Of long walks

Not long ago I measured the number of steps I took to complete a 26k training walk. The total? 31,191. I dare not clip that pedometer on my hip again now that my walks are over 30k.

Many of us are spending the better part of either Saturday or Sunday walking our endurance walks in preparation for upcoming half marathons and marathons. We face challenging distances in the most difficult season. And that's not the least of it. Often we have no idea where to find a bathroom!

A couple of weeks ago, after counting on the availability of a washroom that had been available on previous walks, I found myself reduced to squatting between bushes and building in a desperate move to stay dry. It was a warm and sunny spot that seemed far from curious eyes. It wasn't until after I had pulled up my Canada red underpants and my winter tights that I considered the possibility the building might have camera surveillance on all corners. While it's unlikely my winter white glutes will be making any viral apprearance on youtube, it has crossed my mind that outdoor urban squatting is not part of most ordinary workouts.

But then anyone willing to take on the training for a marathon or half marathon are not setting themselves up for ordinary.

No pics attached for obvious reasons!

Hand weight madness

It's spring and I see loads of enthusiastic walkers enjoying the weather and the company of friends. It's infectious. The more people we see outside, the more we want to be there too.

Crazy though, this spring I'm seeing more people walking carrying hand weights. The risk for injury at the shoulder joint becomes much higher when carrying these weights.

While adding some extra weight may be valuable for increasing bone density it would make more sense to wear that weight in a vest so that your posture remains good and your gait isn't challenged awkwardly.

If you are reading this and carry hand weights to increase a walking workout I urge you to ask yourself what you are wanting out of your walk. If your most important concern is getting your cardio system challenged, you would be much better off to walk as fast as you can, without the hand weights. Or, find some up hill segment of road to walk.

Pick up the hand weights after the cardio workout for some targeted strength training.

Left foot right foot

These feet will be walking 30k around Hamilton Harbour in the Around the Bay Road Race this weekend. And even though you can see there is a slight difference in size (!), both those feet will be doing a lot of work to push bodies up and down the hills of the North Shore Boulevard.

Whether you are a size 6 or a size 13, making sure that your feet and your shoes are in peak condition for race day is important. Most people will have purchased new shoes three to four weeks prior to an important race. Even if you are buying the exact model you have used before, it is shocking and surprising how often a reliable model may have a slight manufacturers variation that make it uncomfortable.

Some walkers enjoy keeping their feet free of calluses…so a pedicure is a must. Calluses can induce friction and hot spots during a race. Others prefer to keep the calluses, believing that if the callus were to be removed, a blister would take its place.

I put either Vaseline or shea butter on my feet before I walk any distance that is longer than 90 minutes. Some people I know prefer Body Glide. It always sur[rises me how any people don’t learn this trick until after their first race (and their first gigantic blood blister!)

I also like to massage my feet. I work from the ball of the foot and move to the center and make my way back to the heel area. Sometimes a family member with a kind heart will do this for me!

Let us know some of your best feet pampering ideas here!

Missing a long walk

For various reasons I could not fit in my long walk this past weekend. Despite my best intentions and planning, every year in March when I try to get everything done that needs doing so that I can take some time to be with my children over spring break, I miss one or two endurance walks.

It's a problem because the walks are typically long at this time of year as the marathons approach.

I have decided to follow the advice I give everyone. Don't panic! Keep up with shorter walks when I am away. Focus on form and speed in those walks. Try not to overeat!!! (ok...that is easier said than done...has anyone ever been to Burdick Chocolate in Boston? Chocolate HEAVEN) Have confidence in the training that I have kept up with prior to this week.

Most importantly, embrace a change of scenery.

It's not the heat, it's the humidity!

The past few days of extreme heat have reminded me of the significance of allowing sufficient time to "warm up" at the start of a work out and "cool down" at the end.

In southern Ontario, extreme heat is often accompanied by high humidity and poor air quality. Together these three challenges place incredible stress on our hearts. If we start a workout too fast, our heart rates climb suddenly. While our muscles may be "warm" from the air temperature, our cardiovascular system still needs acclimatization to the difficulty of the heat, humidity, and pollution.

Consider doubling the time spent “warming up” when the temperature gets over 30 degrees or the humidex reading makes it feel over 30.

Similarly, double the “cool down” time so that the heart rate is not elevated when you go back in the house, get in the car, or sit down for your post-workout fuelling and hydrating.

Speaking of hydrating…it’s even more important in these heat waves. For many people, an energy drink is the only solution to replacing lost fluids and electrolytes. And, if you like your latte or coffee after your walk, be sure to down a glass of water with that, as the caffeine in these drinks is dehydrating. Foods high in potassium will also help fight off the fatigue that comes with the heat: consider snacking on orange slices, banana, and mango on your walks.

Finally, may I suggest morning walks with a detour under any of the ubiquitous lawn sprinklers in action! Please feel free to post any of your own heat beaters here!

Power moves to beat your chip time

The next few weeks are going to be fun. We've got people walking the Around the Bay Road Race in Hamilton next weekend (let's hope there is good support for the early start walkers!), another strong contingent going to NYC for the MORE Half Marathon at the beginning of April along with Jill and Jay who fly to London for the Flora marathon and, of course, our group pounding the western edge of North America in Big Sur a few weeks after that.


With so many people maxed out on their endurance walks and in "taper" mode, it's good to take time to bring back the power in those muscles. In class, I'll be introducing some plyometric "power" moves such as leaping (!) and lunges with leaping! Power squats with jumps are another good idea. Strength training also helps.

