With summer heading out and fall heading our way, I know a lot of my fellow walkers are thrilled to get all the benefits of autumn training and racing. Cool temperatures! The smell of falling leaves! Hidden slugs everywhere! What's not to love? Answer: nothing. But lest you think summer was just a ball-broiling waste of your time, consider the following:
1) Nothing gets a person conditioned like training in heat and humidity. Nothing. If you've kept up with your training all summer long, right now you are basically a MACHINE. Once the moisture leaves the air, you will practically find a whole other gear. My running husband says fall is when you capitalize on your summer training. He is correct. You have spent the summer paying your dues and now they will be repaid with interest.
2) Your refuel strategy is probably amazing. In the heat, you have to hydrate. In the cool weather, you will be USED to hydrating a lot, and therefore you will have a massive advantage in any distance events or workouts you do. Don't slack on your water intake because the weather is colder. You still need it.
3) Hello to the falling leaves! So beautiful! So slippery. Be careful on those leaves, especially when they're wet. Also, fallen walnuts and such will really ruin your day if you aren't looking out for them. They call it "fall" because a lot of crap is falling all over the place. Break yo'self.
4) Bust out the cold-weather gear! But be hesitant to overdress. Remember, if you are working hard you can wear shorts and a tank top even in 40-degree weather. But you don't want your extremities to freeze, right? Strike this delicate balance with accessories. A headband and light gloves (or arm warmers) might be all you need, and they are easily removed and carried if you get too warm. Also, don't bring a jacket if you will only need it for a mile. Do you really want to tie that around your waist and Sherpa it home like a menstrual woman in a Mentos commercial? No. No, you do not.
5) Fall races! They are everywhere! Look some up. Train for something. Take advantage of the gorgeous weather and set a new PR. Keep your momentum going into the winter. On that note...
6) Make a plan for winter. Make your plan NOW. A lot of people let themselves get out of shape in the winter, only to have to "get it back" in the spring for their next race season. Do not become a statistic. Do not gain winter weight. Stay in shape. HAVE A PLAN. Write the plan down. Make it your mission to get in even better shape through the holidays. It is easier to stay in shape than to get in shape. Remember this and plan for it!
Enjoy a beautiful autumn of walking!
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Race Recap: Fox Cities Half Marathon
Fox Cities Half Marathon Race Report
When: Sunday, September 18, 2016
Where: Appleton, WI
Weather: 60s and sunny
Division: Competitive Walk, with age group awards
I was really looking forward to this one, because it is the
first time I’ve done a race that had a proper walking division with three
awards per age group (the age groups span 10 years each instead of 5 in the
open division). My goal was to walk around 2:50 (13-minute miles) and place in
my age group, preferably to win my age group. The weather was fairly nice,
although I could have gone about 10-20 degrees cooler at the start. Still saw
tons of people dressed in multiple layers.
Gun went off and the first 2 miles were into the rising sun.
Very blinding! I missed the first mile marker. We turned north right before
mile 2 and I saw that I was at exactly a 13-minute mile. Kind of disappointing
because there was no room to slow down, but it’s tough at the start of a race.
Competitive Walk starts 5 minutes after the Open Division, so I had to walk
around a lot of slow runners and run/walkers in the early miles. Many of them
like to walk in packs, which is frustrating to circumnavigate.
At around the 4-mile mark I heard a woman behind my right
shoulder “whisper” to her friend, “let’s hurry up and pass these WALKERS.” As
she and her friend jogged ahead, I yelled to her “STAY ahead of me, then!”
Besides that one awful woman, I didn’t get any disrespect as a walker in this
race. I think most of the people who were in the back of the pack in the Open
division had a normal level of humility and grace, and they were pleasant race
companions.
Near the 5-mile mark, we had to cross a major road, and
there were cops directing traffic. Unfortunately, one cop kept letting people
in cars go past and made the racers stop. We had to wait until this cop decided
to stop letting cars go through, and a bunch of us were pissed. We had momentum
going and he was ruining it. Finally after about 20 seconds at a dead stop, we
were able to go again. This is not acceptable and I hope it doesn’t happen
again in the future. Future Cops: stop the cars, not the race. They knew about
the street closures beforehand and they could have gone a different way.
At about 6 miles I was on track to finish in under 2:50, but
I was starting to fatigue. It was fairly hot by this point (upper 60s) and not
as breezy as I’m used to in my windy hometown. It was also an extremely flat
course. I have written in my blog about training for specific race conditions,
but I had been doing my long workouts in fairly hilly conditions, and as a
result my glutes and quads were on fleek. My hip flexors, however, were dying
in this race, and I could feel it. I had no idea this course was so flat. There
was no elevation chart on the website. My bad. It was flatter than the Chicago
Marathon. It was flatter than Disneyworld! There were maybe two or three tiny
slopes the entire time. Yeah, my hip flexors were struggling by mile 10. Lesson
learned: do more flats in training.
