearing a ball cap and I am really in awe of how focused she was with rain pelting her in the face

I only had time to watch the first 30 minutes, but it is saved and I will probably watch more tonight. Really inspires me to keep up with my new racewalking training even though things aren't going really well right now....

To all of you "real" racewalkers - I am still getting really tired on my long walks when using my new technique even with a pretty slow pace. Nothing hurts, but my legs get tired much faster using the correct technique than they did when I walked in my natural "like a duck" stride. Any ideas/encouragement out there for how long it will take these muscles to strengthen during my training? I am determined to use proper form in my half coming up Oct 19, but am getting nervous about my "staying power".

Thanks,
Kathy

 

[windwalker]

You only beat about 15 runners. You are getting slow in your old age

As the guy with in Monty Python's "Holly Grail" said, "I'm getting betta' ".

Improving Panda

 

[windwalker]

I only had time to watch the first 30 minutes, but it is saved and I will probably watch more tonight. Really inspires me to keep up with my new racewalking training even though things aren't going really well right now....

To all of you "real" racewalkers - I am still getting really tired on my long walks when using my new technique even with a pretty slow pace. Nothing hurts, but my legs get tired much faster using the correct technique than they did when I walked in my natural "like a duck" stride. Any ideas/encouragement out there for how long it will take these muscles to strengthen during my training? I am determined to use proper form in my half coming up Oct 19, but am getting nervous about my "staying power".

Thanks,
Kathy

Sounds like you might be forcing it, rather than letting it flow. I will be glad to work with you at TOT or at the Marathon weekend. Till then:

Don't think everything technique while you are walking, it will drive you crazy and you will feel like a robot stiff walking.

Work on a piece at a time;

Arm swing more to the back, but once again don't force it let it feel comfortable.

Keep walking in a straight line by thinking hip forward, arm back, hip forward arm back. Right hip forward as left arm goes back, left hip forward as right arm goes back. Let it flow smooth, don't fight it.

Your foot kinda swings around to the front, just like you were going down steps. Practice on a white line in the road, try to keep all your steps on the line.

Don't even think straight knee and hip drop that will just happen naturally. If your doing the other stuff right the rest will fall into place.

I don't get into a racewalk untill I've walked briskly, normally for at least a mile to warm everything up or it doesn't feel smooth.

Do a shin strengthing exercise after every walk and then do calf, ham, quad and hip/glute stretches after everywalk.

Hope that helps you.

Walking Panda

 

[jeanneg]

Hello....I'm back....WHERE IS EVERYONE?

 

[windwalker]

Hello....I'm back....WHERE IS EVERYONE?

We are waiting for you Darlin, can't start the party till the princesses arrive. Did you and Nancy have a wicked good time?

Walking Panda

 

[jeanneg]

Unfortunately, for the most part we were pretty much well-behaved! We did manage to get a little sloshed at the tequila tasting, but that was about it. Most of the stuff that was flowing wasn't free and none of us were buying! And we were totally sober when we posed with the Speedo-clad Alcapulco cliff divers. None of our husbands quite understood WHY we were so willing to give a donation to pose with those guys......I'll try to post a photo and let you be the judge!

It's good to be back.......time to start the heavy duty marathon training so we're all gonna be needing alot of support from one another.

 

[windwalker]

Unfortunately, for the most part we were pretty much well-behaved! We did manage to get a little sloshed at the tequila tasting, but that was about it. Most of the stuff that was flowing wasn't free and none of us were buying! And we were totally sober when we posed with the Speedo-clad Alcapulco cliff divers. None of our husbands quite understood WHY we were so willing to give a donation to pose with those guys......I'll try to post a photo and let you be the judge!

It's good to be back.......time to start the heavy duty marathon training so we're all gonna be needing alot of support from one another.

I'll see It now, Jeanne and Nancy arrested for skinnydipping at the Epcot lake with the cast of Pirates of the Caribbean. You absolutely must have adult supervision.

Walking Panda

 

[dsnyfan21]

I'm Here, just been recovering from the DL Half and got a cold to boot. Head and chest cold. I did a slow recovery walk on Thursday about 2.3 mile and then about a 2 miler yesterday and then had grand thoughts this morning for a 4 miler with reg pace. I even got in a 13:50 mile, the last mile was tough and just came in at under a 15min pace. I think it was just 1 mile to much.
Plan to do a few judged racewalks, just haven't decided which ones and when.

Take care walkers.

Tracy

 

[windwalker]

Good morning Tracy. You had a lot of reasons for your immune system to be weakened: change of schedule, climate change, the effort of the race and of course Jet Lag. Not unusual at all to be down with a bug. It will probably be a week or so before you feel close to normal again. A good sleep in and real rest will help a lot.

I had a 2 mile race last monday and so the rest of the week was easy and lower miles. I feel great now and next week I'll be back to hard training. I have a standard rule: any race or any PR requires a few easy days to recover. In the past a PR or hard race was followed in a few days by a cold or injury.