With spring finally sprung everyone will know that you are just jumping of joy!

Ode to the small walks

As many of us write the prologue on our 2008 race training, it seems like an appropriate time to be reminded of the significance of the shorter walks in the training schedule.

If you are taking classes once (or twice) a week with us, you are working at a high intensity. If you are, in addition, getting out for the long walks on the weekends, you are stressing your body with an endurance workout. These two workouts are different but both challenging.

If by chance, circumstance, or planning, these are the only walks you are completing in your weekly schedule, you are leaving yourself susceptible to injury. Two tough weekly workouts are not enough to be prepared for a race. Each time you come to class or go for that long walk you hit your body with a bruising workout.

The two shorter walks placed in the training schedule should be considered an integral part of the training that helps you shore up your fitness foundation between the intensity and endurance challenges of the other walks.

Let me know if you want some suggestions for keeping short walks interesting and manageable. Or, let us know what you do!

Holiday training strategies

Just 5 days to the Winter Solstice. After that it may get colder for a couple of months but we'll have more light for training. It's good to look at the upside!

With most of the training schedules for the 2008 events starting the first week of January, we have a couple of weeks left to our own devices with little training structure. For some this is a welcome respite and for others, like me, it can mean a slippery slide into overeating, over drinking, excessive couch time - in short - general debauchery.

Rest is good but I'm not convinced rest should be a synonym for comatose. In truth, I enjoy the holiday eating much more if I have a good appetite and that usually comes from being active. Also, when I return to training in January I like to feel that I'm still at a good place in terms of my fitness.

One of the things I like to do over the holidays is go out for short, but intense (read fast), walks. I find that even 30 minutes, with 10 minutes of easy walking to warm up and then 20 minutes of fast walking really improves my mood and my appetite.

Of course, if we continue to have snow storms like the one we experienced this past weekend, you won’t even need to walk fast to get a workout. Just bundle up and try slogging through 2 feet of snow for about one kilometer. It’s a great leg workout and cardio challenge! Or, forget the snow-blower and plowing service. Get out there with a shovel. And tackle your driveway or the sidewalk.

Resting isn't as easy as it sounds

If you've been bitten by the racing bug, you might be surprised to find that you harbour a little adrenalin junkie in your genetic code. You'll know for sure that you're addicted to adrenalin when you find it difficult to rest!

Well, I'm here to remind you (and myself!) that change is as good a rest.

In the tapering phase leading up to a marathon, it's legitimate to take time to beef up your speed work with plyometric moves. These will develop the fast twitch fibres in your leg muscles, adding power to your stride. Another alternative would be to introduce extra stretching to develop range of motion around the joints, specifically the ankle and hip, for improved performance.

After the race, if you get the itch to walk long distances again, don't scratch! You're more likely to reduce the possibility of injury and improve performance by walking reduced mileage for a few weeks. Again, additional strength training is a change that's as good as a rest. Or, try another activity on those long walk days.

Now's the time to confess your adrenalin junkie sins!

Week before the Toad

The Run for the Toad is happening this weekend and I love that race. Too bad I'm not entered. Or, possibly it's a good thing since this may be the last week of fresh-from-the-vine tomatoes and I'm gorging on bruschetta. There aren't many taste experiences I enjoy more than this fall feast. Bruschetta involves slicing and toasting my favorite bread, soaking the top in a layer of extra virgin olive oil laden with garlic, adding chopped fresh tomato and cheese.

Did you know that the phytochemical, lycopene, in tomatoes is better absorbed by the body after the tomatoes have been cooked? So, the good news about bruschetta is that it is high in absorbable lycopene - a proven antioxidant that hoovers up destructive free radicals in our body. Apparently lycopene is also fat soluble. Bonus! All that olive oil has a higher purpose! It actually improves the bioavailability of the lycopene. That oil covering the bread facilitates the absorption of the lycopene in the cooked tomato into our body.

In any case, what I really wanted to say to all you Toad walkers out there is this: this is one of the best races I have ever walked. The course is beautiful, the organizers are outstanding in their efforts to provide all participants with a superior race experience, and there is excellent food at the finish! Still, it's a tough race, so be sure to eat well and rest this week in anticipation of the difficult terrain, long distance, and steep hills.

Reviewing your walking goals.

Did you get our most recent newsletter? If not, and you want to receive it, go to our website and send me an email. You’ll be put on the e-newsletter distribution list. If you were once receiving our newsletter, still want to receive it, but have not been receiving it, you may have been attacked by the dreaded junk mail police! Although, we like to believe our newsletter is far from junk mail, many servers are now automatically placing all newsletters into junk folders. Unless you check your junk folder on a regular basis you will miss all of our enlightening, enriching, and entertaining thoughts on walking.

One of the more enriching and enlightening items in our June newsletter was Janet Cawley’s article on her recent decision to return to a Marathon Training Level 1 program, after having participated in Level 2 for a couple of years. Janet’s tale is brave and thought-provoking. Many people would consider returning to a Level 1 class as a step backward, but Janet chose to consider it a move forward in her quest to achieve her real walking goals.

Our Level 2 classes are the place where we put emphasis on speed drills. While we often fine tune technique with specific drills or instructions, it remains the class for a challenging workout with lots of interval training, hill workouts and more. The Level 1 courses are a great place to be if you need to step back from this constant emphasis on speed to review our mindful approach to walking technique. For many, like it was for Janet, it can be a confidence builder for both mind and body to return to, or stay in, the Level 1 program.

For the best advice on the best place to achieve your walking goals, talk to your coach!