Walking
Connection®
Training To Walk
A Marathon
It use to be that people
thought "walking" was only for older, overweight and out-of-shape
people who couldn't do anything else! No More! Walking has already
passed swimming as the number one exercise preferred by adults and
as the baby boom generation (of which I am one) continues to age,
walking's popularity will continue to grow. 
We have created these sample training
schedules as a guide to help you formulate an appropriate training
schedule. Please remember that this is just a general guide.
You are unique, and the training schedule may not fit into your
personal schedules. If you do miss a day, we do not recommend
that you try to make up the mileage the next day. Instead,
focus on the overall weekly mileage and consistency in training.
Training Level Definitions
The following charts are broken down
into three categories: Beginner,
Intermediate, and Advanced.
The descriptions below will give you an idea of where you may fit
into the training schedules.
BEGINNER:
An inactive person who has been doing little or no exercise at all;
someone who has been walking sporadically; someone who has been
walking 3 miles or less no more than 3 times per week. Click
here for the beginner training schedule.
INTERMEDIATE:
A person who participates in aerobic activities on a regular basis
(3-5 days per week); someone who regularly walks 4-5 miles, or up
to one hour, about 3-4 days per week. Click
here for the intermediate training schedule.
ADVANCED:
A person who walks more than 5 miles at a time or one or more hours
almost every day; has done some distance walking in the past; and
has participated in numerous competitive events. Click
here for the advanced training schedule.
Workout
Descriptions
We have broken down the descriptions
into Easy, Medium, and Long, so you can gage the pace and determine
the difficulty of your individual workout.
Even though you may have the goal just
to finish the marathon, it is still a good idea to set a goal for
your approximate finish time. This will help you judge the
pace to walk your training sessions. Another idea to help you get
started is to know where you are at now. Measure a one mile
walking route. Then time your self walking that route at a
comfortable pace for you. That will give you an idea of your
per mile pace. Check yourself once a month to see how you
have progressed.
Easy Days
- Do a slow to moderate (comfortable) paced walk. Use
this as an "active" rest day. This is a great time to
practice technique and form.
Medium Days-
A medium distance walk should be at the same approximate speed as
you will use during the marathon. For instance, if your
goal is to finish in approximately 6 1/2 hours, that's a marathon
pace of about 15 minute miles. Hence, during your training,
on the "medium" days you should walk the mileage indicated at the
15 minute mile pace. (For those who are really interested
in speed, they can supplement their "medium" days by doing
some intermittent interval training).
Long Days
- Walk the longer distances at a comfortable pace. Time should
not be a concern.
Cross Training
Days - Cross training is a great way to avoid physical
and mental burnout. We recommend swimming, biking, or
low-impact aerobic classes. They are very easy on the joints
and work muscles differently so you will have a more balanced conditioning.
Walking
Marathon Training Schedules for
Beginners |
Intermediate | Advanced
For More Articles
by, Jo Ann Taylor
Click Here!
Please read the important notice below.
Important Notice
Exercise is only one part of being
healthy, seeing your doctor is another!If, at any time during a
training session (whether it is a group session, individual personal
training session, or self-training session), you suffer any mishap
or injury, we urge you to stop your activity immediately and seek
professional medical attention. The information contained on this
site is intended to give information about personal health and fitness,
not to act as a medical manual or guide to self-treatment. Keep
in mind that exercise, health and nutritional needs vary from person
to person, depending on age, gender, family medical history, current
health status, and other individual factors. Before engaging in
these, or any other exercise or recreational activities, we urge
all individuals to consult a physician. He or she is most-qualified
to advise each about their specific health status and needs.
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