New Place for Walkers, Training for 2011 and Beyond

[windwalker]

Last years walking place was awfully large and it's easier for the admin people to keep them moving quickly if it's not so big. So here is the place for walkers to share knowledge and experiences in training for this year and beyond.

Dave

 

[windwalker]

Training to walk your Disney as well as other races is just like training for running races. Everything you read about training to run can be directly related to walking.

When you train to run races you need to do specific workouts if you want to get the best results. The same specific workouts are required for walkers to get there best performance.

Going long; if your training for an endurance event like a half or full marathon then your primary strength and endurance builder is your weekly long walk. Just like in running you start with a distance you can comfortably handle and build from that.

You need shorter faster runs of various speeds, speed play, to get ready to go faster over distance.

You need intervals to build the all important fast twitch muscles and to increase the amnount of waste products you can process. That waste called lactic acid is whats left after your cells do their thing and make you go.

Dave

 

[windwalker]

Good morning walkers.

When you start walking faster, one of the important things you need to do is to concentrate on keeping your arm swing more to the back. Your leg stride is more to the back with walking than running so you need to adjust your arm swing to balance everything out.

This causes a bit of a concern with pockets. Your arm swing being more to the back makes it easy to catch your hands, especially your thumbs, in your front pockets. Wearing pants or shorts and jackets with zipper or no front pockets will keep this from happening.

Dave

 

[John VN]

Good morning Dave and thank you for starting a new thread for 2011.

Since the Goofy I have gotten back into my road bicycling and can't believe the positive impact it has made on my walking. I am riding longer distances at higher heart rates and the effort put into these distances translates directly into easier walking at a faster pace and more miles. With my comfort zone now faster and longer I should be able to bump up my speed a lot easier.

Found this article that fits me to a "T". Thought it was an interesting read.

http://running.competitor.com/2009/12/training/understanding-your-natural-running-pace_7280

Good training to all.

 

[windwalker]

Thanks for sharing that John.

Dave

 

[MeredithRX]

Thanks for the new thread! Maybe I can actually keep up this time!

I'm definitely ready to start adding a little speed to my walking. I finished two half marathons without being swept, but just barely. I'd love to be able to build more of a cushion when there is a 3:30 time limit. I'll be working on that between now and my halfs in Sept, Oct, and Nov. (If I make it through all of those )

 

[windwalker]

The more effeciently you walk the faster you will go with the same effort. A good way to learn is to go somewhere you have a line to follow, following a line in the road will keep you walking in a straight line instead of like a duck waddling along. It makes a difference.

Go somewhere that has steps and go quickly down the steps, you walk naturally down steps in a straight line. Do that a few times and then walk on the flat road imagining you are going down steps. That's the feeling you have when your doing it right, like your going down hill even when your on the flat.

Dave

 

[John VN]

The more effeciently you walk the faster you will go with the same effort. A good way to learn is to go somewhere you have a line to follow, following a line in the road will keep you walking in a straight line instead of like a duck waddling along. It makes a difference.

Go somewhere that has steps and go quickly down the steps, you walk naturally down steps in a straight line. Do that a few times and then walk on the flat road imagining you are going down steps. That's the feeling you have when your doing it right, like your going down hill even when your on the flat.

Dave

EFFECIENCY is the key word to fast walking. Any wasted motion will cause the walker to expend energy that should be put into making the body move forward.

Bicycling is my primary sporting interest. I constantly strive to increase my efficiency while pedalling. Any diversion from the effort to make the bike go forward will slow me down and cause me to become tired faster.

When walking I am very tuned in to my stride, arm swing, torso position, head position, breathing, foot plant, etc. Could be I am so busy listening to myself is the reason I find listening to music not necessary. Concentrating so intensely can also help the time out on the road fly by along with the distances.

I went out yesterday for a 13.12 mile walk. I counted the number of steps per .01 mile and did the math. 16 steps/.01 mile equals 41,920 steps for a marathon. Conserving a little energy in every step by being as efficient as possible adds up.

 

[windwalker]

Yes that is a good comparison. When you ride a bike you must put your effort into going forward without wobbling and using clips so you get power on the upstroke on the pedal as well as the down stroke.

