New Place for Walkers, Training for 2011 and Beyond

[John VN]

Dave, your skill at staying true to form when race walking is beyond my comprehension for this perfectionist. Just no way on earth could I make that commitment.

Once again, I to you and your compatriots.

 

[windwalker]

Dave, your skill at staying true to form when race walking is beyond my comprehension for this perfectionist. Just no way on earth could I make that commitment.

Once again, I to you and your compatriots.

Actually once you get in a grove it's very easy to maintain good form. I inmagine I'm going down stadium steps even when I'm on flat road.

Dave

 

[John VN]

Got out for my 10K this morning. Goal was to keep heart rate average around 120bpm. I did not want speed today rather time, distance and comfort in walking.

Finished the 6.21 miles in 1:26:56, 13:59 pace and 118bpm. While not fast by any means, 4 weeks ago at this time of day I crashed. Can't move head because of neck brace and arm in sling so can only pump with one arm.

Tomorrow will just be more miles with Kathy then next week I"ll try a faster pace for a 10K.

Once again I have to admit that Danny Dreyer's Chi Walking method makes walking so easy I am surprised more people don't use his way.

 

[jeanneg]

Dave: Where did Sally go?

John: awesome job! That would be an absolutely amazing pace for me and I'm not injured or recovering. You must be lightning fast. I plan to go check out that new Chi walking technique. Speaking of bpm, if I walk a 13-14 minute mile, I get up to the 160's. If I attempt any running I can get into the 200's....probably not too good since I am 58 years old!

 

[John VN]

Dave: Where did Sally go?

John: awesome job! That would be an absolutely amazing pace for me and I'm not injured or recovering. You must be lightning fast. I plan to go check out that new Chi walking technique. Speaking of bpm, if I walk a 13-14 minute mile, I get up to the 160's. If I attempt any running I can get into the 200's....probably not too good since I am 58 years old!

I'll be 61 in a few months and during bicycle rides with the fast boys, we have racers from around the world come here in winter months for training, I can max out at 182 but no higher. Your 200s might just mean that your body has a higher maximum heart rate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_rate. Through training you will reduce the rate you exercise in at a given effort and be able to increase your speed at higher rates but no where near previous rates.

My comfortable effort rate is now 150 to 155bpm where I can go on for hours without walking or biking into trouble. If I get to 176 to 180 I am at my max and can only hold for a short time. This heart rate has me walking at a 6:30 pace and bicycling at over 32mph. I could extend my time in that range but I have no desire to train that much harder.

Before my crash my goal this year was to improve my 1/2M time from 2:06:16 to under 2:00. This will require me to remain in a 165 to 170bpm zone more comfortably. This is still my goal just a little delayed until I can move safely and freely at those speeds.

As I mentioned, I truly feel that the Chi Walking method has allowed me to move faster while remaining relaxed thereby efficiently using my energy instead of waisting it as many people do.

Keep at it and ask away if you have questions. We can all help each other here and the sad part is that if more people trained to walk faster I bet they would surprise themselves at just how fast they could be without injury.

 

[jeanneg]

I can't even begin to imagine walking at a 6:30 pace! Most people can't even run that fast......or do you mean a 6.3 on the treadmill, which would be between a 9-10 minute mile?

 

[shellabell]

Got out for my 10K this morning. Goal was to keep heart rate average around 120bpm. I did not want speed today rather time, distance and comfort in walking.

Finished the 6.21 miles in 1:26:56, 13:59 pace and 118bpm. While not fast by any means, 4 weeks ago at this time of day I crashed. Can't move head because of neck brace and arm in sling so can only pump with one arm.

Tomorrow will just be more miles with Kathy then next week I"ll try a faster pace for a 10K.

Once again I have to admit that Danny Dreyer's Chi Walking method makes walking so easy I am surprised more people don't use his way.

I just ordered the Chi Walking book; glad to hear that you have had success with it. I signed up for the Tinkerbell half and I am hoping that Chi Walking will help me get my pace up. The fastest I can walk a 5k right now is about 15:30.

 

[John VN]

I can't even begin to imagine walking at a 6:30 pace! Most people can't even run that fast......or do you mean a 6.3 on the treadmill, which would be between a 9-10 minute mile?

Actually a little under 6:30mm pace for short sprint at 9mph. My recent training 1/2M was a 9:38mm pace.

shellabell, glad you are giving it a try. As things turned out for me, I think I had an easier time adjusting to this method because my style was already very similar.

 

[windwalker]

Sounding like a broken record here, still having almost constant rain and stormy weather. Right now there is water flowing over my road into my neighbors yard. That means it's over powering our drainage capabilities.

I started at the mall this morning but the rain slacked to a hard mist so I finished up outside. About 4.5 miles total with the last couple at just under 12 mpm pace.

I was planning to ride my bike this afternoon if the darn rain had let up, it never did.

Dave

 

[MeredithRX]

I'm still at about a 14mpm pace. I'm slowly improving. But, I won 3rd place in my age group at my 5K this weekend. I was so excited! Obviously it was luck of the draw and apparently all the other people my age were still in bed that morning, but I did win it fair and square. I was very excited!

I'm still having issues with my foot though. I'm assuming metatarsalgia because it doesn't seem as serious as a stress fracture or anything like that, but it sure does hurt. I think I'm going to take a VERY easy month of May and then start training again the first of June for the Disneyland Half. I hate to 'waste' a whole month, but this issue doesn't seem to be improving as long as I'm still walking/racing/training so it looks like I'm going to have to bench myself temporarily if I want any hope of getting through the race in September. Ugh...