The last three miles were extremely scenic. At two points we
crossed long pedestrian bridges over a picturesque lake and through lovely
parks. Then around mile 11.5 we entered a brief industrial slum, which made me
laugh, because literally EVERY race takes you through a brief industrial slum,
and it’s usually near the end. It was very brief, though, less than half a
mile, and we ended up in downtown Neenah. The fire department had a sprinkler
out front which I enjoyed. All the volunteers and spectators were great this entire
race, actually. Every water stop had water and Gatorade, and several had
oranges, bananas, and Gu. It helps that the half marathon course runs
concurrent with the marathon course for the first two miles, then the last 9
miles. All the “last 9 miles of a marathon” refueling perks were available to
us halfers!
The finish chute was lined with people, none of whom were
cheering at all. That was a bit odd, but I’m used to it. People don’t really
cheer much for walkers in general. They did stare at me as I walked on through,
though. Crossed the line about 2 minutes slower than I’d planned, but
considering the flat and warm conditions I wasn’t surprised. Got my finisher
medal and finisher shirt, a few bites of food, and stretched out while my
family found me.
I went to the results tent to see what the verdict was. And
I won my age group! By 12 minutes! I suppose other folks had issues, too. The
awards will be mailed out in a few weeks, so I didn’t have to stick around for
a ceremony.
Race Pros:
Walking division with age group awards. This is rare.
Great water stops.
Good weather for an early-fall race.
Everything ran on time.
Indoor areas to hang out in pre-race, including real
bathrooms.
Flat course. (Most people love it.)
Race Cons:
Flat course. (A bit TOO flat for me.)
Post-race food was limited a bit, especially for being the
end of a full marathon as well. I got a quarter of a bagel, only to find that
it was GARLIC flavored. Whoever thought garlic bagels were a good choice for nauseous
runners post-race has never done a race before.
Point-to-point course. This is not my favorite, sorry folks. I prefer a loop. I don't like having to take shuttles around to get my car afterward (or a shuttle beforehand to leave my car at the finish). Fortunately my fast husband finished over an hour before me, so he got the car solo.
Point-to-point course. This is not my favorite, sorry folks. I prefer a loop. I don't like having to take shuttles around to get my car afterward (or a shuttle beforehand to leave my car at the finish). Fortunately my fast husband finished over an hour before me, so he got the car solo.
Confusing organization. Don’t get me wrong, this race was
very organized, it just came across a bit poorly in certain respects. Like, if
you wanted to find the bag check area pre-race, you better have a map of the
start area, because it is not intuitive and there are no signs. Also the
expo/packet pickup was a bit of a cluster. There were two different areas you
HAD to visit to get all your pre-race stuff, and they were on opposite ends of
a labyrinthine building.
Overall, I will give this race a solid A-. The flat course
and garlic bagel took it down a tiny bit, but the fact that there is a walking
division is a huge plus.
Monday, September 12, 2016
Choo-Choo-Choosing Your Route
There are a lot of things to consider when you are choosing a walking route. Some of these things, ironically, you may not have considered so far. Here's a breakdown.
How far are you walking? (I mean, duh.) But what I mean is, is this a new distance for you? Are you nervous about going farther than you've gone before? If you are feeling a bit uneasy about your ability to finish, there are two ways to handle it. If you want to give yourself an out (due to injury, fatigue, whatever), consider doing multiple loops near your residence, or do a snake-style up and down side streets near your residence. That will give you opportunities to abort mission safely. If you want to push yourself and require completion of the entire distance, perhaps an out-and-back would be best. Once you get, say, 4 miles away, you will HAVE to come 4 miles back.
How's the weather? Generally speaking, you will want to be protected from the elements. Sun and wind are the "silent killers," and buildings and trees will provide more shade and wind blocking than wide open prairies and such. It is also wise to avoid lots of concrete in the heat, since it will make your path much hotter than it usually would be. Forests can also offer some protection from rain, if you're into that sort of thing, but I'd just wear a hat.
How are the road/trail conditions? In the winter, if you are in a snowy or icy area, you will want to take trails and pathways that are plowed/shoveled and salted or sanded to avoid slipping. If there is a trail that gets muddy or flooded and there has been a lot of rain recently, avoid that trail.
