Achieving a Walking Milestone:
Training Tips for Going the Distance

By Susan Rich

Have you ever thought about walking in a marathon or a shorter-distance event? If so, you’re not alone. The Walking Site, an online resource for walkers, states that 70% of walkers would like to train for and participate in a distance-walking event. Of those, 18% have previously walked in a distance event and most of those would like to repeat the experience.

If you’d like to complete a distance event this season, Walk About wants to help. Review the following ideas, and then check the online resources. It’s not too late to hire a personal trainer or sign up for a formalized training program.

Train, Train, Train. No matter the distance, you have to train to walk it, says Sally Lynch, an avid walker who has dedicated her career to planning and promoting walker-friendly events.

“If you are going to walk a half-marathon, you need to train to walk 13.1 miles, regardless if you’re walking through the desert or Hawaii,” she says. Training walks should include flat stretches, rolling hills, and a few steep climbs.

Walker, Know Thyself. “Know your personal limits, and be able to compensate for them,” she says. “If you don’t, you’ll get into trouble.”

Plan accordingly. If you have a health problem like diabetes, “Make sure you carry the equipment to support your medical needs.”

Are you a morning person? If not, skip the 7am start times or learn how to work your body clock. “Back time yourself,” Lynch says. “Reorganize yourself in advance of the race.” This means managing jet lag or finding simple ways to fool your body’s time clock. Ideas are available at travel sites online.

You Are What You Eat. “You should feel terrific when you’re training, not crummy. You should be able to tone up and lose weight,” Lynch says.

Her dieting advice is simple: Eat right and stay hydrated. “People jump on diets without understanding what is right for them. Following a no-carb diet, while exercising intensely, is just not going to work. There are certain nutrients the body has to have.”

Think about what you eat as part of training. “Identify a diet that works for you and you tolerate well, one that doesn’t lead to stomach upset. Develop that during the training period, then stick to that diet for all races.”

One caveat for traveling walkers: Be careful what you eat. It’s common for people to splurge on food when they travel, Lynch explains. Jet lag, the excitement of a different city, the temptation of rich buttery foods that are not part of a normal training diet can lead to a disappointing performance at the event. “Try not to eat anything different before a race than you normally would.”

Think Budget. At a certain point, there is more to walking than having the right gear. Once the initial investment is made, many walkers are irresistibly drawn to events that mark personal milestones. It’s no longer enough to walk 3.1 miles in your neighborhood; you want the fanfare that comes from completing a timed 5k.

How many events you participate in is determined by how much money you are willing to spend. Travel is expensive. Airfare, hotels, rental cars and food, plus the event registration itself can make a long walk in the park an expensive proposition.

There are advantages to attending a major event, Lynch says. Unusual locations like Disney World are a big draw, so is the idea of walking in one massive column of people. “Some people like to go to the fancy ones, others want to go to see what a big one is like.”

By comparison, events held closer to home are easier on the budget, plus have the advantage of supporting the local economy. For new walkers or those honing in on their first major milestone, a local event can be emotionally bracing.

What Makes a Good Event? As more and more walkers enter the “runner’s only” territory of timed events, planners are learning how to support walkers’ specific needs.

Understanding that most walkers will finish after the runners means extra planning, she says. More volunteers or longer shifts, more food and water, extra drinking cups, extending the time the course is open and making sure someone is at the finish line to welcome the last walker.

Finding a walker-friendly event is not difficult. Most sponsored events either are, or include, a 5k or 10k option. Half-marathons are aggressively promoted as walker-friendly. Each issue of Walk About promotes upcoming events; additional events can be researched on this website go to our Event Listing on our homepage.

How Is an Event Planned? Les Smith has been organizing the Portland Marathon for more than 20 years. He says his time in the military taught him the basics of good planning: Extraordinary attention to detail, delegation, and the need to inspire volunteers to do their best.

The annual event is planned using a “table of organization” a tool Smith learned how to use in the military. “Now I see how they show the big picture.” At last count, 85 files, each relating to sub-categories within the Portland Marathon, make up the planning core. Topics include safety, course management, food, registration, and more. Finally, a 3-D image of the Portland Marathon emerges, a story that reads like a well-worn roadmap.

The Portland Marathon is lauded as one of the best-managed marathons in the nation. “Portland Marathon is one of the best walker-friendly events,” according to Runners World 2004.

Smith’s goal is not to be the biggest, but to build on successes and make the event better year after year. “I love to study systems. I’ve stolen every good idea I ever saw.”