Walkathon II – The Sequel

You know what sequels are like in movies; you get Rambo I then Rambo II, or Superman I, II and III.

If you’re a movie buff, you’ll know there’s one thing every sequel has got to have. More.

More guns than the original movie. More bad guys. More car chases. Just more... of everything.

So (you can see where this is going), since Walkathon I was a half marathon (21.1 k) then Walkathon II – The Sequel has to be more... somehow.

Now, you’re wondering what I’m getting at; you’re thinking, what, like the event is 25k instead of 21.1? We have to walk further this year?

Sorry to disappoint you. I like the idea, add on a few kilometres every year, but it wouldn’t work as logistics would be a nightmare.

Bussing everyone out to start in the middle of nowhere, just so it’s 25k from the finish. Forget it.

More in terms of more distance, is out. But more doesn’t have to mean more. More can mean better. As in, bigger or faster. And this is where you come in.

Every year, seems like everybody without exception wants to go faster. When runners want to race faster, they turn to something called Interval Training.

What this means is that they speed up part of their training run for short periods, then back off and jog easy till they recover and then push the pace hard again for another brief period before backing off once more to recover. They do this a number of times in a single session.

I can already hear you. You don’t want to run. You again want to walk the whole way, only a bit faster than last time. So, let me introduce you to the concept of Interval Walking.

Interval Walking

Because it is more intense, Interval Walking gives your heart and lungs a better cardiovascular workout than your regular walking pace ever did. By alternating brief periods of fast walking with periods of slower recovery walking, you will boost your metabolism and burn more calories and fat than your regular walking used to.

Here’s what to do but first, let’s get the training paces right.

Easy pace: I often refer to this as, “could sing a song”. Actually, it’s not quite that easy, but it’s close. You’re always moving, but you can easily hold a continuous conversation with a companion. You never need to slow down at any time to catch your breath.

80% pace: This is a brisk, but not fast pace. You’ll notice you are breathing harder than when at easy pace. You can still hold that conversation, but now it’s more difficult.

90% pace: Now you’re getting a bit short of breath and you don’t really want to talk any more.

Here be careful. At no time are you ever walking as fast as you possibly can. Let me add a little cautionary note. I use it often. Do no damage! It never makes sense to train so hard that your body breaks down.

Here are the first two weeks of training.

Your longest (e.g. Sunday) walk of the week is always easy pace. Assuming you go out walking a total of 3-4 days per week, on two other days per week, do this:

Day One: Warm up with 10 minutes of easy pace; walk for 20 seconds at 80% pace; recover by walking for 60 seconds at easy pace. Repeat 8-10 times. Cool down with at least 10-15 minutes of easy pace.

Day Two: Warm up with 10 minutes of easy pace. Walk for 15 seconds at 90% pace; recover by walking for 60 seconds at easy pace. Repeat 8-10 times. Cool down with at least 10-15 minutes of easy pace.

Be careful on the roads and enjoy your training.

johnzwalsh@yahoo.com