How safe is it? You will want to consider both safety from injury (avoid trails and sidewalks that are potholed, uneven, and neglected) and safety from crime. Avoid paths that take you too far from civilization for too long, because that may leave you vulnerable to any number of threats (such as wild animals and your own body collapsing and nobody around to call for help). Avoid areas that are dangerous or unsafe, rape and assault-wise. On that final note, ALWAYS LOOK ALERT when you are walking. Even if you feel like death, don't let it show on your face or in your body language. Avoid being a victim by avoiding looking like an easy target.
How hilly is it? Contrary to popular belief, flatter is not always better. If you are training for a race, try to find long-walk routes that are similar to your race course. If you are training for a marathon with a hilly first half, do your long workouts on a route with a hilly first half. If you are training for a pancake-flat half marathon, do your long workouts on pancake-flat trails. You want to get your muscles used to whatever terrain they will need to be used to. On the other hand, you should try to walk each week on a different style of terrain at least once, just to keep in good general walking shape.
Where do you like to walk? Urban vs rural. Forests vs lakes. Recreation trails vs sidewalks. There are a ton of options and every person is different. If you choose routes that you think are scenic and lovely, you will enjoy your workouts more. My six-mile short workout takes me past a golf course where I am motivated by occasionally finding golf balls. I've collected 8 of them so far. Whatever keeps you going, gang.
Are there any obvious issues with your route? You may not notice this until you try it, but various things like trains, unleashed dogs, farmer's markets, scary hobos, creepy people, cigarette smokers, and any number of things that may be along your route all the time can be avoided. Some of these things are one-time events, but some of these things may be a regular occurrence.
There are a couple of good mapping tools that I enjoy using:
USATF Map It - this lets you click out a course wherever on the map you want. It is my personal favorite mapping tool because it lets to create "shortcuts" (say, you can cross a grassy strip, or something) and it has mile splits that automatically show up.
On The Go Map - this is a very accurate mapper and will automatically fill in the gaps between your waypoints. Unfortunately, it does not allow for shortcuts, since it must stay on the street or recreation trail. This can also lead to occasional baffling moments when creating your route. If your route is very simple, though, this can be a great tool. No mile splits, sadly.
Once you find your favorite routes, it will be easy to feel motivated to get out there! Choose wisely!
How far are you walking? (I mean, duh.) But what I mean is, is this a new distance for you? Are you nervous about going farther than you've gone before? If you are feeling a bit uneasy about your ability to finish, there are two ways to handle it. If you want to give yourself an out (due to injury, fatigue, whatever), consider doing multiple loops near your residence, or do a snake-style up and down side streets near your residence. That will give you opportunities to abort mission safely. If you want to push yourself and require completion of the entire distance, perhaps an out-and-back would be best. Once you get, say, 4 miles away, you will HAVE to come 4 miles back.
How's the weather? Generally speaking, you will want to be protected from the elements. Sun and wind are the "silent killers," and buildings and trees will provide more shade and wind blocking than wide open prairies and such. It is also wise to avoid lots of concrete in the heat, since it will make your path much hotter than it usually would be. Forests can also offer some protection from rain, if you're into that sort of thing, but I'd just wear a hat.
How are the road/trail conditions? In the winter, if you are in a snowy or icy area, you will want to take trails and pathways that are plowed/shoveled and salted or sanded to avoid slipping. If there is a trail that gets muddy or flooded and there has been a lot of rain recently, avoid that trail.
How safe is it? You will want to consider both safety from injury (avoid trails and sidewalks that are potholed, uneven, and neglected) and safety from crime. Avoid paths that take you too far from civilization for too long, because that may leave you vulnerable to any number of threats (such as wild animals and your own body collapsing and nobody around to call for help). Avoid areas that are dangerous or unsafe, rape and assault-wise. On that final note, ALWAYS LOOK ALERT when you are walking. Even if you feel like death, don't let it show on your face or in your body language. Avoid being a victim by avoiding looking like an easy target.
How hilly is it? Contrary to popular belief, flatter is not always better. If you are training for a race, try to find long-walk routes that are similar to your race course. If you are training for a marathon with a hilly first half, do your long workouts on a route with a hilly first half. If you are training for a pancake-flat half marathon, do your long workouts on pancake-flat trails. You want to get your muscles used to whatever terrain they will need to be used to. On the other hand, you should try to walk each week on a different style of terrain at least once, just to keep in good general walking shape.
Where do you like to walk? Urban vs rural. Forests vs lakes. Recreation trails vs sidewalks. There are a ton of options and every person is different. If you choose routes that you think are scenic and lovely, you will enjoy your workouts more. My six-mile short workout takes me past a golf course where I am motivated by occasionally finding golf balls. I've collected 8 of them so far. Whatever keeps you going, gang.