Happy panda

 

[dsnyfan21]

Thanks Panda, I'm doing better. Never had a fever, so that's good. Just mostly coughing now.

Tracy

 

[getnthinr]

Jeanne -- Welcome back!
Tracy -- Get better!
Panda -- You are one fast walker!!!!! Wowzer!

As for me, I'm celebrating my birthday today, so naturally I went looking for a race. No luck until the hurricane blew by yesterday and a local 5K was postponed until today, so Happy Birthday to me! I finished in 39:11, which is a LOT faster than I've ever managed a 5K before. Still abysmally slow, I know, but I was ecstatic! I think I'm going to do the Second Empire Grand Prix Series this year -- a string of 9 races (mostly 5Ks) for which you accumulate points. I won't be fast enough to win anything by virtue of my finishing times (Duh!) but anyone who does 7 of the 9 races gets a free "awards banquet" lunch at Second Empire (a ritzy restaurant in Raleigh), a free gift, and the chance to win a lot of door prizes. It also might be cool if I could improve my 5K times while I am working on my Goofy training -- kind of treating these races (and my training for them) as intermittant "speed work." Nothing like you walking pros would do, but more than I typically fit into my working-mom-on-the-go training schedule.

Well, gotta go do Mommie-stuff. Keep walking, folks!

 

[jeanneg]

Jeanne -- Welcome back!
Tracy -- Get better!
Panda -- You are one fast walker!!!!! Wowzer!

As for me, I'm celebrating my birthday today, so naturally I went looking for a race. No luck until the hurricane blew by yesterday and a local 5K was postponed until today, so Happy Birthday to me! I finished in 39:11, which is a LOT faster than I've ever managed a 5K before. Still abysmally slow, I know, but I was ecstatic! I think I'm going to do the Second Empire Grand Prix Series this year -- a string of 9 races (mostly 5Ks) for which you accumulate points. I won't be fast enough to win anything by virtue of my finishing times (Duh!) but anyone who does 7 of the 9 races gets a free "awards banquet" lunch at Second Empire (a ritzy restaurant in Raleigh), a free gift, and the chance to win a lot of door prizes. It also might be cool if I could improve my 5K times while I am working on my Goofy training -- kind of treating these races (and my training for them) as intermittant "speed work." Nothing like you walking pros would do, but more than I typically fit into my working-mom-on-the-go training schedule.

Well, gotta go do Mommie-stuff. Keep walking, folks!

Lunch at Second Empire? I'm very interested! Do you have a link you could send? BTW, 39:11 is an AMAZING time! You are going to be way too fast for me, girl!

 

[getnthinr]

Lunch at Second Empire? I'm very interested! Do you have a link you could send? BTW, 39:11 is an AMAZING time! You are going to be way too fast for me, girl!

Thanks! But you and John already outwalk me, so I thought I'd better pick up my pace just so I could keep up on our upcoming long walk (December 20 -- you're on my calendar!)

Here's the link to the series. It's all 5Ks except for one 1-miler, one 10-miler, and one 8K -- and I'm out of town for the 10-miler and the 8K (which are much more my strong suit, but as I said, you only need to do 7 of the 9 for the free lunch, or 3 of the 9 if you're fast enough to win an award by virtue of your finish time). Obviously lunch isn't really free -- you've more than paid for it in race registrations, but you know what I mean.

Second Empire Grand Prix Series

Warning: The award celebration is scheduled for January, and could happen while we're at Disney. I'm going to try to have fun with the races anyway.

 

[windwalker]

Hi Jeanne and Wendy. Nice to hear from you ladies again. I have a blog now to play with so I can irritate even more people.

You both are fast. I've been in races with both of you.

Walking Panda

 

[getnthinr]

Hi Jeanne and Wendy. Nice to hear from you ladies again. I have a blog now to play with so I can irritate even more people.

You both are fast. I've been in races with both of you.

Walking Panda

The beloved Panda -- an irritant!?!?!?!?!? I think NOT! An inspiration!

Looking forward to seeing you and Erica again in January. I have not been a very faithful WISHer this year, but I still count many WISHers among my dear friends. It's wonderful to have a connection with folks who understand how walking and running are such a big part of who I am and how I see myself. And who support any improvement -- even when it might not seem like such a big deal to more gifted/natural athletes.

I love the WISHers.

 

[jeanneg]

Ooops, i got so excited about lunch at Second Empire, I forgot to wish you a very
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!



Thanks for the link. I just checked the dates and realized I will miss at least 4 events, so it's not gonna happen for me.

 

[dsnyfan21]

Hey walkers...
Did a good 3 miles today and with feeling better that helped.
So 1st mile at 14:16 pace
2nd mile at 13:49 pace
3rd mile at 13:11 pace. (neg splits, not too shabby.)
The last 1/2 mile was at a 11:95 pace.

So, that's it for me today. I will do either a 4-5 miles tomorrow.

Tracy