Going the Distance: Training (As a Walker) for a Half Marathon

"The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." Lao Tzu

First, I want to make something clear. I am not a runner. I am a walker. I don't apologize for that and I don't have any disregard for runners. I think they are amazing athletes. They just don't look like they are having much fun. They also must have much better feet and knees than I do. Although I am only 44, I have the feet of a 64 year-old (whatever that means). They are long, wide, lumpy, and usually in some state of pain. However, I am inspired by my late grandfather, John Cowan, who walked 2 or 3 miles a day until he was over 70 years old.

Another reason I am a walker is because it is the only sport in which I do well (if you can call it a sport). I am a mediocre basketball player and I also stink at baseball. I am a decent pool and ping-pong player, but not good enough to "shark" anyone or compete against the Koreans. Therefore, I walk. I like to walk in 5K and 10K races because I am usually one of the only few walkers. In my first 5K, I finished fourth place behind a Canadian power walker, a 65-year old former runner, and an enthusiastic 10 year old. But I wasn't bitter. In my first 10K I finished both first place and last place in the 10K walking division (yes, you guessed it ..there wasn't one:-) Motorcycle cops were looking at me funny and I was stirred along by someone in a truck picking up the orange cones as I passed. That is usually what happens to the person in last place.

So this year I decided to go crazy and be a walker in the Run the Line Half Marathon, which is 13 LONG miles. I will undoubtedly be one of the only walkers and chances are I will finish very close to last place. But that's OK. I will walk with my phone loaded full of quick "walking songs" and move at a comfortable and steady pace. I will most likely cross the finish line in just under 3 1/2 hours. It is on February 19, so I may also be stirred along by a cold winter wind.

Since I decided in December 2011 to register,  I had just under 10 weeks to prepare. I am in pretty good shape, so I had to decide my priorities. In a nutshell, here is my workout plan: walk a lot. That sounds simple, but there is a lot to think about when walking long distances. One of those is stamina. Although I thought my calves and shins were in good shape, I soon found out they are not. So I am walking a few times a week, running bleachers, working legs twice a week at the gym, riding the seated recumbant bike, and doing hundreds of shins lifts and calf raises. I have cut back on lifting weights to one day a week and cut down on the amount of weight. Finally, I hope to lose 6 or 7 pounds by the day of the race to be a little lighter on my feet. A week or so before the race, I will do an 8-mile walk to set my timing and test my stamina. The last four days I will simply relax my muscles, stretch, and drink lots of water.

If you want a copy of my workout plan, send me your email address to mcdsparks@gmail.com and I will be glad to send you a copy in Excel. Until then, I'll be walking...and walking...and walking......