Are there any obvious issues with your route? You may not notice this until you try it, but various things like trains, unleashed dogs, farmer's markets, scary hobos, creepy people, cigarette smokers, and any number of things that may be along your route all the time can be avoided. Some of these things are one-time events, but some of these things may be a regular occurrence.
There are a couple of good mapping tools that I enjoy using:
USATF Map It - this lets you click out a course wherever on the map you want. It is my personal favorite mapping tool because it lets to create "shortcuts" (say, you can cross a grassy strip, or something) and it has mile splits that automatically show up.
On The Go Map - this is a very accurate mapper and will automatically fill in the gaps between your waypoints. Unfortunately, it does not allow for shortcuts, since it must stay on the street or recreation trail. This can also lead to occasional baffling moments when creating your route. If your route is very simple, though, this can be a great tool. No mile splits, sadly.
Once you find your favorite routes, it will be easy to feel motivated to get out there! Choose wisely!
Saturday, September 3, 2016
An Ode to Petroleum Jelly
There are a few anti-friction agents out there for runners and walkers. Body Glide, which is essentially a glorified deodorant stick. Talcum powder, which is quite a mess. But, my friends, one lubricant stands alone as the best multipurpose tool you can get for the cheapest price.
Petroleum jelly.
AKA Vaseline. Good, old fashioned Vaseline. It comes in a giant tub for a few bucks and will last you YEARS.
I always had issues with blisters...until Vaseline. I started using a Q-tip to apply Vaseline to my foot's "problem areas," basically anywhere that caused me any problems at any time. My little toe tends to get a huge blister, so...Vaseline. The tips of my toes around the nails can bleed on occasion. Smear 'em with Vaseline. A couple spots on the bottom of my foot that can rub excessively - you guessed it! Vaseline!
Let me tell ya, friends. I haven't had a show-stopping blister in MONTHS. And I did 16 miles this morning.
As a bonus, Vaseline is also fantastic for chafing. If you have areas that rub together, smear Vaseline on 'em! I constantly deal with underarm chafing, so before I go out I now put Vaseline in my armpits. I still get a bit of chafing (hard to avoid when you're going really far), but it's infinitely more manageable.
Put it on your shopping list. Put it on your pre-race packing list. Put it on your damn Christmas list! Petroleum jelly is something you NEED!
Petroleum jelly.
AKA Vaseline. Good, old fashioned Vaseline. It comes in a giant tub for a few bucks and will last you YEARS.
I always had issues with blisters...until Vaseline. I started using a Q-tip to apply Vaseline to my foot's "problem areas," basically anywhere that caused me any problems at any time. My little toe tends to get a huge blister, so...Vaseline. The tips of my toes around the nails can bleed on occasion. Smear 'em with Vaseline. A couple spots on the bottom of my foot that can rub excessively - you guessed it! Vaseline!
Let me tell ya, friends. I haven't had a show-stopping blister in MONTHS. And I did 16 miles this morning.
As a bonus, Vaseline is also fantastic for chafing. If you have areas that rub together, smear Vaseline on 'em! I constantly deal with underarm chafing, so before I go out I now put Vaseline in my armpits. I still get a bit of chafing (hard to avoid when you're going really far), but it's infinitely more manageable.
Put it on your shopping list. Put it on your pre-race packing list. Put it on your damn Christmas list! Petroleum jelly is something you NEED!
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Case Study: The Great Flood
Once in a while, I have a particularly eventful walk. I will document these with "Case Study" posts.
Date: Saturday, August 27, 2016
Start time: 7 AM
Weather: Low 60s, cloudy and humid, occasional misting.
I knew there was some mild flooding in my area, and I had a great contingency plan for the couple of points where I anticipated I would encounter high water. So I set out on my 14-mile route with confidence. This was to be my last week at 14 miles before moving up to 16. I was feeling great and hit two miles at 25:25, ready to take the trail through the first park on my route. I glanced over toward the park and saw...water. Lots of water. About 2 feet of water covering the entire park. A look of horror on my face (while keeping pace! I felt so proud.), I said "WOW. Plan B," and continued north up the same street. In a couple miles it would meet up with my usual route, although a few miles would be cut off since I was basically taking a shortcut farther away from the river. I figured, I'll go up to my usual route, go around the lake like I usually do, and see how things are at the other river-adjacent park.
I hit the lake shortly after the one-hour mark and started my usual counter-clockwise traverse to the other side. I headed past the bathrooms and saw...water. About 30-40 yards of deep water covering the entire trail. The LAKE had flooded. This is odd, because it's fairly isolated from the river, so it almost never floods. "Well played, Lake," I said, and turned tail and headed back to where I came from before.
