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Journey 30 is a NEW Self-paced 30-Day Walk Training Program and the path starts right at your doorstep. Beginner | Advanced | Walking Athlete | Para-Athlete It's Free!
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Walking Marathon Training Schedules for
Intermediate Walking — 4 MONTH PROGRAM
Please read the Training Level Definitions and Workout Descriptions below BEFORE using this schedule!
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.
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 gauge 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 Introduction-Start Here | Beginner | Intermediate | Advanced