My Half Marathon - My Way
Last year I was recovering from surgery and walking for 10 mins was a struggle. I was fit and active before surgery but I had my stomach muscles cut so I had some work to do to get back on my feet. I started walking slowly then built up to Active 10 then on to the C25k. I used to be a run/walker so walking has always been part of my exercise routine.
I have two seasons in the year. From May to November is building up and speed. My distances are shorter and I work more in the gym and with flexibility. Mostly 5km’s with an odd 10km. I swim, weight train and speed work. Then November to May is the endurance and distance training. So last November I started building up to the HM distance. It was a bit harder this time as I hadn't done a HM last year due to surgery so I was building up from That as well as feeling like I was starting out with distance all over again. A good training plan helps as it is the same principal as C25K, slowly increase to protect your muscles. The lessons that C25K teaches you stay with you and you use them for 5km or Ultras the principals are just the same.
My training involved 5km running then transitioning onto race walking. I have been seeing an Olympic coach who did 50km in just over 4 hours and is now in his 70’s and still does under 1 hour 10km’s. He has got my race walking pace down from 9.39 to 8.19 per km at training.
When I do my events there are no rules as to how I have to do it. As long as I can come in before the cut off time then I can go and do it my way, so I do both a bit of running and then walking.
So after all the prep and training yesterday was my event. I had had my pasta the night before and the dining table was full of all my gubbins ready for the early start.
I got to the event in good time and had 45 min until the start of the first wave. Being a back of the pack runner I was in the second wave. Started to wait to go to the loo. 55 min later I got to the front of the queue to use the loo. Went to the loo then ran like the clappers to bag drop and then back to the pen. They really needed more loos.
My pen started around 9:29ish. I say ish because I meddled with my garmin before the start to get my km pace time and wiped out the stopwatch side of the recording, so basically I was running blind about my time. I managed to start calculating mile times between markers so I knew I was a bit slower than I wanted.
My blisters started around 5miles and pain in the balls of my feet. I really must get to the bottom of the cause of this, I have literally tried everything but it still happens. Maybe time to see a sport podiatrist. Any way after 5km I transitioned into race walk and had to laugh because just as I was doing that Groove Amarda - I see you baby ......... came on my playlist, hehe very apt, it made me smile and off I went. My legs felt strong and only started to tire a little around the 11-12 mile mark. I had an amazing sprint finish which I have never had the energy to do before.
All in all a great event and even though I didn’t get a PB or the time I wanted. I am happy that as women in her 50’s i am going out and having fun with a HM and 3 hours 18 Min is a good time for me. My step count yesterday was over 40, 000 and my calories was 4,294 kcal so a good days work even if it wasn't a conventional HM 😀.
So my message is keep going, there are many different ways of exercising with walking find one that you enjoy and walking will be with you for a long time.
Happy walking to you all
Rfcx