 

[John VN]

Great day for me yesterday , well almost.

Woke up with right arm/shoulder feeling good and neck not bad so figured I'm healing OK even though neurosurgeon was not too happy at last Thursday's visit. So day goes fine until call from neurosurgeon. Next visit is 1 month away with CT Scan right before. NOW he wants CT Scan ASAP and schedule visit right after. Guess cervical fusion IS in my future.

Any-hoo, I did not eat dinner but did go out for a walk. This time for a 10K speed and high BPM effort.

6.22miles in 1:14:39 a 12mm pace and 144bpm average in 88* temperature. Still with neck collar but right arm was out of sling and boy did things feel good.

Dave, maybe you should start building an ark and the rain might stop.

I'm still at about a 14mpm pace. I'm slowly improving. But, I won 3rd place in my age group at my 5K this weekend. I was so excited! Obviously it was luck of the draw and apparently all the other people my age were still in bed that morning, but I did win it fair and square. I was very excited!

I'm still having issues with my foot though. I'm assuming metatarsalgia because it doesn't seem as serious as a stress fracture or anything like that, but it sure does hurt. I think I'm going to take a VERY easy month of May and then start training again the first of June for the Disneyland Half. I hate to 'waste' a whole month, but this issue doesn't seem to be improving as long as I'm still walking/racing/training so it looks like I'm going to have to bench myself temporarily if I want any hope of getting through the race in September. Ugh...

Meredith, R&R sounds good but exercise bike would help a lot to keep things moving. You could try this for a short walk. Like a robot walk, pick foot straight up, extend forward and place down flat. Repeat, with no pressure on balls of feet, feels very awkward but will allow you to exercise. I have tried this and it does work.

 

[jeanneg]

John: thanks for the link to the heartrate info. I guess everybody has a different normal. It's still scary for me to see a bpm over 200 though.....

 

[MeredithRX]

Meredith, R&R sounds good but exercise bike would help a lot to keep things moving. You could try this for a short walk. Like a robot walk, pick foot straight up, extend forward and place down flat. Repeat, with no pressure on balls of feet, feels very awkward but will allow you to exercise. I have tried this and it does work.

Thanks for the advice. I've never done much with an exercise bike but am definitely not opposed. I thought I may end up putting too much pressure on my feet with the pedals since they are so sore, but maybe not. I'd really love to do some pool exercises, but unfortunately don't have anywhere local to go right now. It's discouraging.

I'll try the walking too. I did take a slow walk to the bank and back today (just force of habit) and tried very hard not to put pressure there. I did a lot of rolling off of the heel with light pressure on the toes, and tried to put even pressure straight down (like you were suggesting) but it all felt the same. It's not excrutiating, and I could definitely walk through it if I needed to, I just worry about further damage since I'm not 100% sure what is wrong.

I got some metatarsal pads today to see if they would take pressure off of the area, but so far I just feel like I'm walking around with a wadded up sock under my foot. I'm pretty sure that's not the intention. And, yes, I have it positioned correctly. I'll have to see how this goes.

 

[John VN]

"Wadded up sock", that's funny.

The pedal pressure on an exerciser could be applied by the heel or arch. This way might keep the irritated part of the foot off the pedal'

Primary concern is that even if it feels good when you have an injury, proceed cautiously. A little at a time early on can yield greater benefits in the future.

I believe that heart rate knowledge is a powerful aid when exercising/competing.

 

[John VN]

Hope all Mothers are having a good day.

Another no good night of sleep so I went out at 3:20AM and by the time I got back to the house I walked 7.5 miles. Woke DW up and we went out for 6.29 miles so I managed to get 13.79 miles total. Not too bad for a geezer in a neck collar.

Meredith, read you got 4 miles in today. Way to go and hope your feet are OK.

 

[MeredithRX]

Yeah, I did manage to get 4.28 miles in! VERY slowly but I was just happy to be moving. The new metatarsal insoles took a little getting used to, but so far they seem to have helped today. 6 hours later and my foot is not any sorer than it was when I started this morning. I'll take that as a good sign. Tomorrow will tell for sure, but I feel better about it. Now, if it would just heal completely and let me get on with things!

 

[John VN]

You could soak your feet in some warm water with Epsom Salt and that would really help.

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/use-epsom-salts-13-wonderful-ways.html

 

[windwalker]

After the half portion of the goofy this last january I couldn't put weight on my right foot at all, not good when you have a marathon in 8 hours. I got in the tub as hot as I could stand it and massaged my foot for a long time and then took a nap in the hot water, when I woke up it was a lot better.

The weather here is finally beautiful and drying out.

Dave

 

[John VN]

6 weeks since my bicycle crash so I walked, still in neck collar for 6 more weeks, a 10K to the starting point of our rides and met the guys I rode with that day. Had a great visit then took a little shorter way home. Had a total of 11.36 miles. Felt great.

Hope everyone is doing OK.

 

[disney_runner]

Hi!
Just wanted to jump in and say hello, and I'm happy to see lots of walkers for the races. I had knee surgery on 3 May and the Wine and Dine is coming up quickly! I have a feeling I'll be walking a large portion of it, so it's good to know I'll be in good company. And good to read lots of walking advice as well. Thanks!!