I made it back past Flooded Park #1 after about an hour 40. Of course, because people are weird and gross, I saw an opened condom on the ground that had definitely NOT been there on my way out, because I would have noticed it. So sometime between 7:30 and 8:30 AM on a Saturday in my small city, somebody threw a condom on the street. This is the kind of experience you don't get on a treadmill at the local gym. I headed for downtown Main Street and went south for several miles (stopping at my workplace gym to use the restroom and refill my water). At the dog park I made a right and headed toward the local college campus that is a couple miles from my house. At this point I was totally improvising based on areas I thought would be dry enough to walk on, and give me enough distance to at least clear 14 miles. It was okay if I went a bit farther, since I'd been doing 14s for weeks, but I did not want to shortchange myself. As I stated in an earlier blog post, I do not wear a GPS watch. I wear a cheapo $35 Timex Ironman and I carry 24 oz of Powerade (now watered down), and the clothes on my back. Very low-tech.
After about 12 miles I reached campus. Seeing all the lithe youngsters in their teeny shorts was truly inspiring. I was trying to figure out how far I'd gone. In fact, I made it all the way home feeling pretty good physically just by daydreaming about how maybe I'd gone 15 miles, and what a pace it would be! I got back to the house in 3:13, with no clue what that actually meant, pace-wise. I mapped it out and was disappointed that it was only 14.6 miles. But I did learn a couple lessons about walking in a flood-pocalypse.
1) When the ground is wet and lightly covered in sand, dirt, or leaves, it is hard to keep a fast pace. Not only do slippery conditions make people's strides change slightly (trying subconsciously to keep balance and not fall), but since walkers' feet are in contact with the ground so much, they can actually slide back a little bit on each step. If you conservatively estimate that your foot slides back 1/4" each step, with 1600 steps per mile, that's 400 inches per mile farther that you have to walk. I basically walked at least 1/10th mile farther just from slipping around.
2) It's much easier to focus when things go as planned. If you are uncertain of where you need to go, you will slow down subconsciously.
3) Walking on a cloudy day is AMAZING. Highly recommended.
The good: I felt great. Hips were loose. Cardio was on point. Refueling was on point. I have 3 more months of training and I'm already near a PR marathon pace in suboptimal conditions (and at a PR marathon pace in better conditions) for long workouts. This is where a walker wants to be!
Date: Saturday, August 27, 2016
Start time: 7 AM
Weather: Low 60s, cloudy and humid, occasional misting.
I knew there was some mild flooding in my area, and I had a great contingency plan for the couple of points where I anticipated I would encounter high water. So I set out on my 14-mile route with confidence. This was to be my last week at 14 miles before moving up to 16. I was feeling great and hit two miles at 25:25, ready to take the trail through the first park on my route. I glanced over toward the park and saw...water. Lots of water. About 2 feet of water covering the entire park. A look of horror on my face (while keeping pace! I felt so proud.), I said "WOW. Plan B," and continued north up the same street. In a couple miles it would meet up with my usual route, although a few miles would be cut off since I was basically taking a shortcut farther away from the river. I figured, I'll go up to my usual route, go around the lake like I usually do, and see how things are at the other river-adjacent park.
I hit the lake shortly after the one-hour mark and started my usual counter-clockwise traverse to the other side. I headed past the bathrooms and saw...water. About 30-40 yards of deep water covering the entire trail. The LAKE had flooded. This is odd, because it's fairly isolated from the river, so it almost never floods. "Well played, Lake," I said, and turned tail and headed back to where I came from before.
I made it back past Flooded Park #1 after about an hour 40. Of course, because people are weird and gross, I saw an opened condom on the ground that had definitely NOT been there on my way out, because I would have noticed it. So sometime between 7:30 and 8:30 AM on a Saturday in my small city, somebody threw a condom on the street. This is the kind of experience you don't get on a treadmill at the local gym. I headed for downtown Main Street and went south for several miles (stopping at my workplace gym to use the restroom and refill my water). At the dog park I made a right and headed toward the local college campus that is a couple miles from my house. At this point I was totally improvising based on areas I thought would be dry enough to walk on, and give me enough distance to at least clear 14 miles. It was okay if I went a bit farther, since I'd been doing 14s for weeks, but I did not want to shortchange myself. As I stated in an earlier blog post, I do not wear a GPS watch. I wear a cheapo $35 Timex Ironman and I carry 24 oz of Powerade (now watered down), and the clothes on my back. Very low-tech.