The arm swing is very important, it must be more to the back than running since your walking stride is more to the back. Get in sync and when you want to go faster pump your arms faster and your legs will follow. I have done that in races, when I needed more speed to pass someone and my legs weren't getting it done I would pump my arms faster and sure enough my legs would find the rhythm and keep up.

Dave

 

[John VN]

Yes that is a good comparison. When you ride a bike you must put your effort into going forward without wobbling and using clips so you get power on the upstroke on the pedal as well as the down stroke.

The arm swing is very important, it must be more to the back than running since your walking stride is more to the back. Get in sync and when you want to go faster pump your arms faster and your legs will follow. I have done that in races, when I needed more speed to pass someone and my legs weren't getting it done I would pump my arms faster and sure enough my legs would find the rhythm and keep up.

Dave

When I was out yesterday I had a couple of courteous drivers wait for me at intersections not realizing that I had to REALLY get the arms going to get the legs going. Thank you but almost a no thank you.

When I see someone walking along with all sorts of extra motion I, for a brief moment, want to stop and let them know how much less of an effort they could be putting into their walk all while obtaining better results. Like riding a bicycle with the seat too low, knees out from the frame and in too high of a gear.

 

[johde]

Thanks Dave for starting the thread again. Even though I'm now doing a run/walk combination I still pick up thing here that can help.

 

[windwalker]

Thanks Dave for starting the thread again. Even though I'm now doing a run/walk combination I still pick up thing here that can help.

Your welcome.

Dave

 

[windwalker]

One of the things that tickle me about the run walk controversy is that everyone has a slightly different style. I've seen every posible combination of style out there on the marathon routes from olympic class runners to joggers to power walkers to speed walkers to race walkers.

Even among the elite of any sport there are differences in technique. The main common demominator it moving foward. If you get hung up on how you and someone differ then it just holds you back. Learn basic technique then make it work for you.

If you want to get better at any sport you have to do it often and do it with enough effort that you feel like you had a good workout. Like being tired, if you feel like you could do the workout again you didn't do it hard enough. But you also shouldn't be near death either. An effort that leaves you tired but feeling good is what you want to strive for.

Dave

 

[Minnie Lor]

I love all this advice. I was hearing you in my head yesterday when I "forced" myself to do my 8 miles. It was just an off day and the weather wasn't cooperating but 8 miles was on the schedule. I did more walking than I planned but it was just as well. I still ended up with a just over a 14 minute mile.

 

[John VN]

I love all this advice. I was hearing you in my head yesterday when I "forced" myself to do my 8 miles. It was just an off day and the weather wasn't cooperating but 8 miles was on the schedule. I did more walking than I planned but it was just as well. I still ended up with a just over a 14 minute mile.

Great walking . Staying positive helps tremendously.

 

[windwalker]

Having a word or phrase to help you get over the rough spots. When your getting tired, going up a steep hill, feeling like your not going to be able to hold your pace.....

Some of the phrases, mantras, that have helped me through rough times are;

Earn this, from saving Private Ryan.

Rise above it, from Cool Runnings

Bring it on, from the movie of the same name.

Relentless forward motion

Whatever you decide on it has to mean something to you and it has to get you feeling like you can do anything, as the song goes, "Have to believe that we are magic".

Dave

 

[Minnie Lor]

I've been reading your blog, Dave. Good stuff!

 

[windwalker]

I've been reading your blog, Dave. Good stuff!

Thank you. I started the blog to store my thoughts for a book I'm doing on wellness.

Dave

 

[windwalker]

I had my first double workout day in a very long time. I did a 6 mile training walk with my race walk team and then walked an hour with Sally. Starting to feel like my old self again.

Dave

 

[windwalker]

Great training walk this morning. I went to the mall since it was 33 degrees and threatening rain. I did 4 miles in 51:17, that's a pace of 12:29 per mile and it felt very comfortable. Not back to fast yet but it's a start and nothing hurts.

I'm using a couple of pairs of shoes, my Mizuno racing flats and my very cushioned trainers. The racing flats are more efficient but my feet need the cushion every other training walk. Today's training was in the cushioned trainers so the same effort with the racers would probably knock about 30 sec a mile. But the extra speed would come with a cost of extra wear on me.

Dave