Bonnie Stein, M.Ed.
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Tips For Long WalksBy Bonnie Stein, M.Ed.
Back in the
1960’s, national racewalking team member Bob Bowman would racewalk 50 kilometers
(31 miles!) without drinking any water. To make matters worse, Bob and his team
would repeat the 50K each weekend for their long walk of the week. This was
considered good training 40 years ago. Our 50K racewalkers today are much
faster since they learned to hydrate and don’t walk 50K every weekend.
Since long
walks and marathons seem to be on the minds of many racewalkers at this time of
year, below are some tips that have worked well for those who are new to long
distances. Remember that there are many different coaches with an equal number
of books recommending different training schedules. Keep in mind that nothing
about training is set in stone. I’ve always recommended replacing your shoes
every 3-5 months, yet a racewalker or runner will make me cringe by telling me
about his two-year-old shoes that are still pumping out the miles. I grimace
when racewalkers do what I think are too many hard days in a row, but what’s too
many for you?
I prefer a
conservative and progressive training program that gives you plenty of time to
work up to the mileage that will lead to a successful marathon. I am opposed to
programs that claim you can walk a marathon in four months even if you’re a
brand new walker. Here are tips that I’ve used successfully with hundreds of
racewalkers, and so I share them with you.
Important tips to remember when doing long
distances:
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Don’t do too much too soon (increase by only 5-10%) every couple of weeks. |
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If
you’re new to long walks – increase your walk very gradually till you finally
are at double your regular distance. For example, if your regular distance is
3 miles a day, then your long walk will eventually be 6 miles once a week.
However, not THIS weekend. Increase little by little. This weekend you can
do 3 1/4 miles. Next weekend do 3 1/2 miles. The following week do 3 3/4
miles. Increase week by week until you reach 6 miles once a week. Remember
that your long walk once a week should be a done a bit slower than your
regular pace (#6 on a scale of 1-10) and about 2-3 minutes per mile slower
than race pace. |
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Don’t train when in pain. If it hurts, it’s going to get worse after a long
walk (after the endorphins are gone). |
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Use
frozen peas for any sore areas - 20 minutes at a time, every two hours for 5
times a day! Repeat for 3 days. |
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Drink lots of water during your walk. |
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For walks over 90 minutes - take in some glucose (Gatorade, cut up PowerBars,
diluted Powerade) during your walk. |
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Use Runners Lube or vasaline petroleum jelly on your feet, under your
arms, etc. for any areas that may chafe. |
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Carry Runners Lube in a fanny pack for friction areas that appear while
walking. |
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Wear sunscreen, chapstick and sunglasses. |
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Wear matching outfits (just checking to see if you’re still reading). |
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Never wear new clothes that you haven’t tried in practice at a shorter
distance. |
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Be aware that you’ll need to replace shoes more often when your mileage
increases. |
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Stay at a comfortable pace (60-70% of max heart rate) - about 2 minutes per
mile slower than race pace. Don’t race your long walks! |
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Drink lots of water all afternoon. |
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Eat within 30 minutes after walking a long walk - replace those glycogen
stores or your next walk will suffer. |
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Take the next day off after a very long walk. |
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Always concentrate on good technique (not just getting in the miles), even on
a 2 or 3-hour walk. |
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Have fun and think about all the calories that you’ll be burning.
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