After about 12 miles I reached campus. Seeing all the lithe youngsters in their teeny shorts was truly inspiring. I was trying to figure out how far I'd gone. In fact, I made it all the way home feeling pretty good physically just by daydreaming about how maybe I'd gone 15 miles, and what a pace it would be! I got back to the house in 3:13, with no clue what that actually meant, pace-wise. I mapped it out and was disappointed that it was only 14.6 miles. But I did learn a couple lessons about walking in a flood-pocalypse.
1) When the ground is wet and lightly covered in sand, dirt, or leaves, it is hard to keep a fast pace. Not only do slippery conditions make people's strides change slightly (trying subconsciously to keep balance and not fall), but since walkers' feet are in contact with the ground so much, they can actually slide back a little bit on each step. If you conservatively estimate that your foot slides back 1/4" each step, with 1600 steps per mile, that's 400 inches per mile farther that you have to walk. I basically walked at least 1/10th mile farther just from slipping around.
2) It's much easier to focus when things go as planned. If you are uncertain of where you need to go, you will slow down subconsciously.
3) Walking on a cloudy day is AMAZING. Highly recommended.
The good: I felt great. Hips were loose. Cardio was on point. Refueling was on point. I have 3 more months of training and I'm already near a PR marathon pace in suboptimal conditions (and at a PR marathon pace in better conditions) for long workouts. This is where a walker wants to be!
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Shoes, Weather, and Sports
The single most important piece of equipment for a walker (or runner) is their shoes. In order to avoid injury, you must have the proper support from the bottom up. If you don't support your arches in the way they require, your injuries will travel up from your feet to your shins to your knees to your hips and God only knows where they'll stop. Probably the neck. All the more reason to get great shoes.
If your local running store has 1) competent employees and 2) a treadmill with a camera, head on over! Gait analysis is a great start. The first determination is whether you are a pronator or a supinator. First off, most people pronate. Pronation is the natural rolling from the outside of your foot to the inside of your foot. You may be overpronating, though, which is bad. This may mean that your arches are collapsing inside your shoe and you may need more support, also called motion control. Super pronators and/or particularly heavy individuals may need a motion control shoe, which tend to be more expensive.
As a pronator myself (caused by hyperflexible feet, diagnosed by a podiatrist), I use orthotic inserts. I used to have custom ones, but they caused lots of blisters, so I switched to special ones sold by my doctor. There are commercially available orthotics in stores but if you are serious about walking and need orthotics, you should be fitted professionally. Even with orthotics you may need a certain shoe. I require the exact type of cushioning found in the stability shoe Asics GT-1000 series. Stability shoes have a certain amount of motion control, but not as much as a motion control shoe would. These are good for most runners and walkers.
Pronators are highly susceptible to injuries from the knee down. If you constantly have shin splints or plantar fasciitis, you are likely an overpronator. Good shoes can change your life. It is worth the investment in doctors or orthotics to make sure your setup is on point for you.
Supinators are more rare. Those are people who "run on the outside edge of the foot." You probably don't find a lot of supinators in the walking community (possibly racewalking), and they tend to be faster runners (you will see a lot of Olympic runners from sprint to marathon going in this fashion). Their injuries tend to be above the knee (IT band and hips, primarily). If you get above the knee injuries you are probably a supinator. Because supinators don't need a lot of arch support (in fact that is counterproductive), they can wear cushioned shoes, which are the third major type of shoe. This will encourage the foot to fall more across the arch.
Because shoes are the primary investment of a walker, you should not go cheap just for the sake of it. Find a good shoe that works for you and PAY FOR IT. Do not be one of these fools who thinks "oh, Asics sound good, I'll just get a pair of Asics at Famous Footwear." Those are NOT the same Asics they sell at the running store. If a pair of shoes is under $60 MSRP, you probably want nothing to do with it, sorry.
How to Save $$$ on Shoes Without Injury
1) Find out what your perfect shoe is.
2) Do a Google Shopping search for the previous year's model of that shoe.
3) Buy several pairs on clearance.
4) Repeat next year.
My shoes are typically about $95, but by searching for last year's model, I can generally get them for under $60 a pair. If you have a particularly bizarre shoe size, you might be able to find shoes from two model years ago, you lucky dog.
When do you replace your shoes? Excellent question. Your shoes will wear out. The foam rubber will break down and compress. The tread will wear away based on your footstrike. The shoes that once controlled your pronation will eventually start to enable your pronation because the base is worn down at an angle. You will start getting injuries. Right before you reach this point is when you should replace your shoes. If you have good biomechanics, your shoes might last about 500 miles. If you are like me, with feet created by Beelzebub himself, you may need to replace them every 300 miles. Keep an eye on the bottom of your shoes and see when things look fishy.
