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Discussion Forum - The Bothy - Advice for a newbie please!!


Author: Eileen Greenwood
Posted: Tue 21st Feb 2012, 19:15
Joined: 2002
Local Group: Yorkshire Coast
Hi Johanne

I suggest cutting down your speed to 3 mph,and walk 1 day of 20 miles. The next day do 12 miles or whatever you feel is good but no more than 20. Then you can do 2 X 20 on the other weekends. Finish with one weekend or more of just one day of 25. Then a further 10 miles on the Challenge walk won't be much then- just a few hours. You can try a weekend or 2 of 25 miles but I suggest just one day of 25 miles and another day of 25 miles on the following weekend. Don't try doing 2 x 25 milers on the same weekend- you will tire yourself! Try whatever suits you.
Author: Rebecca Lawrence
Posted: Tue 21st Feb 2012, 12:01
Joined: 2003
Local Group: Marches
Your body generally gets better and better at clearing lactic acid. Drink loads of water.
If all else fails I take Ibruprofen after about 20 miles which delays the onset of stiffness.

Good luck
Author: Forum Moderator
Posted: Thu 16th Feb 2012, 16:03
Moved to the Bothy.
Author: Armorel Young
Posted: Wed 15th Feb 2012, 9:29
Joined: 1999
Local Group: Sherwood
While it's true that the best training for walking is walking, I think the process can be boosted (especially for those of us with little time on our hands) by combining the distance training with intensity training - which will develop your overall cardiovascular fitness and make the distances seem easier. Itensity training has the additional advantage that it can be fitted into short pockets of time that may arise during the week. Try walking, jogging or running up steps as hard as you can for a short distance, then slacking off to a gentle pace to recover for a similar distance before repeating the whole thing 10 times or so. Do some short walks of a mile or so at the fastest pace you can manage. If you can get to a gym, do some interval training on any of the cardiovascular machines (cross-trainer, treadmill, bike, rower) - 30 seconds or a minute of all-out effort followed by the same period of gentle recovery, repeated over 10 or 20 minutes: it's far more effective than spending the same period of time working at a consistently moderate pace. If you can't get to a gym, you can at least bound up flights of stairs whenever you meet them! In a perfect world (if you could manage it) a longish outing at the weekend combined with one or two brief but hard-working workouts during the week would be excellent training for an imminent event.

A selection of other random points: On a longer than usual walk, don't start too fast - if you've been doing 10 miles at 3.5 mph, you might want to consider starting a 20 at 3 mph to conserve your energy. Make sure you've worked out what food/drink intake is right for you (good proper breakfast before starting out is one thing I believe in). When you start to tire you may find it helps to use a pole or poles (although some people find them an impediment). If painful joints become a problem, consider taking a dose of Ibuprofen. And, obviously, make sure all your kit is as comfortable as it can be (I'm not sure what you're wearing on your feet - if it's heavy boots you might want to consider switching to trainer-type shoes of the type specially made for walking).

Above all, good luck - I'm sure you can do it!

And by the way, I think this topic would attract more comments if it were in the Bothy rather than on the Notice Board - is somebody out there able to move it?
Author: Peter Haslam
Posted: Sun 12th Feb 2012, 18:49
Joined: 1992
Local Group: East Lancashire
I think most new members go through the same thought processes. The best training for Long Distance Walking is.................long distance walking.

Keep doing what you are doing and the pain will reduce, muscles will become stronger. Stretching the calves, quads and hamstrings works wonders before jumping in the car at the end of a walk. Go out with the local group, they will not leave you behind, chatting while walking will take your mind of the distance. The most important thing is.........enjoy it. Good luck
Posted: Sun 12th Feb 2012, 18:23
Joined: 2012
Dear All
Please would any members out there be willing to share their knowledge and advice with me? I've been walking around 10-12 miles for a couple of years however in order to challenge myself I've entered a 31 mile walk in June. As the walk is 16 weeks away I've been trying to work out a suitable training schedule and wonder if anyone has any advice?
As I work all week I'm only able to train at the weekends until the clocks change and so far have only managed 20 miles on three occasions. The first 10 miles are comfortable at around 3.5mph, the next 5 miles are trying and the pace definately drops, whilst miles 15-20 are downright painful!! I'm struggling to work out how I can exceed the 20 mile barrier and would be really appreciative of anyone's advice.
Many thanks in advance.
Jo

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