Exciting day today - sort of not running related, but pace related. 😀

[Realfoodieclub]

Today was really exciting. I joined an athletics club today. It still makes me smile to think that at my age I have not only joined an athletic club but they have welcomed me with open arms.

I say it is not running related but it is pace related because I am now having expert coaching in racecwalking. I want to train (running) but I have to be mindful of my heart rate and my heart rate stays a little lower with speed walking so I have found a lovely little athletics club with an ex Olympian who is going to teach me the finer points of race walking.

I really enjoyed myself today we did warm ups, drills and some speed work. I have a lot of work to do as I was convinced I was heel walking but apparently I am landing a little flat footed but I have been assured it can be rectified.

On the speed work I got a faster pace then I have been doing with my running recently and my heart rate stayed at a better place, so for a first timer I was well chuffed with that. I love the structure of the training session it was hard work but I felt really accomplished afterwards.

I thought I would just share on here this time, but I will be posting more of my updates on the walking for health forum. I will still carry on with my weekly run as well but the aim is to race walk my HM's in March and May at a faster pace then I have run them.

Wishing you all a happy healthy week.

Rfcx .

[misswobble Graduate10]

Oooh good for you. Sounds exciting. I did a race this year and a woman was walking - like the clappers! The "walk" used to be an Olympic event but it's not now,I don't think.

Anyhow, sounds like hard work but good fun 🙂💪👍🏃‍♀️✔️

[Realfoodieclub Graduate10 in reply to misswobble]

Thank you, racecwalking was in the Rio olympics the men's 20km was completed in under 1 hour 20 mins, the uk champ, is Tom Bosworth, he was great over on Twitter, he helped me find a coach.

[misswobble Graduate10 in reply to Realfoodieclub]

sounds like you're in good hands 👍🙂

[damienair Administrator]

Wow. Fantastic, I’m delighted you found a warm and welcoming Athletics club. Best wishes for your race walking training.

[Realfoodieclub Graduate10 in reply to damienair]

Thank you 😀

[Bluebirdrunner Graduate10]

What a great way to improve your fitness without putting extra stresses on your heart RFC...brilliant fun by the sound of it, and the technique looks tricky to master. Quite a goal you have set yourself too... Good luck with your training.😊xx

[Realfoodieclub Graduate10 in reply to Bluebirdrunner]

Thank you. I think I have quite a bit of work to do but I am Looking forward to it.

[Millsie-J]

What a great thing to do! And a great find!

Enjoy.

[Realfoodieclub Graduate10 in reply to Millsie-J]

Thank you. I think I am going to enjoy it a lot 😀.

[Irishprincess Graduate10]

That sounds brilliant RFC. Enjoy it!

[Realfoodieclub Graduate10 in reply to Irishprincess]

Thank you 😀

[GoogleMe Graduate10]

Brisk walking is my idea of hell, but it certainly does seem to involve a lower heart rate than the same pace running, so I shall follow your progress with interest.

[Realfoodieclub Graduate10 in reply to GoogleMe]

Thank you. I have always walked at a fast pace, ever since I was little and had to keep up with my big brother.

[Tomas Graduate10]

That sounds fascinating RFC. More pace, less effort - what's not to love?!

I look forward to hearing how it progresses for you, sounds like a brilliant start.

[Realfoodieclub Graduate10 in reply to Tomas]

Thank you. It is going to be interesting. It is totally different working with a coach rather than a trainer. It is more technically orientated.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10]

This sounds brilliant! Go you and really enjoy!!!

[Realfoodieclub Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

Thank you. I think I am Going to have a bit of fun inbetween the hard work 😀.

[Duddles]

Sounds like it is going well. Soon you will be overtaking runners whilst nonchalantly* walking past them.

*Secretly busting a gut, but looking around as if sightseeing.

[SaskAlliecat Graduate10 in reply to Duddles]

Haha, that's exactly what happened when I did a full marathon walk a couple years ago. We started an hour before the runners. Of course many runners passed us but as time and distance went on, we started overtaking some of the runners, teehee. I found it easier to keep a steady pace speed walking than it is running!

[Duddles in reply to SaskAlliecat]

I have done a lot of racewalking and in race conditions I can walk a 5k or 10k quicker than I can run it at the moment. Just finished Couch to 5k and hopefully I will soon overtake the walking speeds. But walking and overtaking runners is great fun - you are giving it your all - and pray that when you pass them they don't speed up because you have to keep ahead of them!

[Realfoodieclub Graduate10 in reply to Duddles]

Thank you. I think it will take some time until I look relaxed, the younger girls at the club look so graceful as they slide past. I aspire to that one day.

[Duddles in reply to Realfoodieclub]

They seem to float over the ground don't they? It is like magic.

[Anniemurph Graduate10]

That's so exciting! I'm glad they are friendly and welcoming

[Realfoodieclub Graduate10 in reply to Anniemurph]

Thank you, I am finding that when people love their sport they want to help and share. There is this whole new sporty friendly world out there. 😀.

[Mummycav Administrator Graduate10]

Well done Realfoodieclub ...sounds like you’ve found the perfect club xx

[skysue16 Graduate10]

This sounds very interesting. I imagine it must be hard to perfect the technique. I was watching a race over the summer (World Athletics Championships) and felt very sorry for the walkers that were disqualified due to incorrect technique, I think our British guy was disqualified 😞 best of luck I will follow your training with interest 😊

[Bazza1234 Graduate10]

I am still not running - so in an effort to INCREASE my HR while walking, I tried out 5klms of Nordic walking (with hiking poles) this weekend. Much harder workout than just walking and I managed to get my HR into good cardio zone . Stress is partly taken away from legs and taken up by upper body and arms.

[Realfoodieclub Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

I got my poles out a couple of months after my op. Boy did I ache the next day and I only did 2km.

I thought of you as I did my training on Thursday. I had adamantly told you that I strike and the truth is I don't. What I do is make to heel strike until my foot is just near the floor then curl my toes up and land flat footed. It took my coach a little while to work out exeactly what I was doing. He said I was loloping. But now I know I can feel a more fluid movement coming. I have already in one session got below my 9min a km that I have been stuck on.

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to Realfoodieclub]

I have recently walked a parkrun at average 8:20 per k - but I was close to "jogging" and probably really overdid it and came close to hurting myself. Yesterday with the poles was a quieter and slower 10:20 pace - but I felt that I could have gone much further. I am thinking that my future may lie in Nordic walking if my fracture continues to "not heal" . I have probably seen the best of my running days .

[Realfoodieclub Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

I like to think of myself as in a transitional phase. I will always run but only a short run once a week as a cross training session. My distance training will now be race walking. I have to build up to 21.1km by March 5th. Slow and steady as we say, as I know new sport new slow increases. I'm thinking of doing some posts over on the walking for health forum to highlight different forms of walking. I would love it if you would think of doing one of your posts about Nordic walking 😀,

Rfc x.