Many orthotics can last much longer than shoes. I replace my orthotics when the surface gets filled with divots and holes. Yes, that can happen.
Remember, gang: shoes are your only real expense as a recreational walker, besides race entries. Invest in them. They are your first line of defense against injury. You'd rather pay $100 for shoes than $1000 for physical therapy!
If your local running store has 1) competent employees and 2) a treadmill with a camera, head on over! Gait analysis is a great start. The first determination is whether you are a pronator or a supinator. First off, most people pronate. Pronation is the natural rolling from the outside of your foot to the inside of your foot. You may be overpronating, though, which is bad. This may mean that your arches are collapsing inside your shoe and you may need more support, also called motion control. Super pronators and/or particularly heavy individuals may need a motion control shoe, which tend to be more expensive.
As a pronator myself (caused by hyperflexible feet, diagnosed by a podiatrist), I use orthotic inserts. I used to have custom ones, but they caused lots of blisters, so I switched to special ones sold by my doctor. There are commercially available orthotics in stores but if you are serious about walking and need orthotics, you should be fitted professionally. Even with orthotics you may need a certain shoe. I require the exact type of cushioning found in the stability shoe Asics GT-1000 series. Stability shoes have a certain amount of motion control, but not as much as a motion control shoe would. These are good for most runners and walkers.
Pronators are highly susceptible to injuries from the knee down. If you constantly have shin splints or plantar fasciitis, you are likely an overpronator. Good shoes can change your life. It is worth the investment in doctors or orthotics to make sure your setup is on point for you.
Supinators are more rare. Those are people who "run on the outside edge of the foot." You probably don't find a lot of supinators in the walking community (possibly racewalking), and they tend to be faster runners (you will see a lot of Olympic runners from sprint to marathon going in this fashion). Their injuries tend to be above the knee (IT band and hips, primarily). If you get above the knee injuries you are probably a supinator. Because supinators don't need a lot of arch support (in fact that is counterproductive), they can wear cushioned shoes, which are the third major type of shoe. This will encourage the foot to fall more across the arch.
Because shoes are the primary investment of a walker, you should not go cheap just for the sake of it. Find a good shoe that works for you and PAY FOR IT. Do not be one of these fools who thinks "oh, Asics sound good, I'll just get a pair of Asics at Famous Footwear." Those are NOT the same Asics they sell at the running store. If a pair of shoes is under $60 MSRP, you probably want nothing to do with it, sorry.
How to Save $$$ on Shoes Without Injury
1) Find out what your perfect shoe is.
2) Do a Google Shopping search for the previous year's model of that shoe.
3) Buy several pairs on clearance.
4) Repeat next year.
My shoes are typically about $95, but by searching for last year's model, I can generally get them for under $60 a pair. If you have a particularly bizarre shoe size, you might be able to find shoes from two model years ago, you lucky dog.
When do you replace your shoes? Excellent question. Your shoes will wear out. The foam rubber will break down and compress. The tread will wear away based on your footstrike. The shoes that once controlled your pronation will eventually start to enable your pronation because the base is worn down at an angle. You will start getting injuries. Right before you reach this point is when you should replace your shoes. If you have good biomechanics, your shoes might last about 500 miles. If you are like me, with feet created by Beelzebub himself, you may need to replace them every 300 miles. Keep an eye on the bottom of your shoes and see when things look fishy.
Many orthotics can last much longer than shoes. I replace my orthotics when the surface gets filled with divots and holes. Yes, that can happen.
Remember, gang: shoes are your only real expense as a recreational walker, besides race entries. Invest in them. They are your first line of defense against injury. You'd rather pay $100 for shoes than $1000 for physical therapy!
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Marathon Training - A New Level Of Confidence And Power
(Yes, I am a Pantera fan!)
I haven't updated the blog in a while. Slogging in the heat has not been inspiring. But with my next marathon less than 4 months away, I thought I'd post about, specifically, marathon training.
Are You Ready... (Korn reference) ...For a Marathon?
You may be ready for a marathon if:
-you've been walking regularly for at least a year
-you are comfortable walking at least 10 miles
-you've done at least one half marathon
-you are injury-free and have a good plan to stay that way
-you want a REAL challenge
The marathon is not just double the half marathon. It is at least 5 times the effort and pain. Doubling the miles exponentially increases the recovery time and the mental and physical stamina required. Your refueling strategy must be ON POINT. That said, the personal rewards and satisfaction from finishing a marathon are far beyond that of a half. In reasonably good shape, you could probably get through 26.2 miles, as long as you don't mind limping a lot. You get out of the marathon what you put into the training.
