Need advice on walking marathons

[bookworm65t]

Is there anyone who has walked a full or half marathon?

I am beginning to train to walk a half-marathon. I can only do
2.5 miles now, but I will gradually increase this.  I need to
get my time down, since I can only walk 21 minutes a mile.
This is because I weigh 255 pounds, so I know therefore that I
need to lose weight. But I want to know the best way to train
without hurting myself.

I have a friend who thinks I should walk a whole marathon, but
at the moment I am not confident to do this. And I told my
parents; they have said to me that they don't think I can do
this race.

The race is in Columbus on October 19. Are my parents correct,
or should I listen to my friend and train for a 26.2 mile
race?

:)

[Dangerously Amused]

1. Paging flvegan, Mr. flvegan please pick up the courtesy post.

:7

[Droopy]

2. I wouldn't go for the full marathon right off the bat

But let me tell you, if you keep walking that weight will come off. I used to walk quite a bit and I dropped a lot of weight by doing that. It doesn't really matter how fast you go as far as the calorie burning benefit goes. It's how far you go.

I'm no expert, but I'd go for a half marathon first.

[flvegan]

3. How long did it take before you could do 2.5 miles?

Was that like, day 1 or did it take you some time?

How committed are you to losing weight?

The half marathon is on October 19th, or the whole marathon (both same day)? Is 26.2 miles a walking marathon? That would be something around 7 hours, wouldn't it?

Best advice I can give you right now, is train for the half. Train hard. Then, when you're confident in that distance, reevaluate your potential for doing the full 26.2 miles. Set a shorter goal, meet it, then set another goal. Very motivational.

Lastly, if you want it badly enough, then your parents are dead wrong.

[Ellen Forradalom]

4. Don't listen to your parents.

Your training is as much mental as physical. Discouraging messages have no place in your training plan. Politely disagree with their assessment and keep on walking.

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. Average walking speed is about 3 miles an hour.

.
.
.

If you find problems doing 2.5 miles, and your post doesn't indicate whether that is in total or per hour

I'd be consulting your physician.

[Raven]

6. Shoot for that Marathon in October! You have lots of time to train and

get your mind ready for this. See a Doc now and tell her/him what you're up to. Wear good walking sneakers, take a bit at a time, do a little more everyday. Build it up gradually. Drink lots of water and stop if you don't feel good. The last thing you want to do is hurt yourself!

I did the Jimmy Fund Walking Marathons in Boston and they are daunting. They were in October also, I think, and there were a few when the temperature was in the 90's, they ran out of water and people were dropping like flies. You don't want to do that! You want to begin to love walking and find that it is not only a great weight loss method but a way to meditate and be in touch with yourself.

Very, very, very good luck!

[SKKY]

7. I've run several, including a 101KM Ultra, so I think I can help you...

...here are some things I would recommend you do between now and then.

1. Google Hal Hidgon, and follow his "novice" training plan. I did his when I ran my first half, and it was about the
easiest plan I've ever seen. Of course, you'll be walking the miles instead of running them, but the important thing is
to follow his plan to the letter. If you do that, you WILL NOT have a problem.

2. Most half marathons have a time limit (3 Hours) as do full marathons (6 Hours). I mention this because it may be something
you'll want to take into consideration. I did my first half in 2:32:49, which is an 11:30 pace. You'll need to walk at a pace
of about 13:00 to finish in under 3:00. I will say that some "speed walkers" finished well ahead of me.

3. Find a good pair of shoes and a good pair of socks. It is impossible for me to overstate the importance of this. Although you
plan to walk, I would still go ahead and get a pair of running shoes since they'll be more comfortable in the long run (no pun
intended). As for socks, STAY AWAY FROM 100% COTTON! They will stretch as your feet sweat and bunch up- a blister disaster waiting
to happen. Nothing will kill your motivation and ambition quicker than a blister. The New Balance 992 is an excellent shoe for us "Bigger" runners, and I suspect it would work for you as well. Thorlo Medium cushion socks are what I personally use because with them I've never, ever gotten a blister.

4. STICK WITH IT AND DON'T QUIT!!!! As your training progresses, you're going to notice very quick and obvious spikes in your
ability as the weight comes of. I'm running a half-marathon next weekend and I'm about 207. I should be able to finish sometime
between 1:55 and 2:05. If I were running at 215 or more, I would probably not be able to finish quicker than 2:15. The point is, by October, if enough weight has come of, you could absolutely be jogging the 13.1 miles of the half. You may surprise yourself!

5. Do you have someone who might be interested in running with you? I'm also training right now for another Ultra-marathon in May,
and I do my long weekend runs with a buddy of mine who is also doing it. It makes all the difference in the world when you're 18 miles into a 25 mile run and have someone there to help keep you motivated and going. Running is 90% mental. The other half is physical! :)

Here's the link to Hal's website. His plans are tops! Best of luck to you!

http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/Mar00index.htm


Oh yea, one more thing I forgot to mention. www.runnerslog.com is an absolutely fantastic free site for keeping track of your mileage and whatnot. It's worth mentioning because, after about 2 months of this, you'll look back at your totals, see all those miles you've covered, and really start to feel like you're progressing. I ran 52 miles last week. I feel like crap right now, but just knowing that I did that makes me ready and motivated to top it. Again, running is as much about motivation than anything else. Also, get an MP3 player. Music makes the long miles seems a wee bit shorter.

[Ellen Forradalom]

8. What he said, with comments

Take your shoes seriously. Go to a running store. If you can, get fitted late in the day when your feet are at their widest.

Take your socks as seriously as your shoes. I have had great success with Balega. http://www.balegasports.com/

I map my routes and log my training at http://www.mapmyrun.com.

I run with Leukemia & Lymphoma Team in Training. Running partners pace me and keep me going.

If it you begin to have joint trouble, or you take a fancy to cross-training, consider swimming. You can build up mucho endurance with no pounding on your joints.

[SKKY]

9. Ooooooh yea. Cross-training...

...I forgot that. Very good point! :thumbsup:

[bookworm65t]

11. I love swimming!!

Despite my size I can swim 1/3 mile backstroke. Takes me a half hour, but the job gets done! :applause:

[bookworm65t]

10. Thanks so much for the advice, everyone!

Unfortunately I was not able to get back online immediately after I posted.Sorry for the delay.

I was able to go from .25 to 2.5 miles in a month and a half. I had not been thinking of races when I started...I was seriously depressed and my anti-depressants weren't enough to get me out of my funk. Doing a walking marathon was a dream I had harbored for years, but I didn't think I could do one so close to my home. I live near Springfield OH and the October race is in Columbus (1 hr away). I feel that the half is doable as long as I make a plan and stick to it as much as possible. Some friends think I should shoot for the full marathon, but at this time I am not confident. Maybe that will change over the summer, who knows?

My mother told me last night that she thinks I will hurt myself and not be able to drive home that day. I told her that I would plan ahead so that it would not likely happen; plus I have a sister who lives in Columbus and would help me out in that situation. She didn't seem satisfied with my answer. It is a little dishartening to not have some support know, but I think they may want to see some real progress.
Thanks!