Base-Building For a Marathon
One must have a proper base of training for a marathon, meaning you must start off in shape. If you aren't in shape to begin these proceedings, you will just wear your body down more and more. A proper marathon base is similar to peak half marathon training, which is why many people train for a marathon right after finishing a half. Generally speaking, you will want to be walking 3-4 times a week, including one long workout of 10 miles. Your shorter workouts should be no shorter than 4 miles. If you aren't there yet, get there, then return to this blog post. Shortcutting your marathon base build is the quickest way to InjuryTown.
Training For a Marathon - It's All About The Long Workout
Marathon training is simple: build your long workout. The more time you have before your race, the more time you can take building it up. Generally, though, you will want to do each distance two to four times before moving up. Count the number of weeks that you have back from race day, and plan accordingly.
Marathon training should start with long walks of 12 miles (remember, you have a proper base!). If you do these on the weekends, you should think about doing 3 weeks or so of 12 milers before moving up to 14. Then do 3 weeks at 14 before moving up to 16. Etc, until you get to 20 miles. After 2-3 20 milers, you will taper for a couple of weeks. Some people choose to taper longer, like 4-5 weeks. I do not advise this for walkers, because hip rotation and flexibility is so easily lost. Your injury potential is not as great as runners, so you can do a shorter taper. I do only one weekend between my last 20 and race day, and that weekend I still do, like, 14 miles or something.
If you are an "advanced marathoner," by which I mean you are going for a PR and not just a finish, you will want to add a mid-week 10-miler to your training. The mid-week 10-miler is CRITICAL for a personal record, in my opinion. As you get in better shape, you will see how fast these 10-milers can actually get. It is extremely fun and inspiring. Also continue to do your 2-3 shorter walks of 4-6 miles per week. Your peak marathon weekly mileage might hover around 40-50, and that's really all you need to be very well-trained. Good luck and godspeed!
I haven't updated the blog in a while. Slogging in the heat has not been inspiring. But with my next marathon less than 4 months away, I thought I'd post about, specifically, marathon training.
Are You Ready... (Korn reference) ...For a Marathon?
You may be ready for a marathon if:
-you've been walking regularly for at least a year
-you are comfortable walking at least 10 miles
-you've done at least one half marathon
-you are injury-free and have a good plan to stay that way
-you want a REAL challenge
The marathon is not just double the half marathon. It is at least 5 times the effort and pain. Doubling the miles exponentially increases the recovery time and the mental and physical stamina required. Your refueling strategy must be ON POINT. That said, the personal rewards and satisfaction from finishing a marathon are far beyond that of a half. In reasonably good shape, you could probably get through 26.2 miles, as long as you don't mind limping a lot. You get out of the marathon what you put into the training.
Base-Building For a Marathon
One must have a proper base of training for a marathon, meaning you must start off in shape. If you aren't in shape to begin these proceedings, you will just wear your body down more and more. A proper marathon base is similar to peak half marathon training, which is why many people train for a marathon right after finishing a half. Generally speaking, you will want to be walking 3-4 times a week, including one long workout of 10 miles. Your shorter workouts should be no shorter than 4 miles. If you aren't there yet, get there, then return to this blog post. Shortcutting your marathon base build is the quickest way to InjuryTown.
Training For a Marathon - It's All About The Long Workout
Marathon training is simple: build your long workout. The more time you have before your race, the more time you can take building it up. Generally, though, you will want to do each distance two to four times before moving up. Count the number of weeks that you have back from race day, and plan accordingly.
Marathon training should start with long walks of 12 miles (remember, you have a proper base!). If you do these on the weekends, you should think about doing 3 weeks or so of 12 milers before moving up to 14. Then do 3 weeks at 14 before moving up to 16. Etc, until you get to 20 miles. After 2-3 20 milers, you will taper for a couple of weeks. Some people choose to taper longer, like 4-5 weeks. I do not advise this for walkers, because hip rotation and flexibility is so easily lost. Your injury potential is not as great as runners, so you can do a shorter taper. I do only one weekend between my last 20 and race day, and that weekend I still do, like, 14 miles or something.
If you are an "advanced marathoner," by which I mean you are going for a PR and not just a finish, you will want to add a mid-week 10-miler to your training. The mid-week 10-miler is CRITICAL for a personal record, in my opinion. As you get in better shape, you will see how fast these 10-milers can actually get. It is extremely fun and inspiring. Also continue to do your 2-3 shorter walks of 4-6 miles per week. Your peak marathon weekly mileage might hover around 40-50, and that's really all you need to be very well-trained. Good luck and godspeed!
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